View XML QR Code

William L. Finley photographs collection, 1899-1935

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Finley, William L.(William Lovell), 1876-1953
Title
William L. Finley photographs collection
Dates
1899-1935 (inclusive)
Quantity
18.36 cubic feet, (52 document cases)
Collection Number
Org. Lot 369
Summary
Original glass plate and nitrate negatives and original prints from naturalists and photographers William L. Finley, Irene Finley, Herman T. Bohlman, and Arthur Newton Pack.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Return to Top

Biographical Note

William L. Finley (1876-1953) was a pioneering wildlife photographer specializing in birds. He was a founding member of the Oregon Audubon Society and a key figure in the establishment of the Three Arch Rocks, Klamath, and Malheur wild bird refuges. He was also a leading conservationist, and served as Oregon State Game Warden (1911-1917), Oregon State Biologist (1917-1919), and Oregon Fish and Game Commissioner (1926-1930). He is the author of American Birds, Little Bird Blue, Wild Animals Pets, and many magazine articles. For additional biographical information and a sampling of his early photographic work, see Worth Mathewson, William L. Finley: Pioneer Wildlife Photographer (Corvallis, Oregon: Oregon State University), 1986.

Return to Top

Content Description

The collection consists of images of wildlife, primarily birds of the western United States, 1899-1935, photographed by William Lovell Finley, his associate Herman T. Bohlman, his wife Nellie Irene Barnhart Finley, and others. The collection includes images of adult and immature birds, chicks, eggs, and nests. Many images show habitats. Others document the camera equipment and techniques used to make the photographs. Later portions of the collection reflect Finley’s partnership with Nature Magazine and Arthur Newton Pack to highlight wildlife in National Parks including Glacier, Rainier, and Yellowstone National Parks, as well as extensive boating expeditions up the west coast of Alaska and British Columbia.

Return to Top

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

William L. Finley photograph collection, Org. Lot 369, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Alternative Forms Available

See digitized versions of the negatives at OHS Digital Collections.

Return to Top

Administrative Information

Arrangement

Collection arrangement for the prints follows the original order of the negatives. Original negatives are in A-D series. Series A and B contain numbered glass plate and nitrate negatives. The numbered negatives primarily represent Finley and Bohlman’s early work from 1900-1911. Negative numbers appear to have been assigned by the former custodians of the collection, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Series C contains glass negatives, ca. 1900-1911, which were never incorporated into the numbered sequence described above. Series D contains unnumbered nitrate negatives. These consist primarily of William and Irene Finley’s later still photography work, ca. 1910-1940s.

The remaining series (E-P) contain the matching vintage and modern photoprints. Most photoprints correspond to a negative in the collection but there are some unique prints interspersed throughout. Negative numbers are noted on the back of images where known.

Acquisition Information

Lib. Acc. 16563

Related Materials

A collection of motion pictures filmed by the Finleys is maintained by the Oregon Historical Society Film Archives. A scrapbook and other letters related to the Finley family are also held in Mss 2654 in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Preservation Note

Original negatives (series A-D) are not available for direct access. Contact staff for assistance.

Return to Top

Detailed Description of the Collection

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Birds -- Photographs
  • Conservationists -- Oregon
  • Nature photography
  • Wildlife refuges--Oregon

Personal Names

  • Finley, William L.(William Lovell), 1876-1953

Corporate Names

  • Oregon--Department of Fish and Wildlife
  • American Nature Association
  • Audubon Society of Portland

Geographical Names

  • Oregon--Wildlife refuges

Form or Genre Terms

  • Glass plate negatives
  • Negatives (photographs)
  • Photographs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names

    • Bohlman,Herman (photographer)
    • Finley, Irene (photographer)
    • Murie, Olaus Johan, 1889-1963 (photographer)
    • Pack, Arthur Newton, 1893-1975 (photographer)
    • Walker, Alex (photographer)

Finding aid prepared by Laura Cray
2017

CC0

About Creative Commons Licenses in Archives West

Loading...
Loading...