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Harold M. Brown photographs, circa 1909-1956

Overview of the Collection

Photographer
Brown, Harold M., 1887-1956
Title
Harold M. Brown photographs
Dates
circa 1909-1956 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.58 cubic feet, (1 letter document case; 1 slim legal document case; 1 oversize flat box (13x16x3); 1 card file box (12x8x5); 1 oversize folder (48x18))
Collection Number
Org. Lot 197
Summary
Collection consists of photographs taken by Harold M. Brown, a commercial photographer in Oregon and Washington, from approximately 1909 to 1956. Subjects include photographs of the lumber and shipping industries in northwestern Oregon, views of various locations in Oregon and Washington, including ranches and agriculture, and portraits of Brown and other people. The collection also includes photocopies of three of Harold M. Brown's photography ledgers, dating from 1922 to 1956 which include details about dates and locations for numbered Brown prints.
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
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Biographical Note

Harold M. Brown was born in Minnewaukan, North Dakota, on June 2, 1887. During the first half of the 20th century, he worked as a commercial photographer, primarily focusing on the lumber and shipping industries in northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington. During World War II, Brown also served as an Army photographer. He died on August 17, 1956.

Source: Harold M. Brown obituary, Oregonian, August 24, 1956, Page 21.

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Content Description

Collection consists of 140 photographs and 13 Cirkut panoramic photographs taken by Harold M. Brown from approximately 1909 to 1956. The bulk of the collection documents the lumber, agriculture, and shipping industries in Oregon between 1917 to 1956. These photographs depict the following companies: Pope & Talbot Co., Eastern & Western Lumber Co., Oregon-American Lumber Co., Nicolai-Neppach Co., Crown Willamette Paper Co., Crown Zellerbach Corporation, and the Oregon Shipbuilding Corporation. Photographs of freighters used for lumber transportation are also included. The collection also contains photographs of locations in Oregon and Washington, including the Bonneville Dam, Cascade Locks, the Columbia River, Heceta Head, Mt. Adams, Mt. Hood, Portland, Tahkenitch Lake, Vanport, and the Washougal River. Additionally, there are portraits of Harold M. Brown and other people. The collection also includes photocopies of three of Harold M. Brown's photography ledgers, dating from 1922 to 1956, which include details about dates and locations for numbered Brown prints.

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Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

Selected Harold M. Brown photographs are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.

Preferred Citation

Harold M. Brown photographs, Org. Lot 197, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

This collection is arranged in the following series:

  • Series 1: Portraits
  • Series 2: Lumber industry
  • Series 3: Agriculture
  • Series 4: Transportation
  • Series 5: Locations
  • Series 6: Harold M. Brown photograph ledgers

Acquisition Information

Gifts of multiple donors from 1960 to 2023; purchase from Old Oregon Bookstore in April 1959 (Lib. Acc. 7932); and transfer from Benton County Historical Society in August 2003 (Lib. Acc. 25234).

Preservation Note

Due to fragility, rolled panoramic photographs in Box 3 and Box 4 are not available for use by researchers. Contact library staff for assistance.

Processing Note

Four mounted photographs of logging equipment that were incorporated into this collection in August 2023 were previously cataloged as the Harold M. Brown logging photographs collection, Org. Lot 1314.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Agriculture--Oregon--Photographs
  • Floods--Oregon--Portland--1948--Photographs
  • Floods--Oregon--Vanport--Photographs
  • Lumber trade--Oregon--Photographs
  • Shipping--Oregon--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • panoramic photographs
  • photographs

Juliane Schudek and Megan K. Friedel; revised by Laura Cray
2007; revised 2023

CC0

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