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Ben Maxwell Collection
The Maxwell Collection consists of over 5000 photographs donated to the Salem Public Library by the estate of Mr. Ben Maxwell. Most of the photographs were taken by Mr. Maxwell, a noted Salem photographer and historian who died in 1967. Mr. Maxwell was a native of Salem where he was born in 1898. He attended college at Oregon State University where he studied history and journalism. He started working with the Capitol Journal newspaper in 1939. Because he packed his camera on every quest for historical stories, he was able to illustrate his articles for readers of the Capitol Journal, the Oregon Journal, the Oregonian, and several magazines. He recorded on film at least 13 governors, old-timers now gone, covered bridges now missing, and buildings and homes no longer standing. The collection includes copies of rare early Oregon photographs taken by others which have in turn been copied over and over by later researchers and feature story writers. Many additional photographs remain to be scanned and added to the collection as this is a work in progress.
Statesman Journal Collection
The Statesman Journal Collection consists of almost 1000 photographs of the Salem area selected from the files of the Statesman Journal Newspaper, which include photographs from the predecessor organizations, the Oregon Statesman and the Statesman Publishing Company. The collection includes photographs of people, places, events, natural disasters, etc., primarily from the late 1930's through the 1980's but also rare photos from the late 1800's and early 1900's. Notable is a series of early 1900's photos of the Statesman Newspaper offices and facilities for the preparation of a newspaper, a series of photos of damage from the infamous 1962 Columbus Day Storm and other natural disasters, and a large number of aerial views of the Salem area from 1949 through 1981.
Oregon State Archives Collection
The Oregon State Archives Collection consists of over 2200 photographs selected by the staff of the Oregon State Archives in Salem, Oregon. This collection includes photos from throughout the state of Oregon taken in association with the activities of the various state agencies in Oregon government. As one might expect, there is a strong focus in this collection on the various agricultural activities in the state and the natural attractions the state has to offer.
Marion County Historical Society Collection
The Marion County Historical Society Collection includes several hundred photographs of the Salem and Marion County area from the 1880's to the 1950's. These photographs are selections from the Historical Society's collections of more than 200,000 negatives and prints, as well as others loaned to the society by a private donor for this Salem photo project.
Special Collections
The Special Collections group is an assemblage of photographs from almost twenty distinct sources and events including local exhibits, documentaries, and private collections, most characterized by specific themes or purposes. These collections contain as few as six to as many as 588 images from individual contributors for a total of almost 1900 photographs. The Koval Collection, the largest collection in this group, consists of 588 photographs of Salem homes taken by photographer Robert Koval in 1978 as part of a CETA grant project to make a photographic record of historic Salem homes. The Koval Collection is owned by the Salem Public Library.
Conditions and Restrictions on use of photographs
The Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections include thousands of photographs of Oregon - with a special focus on the City of Salem and other Western Oregon communities. The photos date from the mid-1800's to the present. All photographs are digitized and searchable online. The database includes photographs donated to the Salem Public Library (such as the "Ben Maxwell Collection") and photographs owned by others, including the Marion County Historical Society, the Oregon State Archives, the Statesman-Journal Newspaper, and the Bush House Collection.
Images from library-owned collections may be downloaded for personal or educational use such as personal websites, school reports, and similar non-commercial ventures. Photographs held by the Salem Public Library can be reproduced from negatives as reprints or high resolution digital files for a reasonable fee from a vendor of the library's choosing. Use this order form for reprints. At least two weeks should be allowed for this transaction. "Rush" order processing is not available.
Although most of the photographs are the property of Salem Public Library, other agencies and individuals have provided some of the images. Each participant has its own use policy and should be contacted directly to obtain reprints and/or reproduction rights.
Salem Public Library reserves the right to limit access to the Historic Photograph Collections based on the physical condition of an item, donor requirements, or other circumstances. Original photographs from the Collections are not available for in-library viewing, photography, videotaping, or other purposes. The original photographs are not available for loan to individuals or institutions. All requests are subject to the discretion of Salem Public Library.
Please credit "Salem (Oregon) Public Library Historic Photograph Collections." Please send one complimentary copy of the publication to the following address, whenever images from the Collections are used in magazines, newspapers, brochures, books, or other publications:
Reference Department, Adult Services Division,
Salem Public Library, P.O. Box 14810, Salem, OR 97309
For more information, call 503-588-6052 or email library@cityofsalem.net
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