Since its founding in 1898, the Oregon Historical Society has collected ephemera of all kinds, most of it documenting the history of Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Around the mid-20th century, librarians at the Society began organizing these materials into what became known as "Topical Collections" formed around particular subjects, such as business and education. One such collection, "Ethnology," served as a catch-all for items related to population groups that share common ties of ancestry and culture. Often materials from other collections were separated from the original sources and added to the Ethnology Collection. Although this practice has since been discontinued, some materials are still filed in Ethnology if they come from accessions composed primarily of unrelated ephemera items. "Ethnic groups" are defined as people who are bound together by common ties of ancestry and culture.
Collection created by the Oregon Historical Society containing ephemera related to ethnic groups, primarily in Oregon and Portland. Includes brochures, cabinet cards, correspondence, financial records, flyers, newspaper clippings, pamphlets, photographs, registration records, relocation records, reports, scrapbook, and transcriptions. Includes materials related to Japanese American relocation in World War II, and the Russian "Old Believer" community in Oregon.
The collection is arranged in the following series:
The collection is open to the public.
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any use of reproductions. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use of reproductions may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright holders.
Ethnology collection, Mss 1521, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
The collection was assembled from a wide variety of sources by the Oregon Historical Society. Provenance can be traced from accession numbers on individual items.
Additional materials are added to the collection from time to time.
The collection was completely reprocessed and reboxed in 2009.
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.
Please note that Danish and Swedish are included in the Scandinavian series.
"Dat's my Dog; Dat's my Cat" paintings on cabinet cards.
"Resource Reader" containing information on Osley James "Jim" Gates, former Executive Director of the City Council Commission on Aging in Portland, Oregon, and past Vice-President of the National Council on the Aging. Also includes information on other Gates and McPherson family members.
See also St. Andrews Society, Coll 123. See also individual listings for Irish, Scottish, and Welsh.
Photostat of The Freeman's Oath from City of Gloucester.
Includes British Societies of Portland and British Residents of Oregon.
Includes English Speaking Union and British in Oregon.
Includes 1898 telegram from W.Q. Gresham to Governor Sylvester Pennoyer regarding the Chinese Exclusion Act; letter (ALs) from Chinese ambassador Cheng Tsao Ju to President U.S. Grant regarding appointment of a Chinese consul in Portland, April 17, 1883. Some materials in Chinese language.
In Chinese.
In Chinese.
In Chinese.
Chinese Review and Pageant, Portland.
Leah Hing materials formerly occupying folder 2/5 were removed from this collection and added to Coll 393.
Currency exchange receipts.
In Chinese.
Booklet containing cultural and medicinal essays about the Chinese, with testimonials to the Dr. C. Gee Wo Chinese Medicine Company in Portland, Oregon.
In Chinese.
Includes 1870 Saints Day book in German. Additional materials in German.
Includes photocopy of 1789 journal and 1970 correspondence. In German.
Portland State University masters thesis "Minority Without a Champion: The Kanaka Contribution to the Western United States, 1750-1900."
Includes materials relating to the All-Ireland Social Club, Portland
Includes photocopies of materials relating to Saburo Ikeda and relocation of Japanese-Americans during World War II, 1942-1946.
Some materials in Japanese.
Includes government and university reports.
Includes documentary script and notes.
Letter from Robert Takaki.
Oral history transcription recorded by Barbara Yasui.
For materials relating to American Indians, see Mss 1531, Indians of North America.
Includes program for the National Conference on Tribal Archives, Portland, 2009
Some items in Polish.
Includes 1759 "Ukaz of Her Imperial Majesty, Autocratic Ruler of All the Russias . . ." in Russian, with English translation.
Ph.D. dissertation titled "Starovery and School."
"of Icons and Motorcycles."
Some items in Russian.
Includes paper titled "Ethnic Identity and the Fishermen of Skamokawa."
Some items in Swedish.
Some items in Welsh. See also Cambrian Social Society, Coll 124.
Includes single items for Basque, Canadian, Czech, French, Greek, Swiss, Turkish, and Vietnamese groups. Some items in French.
Scrapbook donated by Mrs. Osley James Gates.