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J.B. Horner Photograph Collection, 1846 - circa 1925

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Horner, John B., 1856-1933.
Title
J.B. Horner Photograph Collection
Dates
1846 - circa 1925 (inclusive)
circa 1910 - circa 1920 (bulk)
Quantity
0.25 cubic foot, including 176 photographs , (5 boxes)
Collection Number
P 100
Summary
The J.B. Horner Photograph Collection consists of images assembled by Horner depicting historical figures and groups of people, such as members of the Siletz and Umatilla Indian tribes, as well as locations around Oregon. The collection also contains a number of images depicting early life on the Oregon State University campus and individuals associated with the university. John B. Horner taught English and history at Oregon Agricultural College from 1891 until his death in 1933.
Repository
Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
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Biographical Note

John B. Horner taught English and history at Oregon Agricultural College from 1891 until his death in 1933; founded the college museum; and wrote extensively on Oregon history and literature.

John B. Swadelnack was born on August 4, 1856 in central Texas to Frank and Mary Anna Swadelnack. He took the surname Horner after his widowed mother married Elias Horner in Walla Walla (Washington Territory). After attending Whitman College, Horner enrolled in Philomath College, receiving the BS degree (1877) and the MS degree (1879). He also attended Willamette University and received AB (1885) and MS (1887) degrees. In the 1880s, he taught school at several places in Oregon, including Buena Vista, Union, Brownsville, Roseburg, and Albany. He married Isabelle Skimpton on September 5, 1880; they had two daughters, Vera Delle and Pearl Alicia.

In 1891, he began a teaching career at Oregon State that lasted for more than 40 years. He taught English from 1891 to 1902 and history from 1902 until 1933. In 1925, Horner formally established the museum at Oregon State that was later named for him. He wrote several books on Oregon history and literature as well as numerous articles. Horner died on September 14, 1933 in Corvallis.

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Content Description

The J.B. Horner Photograph Collection consists of images related to the history of Oregon and of Oregon State University that were assembled by Horner, perhaps for teaching, lectures, or use in his book Oregon History. The bulk of the collection consists of lantern slides (111 items). Several of the lantern slides are part of a "History of Oregon" series and others are identified as "Oregon Literature". A number of early government officials are pictured, as well as a building in Corvallis that served as the territory capitol for a number of months in 1855.

Of special note are images of Siletz Indians, Umatilla Indians of the Columbia Plateau, Modoc warriors, and Louis Southworth, an African American resident of Benton County.

The collection also contains images of natural scenes, including mountains, the Great Oregon Caves and the Oregon Coast; Oregon Agricultural College cadets and color guard; and other scenes on the early Oregon State campus, including the original Corvallis College building.

The collection includes 111 lantern slides, 52 prints, and 13 glass negatives. Many of the lantern slides contained in the collection were produced by the Weister Company in Portland, Oregon; some of the lantern slides have been hand-colored. The glass negatives are copy negatives of photographic prints, portraits and published photographs. Prints made from the lantern slides and one of the glass negatives (probably in the 1980s) as well as original prints are part of the collection. Ball Studio made some of the portrait photographs in the collection. The original prints include images of several Oregon Agricultural College presidents.

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Use of the Collection

Preferred Citation

J.B. Horner Photograph Collection (P 100), Oregon State University Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The J.B. Horner Photograph Collection has been arranged in 3 series: I. Lantern Slides, 1846 - circa 1925; II. Glass Negatives, 1852 - circa 1920; and III. Original Prints, circa 1875 - circa 1925.

Acquisition Information

The images were acquired by the University Archives in the 1960s. A print of Louis Southworth playing the violin (P100:087) was donated by the Nez Perce County Museum in 2011.

Related Materials

The John B. Horner Papers (MSS Horner) contain materials written and assembled by Horner as an Oregon Agricultural College history professor. The Horner Museum Records (RG 199) include extensive documentation of the museum and its collections. Many other archival collections contain materials pertaining to local history as well as Native Americans in Oregon.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • College presidents--Oregon--Corvallis.
  • Governors--Oregon.
  • Indians of North America--Columbia Plateau.
  • Modoc Indians.
  • Siletz Indians.

Personal Names

  • Arnold, B. L. (Benjamin Lea), 1839-1892.
  • Gatch, Thomas M.
  • Kerr, William Jasper, 1863-1947.

Corporate Names

  • Corvallis College.
  • Oregon Agricultural College.

Geographical Names

  • Cascade Range.
  • Corvallis (Or.)
  • Oregon--History.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Glass negatives.
  • Lantern slides.
  • Photographic prints.

Other Creators

  • Corporate Names

    • Ball Studio. (photographer)
    • Weister Company. (photographer)

Finding aid prepared by Megan Guerre and Elizabeth Nielsen.
2013

CC Attribution
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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