Bruce W. Reeves was born in 1918 in Sunnyside, Washington. He attended Washington State University and the Universisty of La Verne where he graduated in 1941 with a BA in teaching. Reeves was a member of the Church of the Brethren and in 1944 he entered the Civilian Public Service as a conscientious objector to World War II. During his time as a C.O., Reeves was assigned to the Waldport, Oregon Fine Arts Camp where he documented camp activities through photography. Reeves's photograph collection of the Warldport camp is the most complete surviving photographic evidence of camp activities; photos from the collection have been published in a number of Civilian Public Service historical texts.
After the war Reeves moved to Seattle where he completed his graduate education at University of Washington. After graduating he worked as a teacher and vice principal in the Shoreline school district. Reeves was also an active member of the National Education Association (NEA), the Washington Education Association (WEA), and the Democratic Party.
This collection includes photographs, photo negatives, publications, and correspondence with the photographer, all related to the Waldport, Oregon (Camp Angel, CPS #56) World War II Civilian Public Service camp.
Arranged in a single series by format and subject.
This collection has no restrictions and is open for research.
Permission to publish, exhibit, broadcast, or quote from materials in the Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections requires written permission of the Head of Archives & Special Collections.
The Bruce Reeves Collection (OLPb028REE), Lewis & Clark College Aubrey Watzek Library Archives & Special Collections, Portland, Oregon.
Donated to Lewis & Clark College by Bruce Reeves in 2008.
Processed in 2008; all materials re-housed in acid free materials; photographs organized by subject.
For more information about the World War II Civilian Public Service
Camp at Waldport see:
Go to: <http://library.lclark.edu/specialcollections/pacifismcollection.html> to see the entire Lewis & Clark holdings related to Oregon Civilian Public Service camps.
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.
The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.
Box includes: information about Bruce Reeves; correspondence with previous publishers of Reeves's photographs; publications from CPS #56; photographs and negatives of CPS #56 by Bruce Reeves; photographs from a performance of "The Seagull" at CPS #21 (taken by Henry Dasenbrock?).
A periodical published out of the nearby Cascade Locks CPS camp, published and supported the work of the Fine Arts Group at Waldport. Includes poetry, short stories, music, and drawings.
2 copies; housed with rare books
Four photos taken by Reeves at CPS Camp #56, Waldport, Oregon. Two photos are of a man working on a power line, one is of a water tower, and one is of a visiting Army Officer. The last includes the dates 1944-65? written on the back.
Photo of Norman Haskell reading from a book in front of a podium. Waldport #56.
Three photos of Bruce Reeves: One in which he is holding a camera, one where he is sitting next to George Romine (on the left), and one a solo portrait. All are from Waldport CPS #56
Photo of Jim Gallahger in the woods at Waldport CPS #56.
Four photos of Adrian Wilson. Two prints of him sitting in the rafters of a theater, and two prints of a full profile shot. All are at Waldport CPS #56.
Two photos of an Oregon beach that across the highway from CPS Camp #56. One photo is of three men sitting on the rocks with large waves crashing around them, the other is a more serene picture of the sand and surf.
Ten photos of kitchen and dining work. The pictures include: the outdoor kitchen; a steam tank that was to be installed for a canning project; parts of the assembled parts of the canning operation; the baker baking bread; a man preparing meat for curing; the outdoor food preparation; a group of men preparing vegetables for canning; vegetables being canned; and a herd of piglets (lableled as future meat).
Eight photos of forestry work, including: the cutting down of a large snag in burned area; stumps clearing with dynamite; burning of mattresses an army officer deemed "unfit to be used," (2 different exposures); road building with tractor; tree planters taking a lunch break; and work crews returning to camp (2 different exposures).
Four exposures of the Morris Graves Exhibition, a display of the painters watercolors including: the title panel and albums (two prints); a view of four paintings (2 prints); detail of two paintings (2 prints); and detail of two more paintings.
Prints of three different drawings of the human form in three different positions.
Two prints of a photograph of Clayton James painting in the art studio.
Three photographs: four prints showing William Everson and an unidentified individual working the printing press; three prints of William Everson at the press; one print of Charles Davis standing next to a type case.
One photo (two prints) of a man weaving at a loom. The loom was one of five built and operated by a CO's. Pendleton Woolen Mills provided used parts at bargain prices.
Two photos of Glen Evans: three prints of him sitting at a potters wheel (which was constructed by a CO) making a bowl; and one print of him building a kiln.
Three photos of a musical performance: one with Warren Downs playing the cello, Art Suell singing, and Scott? playing the piano; and two different exposures of Downs and Scott.
Eight photos of the production of "Aria de Capo." Two different of exposures of Kermit Sheets; one print of Manche Langley; two differeent exposures of Enoch Crumpton and William Eshelman; one exposure of Crumpton lying on the floor next to Eshelman (death scene); one exposure of Crumpton, Langley, and Eshelman; one exposure of Sheets, unidentified, and Langley.
Forty-Four prints, from the production of "Candida." Actors shown are: Tom Polk Miller (dressed as a Priest), Enoch Crumpton (also dressed as a Priest), Kermit Sheets, William Eshelman, Hildegard Erle, Elizabeth (Ibby) Dupre.
This set of photographs were not taken by Reeves (presumably by Henry Dasenbrock). They include twenty-five photos of the production of "Sea Gull." Includes stills from Acts I, III, and IV. All of the photos have a line of dialogue written on the back, and the Act from which it is taken. The actors shown are: Eunice Picone, L Miller, Kermit Sheets, Hildegarde Erle, Isabel Mount (Miller), Goldie Bock, and Tom Polk Miller.
Two prints of a single photo of a theatre presentation by the Fine Arts Group, perhaps the "Illiad?" The photo shows two unknown actors: One playing an angel (?), and the other a man leaning against a column.
Two prints of a photograph of a theatre production from the Fine Arts Group, perhaps titled "Morality Play." Both show four unknown men, three siting and one standing behind a podium, all in front of a large mural that depicts a giant money bag, a man's face, a burning candle, and missiles being dropped from an airplane. There is also a flag with the USA written across it (it is not the American flag however) and a British flag.
Seventeen negative strips and twenty-nine individual negatives for the photographs taken by Reeves described above.