View XML QR Code

John Henry Steen photographs, approximately 1920-1959

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Steen, John Henry
Title
John Henry Steen photographs
Dates
approximately 1920-1959 (inclusive)
Quantity
132 photographs (4 boxes, 2 folders) ; various sizes
15 glass negatives
1 orotone photograph
Collection Number
PH1437
Summary
Photographs of Mt. Rainier and other mountains in the Pacific Northwest (mainly Washington state and British Columbia), the Seattle skyline, and wilderness in the Pacific Northwest.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Access restricted. Entire collection available on digital site. For terms of access, contact Special Collections.

Steen hand-colored and hand-painted many of the Mt. Rainier photographs.

One of the photographs is an orotone. Orotones were, in most instances, produced by projecting a negative onto a dry gelatin plate of sensitized glass. The result was a positive image. A gold-colored varnish was then either directly painted onto the dried emulsion side of the glass plate, or the metallic coating was brushed onto to a piece of cardstock or metal and subsequently affixed to the back. In some instances, the wet collodion direct positive process was utilized.

Request at UW

Languages
English
Return to Top

Biographical Note

John Henry Steen was born in 1877 and died in Seattle in 1969. He joined the U.S. Navy in 1903 and settled in Seattle after being stationed at Bremerton's Naval base. He is said to be one of the first people to photograph the Puget Sound Navy Yard. He worked with Asahel Curtis and briefly had a studio in Everett (prior to 1913). He became a professional photographer for the U.S. Navy during WWI. For his photographs of the Puget Sound and U.S. Navy, contact the Puget Sound Navy Museum.

Return to Top

Content Description

The majority of photographs capture Mt. Rainier, mainly from Lake Washington where the current Mt. Baker Tunnel stands overlooking I-90 floating bridge or Mt. Rainier National Park. There are photographs of other mountains in Washington such as Mt. Baker, Mt. Shuksan, Mt. Adams, and Mount St. Helens, as well as various wilderness views (i.e. waterfalls, hiking trails, etc.). Photographs of the Seattle skyline, looking southeast toward Mt. Rainier, UW campus, and views on a lake are also included.

Return to Top

Other Descriptive Information

John Henry Steen produced hand-colored and hand-painted copies of many black and white photographs for artistic purposes, attempting to provide varying representations of his images. These versions are in this collection. Much of the collection consists of variations in printing of the mountain photographs. He would print using different papers and different variations of hand-coloring. Sometimes he painted in trees or ships.

Return to Top

Use of the Collection

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Return to Top

Administrative Information

Preservation Note

Steen hand-colored and hand-painted many of the Mt. Rainier photographs.

One of the photographs is an orotone. Orotones were, in most instances, produced by projecting a negative onto a dry gelatin plate of sensitized glass. The result was a positive image. A gold-colored varnish was then either directly painted onto the dried emulsion side of the glass plate, or the metallic coating was brushed onto to a piece of cardstock or metal and subsequently affixed to the back. In some instances, the wet collodion direct positive process was utilized.

Custodial History

The collection was originally donated to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington due to Steen's association with the U.S. Navy in Bremerton. The photographs that the Naval Shipyard did not want were donated to Mt. Rainier National Park due to Steen's obsession with photographing Mt. Rainier. The photographs that Mt. Rainier National Park did not want were then donated to the UW Special Collections.

Acquisition Information

Brooke Childrey, Mount Rainier National Park, September 2, 2016. The collection was given to the National Park by the Bremerton Naval Shipyard archives. It was originally donated to the shipyard by Joanne Lee, September 2, 2016.

Processing Note

Processed by Michelle A. Shannon, July 2018

Return to Top

Detailed Description of the Collection

 

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)


2019 (Last modified: 2/15/2023)

CC0

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

Loading...
Loading...