Malcolm and Catherine McDonald Photograph Albums

Malcolm and Catherine McDonald Photograph Albums, circa 1870-1910

Overview of the Collection

Creator: McDonald, Catherine McIntosh, b. 1862; McDonald, Malcolm, b. 1860?
Title: Malcolm and Catherine McDonald Photograph Albums
Dates: circa 1870-1910 (inclusive)
18701910
Quantity: 1.0 cubic foot, (1 box)
Collection Number: MS.44
Summary: Malcolm and Catherine McIntosh were a prominent family of Salem, Oregon, who later moved to the Orenco area of Hillsboro. The four photograph albums in this collection contain approximately 200 portrait photographs, most dating from around 1880 to 1900, probably depicting their family and friends.
Repository: Pacific University, Archives
Pacific University Archives
2043 College Way
Forest Grove, OR
97116
Telephone: 5033521400
archives@pacificu.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Sponsored by a grant from the National Historical Publications and Records Commission

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Malcolm and Catherine McIntosh were a prominent family of Salem, Oregon, who later founded the Orenco neighborhood of Hillsboro.

Malcolm was the president of the Capital City Nursery Company, which produced fruit, nut and shade trees, berry plants, and other nursery stock for shipping throughout the United States and Canada. In 1896, the company expanded its operations into rural Washington County east of the town of Hillsboro, renaming themselves the "Oregon Nursery Company." This location later became their headquarters, and the company name became the name of the local community, which is now known as Orenco. Malcolm McDonald was Orenco's first mayor. Orenco later merged into the town of Hillsboro.

Catherine and Malcolm were both of Scottish descent. Catherine was born to James and Annie McIntosh of London, Ontario, around 1862. Malcolm's parents were Duncan McDonald and Agnes McIntyre, probably also of Ontario, though this is not confirmed. Malcolm was already living in Salem, Oregon, when he married Catherine in London, Ontario, on 22 May 1897. Their 1912 Arts-and-Crafts home still stands in the Orenco neighborhood at 22180 NW Birch Street, Hillsboro.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The four family photograph albums contain approximately 200 photographs, most dating from around 1880 to 1900. Nearly all of the photographs are portraits, probably of the McDonald Family and their friends. Many are baby pictures and wedding pictures. The majority are are albumen prints in cabinet card format, with some carte-de-visite and tintypes of various sizes also present. The two larger albums are bound strikingly, one in bright blue velvet with embroidered flowers, and the other in blindstamped sheepskin.

Most of the photographs in the first album were produced in studios located in Salem, Oregon. One photograph in this album has a note attached to it that reads: "To Mrs. McDonald, Sincerely, Hattie." The woman in this photograph may have been a domestic servant with the McDonald family. She appears to have possibly been a woman of color. Other photographs in the album are from studios in Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; Saint Louis, Missouri; and other locations.

Most of the photographs in the second album were produced in London, Ontario. A few of the photographs are from studios located in Michigan. These pictures probably depict Catherine's friends and family. Like the other album, most of the pictures are single or group portraits, baby pictures or wedding pictures. There are two carte-de-visite format photographs of baseball players in uniforms, possibly dating from about 1895, with the letter "T" on their shirts. They were probably members of the London Tecumsehs, a professional baseball team active at that time. One loose piece of cardboard used as backing within the album preserves a handwritten address to "Miss Katie McIntosh"; another item is labelled, "Mrs. McIntosh... London, Ontario." A funeral card for an Ann McIntosh who died in 1897 (probably Catherine's mother), is laid in, along with a few other loose items.

The third photograph album is smaller, with one carte-de-visite inserted per page. At least two photographs in this album have the note written on the verso, "Mrs. M. McDonald, Salem, Ore." Several of them were produced in studios in Scotland, and may picture distant Scottish relatives of the McDonalds. There is also one carte-de-visite depicting two Native Americans from Minnedosa, Manitoba.

The fourth photograph album is also smaller, with one carte-de-visite inserted per page. The Pacific University Archives believes that it is associated with the McDonald Family, although it was previously shelved in a separate area and has no handwritten notes identifying it as a McDonald album. Several of the photographs picture the same people who appear in the other albums, and some were taken in studios in Ontario and Scotland. The pictures probably depict Catherine's friends and family. The archives had previously identified this album as being of the "Rogers Family?" but there is no other information about why this assignment had been made.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Pacific University owns the copyright to some, but not all, of the materials housed in its archives. Copyright for materials authored or otherwise produced as official business of Pacific University is retained by Pacific University and requires its permission for publication. Copyright status for other collection materials varies. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.

Preferred Citation

Malcolm and Catherin McDonald Photograph Albums, Pacific University Archives, Forest Grove, Oregon.

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