University of Washington Libraries, Special CollectionsPH0445Scheffer, Victor BVictor B. Scheffer
photographs1918-19761966-197619 negatives16 transparencies8 photographic prints : col.34 photographic prints : b&wCollection materials are in
English.Photographs
documenting the Mima Mounds in Thurston County, Wash., Native-American sea
otter hunters, people in the Olympic Peninsula, and an Armistice Day parade
photograph taken by Theophilus SchefferDr. Victor B. Scheffer was born in Manhattan, Kansas, on November 27,
1906. When he was eight years old his family moved to Puyallup, Wash., where he
attended school.
His father, Theophilus H. Scheffer (1866-1966), was an associate
biologist for the United States Bureau of Biological Survey for 27 years. His
work focused on wildlife management in the Pacific Northwest.
Victor Scheffer received his bachelor of science in 1930, his master
of science in 1932, and his doctorate in zoology in 1936 at the University of
Washington in Seattle. He worked as a biologist for the United States Bureau of
Biological Survey from 1937 to 1940, for the United States Fish and Wildlife
Service from 1940 to 1956, and for the United States Bureau of Fisheries from
1956 to 1969. He was a lecturer for the Ecology Department at the University of
Washington from 1966 to 1972 and was named chairman of the Marine Mammal
Commission from 1973-1976.
Scheffer's first book, Seals, Sea Lions, and
Walruses , was published in 1959. He has also written 13 other books and
over one hundred scientific pamphlets and articles, many of which are available
at the University of Washington Libraries.
According to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources,
many theories exist as to the origin of the Mima Mounds. One theory is that
family burrows of pocket gophers were once plentiful, and their burrowing
brought earth to the surface and built the mounds. Another theory is that these
mounds were forced during the end of the Ice Age, five thousand years ago, by
surface thawing and freezing. Because of this, fissures developed and were
filled with clear ice which, as it expanded, repeatedly pushed up the earth. A
different theory is that the frozen earth may have been in the form of frozen
polygons, and flooding waters may have washed away the thawed material between
the frozen cores. Portions of this mound area have been declared a registered
natural landmark to be preserved in the interest of science and as an
ecological mystery.
The first series in the collection shows the Mima Mounds. The images
numbered 1-18 are repeated in various formats: transparencies, negatives, and
color and black and white photographic prints. There are also photographs of
Native American seal otter hunters, Quinault Indians digging razor clams, and
Makah Indians making a fishing boat. In addition, there are miscellaneous
photographs and transparencies of Victor Scheffer as a child in an Armistice
Day parade, Justice W.O. Douglas, and Professor T. Kincaid.
Arranged into four series: Mima Mounds, Native American Sea Otter
Hunters, Olympic Peninsula, and Armistice Day Parade.
Photographic prints made from the negatives are available for
reference purposes.
Negatives are not available for viewing.
Request at UW
Gift of Victor B. Scheffer.
Processed by Jill M. Dalager, Nov. 2003.
Mima Mounds (Wash.)--PhotographsMima Prairie (Wash.)--PhotographsPatterned ground--Washington (State)--Puget Sound Region--PhotographsPrairie ecology--Washington (State)--Mima PrairieSea otter hunting--Washington (State)--PhotographsHunters--Washington (State)--PhotographsIndians of North America--Washington (State)--Olympic Peninsula--PhotographsVisual Materials Collections (University of Washington)PhotographsWashington (State)ScienceNative AmericansTransparenciesPhotographic printsNegatives
Mima Mounds, Thurston County, WashingtonColor transparencies1/11aAerial view of mounds on Mima Prairie
(Scheffer 6259A)July 29, 19661/12aAerial view of mounds (Scheffer
6259B)July 29, 1966"Scar of a gravel pit shows at right of center."
