Washington State University College of Engineering and Architecture Photographs, 1953-2016

The collection consists of images documenting the programs, projects, and individuals of the WSU College of Engineering and Architecture, the WSC/WSU Institute of Technology, and associated programs, loosely from the very early 1950s to 2020. Formats include negatives, loose prints, prints glued to cards, and born-digital images on discs.

Series 1 consists of 5x8 cards with photo prints glued to the front, and often with a sleeved negative attached to the back. They are often undated (identified dates range from 1953-1964), and with only a few words as identification. Some are unnumbered, some appear to have IDs originating with Engineering, and some have five-digit ID numbers that indicate they came from WSU’s Photo Services (see WSU MASC’s PC 1: University Publications and Printing/WSU Press Photographs of WSU, 1947-1983 for help with these numbers). They are broken into broad subject series, but appear to have no order within those.

Series 2 is sleeved envelopes containing negatives, prints, or both. They date from 1965-1995. A chronological numbering system began in 1965, and in 1970 they started renumbering all the images each year (e.g., 1971 started with 71-001 and then they started again in 1972).

Series 3 consists of individual portraits, organized chronologically. The 8.5 x 11 sheets, usually with four images on each side, bear ID numbers within the Engineering system, and are labeled with the individuals’ names, but are date ordered even within year (there are often multiple individuals on each sheet).

Series 4 consists of approximately 250 CDs or DVDs of images, created ca. 2001-2016. The vast majority of them have some sort of labeling or dating on the outside of the discs. They are retained in the order they were received in, with 32 discs which came separately foldered in sleeves at the back. These will be copied to digital storage, though at the time this guide was created, that had not yet been done.

Series 5 consists of two overlapping chronological indexes, running from 1962-1995, and giving an ID number, a section (broad subject), a description, and a date. A separate section at the back of the index specifically covers portraits. Two copies of these (each with slightly different notes) have been retained. Pages to 1992 are typewritten, after that they are handwritten. These have been digitized and OCRed for text recognition (though not hand-proofed), and that digital copy is held in the MASC’s archival files – someone searching for a specific event or individual might be best served to begin with that digital index.