The photograph morgue contains photographs taken for and published in the newspaper that depict events of local, national, and international importance from 1960-1964. Subjects include images of the important people and events on local, national, and international scenes, including Portland and Oregon politics; the tsunami that hit the Oregon coast in 1964; the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson years; John F. Kennedy's assassination; the space race; the Vietnam War; and the Cold War, among many other subjects. Other images document daily life and incidents in Portland and surrounding communities. The local materials were produced primarily by Portland Reporter staff photographers, and some images were obtained from other local sources. National and international images are primarily from the Associated Press wire service. The collection also includes a small quantity of negatives, mostly from non-staff photographers, and some art work and printed materials, most notably a series of Bill Mauldin syndicated cartoons.

All of the photographs in this collection are black-and-white. Most images that appeared in the newspaper are date stamped and have newsprint clippings of captions or brief articles glued to the verso.