Ben L. Gifford Photographs, 1950-1955

Series I consists of photographs made by Ben L. Gifford as part of his classwork at the Fred Archer School of Photography. Most of the photographs were probably made in California. The images depict various subjects and reflect several forms of commercial photography, including advertising and still life. Assignment numbers (or alpha designators) preceed image titles in the list below.

Series II consists of photographs made by Gifford during his senior year at Oregon State College and consists primarily of images of fellow students, many taken at Colorado Lake, east of Corvallis. Other subjects of note are campus buildings, the Benton County Courthouse, and the Corvallis Methodist Church. Most of the images in this series are only available as negatives.

Series III consists of two views of the Rex Hartley Farm near Jefferson, Oregon, showing fields, barns, and farm structures.

Series IV consists of photographs of farm animals taken by Ben L. Gifford in May and June, 1951. Most of the images are of beef and dairy cattle; photographs of horses, sheep, and a goat are also included. The images primarily depict farms in the Willamette Valley near Salem; however, several images of beef cattle ranch operations near Joseph, Oregon, are included. Gifford submitted many of the images to agricultural trade magazines and several were purchased for publication, as indicated in the detailed description. Prints are available for most of the negatives.

Series V consists of photographs of barns, silos, and other farm buildings on farms in the Willamette Valley near Salem, Oregon. Several of the images were submitted for publication to agricultural and farm trade journals. Prints and 4x5 camera negatives are available for all the images.

Series VI consists of one image made by Gifford depicting the plowing technique used on a farm near Salem, Oregon, to promote soil conservation and prevent soil erosion.

Series VII includes two images plowing on a farm near Aumsville, Oregon. No prints are available for these images.

Series VIII consists of images of children with farm animals or in farm settings. Several of the images depict Ben L. Gifford's daughter, Cheryl; these were submitted for publication to farming trade magazines. Prints are available for all the images.

Series IX consists of photographs taken by Gifford in the Willamette Valley in early summer of 1951 that depict hay baling and unloading forage. For most of the images in this series, either a print or negative is available, but not both.

Series X consists of photographs made by Gifford in late spring and early summer of 1951 that depict growing and harvesting of fruit crops in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, including strawberries, apples, gooseberries, and cherries. Prints and camera negatives are available for the bulk of the images. Many of the photographs were submitted to fruit growing trade magazines and several were purchased for publication.

Series XI includes photographs of the Independence Bridge over the Willamette River and the Marion County Courthouse in Salem, Oregon, shortly before it was removed.

Series XII consists of photographs made by Ben L. Gifford as a commercial photographer, perhaps on contract for the depicted events. The bulk of the images are of the FFA Stock Show in Salem and the 4-H and FFA Stock Show in The Dalles and depict youth (men and women) showing dairy and beef cattle, sheep, and hogs. Two images of a boat trip on the Columbia River for the 4-H and FFA youth are also included. Several images of a mobile chest X-ray unit on the Capitol grounds in Salem are also included. Prints are available for only a few of the images in this series; most of the photographs are 4x5 camera negatives.

Series XIII consists of scenic landscape photographs taken by Ben L. Gifford and includes images of the Oregon State Capitol; the Wilsonville Ferry on the Willamette River; the Wallowa Mountains and Wallowa Lake; and The Dalles. Prints are available for about half of the images.

Series XIV consists of two color postcards published by Smith's Scenic Views of Tacoma, Washington, that depict Timberline Lodge and a ski lift on Mt. Hood. The cards are imprinted with Ben L. Gifford's amateur radio call sign (K7BYH) and were probably used by him as QSL cards to confirm radiocommunication between two amateur radio stations.

The images in Series XV were probably taken by Ben L. Gifford. They include several undated photographs of men working in the State Highway Department shops at drafting tables and talking on the telephone. The bulk of the series consists of images of skiers and snow scenes at Hoo Doo Bowl (Santiam Lodge) in January 1955 and at Mt. Hood and Timberline Lodge in April 1954. Prints are only available for a few of the negatives.