University of Washington Libraries, Special CollectionsPH0126Kinsey, Darius, 1869-1945Darius Kinsey
photographs1890-19392 boxes plus 1 oversize photograph (162 photographic prints)Collection materials are in
English.Photographs of
logging and lumber activities by various timber companies in Darrington, Sauk
River, Skagit River, North Bend, Lake Samish, Gold Bar and Lake Cresent
areasDarius Kinsey was a pioneer artist active as a photographer in the
Northwest from the late 19th century to 1940. He was born in Missouri in 1869.
Arriving in Snoqualmie, Washington at the age of 20, he went into the hotel and
mercantile business, but soon after became intrigued with the art of
photography. After learning the photography trade, he was hired by the Seattle
and Lake Shore Railroad Co. and spent the next five years taking views along
its line. At the same time, he started his pictorial documentation of life in
the logging camps, photographing every aspect of logging in the Pacific
Northwest. In 1896 he married Tabitha May Pritts and a year later started a
studio in Sedro-Wooley. He depended on portraiture to earn a living, but also
continued to photograph scenic views. Tabitha served as her husband's
assistant, working in a darkroom at home, processing negatives received from
the field and sending the finished photographic prints back to the logging
sites.
According to the
History of Skagit and Snohomish Counties
Illustrated: "Darius Kinsey, the popular photographer of Sedro-Wooley,
learned the art before the Skagit county communities had developed sufficiently
to warrant the establishment of a gallery, but as soon as the population
increased enough to make it profitable, he entered the business which he and
Mrs. Kinsey have successfully conducted ever since... Mrs. Kinsey is also a
photographer and takes charge of the office. Mr. Kinsey's camera is said to be
the largest in the state of Washington and he is especially skillful in scenic
work. He is in great demand for outside photography, while at the same time he
and Mrs. Kinsey have the reputation of conducting one of the best galleries
north of Seattle."At the end of 1906, he decided to move his studio to Seattle to focus
exclusively on logging documentation. In 1940, he broke several ribs in a fall
from a stump which ended his photographic career. He died five years later in
1945.
Arranged sequentially by order of Darius Kinsey negative numbers.
Photographs of logging and lumber activities by various timber
companies in Darrington, Sauk River, Skagit River, North Bend, Lake Samish,
Gold Bar, Lake Crescent areas.
Often using an 11x14 Eastman View camera, Kinsey photographed the
entire logging process: early mornings in logging camps; the fallers posed with
their axes, cross-cut saws and springboards; buckers crosscutting fallen
timber; loading operations with steam donkey engines and ginpoles; logging
railroads hauling their loads to Northwest mills. His images form a visual
history of logging: from skid road logging with horses and sleds at the turn of
the century to Diamond-T logging trucks and highlead logging operations in the
1920s.
Not all his images document logging activities. Some of his more
poetic images of forest scenes are entitled: "Sunlight and shadows of towering
fir trees," and "Sunbeams filtering through shadow draped trees to the
ground."
View the digital version of the
collection .
The collection is open to the public.
Request at
UW
Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication.
Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for
details.
Donor: James Engeseth, October 2013 (8 photographs)
Some photographs accessioned as PH2008-008.
Collection is minimally processed. Most photograph descriptions are
transcribed from Kinsey captions.
Washington (State)--PhotographsLogging railroads--Washington (State)--PhotographsLumber trade--Washington (State)--PhotographsLumber trade--Washington (State)--Employees--PhotographsLogging--Washington (State)--PhotographsLoggers--Washington (State)--PhotographsLumber camps--Washington (State)--PhotographsLog transportation--Washington (State)--PhotographsSlash (Logging)--Washington (State)--PhotographsSteam donkeys--Washington (State)--PhotographsSawmills--Washington (State)--PhotographsLumbering--Washington (State)--PhotographsLocomotives--Washington (State)--PhotographsVisual Materials Collections (University of Washington)PhotographsWashington (State)LoggingForestry and Forestry Products
1KINSEY 5XSnow covered scene in the woodsundated1KINSEY 5 St Paul & Tacoma Lumber Company workers with crane in
logging areaundated1KINSEY 6A Sun-rise in the woods circa 1930Tinted.
1KINSEY 6BSunbeams shine on timber bordered roadcirca 19301KINSEY 8Dell Lake, Oregon undated1KINSEY 8G These mature Douglas Fir trees are part of oldest and
largest forest area in Americacirca 19261KINSEY 8KForest Western Hemlockcirca 19311KINSEY 8FTrout brook bordered by big fir trees in
Washingtonundated1KINSEY 13ATwin trees, fir and cedar, S.R.L. Co.circa 19261KINSEY 29KPacific Highway through a Washington red cedar stump, 20
feet in diameter, Darius Kinsey standing next to carcirca 19201KINSEY 50BOnce a forest of tall trees - now a tract of land entirely
covered with logscirca 19231KINSEY 51DSwamping, bucking up and barking18941KINSEY A52Fir log from a tree 14 feet in diameter, Berggens (?)
