The SOHS Library is OPEN to the public at 106 N. Central Avenue in Medford, with FREE access to the SOHS Archives, from 12:00 - 4:00 pm, Tuesday through Saturday. Appointments are not necessary. Please contact library@sohs.org, or call 541-622-2025 ex 200 to ask questions or request research.

 

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 1351 - 1400 of 2802
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Search by Sawyer Number (use only the number)
Title
SWY1497

Oregon Trunk Railway--Oak Springs, Tuscan Station
SWY1498

Oregon Trunk Railway--Overlook Tygh Valley Showing Mt Hood from Point Above Tuscan
SWY1499

Oregon Trunk Railway--Overlook Tygh Valley Showing Mt Hood from Point Above Tuscan (Telephoto)
SWY1500

Oregon Trunk Railway--Mt Hood as Seen from near White River Bridge near Tuscan Station
SWY1501

Oregon Trunk Railway--Mt Hood & White River from Point near and Above Tuscan Station
SWY1502

Oregon Trunk Railway--Telephoto of Mt Hood as Seen from near Tuscan Station
SWY1503

Oregon Trunk Railway--Cliffs at North Junction Station
SWY1504

Oregon Trunk Railway--Summit of Cliff near North Junction Station
SWY1505

Oregon Trunk Railway--Juniper Tree
SWY1506

Oregon Trunk Railway--Telephoto of Mt Jefferson from near Mecca
SWY1507

Oregon Trunk Railway--Rimrock, Track & Mt Jefferson from near Mecca Station
SWY1508

Oregon Trunk Railway--Up River Showing Mt Jefferson from near Mecca Station
SWY1509

Oregon Trunk Railway--Up River Showing Mt Jefferson from near Mecca Station
SWY1510

Oregon Trunk Railway--Rimrock & Mt Jefferson from near Mecca Station
SWY1511

Oregon Trunk Railway--Looking Up Deschutes Canyon Showing Three Sisters from Pelton Station
SWY1512

Oregon Trunk Railway--Three Sisters & Deschutes Canyon
SWY1513

Oregon Trunk Railway--Telephoto of Mt Jefferson from Pelton Station
SWY1514

Oregon Trunk Railway--Telephoto of Mt Jefferson from Cliff Above Pelton Station
SWY1515

Oregon Trunk Railway--Showing Mt Jefferson from Pelton Station
SWY1516

Oregon Trunk Railway Showing Mt Jefferson from Pelton Station
SWY1517

Oregon Trunk Railway--Looking Up Deschutes Canyon from near Pelton Station
SWY1518

Oregon Trunk Railway--Down Deschutes Canyon Showing Track & Mt Hood from Cliff Above Pelton
SWY1519

Oregon Trunk Railway--Willow Creek Canyon Showing Train & Mt Hood
SWY1520

Oregon Trunk Railway--Looking Up Willow Creek Camp from near Pelton
SWY1521

Snake River & SP&S Track Up River from Point Just Below Snake River Junction
SWY1522

Snake River & SP&S Track Down River from Point Just Below Snake River Junction
SWY1523

Snake River & SP&S Railway Looking Down River from Farrington, Washington
SWY1524

Snake River & SP&S Railway from Point Just Above Farrington
SWY1525

Snake River & SP&S Railway from Point Just Above Farrington
SWY1526

Unlabeled
SWY1527

Unlabeled
SWY1528

Kahlotus Lake & SP&S Railway
SWY1529
SWY1530

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--Showing Party on Trail near Camp
SWY1531

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--Chicago Record-Herald Party on Trail to Lake St Mary
SWY1532

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--The Sewall Party on Trail
SWY1533

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--Horseback Party leaving Camp--Party Lined Up
SWY1534

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--Horseback Party & Chalets
SWY1535

Going-to-the-Sun Camp Showing Boat, Chalets etc.
SWY1536

Glacier--Going-to-the-Sun Camp Showing Boat, Chalet, etc.
SWY1537

Positive (Nitrate)
SWY1538

Glacier--Going-to-the-Sun Camp Showing Boat, Chalet, etc.
SWY1539

Going-to-the-Sun Camp Looking Down the Lake from Lower End Showing Chalets
SWY1540

Going-to-the-Sun Trail, Shoreline Lake St Mary
SWY1541

Evening on the Trail
SWY1542

Going-to-the-Sun Camp--Going-to-the-Sun Mountain from Gunsight Trail
SWY1543

Glacier--Going-to-the-Sun Camp, Sun Mountain
SWY1544

Okanogan--Grade of Great Northern near Town of Okanogan
SWY1545

Okanogan--Okanogan Town
SWY1546

Okanogan--Okanogan Town