Jack Williams was “taken with photography in the 1930s”, in the words of his son Gerald W. Williams. Jack Williams’ eldest son, Jack A. Williams, purchased cameras and lenses on behalf of his father when he was stationed with the U.S. Air Force in Germany. Jack Williams was an opportunistic photographer, according to his son Gerald; he didn’t set stages or use a flash or tripod. However, he did use a special shoulder mount for his cameras. Williams enjoyed photographing waterfowl, wildlife, and landscapes. He also took his camera with him to construction sites for dams and highways throughout the Pacific Northwest. Jack Williams rarely photographed people, except for occasional snapshots.
John Francis (known as Jack) Williams was born in Iowa on August 7, 1908. He worked in Indiana and Minnesota as a young man. After two marriages ended in divorce, Jack moved to Oregon in 1938, settling first in Klamath Falls with his third wife Gladys Norgard. In about 1940, the Williams moved to Eugene, Oregon, where their sons Gerald W. and James were born. Jack worked as a mechanic throughout his life and established, with partners, an auto-electric business in Springfield, Oregon, in the 1950s. Jack moved to California in about 1959.
These materials were acquired by the former University Archives in 2007. They were originally described as a component of the Gerald W. Williams Collection (MSS WilliamsG) and were separated for description as this collection in 2016.
Collection is open for research.
Jack Williams Slides (P 315), Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Oregon State University Libraries.
The
The core of Gerald Williams' research materials are maintained as the
The Jack Williams Slides are arranged in 4 series: 1. Oregon, 1945-1958; 2. Native Americans Fishing at Celilo Falls, 1956; 3. Landscapes and Wildlife, 1954-1960; and 4. Olympic Games and Marineland, 1960.
The Jack Williams Slides consist of color slides made by the father of Gerald W. Williams, Jack Williams, during the mid-to-late 1950s. The images depict landscapes in Oregon, California, and Washington; birds and wildlife; and dams and other water projects in the Pacific Northwest. The photographs include views of the Oregon coast, Crater Lake, the McKenzie River, and other lakes and rivers of the Oregon Cascades. Several dams and water projects in Oregon and Washington are depicted, including the Pelton Dam, Clearwater Power Project, Tokatee Falls aquaduct, The Dalles Dam, Detroit Dam, Bonneville Dam, the Celilo Canal, Ice Harbor Dam, and Yale Dam.
Of special note are 20 color slides of Native Americans fishing at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River before the area was flooded by The Dalles Dam. These images depict fishing platforms, fishermen netting salmon, a water-powered fish wheel, and a fishermen’s camp. Most of the images are available online in
Series 1 consists of 244 slides depicting landscapes and scenic views in Oregon, especially dams and water projects. The images include views of the Oregon Coast; Crater Lake; the Deschutes, Clackamas, and McKenzie Rivers; Sisters; Clear Lake; and McNary Lake. Several dams and water projects in Oregon are depicted, including the Pelton Dam, Clearwater Power Project, the aqueduct at Tokatee Falls, The Dalles Dam, Lookout Point Dam, Detroit Dam on the Santiam River, Bonneville Dam, and the Celilo Canal.
Series 2 consists of 20 slides of Native Americans netting salmon at Celilo Falls on the Columbia River before the area was flooded by The Dalles Dam. The images include views of 3-Mile Rapids, a water-powered fish wheel, fishing platforms, and a fishermen's camp. Most (18) of the images are available online in
Series 3 consists of 439 slides depicting landscapes in California and other western states and Canada. The series also includes images of birds and other wildlife. Several photographs of dams are included in this series.
280 slides; slides of California locations include Long Beach, Pismo Beach, Santa Barbara, Shasta Lake, San Francisco, Coast Highway, the Redwood Highway, and Cherry Valley. Wildlife slides include mallards, geese, swans, cormorants, western and eared grebes, horned owls, osprey, ruddy ducks, brown bear, elk, coyotes, deer, marmots, and turtles. Slides of the English Channel and Tule Lake are also found in this folder.
159 slides; Landscape slides are from a variety of locations in California, Washington, and Canada including the Trinity River and Hills, Norden Lake, Lake Tahoe, Donner Pass, Yosemite, Bremerton, Lake Merwin, Seattle, the Olympic Mountains, Hell's Canyon, Little Salmon River, Missouri River, Saskatoon, and Edmonton. Other slides of Ice Harbor Dam, Yale Dam, Quarnstrom's Home, and the Puget Sound Navy Yard are included.
Series 4 consists of 32 slides depicting the 1960 Winter Olympic Games, held in Squaw Valley, California, and sea animals at Marineland. Marineland of the Pacific was a public oceanarium and tourist attraction in Los Angeles County, California that opened in 1954.