Logging Camp Lake M (?), Washington (Logging with oxen)18941KINSEY 52BLogging with oxen18922 copies
1KINSEY 52DClose up view of 12 oxen showing old type
donkey18941KINSEY 53A12 foot fir log about to enter chute18961KINSEY 53B Early morning scene in a Pioneer Logging Camp (Logging
camp with oxen)18921KINSEY 54Pair of logging wheels 10 feet highundated1KINSEY 57Broad side view of ten horse team at landing - rolling
jacks being used to roll logs into watercirca 19071KINSEY 58Six horses hauling a turn of logs nearly two blocks long -
skid greaser in front, pig attached to rear logcirca 1913 2 copies
1KINSEY 58DHorses and eight wheel wagons in use here for
loggingundated1KINSEY 59D Skid road logging with horse sleds19201KINSEY 60BTurn of logs at N (?) road donkey on a Washington skid
roadundated1KINSEY 61ACoupling turn of logs to endless cable which connects with
landing donkey one mile distantcirca 18991KINSEY 62DDonkey, line horse and fir log in Washington
Camp18961KINSEY 62ETurn of logs on skid road at a spool road donkey, one mile
to landing donkeyMarch 18941KINSEY 63Washington toothpick nearly 100 feet long hauled nearly
two miles on a skid roadcirca 19071KINSEY 63D Cedar, diameter on stump 16 feetcirca 19161KINSEY 65ALog entering river from log chute18901KINSEY 66Dug-out canoe in which men ride up and down log chute, to
and from workundated1KINSEY 72Landing construction crew pulling wire cable away from
donkey drumundated1KINSEY 74BGround lead logging, ready for first pull - 800 feet to
yarding donkey - cedar logscirca 19161KINSEY 74GGround yarding donkey in distance pulling log upsides of
canyoncirca 19161KINSEY 75BTurn logs on main line skid road between road and landing
donkeys19061KINSEY 86These mature Douglas fir trees are part of oldest and
largest forest area in Americacirca 1926Tinted photo
1KINSEY 88Log worn main line skid road showing road donkey 500 feet
distant - snubbing drum nearbyundated1KINSEY 89Turn of logs stopped with a snubbing drum in a log
chute circa 19071KINSEY 92Turn of logs entering water at landing donkey, Lake
Samishcirca 19101KINSEY 95ALake Grandy Timber Co. Logging truck roadundated1KINSEY 95BOldest donkey used for logging in Washington, now in
Anderson Hall Museumundated1KINSEY 95ETruck logging with high riggers working at spar
treeundated1KINSEY 95GLyman Timber Co., Hamilton, logs from trucks loaded onto
carsSeptember 19391KINSEY 95KFleet of pioneer logging trucks in Utsalady,
Washington19201KINSEY 96BLog trestle bridge with trucks carrying logsundated1KINSEY 96MLoading boom on a spar tree, auto truck
loggingcirca 19201KINSEY 96RCanyon Creek Logging Co., Granite Falls,
Washingtonundated1KINSEY 99Redwood tree, diameter 25 feetundated1KINSEY 114 Loading a ten foot fir log on flat car; using short old
type jinpolecirca 1907(3 copies
1KINSEY 119ATurn of logs ready to go. Slack line logging
(?)undated1KINSEY 119B. Slack line logging. Hoot owl groupundatedPhotographed before sunrise
1KINSEY 119LThis turn of logs have traveled 1 1/2 miles. Slack line
logging views no. 3undated1KINSEY 120BLoad logs from truck placed on car in two minutes. S.F.L.
