Collection is open for research.
Gift of Charles Oluf Olsen prior to 1957 (Lib. Acc. 587).
Charles Oluf Olsen was born in Lyngby, Denmark in 1872. Olsen immigrated to the United States in 1888 at the age of sixteen. After arriving in America, Olsen worked as an iron workers' apprentice in New York and traveled the country working as a blacksmith, lumberjack, and other term labor and service industry positions. Olsen arrived in Oregon around 1899. During the 1920s, Olsen transitioned his career to professional writing, becoming a freelance author and poet. He wrote a feature series for the Oregonian newspaper that highlighted Oregon industries. Olsen also wrote technical articles related to the lumber trade and blacksmithing, fictional short stories, and poetry that appeared in multiple regional and national publications. Much of his literary work drew from his background as a laborer and explores working class experiences. During the 1930s, Olsen worked for the Federal Writers' Project on a project to document the history of Milwaukie, Oregon. Olsen's surname appears as Olson on some official documents and publications. Olsen also published some works under the pseudonym D. A. Lund.
Olsen married Elizabeth Thompson, a fellow author and poet, in 1922. He died in Portland in 1959.
Sources: Howe, Faye, "Hand That Hammered Anvil Now Hammers Typewriter," Oregonian, December 5, 1926; "Man Adopts New Vocation After Passing Age of 50," Oregonian, November 15, 1925; "Death Takes Oregon Poet," Oregonian, June 23, 1959.
Charles Oluf Olsen photographs, Org. Lot 919, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection was titled "Hobo Camp photographs collection" prior to December 2022. Some photographs in this collection were previously separated into the Oregon Historical Society Research Library's topical photo files. Not all of the separated items from the accession had been definitively located as of 2022. Three photographs of the Ladd residence in this collection were part of the William S. Ladd residence photographic collection, Org. Lot 551, prior to December 2022.
Additional materials related to Charles Oluf Olsen can be found in the Charles Oluf Olsen papers, Mss 1618, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.
Collection consists of 34 photographs of scenes in Portland, Oregon, and in Vancouver and Longview, Washington, that were taken or collected by Charles Oluf Olsen between 1924 and 1931. Olsen used many of the photographs in this collection to illustrate features he wrote for the Oregonian, Oregon Journal, and other publications. Subjects depicted in the collection include: photographs of an encampment of unhoused people under the north end of the Interstate Bridge in Vancouver, Washington, circa 1930; Lone Fir cemetery in Portland, Oregon, circa 1927; the William Sargent Ladd residence; the 1930 Longview, Washington, Rolleo log-rolling competition; and Burnside Street, circa 1924, showing the Volunteers of America Mission, Oregon Labor Industry offices, Ericson's Saloon, and the House of All Nations Saloon.
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.