The Otto Hogue Henderson collection of photographs consists of glass and film negatives most of which fall within the period from 1910 to 1950. Also included in the collection are eight account books and one studio register which cover the period from 1909 to 1942, used by Henderson to record information pertaining to his photographic practice. The glass plates run from 1910 to 1936 while the film negatives run from 1908 to 1961. This situation occurred because Henderson utilized glass negatives long after film negatives had usurped their popularity. In addition to safety negatives, Henderson also used many nitrate base negatives which, due to their flammable nature, had to be discarded. Where these films have been pulled from the collection, prints have been made and a NITRATE designation recorded on the back of the print. In the main number sequence an 'IF" designation has been added to indicate film negatives.

Spanning the course of over 60 years, the collection contains three broad categories: portraits, town and country scenes in and around Quincy, and farming pictures. Most of the photographic documentation for Faye Morris' book, "They Claimed A Desert" (Fairfield, Washington, Ye Galleon Press, 1976), a history of the early days of the Quincy Valley, has been taken directly from this collection. It contains a rich pictorial representation of pioneer days in the valley and the march of progress in the ensuing years.

Identifications of negatives came from three sources. Henderson's own identifications, recorded in his register, written directly on the negative or on an envelope, have no parentheses or brackets around them. Fay Morris' identifications of negatives not otherwise identified by her uncle are enclosed in parentheses. Other identifications are enclosed in brackets. It might be noted that Henderson's bookkeeping practices often recorded the purchaser of a picture who may or may not have been the subject of the photograph.