Olaf P. Larson was born in Nordfjordeid, Norway in 1879. His family immigrated to America in 1884. In the mid-1890s, his family moved to Moscow, Idaho. As a teenager, while still living on the family farm, he established a photographic gallery in Moscow. Though he was listed as living with his family in 1900, he was soon a full-time photographer. He photographed the Diamond Jubilee in Moscow, Idaho in 1900, and produced a series of gray, curved mounted stereograph prints. Larson produced stereographs using several different mounts. Some were plain mounts with handwritten captions and labeling, others have printed imprints. Olaf continued farming and moved his family across the state to Squirrel, Idaho and it is believed he continued operating his photographic studio in Moscow as well as opening another in Squirrel. Larson is also listed as a student at the University of Idaho from 1898-1900.
This collection consists of over 500 stereoscopic slides and a stereoscope. The stereoscopic process creates a pair of separate images, depicting left-eye and right-eye views of the same scene which, when viewed with the stereoscope, displays as a single three-dimensional image. Slides in the collection feature floral exhibits, arrangements, and window displays, garden shows and festivals, nurseries, gardens and garden accessories, flowers and foliage plants; also views of the San Francisco area and miscellaneous vacation scenes. These slides were taken by part-time Moscow, Idaho resident Olaf P. Larson.
Collection is open for research.
This collection was donated in 1985 (MA 1985-10).