Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library
2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org



Guide to the Oliver P. Anderson Photographs, circa 1890s-1947


1967.4283





Finding aid prepared by Jody Hendrickson

Finding aid encoded by Jody Hendrickson, 2007
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.


Overview of the Collection

 
Repository Name:
 

Museum of History & Industry
Sophie Frye Bass Library

2700 24th Avenue East
Seattle, WA 98112
Phone: 206-324-1126
URL: http://www.seattlehistory.org

 
Collection Number:
 

1967.4283

 
Creator:
 

Anderson, Oliver P. (Oliver Phelps)

 
Title:
 

Oliver P. Anderson photographs

 
Dates:
 

circa 1890s-1947 (inclusive)
circa 1890s-early 1900s (bulk)

 
Quantity:
 

2 boxes
.6 linear feet

 
Languages:
 

Collection materials are in English. 

 
Summary:
 

Scenic photographs, largely of Washington State, taken by Seattle photographer and photographic supplies business owner Oliver P. Anderson.

 
Location of Collection:
 

12b.3.1

 

Biographical Note

Oliver Phelps Anderson was an amateur photographer and owner of a photographic supplies business in Seattle in the early 1900s.

Anderson first worked as a bookkeeper in Seattle in the early 1880s, though by the end of that decade he was doing business as a draughtsman. Anderson formed his civil engineering and map publishing business, O.P. Anderson & Co., in the early 1890s, with the business changing its name to the O.P. Anderson Map & Blue Print Co. by the mid 1890s.

Beginning around 1900, Anderson began selling photographic supplies as president of Anderson Supply Co., located at 111 Cherry Street in Seattle. Around 1913, Anderson’s son Maurice P. Anderson took over as President of the company, and Anderson acted as secretary-manager, a position he continued to hold until around 1940, probably until his death. Anderson Supply Co. continued to do business, with Maurice Anderson as President, until the late 1950s.

Content Description

The collection consists of photograph albums and loose photographs (approximately 530 photographs in total) depicting scenic views, largely in Washington State, but also including a small number of images from Alaska and Oregon. Only a few of the images are identified or dated. The majority of the Washington State images depict Mount Rainier and landscapes in Rainier National Park, with others depicting views along the Washington coast, unidentified mountain and park landscapes, and views of Seattle. Two images depict Native Americans, including a portrait of a Kwakiutl woman. The collection also contains 7 photographic Christmas cards and an Anderson Supply Co. photo envelope.

Arrangement

Arranged in 3 series:

  • Photograph albums
  • Loose photographs
  • Ephemera

Administrative Information

Acquisition Information 

Gift of Bessie B. Brolin, October 14, 1967

Processing Note 

Accession No. 1975.6741, donated by Barbara Coulter Peterson on March 5, 1979 and consisting of 4 photographic Christmas cards and 4 photographs, was merged with this accession.

Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Access 

The collection is open to the public by appointment.

Restrictions on Use 

The Museum of History & Industry is the owner of the materials in the Sophie Frye Bass Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from MOHAI before any reproduction use. The museum does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation 

Oliver P. Anderson photographs, Museum of History & Industry, Seattle

Subjects

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the online catalog. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons, or places should search the catalog using these headings.

 
Anderson, Maurice P.
Anderson, Oliver P. (Oliver Phelps)--Photographs
Anderson Supply Co.
Coasts--Washington (State)--Photographs
Kwakiutl women--Photographs
Mount Rainier National Park (Wash.)--Photographs
Pacific Coast (Or.)--Photographs
Rainier, Mount (Wash.)--Photographs
Washington (State)--Photographs
Landscape photographs
Photograph albums
Photographic prints

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.


 

Photograph albums, circa 1890s-1940s

All photographs in the albums are presumed to have been taken by Oliver P. Anderson, though only a few are signed.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box
1


1967.4283.1:  Photograph album
  circa early 1900s
 
187 photographs (5”x7” and smaller)
Photographs depict Mount Rainier and Rainier National Park, including views of mountains, snowy landscapes, park inns and the Sunrise campground; Mount Baker and Oak Harbor from Whidby Island; the Snoqualmie region of the Cascades and Snoqualmie Pass; the northern Washington coast, including images of rock formations, steamships and sailing ships; the Oregon coast, including the coastline at Otter Crest; the State Capitol building in Olympia; and unidentified coastline and mountain views. Seattle images include views of dirt roads and snow covered roads, probably in Seattle parks; views of the Olympics probably from Seattle across Elliott Bay; distant views of Seattle; and the King Street Station. A few images depicting people show individuals canoeing, women in a lodge or inn, and men hiking, and with horses.
 
2

1967.4283.2:  Photograph album
  circa early 1900s
 
140 photographs (7.5” x 9.75”)
This album includes Anderson’s portrait of a Kwakiutl woman at Fort Rupert, British Columbia (circa 1899 ) as well as another photograph of a Native American woman near a canoe. The remainder of the album consists of many views of Mount Rainier and Rainier National Park View; a photograph of Snoqulamie Falls and power plant; a photograph of the statue of William Henry Seward in Volunteer Park; and images of the Olympic range, rock formations on the Washington coast, and snow covered park roads (probably Seattle parks).
 
box/folder
2/1-9


1967.4283.3:  Photograph album
  circa early 1900s, 1947
 
132 photographs
Pages were removed from the album before current processing. Photographs which were detaching from the album pages were removed from pages and foldered in page order.
Content is similar to two albums above, including prints of many of the same photographs. Also includes a photograph of Volunteer Park in Seattle (1947), images of the Lake Washington shore, and of Puget Sound near Seward Park.
 
2/10

1967.4283.4:  Photograph album
  undated
 
33 photographs (5”x7” and smaller)
Pages were removed from the album before current processing.
Unidentified views, probably of Alaska, depict mountain landscapes, glaciers, bodies of water, rapids, and ice floes.

 

Loose photographs, circa 1890s-early 1900s

Some of these photographs appear to have been removed from albums. Most are presumed to have been taken by Anderson, though only 2 are signed by him.
 
 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box/folder
2/11


Washington State landscapes
  circa 1890s-early 1900s
 
13 photographs
Scenic views probably from Washington State, including images Tipsu Lake at Mount Rainier and Snoqualmie Falls
 
2/12

Washington State
  circa 1890s-early 1900s
 
5 photographs
West side of Bainbridge Island; view of Mount Rainier from Yelm Prairie (signed Oliver P. Anderson, 1905); Douglas Fir in Ravenna Park (signed Oliver P. Anderson, 1902); battleships on Elliott Bay; Elliott Bay (with Anderson Photo Supply sticker on back)
 
2/13

Mountain scenes
  circa 1890s-early 1900s
 
5 photographs
Probably in Washington State
 
2/14

“Canada”
  circa 1890s-early 1900s
 
2 photographs (11”x14”)
Building on mountainside and mountain stream with people on overhead walkway. “Canada” handwritten on back on each.
 
2/15

Alaska landscapes
  circa 1890s-early 1900s
 
10 photographs
Including Rainbow Falls in Ketchikan (photograph by J.E. Thwaites); Auk Lake near Mendenhall Glacier; and ice floes near Taku Glacier

 

Ephemera

 
Container(s)
Description
Dates
 
box/folder
2/16


Christmas cards
  undated
 
7 cards
Christmas cards with scenic photographs and printed greetings from either Gertrude and Maurice Anderson or Mr. and Mrs. Oliver Phelps Anderson. All but one (of Pavlof Volcano, Alaska) depict Washington State scenes.
 
2/17

Photo envelope from Anderson Supply Co.
  undated