Instructions for Researching Photographs
in the OSU Archives



These instructions have been prepared to assist researchers who will be doing extensive research in the Photographic Collections of the OSU Archives. During the more than 35-year history of the Archives, several systems have been developed for storing and cataloging photographs by subject. These instructions will help you make use of all of these systems in order to find the photographs you need and supplement the general guidelines for Archives research provided on the Archives Researcher Registration Form.

General Rules

Researchers should wear white cotton gloves (provided by the Archives) at all times when handling photographs. Pencils only should be used for taking notes. Please take care that the photographs remain in order and report any misfilings or "out of order" images or folders to the Archives staff. The Archives staff will retrieve several boxes at a time for you from the stacks.


Major Components of the Photographs Collection

Most of the images in the Photographs Collection are organized into about 230 Photograph Groups (a.k.a. "P Groups") by office of origin, donor, subject, or photographer. A list of all the Photograph Groups is available for researchers. Some examples of P Groups are:
Presidents of Oregon State University (P 1)
Athletics-Track (P 10)
Buildings (P 16)
News and Communication Services (P 57)
Horticulture Department (P 90)
Oregon Stater (P 195)


These groups vary in size from several thousand images to less than ten. Most of the images in the P Groups are individually numbered using this format -- P16:4, where 16 is the P Group number and 4 is the image number. Those images in P Groups that are not assigned individual numbers are arranged by subject in separate folders. An inventory (item or folder list) of each P Group is available in the Guides to the Photographs Collection in the Reference Room. Some of these are also available on the WWW.

Another component (about 20%) of the Archives Photographs Collection is Harriet's Collection -- named for the first University Archivist, Harriet Moore. This collection is arranged into about 3400 subject files (people, events, campus buildings, etc.) -- each of which has been assigned a number. To distinguish them from photographs in the P Groups, Harriet's Collection photograph numbers begin with a # symbol. There may be one or many images with a given Harriet's number.

Photographs are also included in the Manuscripts Collection -- both the papers of faculty and alumni and the records of organizations. These photographs are described as a part of the Manuscripts Collection but are housed in the same areas as the other photographs and cataloged with them. They have not been assigned individual numbers. Some institutional records include photographs (primarily in reports) and these are described with the paper records of which they are a part and also included in the Index to Un-numbered Photographs.


Photographic Forms

The Archives Photographs Collection contains a selection of forms representing late 19th and early 20th century photographic processes including albumen prints (def), cyanotypes (def), ambrotypes (def), daguerreotypes (def), and tintypes (def).

However, the bulk of the Archives Photographs Collection is in the form of black and white gelatin silver prints of various sizes. Prints up to 8x10 inches are stored in document cases; oversize prints are stored in oversize boxes or the Oversize Cabinet. Oversize prints are usually indicated in the guide.

The Collection also includes camera negatives -- both acetate/polyester and glass. Most film negatives (acetate and polyester) are interfiled with prints in the document cases. For several collections with large number of 4x5 negatives, the negatives are stored separately from prints. Nitrate-based negatives have been separated from the bulk of the collection.

In addition to glass negatives, the Collection includes glass lantern slides and other glass positives, some of which are hand-colored. These are stored in appropriate sized boxes in the same area as the glass negatives. Please Exercise Caution when Handling any Glass Item.

Color prints and color slides are interfiled with the black and white prints.

Copy negatives have been made of many prints without accompanying camera negatives. If a copy negative is available, the print (or other original) has been annotated with c.n. after the photograph number.


Subject Access

There are several avenues of subject access to the Photographs Collection.

The Archives World Wide Web (WWW) contains the following files describing our photographic holdings and are full-text searchable:

List of Photograph Groups

Includes links to collection descriptions and inventories for selected photograph collections.


Harriet's Collection Inventory


Index to Un-Numbered Photographs


Record Groups and Manuscript Collections Containing Photographs


Photograph Collections Containing Lantern Slides



The Index to Un-Numbered Photographs provides the Manuscripts Collection name or the P Group name and then an accession number (e.g. 92:050). When using this index, please note the collection name or P group number and the accession number. The Archives staff will use this information and refer to the appropriate Manuscripts Collection or Photographs Collection guide to determine the shelf location of the materials you are requesting.

Limited item-level inventories for a few P Groups are available in searchable word processing files. The Archives staff will assist you in searching these files electronically.

The card catalog provides subject access to most images in the Photograph Groups that have been assigned individual image numbers and all of Harriet's Collection. Each card indicates the P group and image number or the Harriet's Collection #.


Recommended Research Procedure

  1. Search the Archives WWW pages containing the inventory for Harriet's Collection; the list of Photograph Groups; the Index to Un-Numbered Photographs; and the collections descriptions and inventories. All of these are also available for browsing in printed form in the Archives.

  2. Scan the printed inventories of likely P Groups or search in Word Perfect those that exist as word processing files.

  3. Look in the card catalog.

  4. Look at the list of display photographs available from the Archives staff. Also, check the yearbook, catalogs, or other publications.
Photograph Duplication and Use Policy

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