The SOHS Sawyer Collection

The images presented here are part of a donation we are calling the Sawyer Collection. The images have come from multiple photography studios, some of them unidentified. Most were taken by the Kiser Studio of Portland, Oregon in the 'Teens and early 'Twenties, especially of rugged scenes in Crater Lake and Glacier National Parks and along the Columbia River. A small collection was taken 1905-07 by photographer H. G. Peabody of Massachusetts and Maine urban and coastal scenes. An anonymous collection portrays architectural and rural views taken in Central Mexico in the same era.

The collection was saved and cared for by William Gruber, who had a long working relationship with the Portland photography studio Sawyer Service Inc. Gruber was the inventor of the popular View-Master, which he produced in collaboration with Sawyer’s. According to the donor, in 1939 Sawyer’s was poised to dispose of these glass plate negatives in order to focus on the View-Master, when Gruber offered to take the plates. Over the past eight decades, the Gruber family has meticulously maintained the collection of approximately 3,000 plates, weighing roughly half a ton. Southern Oregon Historical Society received the plates as a donation in 2019, and has made them publicly available with additional grant funding from Oregon Parks and Recreation and the Oregon Cultural Trust.

 SAWYER COLLECTION INDEX        WILLIAM GRUBER       WHEN THE COLLECTION ARRIVED AT SOHS     

Displaying 401 - 450 of 2802
Keyword Search
Search by Sawyer Number (use only the number)
Title
SWY417

Castle Rock where a group of workmen posed on the side of a rock.

SWY418

Castle Rock showing switchbacks on trail.

SWY419

Castle Rock showing part of completed trail.

SWY420

Castle Rock Trail showing \"half tunnel\" as preliminary step to blasting a road tunnel for the Columbia River Trail.

SWY421

Castle Rock, with the view showing its northeastern side.

SWY422

The northeastern side of Castle Rock.

SWY423

Castle Rock, showing the west side as well as Hamilton Mountain.

SWY424

The Columbia River from Mitchell Point, Oregon.

SWY425

North overhang on Castle Rock.

SWY426

Workmen drilling on Castle Rock. 

SWY427

Building retaining walls for the Columbia River Highway on Castle Rock.

SWY428

Rooster Rock and vegetation of the Columbia River.

SWY429

Probably Rooster Rock, showing train.

SWY430

Sunset, Rooster Rock and the Columbia Gorge.

SWY431

Sunset from Crown Point

SWY432

Sunset from Crown Point, Columbia River Highway, with clearcuts and railroad line visible.

SWY433

St Peters Dome, Looking Northeast

SWY434

St Peters Dome, Looking Northeast

SWY435

St Peters Dome and Columbia River

SWY436

St Peters Dome, looking north to Columbia River and Mt. Adams to north.

SWY437

Tillamook Lighthouse

SWY438

St Peters Dome, looking north and east, with river and Mt. Adams visible.

SWY439

Mt Hood from near Vancouver, perhaps Camas or Washougal.

SWY440

Crown Point

SWY441

Rooster Rock

SWY442

The Columbia near Crown Point

SWY443

Mist Falls

SWY444

Mist Falls

SWY445

Mist Falls

SWY446

Looking Upriver from Twin Peaks, on Washington side of the Columbia Gorge.

SWY447

Looking Downriver from Twin Peaks

SWY448

Crown Point, with rail line visible.

SWY449

Looking upriver from Latourelle and falls, Oregon side.

SWY450

Crown Point

SWY451

Portland Crematorium (in Sellwood?).

SWY452

Portland Crematorium, above Oaks Bottom and Willamette River.

SWY453

Portland Crematorium in Sellwood near Bybee Blvd.

SWY454

Dogwood

SWY455

Castle Rock on the Columbia River.

SWY456

Trail on Castle Rock

SWY457

Castle Rock

SWY458

Summit of Castle Rock

SWY459

Summit of Castle Rock with background of the Columbia River.

SWY460

Castle Rock Trail

SWY461

Castle Rock, Beginning of Trail

SWY462

Mt Hamilton from Castle Rock

SWY463

Sunset from Summit of Castle Rock

SWY464

Moffett Creek Bridge on the Columbia River Highway.

SWY465

Eagle Creek Bridge on Columbia River Highway near Bonneville.

SWY466

Eagle Creek Bridge (Upright)