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 1501 - 1550 of 2802
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Title
SWY1651

Portland, Oregon Rose Festival 1910 Children\'s Parade
SWY1652

Portland, Oregon Rose Festival 1910 Children\'s Parade
SWY1653

Portland, Oregon Rose Festival 1910 Children\'s Parade
SWY1654

Portland, Oregon Rose Festival 1910 Children\'s Parade
SWY1655

Portland, Oregon Rose Festival 1910 Children\'s Parade
SWY1656

Coast Line Great Northern Railway Showing Sea Wall near Edmonds, Washington
SWY1657

Coast Line Great Northern Railway near Edmonds, Washington
SWY1658

Coast Line Great Northern Railway near Edmonds, Washington
SWY1659

Coast Line Great Northern Railway Showing Sea Wall near Edmonds, Washington
SWY1660

Coast Line Great Northern Railway near Edmonds, Washington
SWY1661

Skykomish River Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, Washington
SWY1662

Skykomish River Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, Washington
SWY1663

Skykomish River Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, Washington
SWY1664

Skykomish River Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, Washington
SWY1665

Skykomish River Scenic Hot Springs Hotel, Washington--Interior
SWY1666

Surprise Falls, Scenic Hot Springs, Skykomish, Washington
SWY1667

Great Northern Railway Showing the Three Lines over the Cascades near Scenic Hot Springs, Skykomish, Washington
SWY1669

Man fishing, Eagle Falls and Rapids, Skykomish River, Washington
SWY1670

Home with pharmacy shop in front
SWY1671

Eagle Falls and Rapids, Skykomish River, Washington
SWY1672

Skykomish River Above Eagle Falls, Line of the Great Northern Railway
SWY1673

Camp near the Skykomish River, Washington
SWY1674

Our camp on the Skykomish River, Washington
SWY1675

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region--Mountain West of Flattop--Allyn Mountain
SWY1676

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region--Our Outfit at the Old Cabin on Swiftcurrent River
SWY1677

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region--Our Camp and Pack Train, Ready to Pack the Horse
SWY1678

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Iceberg Lake
SWY1679

Glacier National Park--Iceberg Lake
SWY1680

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, on the Shore of Iceberg Lake
SWY1681

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, the Park near Iceberg Lake
SWY1682

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Leaving the Park near Iceberg Lake
SWY1683

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Golden Stair Falls near Iceberg Lake
SWY1684

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Looking South from Castle Mountain
SWY1685

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Looking South from Castle Mountain
SWY1686

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Summit of Castle Mountain
SWY1687

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Grinnell Lake and Gould Mountain
SWY1688

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Sunset Grinnell Lake and Gould Mountain
SWY1689

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Lake Lillian and Gould Mountain
SWY1690

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Showing Ahern Pass Above Lake Helen</p>\r\n', '', '2');
SWY1691

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Helen Lake and Hanging Glacier
SWY1692

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region near the Head of Swiftcurrent River, Red Rock Falls
SWY1693

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region Looking Down the Swiftcurrent
SWY1694

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region Looking Down the Swiftcurrent
SWY1695

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region Looking North from Summit of Swiftcurrent Pass
SWY1697

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Grinnell Mountain from Lake McDermitt
SWY1698

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Grinnell Mountain from Lake McDermitt
SWY1699

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, Looking North from Grinnell Mountain
SWY1701

lacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region, the Garden Wall Showing a 2000-Foot Fall
SWY1702

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region Looking South Along the Garden Wall
SWY1703

Glacier National Park--Swiftcurrent Region Looking South from the Garden Wall