1/13aAerial view of mounds, looking toward
the Black Hills (Scheffer 6259C)July 29, 19661/14aAerial view of conifers beginning to
populate Mima Mounds (Scheffer 6259D)July 29, 19661/16a-9aAerial view of conifers growing along
the Mima Prairie (Scheffer 6259F, 6259G, 6259H, 6259I )July 29, 19661/110aCross section of a mound
demonstrating dark soil on pale, course gravel in Mima Prairie (Scheffer
6528)April 9, 19681/111Washington State Department of
Natural Resources sign on Mima Prairie, erected 1967 (Scheffer
6530A)April 9, 19681/113a-14aVictor B. Scheffer in Mima Prairie
(Scheffer 8624, 8624A)July 17, 19761/115a"Pocket gopher displays adaptations
for digging and transporting soil," from Rochester, Wash. (Scheffer
8631)July 19, 19761/116aAerial view of Mima Prairie looking
northwest towards the Black Hills (Scheffer 8634)July 27, 19761/117a-18aAerial view of Mima Prairie from 600
feet (Scheffer 8641, 8642)July 27, 19761/219Photograph of line engraving from
American Naturalist of mound formations in San
Diego, Calif., probably made for comparison purposes (Scheffer
8620)1960s-1970sOriginal line engraving is dated 1879.
Color photographs made from
transparenciesSame images as above.
1/31bAerial view of mounds on Mima Prairie
(Scheffer 6259A)July 29, 1966 1/38bAerial view of conifers growing in
the Mima Prairie (Scheffer 6259H)July 29, 1966 1/310bCross section of a mound
demonstrating dark soil on pale, course gravel in Mima Prairie (Scheffer
6528)April 9, 1968 1/313bVictor B. Scheffer in Mima Prairie
(Scheffer 8624)July 17, 1976 1/315b"Pocket gopher displays adaptations
for digging and transporting soil," from Rochester, Wash. (Scheffer
8631)July 19, 1976 1/316bAerial view of Mima Prairie looking
northwest towards the Black Hills (Scheffer 8634)July 27, 1976 1/317b-18bAerial view of Mima Prairie from 600
feet (Scheffer 8641, 8642)July 27, 1976 Black-and-white photographs made from
transparenciesSame images as above.
1/41c-2cAerial view of mounds (Scheffer
6259A, 6259B)July 29, 1966 "Scar of a gravel pit shows at right of center."
1/43cAerial view of mounds, looking toward
the Black Hills (Scheffer 6259C)July 29, 1966 1/44c-7cAerial view of conifers beginning to
grow in Mima Mounds (Scheffer 6259D, 6259E, 6259F, 6259G)July 29, 19661/49cAerial view of mounds and fir tree
shadows at west edge of Mima Prairie (Scheffer 6259I)July 29, 1966 1/410cCross section of a mound
demonstrating dark soil on pale, course gravel in Mima Prairie (Scheffer
6528)April 9, 1968 1/412cAerial view of Mima Prarie and
Washington State Preserve (Scheffer 6792)Nov. 19681/413cVictor B. Scheffer in Mima Prairie
(Scheffer 8624)July 17, 19761/415c"Pocket gopher displays adaptations
for digging and transporting soil," from Rochester, Wash. (Scheffer
8631)July 19, 19761/416cAerial view of Mima Prairie looking
northwest towards the Black Hills (Scheffer 8634)July 27, 1976Native American Sea Otter
Hunters1/520aLance Kalappa, Native American sea
otter hunter, on the northwest coast of Washington at Makah Bay (Scheffer
472)Nov. 16, 1938 1/520b-cLance Kalappa, Native American sea
otter hunter, on the northwest coast of Washington at Makah Bay (Scheffer
473)Nov. 16, 1938 1/520dJohnny Shale, chief of the Quilieutes,
at Queets (Scheffer 518)Dec. 5, 1938 1/521aBilly Garfield, who hunted sea otters
along Washington's Olympic coast, holds his 50-caliber Sharps rifle, Taholah,
Wash. (Scheffer 514) Dec. 17, 1938 1/521bAmmunition, probably for a 45-caliber
Sharps rifle, used at the turn of the century for hunting sea otter (Scheffer
515)Dec. 18, 1938 1/522Bert Robinson holds a Sharps 50-caliber
model 1848 rifle once used by W.W. Ward for hunting sea otters on the
Washington coast, Ilwaco, Wash. (Scheffer 614)April 19, 1939 1/523aSketch of Copalis Rocks on the Olympic
Peninsula coast (Scheffer 557)late 1930sCharles McIntyre built a lookout hut for hunting sea otters at
Copalis Rocks, left. On the right, a derrick built for summer otter
hunting.
