Glass negatives of early Portland residential scenes, circa 1905

Overview of the Collection

Title
Glass negatives of early Portland residential scenes
Dates
circa 1905
Quantity
0.36 cubic feet, (1 document case)  :  88 glass plate negatives
Collection Number
Org. Lot 1417
Summary
Collection consists of 88 glass plate negatives that document early families, residents and homes in Portland, Oregon, taken circa 1905.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English

Historical NoteReturn to Top

The photographer of this collection of glass negatives is unknown, but may have been a resident of a boarding house in the 4700 block of Magnolia Street (now the 800 block of NE Rosa Parks Way) around 1931. The negatives were found in the house many years later by relatives of the woman who ran the boarding house in the 1930s.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Collection was titled "Images of East Portland and Albina, Oregon" prior to June 2021.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Collection consists of glass plate negatives that depict Portland residents and houses, circa 1905. Several photographs feature Portland families or residents posing inside or outside their homes. All of the people pictured are unidentified except for a man who is likely Dr. O.C. Blaney, pictured next to a house displaying a sign that bears his name. The negatives do not include information about the locations depicted in the photographs, but the images likely portray early neighborhoods on the east side of the Willamette River. The negatives were found in a house in Northeast Portland, and a few images show places identifiable as the east side of Portland. Subjects include houses, porches, gardens, families, portraits, and construction projects. Other images depict the Oregon Coast and agricultural work.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

The negatives are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Glass negatives of early Portland residential scenes, Org. Lot 1417, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

Materials in this collection are in the public domain.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Gift of Mrs. Lawrence O. Johnson (Beth B. Johnson), April 2007 (Lib. Acc. 26228).

Preservation Note

Glass plate negatives are not available for direct access due to fragility. Researchers are asked to use digitized copies viewable online.

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Families--Oregon--Portland--Photographs
  • Housing--Oregon--Portland--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Negatives (Photographs)