Guide to the Archie E. Irwin Photographs and Glass Negatives of Elberton, WA circa 1900s-1950s
PC 119

Summary Information

Repository
Washington State University Libraries, Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections
Creator
Irwin, Archie E., 1882-1962.
Title
Archie E. Irwin Photographs and Glass Negatives of Elberton, WA
ID
PC 119
Date [inclusive]
circa 1900s-1950s
Extent
3 Linear feet of shelf space, 4 boxes, 426 items
Language
Collection materials are in English.
Abstract
426 photographs taken between 1900 and 1950 of family and locales in and around Elberton, Washington.

Preferred Citation

[Item description] Archie E. Irwin Photographs and Glass Negatives of Elberton, WA, circa 1900s-1950s (PC 119)

Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, Washington State University Libraries, Pullman, WA.

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Biography/History

Archie E. Irwin (1882-1962) was a Whitman County native and amateur photographer who was employed variously as a surveyor, flour miller, carpenter, cement mason, and grain warehouseman. An article in Pacific Northwest Quarterly 69:4 (Oct. 1978, page 169-173) provides slightly more biographical information and some data about the photographs. While the collection is over 400 images, that article notes his collection as "over 100 glass negatives," so it is unclear if all the photographs acquired by MASC in 1988 are Archie Irwin's, or if some come from other sources.

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Scope and Content

426 glass plate negatives and photographic prints, primarily taken between 1900 and 1950, in and around Elberton, Washington. The collection seems to be equally split among family portraits and other materials. Less than one quarter of the images are identified, and none appear to be dated.

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Arrangement

The materials appear to be retained in their original order, but there appears to be no discernible reasoning behind that ordering. In general, the closer to the front of an item is, the more likely it is to have some identification. Box 1 is photographs mounted on backings. Boxes 2-3 are glass negatives, negatives, and prints; it appears that preservation prints were made at MASC from most of the glass negatives in the late 1990s, and those are filed with those negatives. Box 4 is a folder containing two oversized items.

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Administrative Information

Publication Information

Washington State University Libraries Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections  © 2016

http://www.libraries.wsu.edu/masc/

Terrell Library

P.O. Box 645610

Pullman, WA, 99164-5610 USA

509-335-6691

mascref@wsu.edu

Restrictions on Access

This collection is open and available for research use.

Restrictions on Use

Copyright restrictions may apply.

Acquisition Information

Washington State University Libraries' Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections (MASC) purchased this collection on May 7, 1988 from Larry L. Irwin of Monroe, WA. It was retained as MS1988-17.

Processing Information

The original intent was to separate the images from other materials, but an initial uncompleted processing (circa the late 1990s) kept the materials as one collection, PC 119. In 2016, the non-photographic images were removed and refiled under their original MS1988-17 designation. Materials were individually sleeved during processing. Note that when this was originally organized with the non-photo materials, those were folders 1-27. Rather than renumber everything, the collection was simply left missing numbers 1-27, and so is numbered from 28 to 453.

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Related Materials

Separated Material

One box of non-photographic materials were separated out and retained as MS1988-17.

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Names and Subjects

Geographic Name(s)

  • Elberton (Wash.) -- Photographs.

Personal Name(s)

Subject(s) :
  • Irwin, Archie E., 1882-1962 -- Archives

Subject(s)

  • Washington (State)
  • Photographs

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