Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Peter L. Hegg Equality Colony photographs, 1898-1900
Overview of the Collection
- Photographer
- Hegg, P. L. (Peter L.)
- Title
- Peter L. Hegg Equality Colony photographs
- Dates
- 1898-1900 (inclusive)18981900
- Quantity
- 21 photographic prints (1 box) ; 8x10
- Collection Number
- PH0728
- Summary
- Photographs depicting the early years and original members of the Equality Colony utopian community in Washington state from 1898-1900
- Repository
-
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Biographical NoteReturn to Top
Peter Hegg, brother of the Klondike Gold Rush photographer Eric Hegg, was a proficient photographer in his own right. The Heggs emigrated from Sweden with their parents when they were very young. Peter Hegg came to Washington in 1888. Eric Hegg started a photography studio in New Whatcom (Bellingham, Washington) in 1889, but sold it when he went to the Klondike to record the Gold Rush. Peter took over the Hegg studio when Eric left. Peter worked closely with the Equality Colony in producing a number of propaganda photographs of the colony for their newspaper Industrial Freedom In addition, these images were available for sale to the curious public for 30 cents each or $1.75 for the first seven.
Historical BackgroundReturn to Top
The Equality Colony, located near Edison in upstate Washington, was founded in 1897. It was part of the National Union of the Brotherhood of the Cooperative Commonwealth, whose goal was to make Washington a socialist state by gradually starting colonies in the area and expanding into the rest of the state. For $160 a family was admitted to the colony. Every member was expected to work, including the children when they were not in school. Families lived in apartment houses, or in individual family cabins and ate in a communal dining hall. The colonists were not well received by the surrounding communities because they held radical beliefs such as free love, divorce, rights for women and socialism. By 1906 the colony dissolved.
The newspaper Industrial Freedom was the official publication of the Equality Colony. It was printed weekly and distributed nationally.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Twenty one photographic prints documenting scenes of daily life at the Equality Colony, including tenants, apartment houses, the sawmill and printing presses. These photographs were taken at three different periods and were numbered by the photographer.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Alternative Forms Available
View the collection in digital format.
Restrictions on Use
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
March 1898Return to Top
The first group of photos shows scenes of daily life taken around March 1898. The first issue of Industrial Freedom came out on May 7, 1898. It contained an ad advertising seven pictures of Equality Colony scenes for sale. Three of these pictures were printed in the November 12, 1898 issue of Industrial Freedom
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/1 | 1 | March 1898 | |
| 1/1 | 2 |
Mr. Kincaid standing in "The Reserve,"
the logging area along Colony Creek
This is the later site of the sawmill. The buildings in the
background were probably part of an abandoned logging camp.
|
March 1898 |
| 1/1 | 3 | March 1898 | |
| 1/1 | 4 |
Women and children outside Fort
Bellamy, a two story, A-frame log cabin (Photo #5)
Sitting on the porch are Charles Marquart, age 9 and Clint
Halladay. At the back row of the stairs are Bertha Fisher, Frankie Clevenger,
Dora Erickson and the future Mrs. Herts. In the front left is Emma
Marquart.
Fort Bellamy was the name of the kitchen and dining hall where
residents ate meals together. The hall was named after socialist Edward
Bellamy, author of
Equality and
Looking Backward. Fort Bellamy was
the first building at the colony. After 1898 an addition was built on the north
end.
|
March 1898 |
| 1/1 | 5 |
Women and children standing outside a
row of A-frame log cabins (Photo #6)
Clint Halladay, Charles Marquart, Emma Marguart, Frankie
Clevenger, Grace Brady.
From left to right is the Brady cabin, the Herz-Kincaid cabin
and the Giles-Brady Cabin. These cabins were built in 1897
|
March 1898 |
May 1898Return to Top
In the May 29, 1898 issue of Industrial Freedom the number of photos advertised for sale goes up to 16. Both ads include descriptions of the photos and the numbers on the majority of the existing photos corresponds to the number describing the scene in the advertisement. The first photos without the "BCC Industrial Freedom" banner were commissioned before the newspaper went out, and the next group was commissioned to promote readership after pictures had been selling well. It is noted in the newspaper how eager people were to see the colony.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/2 | 6 |
Six men and two women standing
underneath "Industrial Freedom" banner in the carpentry shop (Photo
#8)
The colonists made and sold furniture to the public to raise
funds.
|
May 1898 |
| 1/2 | 7 | May 1898 | |
| 1/2 | 8 | May 1898 | |
| 1/2 | 9 |
Group standing in front of building on
Main Street in Edison, where the
Industrial Freedom was printed.
(Photo #11)
The printery also served as the BCC National Headquarters. It
was 1.5 miles east of Edison, but 4 miles by road and trail. The building was
later called Edison Hall and made into an IOOF building.
|
May 1898 |
| 1/2 | 10 | May 1898 | |
| 1/2 | 11 | May 1898 | |
| 1/2 | 12 |
Residents outside the Apartment House
No. 2
Mrs. R. Ault stands in the doorway, Lulu and Gladys Ault sit on
the log and Florence Pelton sits at the base of the stump marked with an "x".
|
May 1898 |
| 1/2 | 13 | May 1898 | |
| 1/2 | 14 |
Men working in the colony nursery
(Photo #17)
In the foreground are James Brallin Ault and J. W. Morrick
|
May 1898 |
April 1, 1900 and 1903Return to Top
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/3 | 15 | ||
| 1/3 | 16 |
A man standing in front of the Equality
Colony (Photo #23)
Caption reads: "General view of village looking southeast from
garden. Hot-house, bakery and ironing-room obscured by other buildings.
Shingle-house and saw-mill to left."
One duplicate
|
April 1, 1900 |
| 1/3 | 17 | ||
| 1/3 | 18 |
A group of men sitting on stacked
lumber
Caption reads: "Donkey Mill Crew and Shingle Bolts"
|
|
| 1/3 | 19 | Close up view of
loganberries |
1903 |
Unknown dateReturn to Top
The remaining two photos have no date or numbers. Possibly they were taken later than the May 1898 series because they do not match the description of any of the advertised photos.
| Container(s) | Description | Dates | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Box/Folder | item | ||
| 1/3 | 20 | undated | |
| 1/3 | 21 | undated |