Co., Snoqualmie Falls, Washington19381KINSEY 123Panoramic views of steam skidder and loading donkey
showing ground entirely covered with timbercirca 19112 copies
1KINSEY 124AW.T. Co., Vail, WashingtonMay 19381KINSEY 124BW.T. Co. Vail, WashingtonJune 19381KINSEY 126BSteel spar skidder with swinging loading boomcirca 19161KINSEY 126KLogs arriving at spar tree showing logging camp. (Dempsey
Logging Co.)circa 19241KINSEY 126NSteam skidder logging showing White Chuck Mt.circa 19261KINSEY 127BLogs leaving the place where a few days before were part
of forest. Steam skidder loggingundated1KINSEY 127LFir log starting for distant steel tower
skiddercirca 19272 copies
1KINSEY 127NThis hooker crew sent down to steel tower skidder 43 cars
logs in 8 hoursundated1KINSEY 127TLoading logs with donkeyundated1KINSEY 127WClose-up view tower skidder loggingundated1KINSEY 128BLogs en route to distant spar tree beneath wire cable
above timer covered foot hillsundated1KINSEY 128KCloseup of a 1923 model?undated1KINSEY 128MSkyline logging in Cascade Mts.circa 19231KINSEY 128ULogging scene. Lake Cavanaugh, Washington circa 19371KINSEY 128VSpar tree and donkeyundated1KINSEY 129DHigh lead donkey yarding on cold deck Turn logs enroute
from cold deck to steam skidder half mile distantundated1KINSEY 129NSpruce spar tree 180 feetundated1KINSEY 129RMoving spar tree 170 feet high while standingundated1KINSEY 129TEnglish Camp. Moving a spar treeundated2 copies
1KINSEY 130JEarly day high lead loggingundated2KINSEY 132RShooting the top from a spar tree with a girdle of
dynamitecirca 19202 copies
2KINSEY 132SHigh lead loggingcirca 19232KINSEY 132XSpar treecirca 19272KINSEY 133ATop of the mountain Logging scene in Washington [spar
tree]19242KINSEY 133MHigh lead logging in [?] [Spar tree]circa 19232KINSEY 133WCold deck logging in the mountains bordering Sauk River.
S.R.L. Co., Darrington19282KINSEY 134AHighrigger chopping top from spar tree; Top falling from a
spar tree; Highrigger resting on top of spar treecirca 19262KINSEY 134LPicteresque [sic] view high lead logging on Mount
Pilchuck, Washingtoncirca 1928Monroe Logging Company
2KINSEY 135JLogging inclineundated2KINSEY 135KIncline 5000 ft longundated2KINSEY 139Traction engine pulling a train of five wagon loads of
logs circa 19072KINSEY 139ECaterpillar logging in Washingtonundated2KINSEY 139FCaterpillar trailing logs, excavated 15 ft
deepundated2KINSEY 144Train of logs on a horseshoe curve along the ragged
mountain side - large logging camp at edge of woods in backgroundcirca 19072KINSEY 148H(U.S. Forest Service or Simpson Logging Co.)undated2KINSEY 153Logging camp crew posing on big fir logs at
landingcirca 19082KINSEY 155AFlash light view showing 1892 loggers enjoying evening in
the bunkhouse18922KINSEY 156Two men filing the long cross-cut sawsundated2KINSEY 157EShake cabins on a little farm in the silent woods of
Washingtoncirca 19062KINSEY 191BUpright machines in a modern shingle millundated2KINSEY 193DLogging with a small caterpillar and an eight wheel wagon
in Washingtonundated2KINSEY 194XCat logging, S.R.L. Co., DarringtonMay 19372KINSEY 194YTwo cats delivered ten million ft of logs on this landing
in three months, North bend Timber Co.August 19372KINSEY 203BFir log on the carriage in a modern electric
mill19192KINSEY 205DMt. Rainiercirca 1923Tinted
2KINSEY 216BSnoqualmie Falls, Washington, 268 feet highundated2KINSEY 226Skagit River at mouth of Sauk River, Mt. Sauk in
distanceundated2 copies
2KINSEY 226CMountain of granite towering above the Skagit
Riverundated2 copies
2KINSEY 226DRugged mountain scenery bordering the Skagit
Riverundated2 copies
2KINSEY 227APackhorse trail under Devil's Corner, Skagit
Rivercirca 19212KINSEY 227BPack Horse Trail Around Devils Corner, Skagit River,
Washington1920M273KINSEY x230, x231, x232Water flume built for City of Tacoma water supply by
George Savage Companycirca 19113-part panorama
2KINSEY 254Fir tree 14 feet in diameter, Olympic Highway near Lake
Crescentundated2KINSEY 256ALake Crescent showing the Mountains along north side of
Lakeundated2KINSEY 256CSnow capped mountains bordering Lake Crescent from Olympic
Highwaycirca 1927Tinted
2KINSEY 256DLake Crescent from Storm King Mt., Washingtoncirca 1927Tinted
2KINSEY 1880Clear Lake, Skagit County, Washingtoncirca 19062KINSEY 2297Captain Allen and foreman Brown with their steel gang
