XOE_CPNWS0077brady Guide to the Ferd Brady photographs 1907-1940 Brady (Ferd) photographs Finding aid prepared by David Boyd Western Washington University, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies © 2004
Goltz-Murray Building 808 25th St Bellingham, WA 98225-9123 Phone: 360 650 7534 Email: cpnws@wwu.edu
Finding aid encoded by Joshua Zimmerman 2007 March 2 Finding aid written in English. Finding aid based on DACS ( Describing Archives: A Content Standard). 2007 The identification of the Ferd Brady Photographs was conducted under the guidance of Theresa L. Trebon, November 8, 2002. The finding aid was created by David L. Boyd, 2004. The collection was re-engineered by Rainbow Koehl, 2007. Center for Pacific Northwest Studies
Goltz-Murray Building 808 25th St Bellingham, WA 98225-9123 Phone: 360 650 7534 Email: cpnws@wwu.edu
XOE_CPNWS0077brady Brady, Ferdinand Ferd Brady photographs 1907-1940 1907-1911 1930-1940 .5 linear feet The collection primarily consists of photographs and negatives of Native American related activities in the area near La Conner, Washington, the Swinomish reservation, and Coupeville, Washington, circa 1930. Collection materials are in English.

Ferdinand Brady was born on March 27, 1880 in Benton County, Oregon and educated in Philomath, approximately five miles west of Corvallis. In 1901, Brady moved to Marysville, Washington, where he worked in a shingle mill for a short time. While in Marysville, he became acquainted with Mr. and Mrs. Woods who operated a local photography studio. The Woods taught Brady the photography business and eventually sold him their studio upon their retirement. Brady worked as a photographer in Marysville from 1907 until 1911 when he relocated his business to Everett, Washington. From 1911 through 1923, Brady, working under contract with the Federal Government, photographed many images of the Tulalip Indians.

Around 1924, Brady moved to Anacortes and began working with photographer George W. Bower. The two collaborated as "Bower and Brady" until March 1926 when Brady purchased the Anacortes Photo Studio from Helen Iverson and Anna Buell. Ferdinand Brady became an active member of the Anacortes Chamber of Commerce and the City Council and his images were used in promotion of the town and local businesses. At the time of Ferd Brady's retirement in 1952, Wallie Funk purchased Brady's collection of prints and negatives. Ferd Brady passed away on May 20, 1967 at Kings Garden Nursing Home in Seattle. Wallie Funk donated Ferd Brady's images to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2003.

*Information within this description taken from a biography by Theresa L. Trebon, Continuum History and Research.*

The Ferd Brady Photographs document the Swinomish Indians and the area surrounding their reservation near La Conner, Washington and Coupeville, Washington from 1910 to 1944. Ferd Brady was a local photographer who lived in Everett and then Anacortes, Washington at the time these photographs were taken.

Although the bulk of the collection is photographic, there are a small number of textual materials. They consist of a short biography of Ferd Brady written by Theresa L. Trebon of Continuum History and Research, the original descriptions of the images, and pictures of those who participated in the original identification.

The majority of the images date from 1930s and 1940s. They include images of the 1930 Puget Sound Indian Fair in La Connor and canoe racing at the 1930 Water Carnival in Coupeville. The collection also contains images of a military funeral held at the Swinomish Reservation and photographs of the Washington Egg and Poultry Co-operative processing plant in Oak Harbor. Included is one photograph taken by Theresa L. Trebon.

The Ferd Brady photographs are organized in accordance with the following series arrangement:

Series I: Research Material, 2002 Series II: Images, 1910-2002, undated

The collection is open to the public.

Ferd Brady Photographs, Center for Pacific Northwest Studies, Western Libraries Archives & Special Collections, Western Washington University, Bellingham WA 98225-9123.

Wallie Funk purchased Ferd Brady's collection of negatives and prints following Brady's retirement announcement in 1952. Wallie Funk donated the Ferd Brady Photographs along with his own papers to the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies in 2003.

Donated by Wallie Funk.

The Anacortes Museum houses over two thousand additional Ferd Brady images among materials donated by Wallie Funk.

 About Harmful Language and Content

To learn more about problematic content in our collections, collection description and teaching tools (including how to provide feedback or request dialogue on this topic), see the following Statement About Potentially Harmful Language and Content

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Brady, Ferdinand -- Archives Trebon, Theresa. Whidbey Island (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Swinomish Indian Reservation (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Fidalgo Island (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Whidbey Island (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Skagit Valley (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Oak Harbor (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Coupeville (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. La Conner (Wash.) -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America -- Social life and customs -- 1921-1930 -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- Northwest Coast of North America -- Canoe racing -- 1921-1930 -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- Washington (State) -- Puget Sound area -- Social life and customs -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- Washington (State) -- Whidbey Island -- Social life and customs -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- Washington (State) -- Fidalgo Island -- Social life and customs -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- Washington (State) -- Skagit Valley -- Social life and customs -- History -- Sources. Indians of North America -- British Columbia -- Social life and customs -- History -- Sources. Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Wash. -- Funeral customs and rites -- History -- Sources. Community life -- Washington (State) -- Swinomish Indian Reservation -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Community life -- Washington (State) -- Coupeville -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Community life -- Washington (State) -- La Conner -- History -- Sources -- Photographs. Photographers -- Washington (State) -- History -- Sources. Native Americans Photographs Washington (State)

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Series I Research Material 2002

Materials generated by Theresa L. Trebon who researched Ferd Brady and held a photograph identification meeting with Swinomish elders in order to accurately identify individuals and events photographed by Brady.

1/1 Biography 2002 1/2 Photographs and original notes from identification meeting 2002 Series II Images 1910-2002 and undated

To view item-level description of images in the Ferd Brady photographs, follow this hyperlink to the photo catalog on the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies' website.