Scheffer made this photograph of the drawing by Ada Willoughby
(circa late 1800s) in the 1930s.
1/523bDerricks in the tidal zone for hunting
sea otters near Oyhut, Wash. (Scheffer 558)undatedScheffer made this photographic copy of the original photograph
by Clara L. Minard.
1/524aSea otter killed near Oyhut, Wash.
(Scheffer 555)undated Scheffer made this photographic copy of a Clara L. Minard
photograph (circa late 1800s).
1/524bSeven sea otter pelts cased and dried,
hung on wall by trader A.O. Damon, Oyhut, Wash. (Scheffer 556)undated Scheffer made this photographic copy of the photograph by Clara
L. Minard (circa late 1800s).
1/625Drawings of Northern fur seals,
callorhinus ursinus (Scheffer 9100)undatedFigure 1: male. Figure 2: female.
Photographic copy from Steller's De
Bestiis Marinis , 1751.
1/626Drawings of sea otters,
enhydra lutris (Scheffer 9101)undatedFigure 1: male. Figure 2: female with pup.
Photographic copy from Steller's De
Bestiis Marinis , 1751.
1/727Drawing of Government House (Scheffer
8377 A)undatedCaption: Elliott lived in Government House, which was built
during his tour of duty in 1872. Thanks to the cold, clean air of the Bering
Sea, the house was still standing a century later, though converted to other
uses.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
1/728People in barrabakie (Scheffer 8377
B)undatedCaption: Elliott labeled this sketch 'The Interior of Lukah's
Barrabakie.' One of the Russian-Aleut figures is evidently Mrs. Luka Mandrigan,
age 53. Barrabakies, or barrabaras, were dugouts insulated with sod. The
remains of many such habitations are common on the islands of the Bering
Sea.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
1/729Fur seals on cliffs (Scheffer 8377
C)undatedCaption: A fur seal harem sketched by Elliott on 14 June 1872,
shortly before the peak of the breeding season. The harem bull or beachmaster
takes a commanding position from which he can monitor the movements of his
harem of a dozen or so cows. Other cows are yet to arrive on land from their
winter migration at sea.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
1/730Man among seals (Scheffer 8377
D)undatedCaption: We can suppose that Elliott put himself in this sketch
which he labeled 'Seal Breath Fog.' On 10 October 1872, he was moving slowly
through the masses which typically congregate on the 'Reef Parade-ground' in
late summer, shortly before they all leave on migration.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
1/731Men with weapons driving seals
(Scheffer 8377 E)undatedCaption: A driving or 'pickup' of bachelor seals destined for
the killing fields of English Bay, 10 June 1872. Change their clothing, and the
sealers could be those of today. The bachelor seals habitually sleep in a group
outside the rookeries, or breeding grounds.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
1/732Men clubbing seals (Scheffer 8377
F)undatedCaption: A Fourth of July clubbing scene. A dozen sealers were
killing animals selected for the quality of their pelts, while skinners (at
left) were beginning their back-breaking task. Hundreds of other seals (at
right) were destined to pass in review before the clubbers.
Photographic copy from Henry W. Elliott's The Pribilov Group, or Seal Islands, of Alaska,
1873.
Olympic Peninsula1/833-37Quinault Indians digging razor clams at
low tide on the ocean beach. (Scheffer 6512-2 through 6512-8) 1/838Makah Indians making a cedar-log dugout
for open sea sealing and fishing, La Push, Wash. (Scheffer 8695)March 26, 1930Theophilus Scheffer 1/839Justice William O. Douglas and hikers
stop for lunch at Third Beach, Olympic Peninsula, Wash. (Scheffer
5685)1964 1/840Professor Trevor Kincaid on University
of Washington zoology field trip, Green River Gorge, Wash. (Scheffer
8680)ca. 1930 Armistice Day Parade1/941Impromptu parade in Puyallup, Wash.
(Scheffer 5738)Nov. 11, 1918Theophilus Scheffer "Told that the Great War had ended, children gathered in small
neighborhood groups to celebrate."