sitting on log, Sauk River Lumber Camp, Darringtonundated2KINSEY 2298Captain Allen and foreman Brown with their steel gang
standing with shovels along rail tracks, Sauk River Lumber Camp,
Darringtonundated2KINSEY 2642Chuckanut Drive, Washington circa 1926Tinted
2KINSEY 2654: Logging camp2KINSEY 2657Logging campundated2KINSEY 2918Men near spar treeundated2KINSEY 2933 Men in front of logging equipment and houseundated2KINSEY 2968St. Paul and Tacoma Lumber Co., Nootsack Camp [interior of
mess hall] undated2KINSEY 3649Maine Logging Co. workers in front of building undated2KINSEY 3725Logging campundated2KINSEY 3756Klement and Kennedy, Fortson, Washington [spar tree and
loading operation]undated2KINSEY 3761Klement and Kennedy, Fortson, Washington [lumber
mill]undated2KINSEY 3806B-D Calawa [Calawah] Camp [group and
buildings]undated2KINSEY 3810B-D Calawa [Calawah] Camp [men with logs and steam
engine]undated2KINSEY 3814B-D Calawa [Calawah] Camp [men, some dressed as cooks, and
women in front of building]undated2KINSEY 4743Canyon Creek Logging Co., Granite FallsJune 19372KINSEY 4806W.T. Co., Vail, Washington [Group portrait of
loggers]May 19382KINSEY 7875Wishkah River Valley at Aberdeen Gardens, Grays Harbor
Countycirca 19102KINSEY 7876School house and students, Wishkah River
Valleycirca 19102KINSEY 8148Coats Fordney Logging crew, Kinsey photos on display in
background circa 19102KINSEY 8149Coats Fordney Logging Company crew and donkey engine,
Wishkah Valley, Grays Harbor Countycirca 19102KINSEY 8150Willamette extention firebox and crew, logging camp of
Wishkah Valley, Grays Harbor Countycirca 19102KINSEY 8153Coats Fordney camp crewcirca 19102KINSEY 8156Three log load, Coats Fordney Logging Company, Aberdeen,
Washingtoncirca 19102KINSEY 8157Coats Fordney Crew in logging woods of Wishkah Valley,
Grays Harbor Countycirca 19102KINSEY 9063W.F.T. Co., Gold Bar, undated (Interior of mess
hall)2KINSEY 9126Unidentified lumber camp2KINSEY A3Sunlight and shadows on towering fir treesundated2 copies
2KINSEY A6Sunbeams filtering through shadow draped trees to the
groundcirca 19112KINSEY A7A nearby view of four big fir trees standing so close
together that they form almost a solid wallcirca 19132KINSEY A14Felling a fir tree 51 feet in circumferencecirca 19062 copies
2KINSEY A24A close up view showing 15 cedar trees circa 19132KINSEY A37Cedar stump house, 20 feet in diametercirca 19012KINSEY A40Two nine foot firs showing the stumps from which they were
felled; bucker with saw, axe, etc. appearing on the scene19092KINSEY A41Bucker ready to crosscut a ten-foot fircirca 19152KINSEY A47Finishing strokes on this seven foot spruce were made
beneath the log with saw upside downundated2KINSEY A52Twelve oxen dragging fir log on skid road from a fir tree
14 ft in diameter18962KINSEY A59Ten horses hauling spruce log on skid road ten feet in
diametercirca 19052KINSEY A80A nine-foot fir log balanced on landing slip at an angle
of 45 degreescirca 19062KINSEY A115Loading log on car with cable around center of
log circa 19132KINSEY A124A close-up of steam skidder trailing log - locomotive,
etc. car, logs, and timbered background19102 copies
2KINSEY A125Steam skidder showing log approaching handling, also a log
hoisted 20 ft. above the ground on which are six menundated2 copies
2KINSEY A141Logging train leaving woods bordered landing with four
cars of logs, one log on each carcirca 19082 copies
2KINSEY A160On largest of the three stumps over this cedar log is 1380
rings, indicating the tree to have been of that age. Shingle bolts that are
being cut are perfectly roundcirca 19022KINSEY K14Falling a cedar 16 ft. in circumference, measured 1 1/2 ft
from ground. Supposed to be the largest tree in Washingtoncirca 19062 copies
2KINSEY 10000High Point Sunday School, High Point, Washington [group of
people posed for picture in front of house]undated"Preston Mill Co." on verso
2KINSEY 10001Sunlight and shadows on towering fir trees2KINSEY 10002Unidentified millcirca 19072KINSEY 10003Team of oxen on skid roadundated2KINSEY 10004Trail on fallen moss covered tree in
Washington circa 1927Tinted
2KINSEY 10005Picturesque view along the highway east of Rockport,
WashingtonundatedTinted
2KINSEY 10006People standing in front of the Mount Si Hotelcirca 1890Verso of photo sleeve attributes this photograph to Darius
Kinsey.
2KINSEY [number illegible]Reflection of Mount Baker in lake, Washingtoncirca 1922