The Ben Maxwell Collection consists of over 5000 photographs donated to the Salem Public Library by the estate of Mr. Ben 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. …
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 …
The Special Collections group is a gathering 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 …
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 collections of more than 200,000 negatives and prints, as well as others loaned to the society by a private donor for …
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 predecessor newspapers, the Oregon Statesman, and the Statesman Publishing Company. The collection includes photographs of people, places, events, natural …
The Bush Family Historic Photograph Collection includes photographs of early Salem, particularly in and around the family home, the Historic Bush House and the Oregon Coast taken primarily by members of the Asahel Bush family. Asahel Bush, a publisher, banker and political leader, who was raised on the East coast, came west in 1850 …
The history of Oregon preserved in six collections of photographs of people, places, and events that provide snapshots of the progress of Oregon from early settlements to more recent times. The collections are statewide but with special emphasis on Salem and other Willamette Valley communities. Included are photographs from numerous sources including the Ben Maxwell estate, the Statesman Journal Newspaper, Oregon State Archives, Marion County Historical Society, the Asahel Bush family, and other contributors.
Searching the Collections
Scroll through the displayed thumbnail images using the left and right buttons. Click on a thumbnail to display the photograph and its description. Click on a collection name to search in just that collection. You may also search for a specific photograph by entering appropriate search terms in the box above and click "search". For more precision in your search, click on the Advanced Search link. For more detailed instructions on use of this site, click on the “Help” link in the navigation bar at the top of this page.
Uses of the photographs
Images from library-owned collections (photographs with a numeric ID) may be downloaded for personal or educational use such as personal websites, school reports, and similar non-commercial uses. Photographs can also be reproduced from negatives as reprints or high-resolution digital files for a reasonable fee from a vendor of the librarys choosing. To access an order form for prints, click on reprints. To order digital files, click on digital copies. At least two weeks should be allowed for this transaction. Photographs with an alpha-numeric ID may not be owned by the library and permission for reproductions should come from the source named in the text accompanying the photograph.
Credits for use
Photographs used in publications should credit the "Salem Public Library Historic Photograph Collections, Salem Public Library, Salem, Oregon", and any other credits specified in the photograph metadata.
Other resources
Visit our Salem History web site for additional facts and links to historic resources in the Salem area. Other resources are available at the Salem Public Library web site. Program funded with a generous grant from the Salem Public Library Foundation.
For additional information about these collections, contact Salem Public Library at 503-588-6224, or email at salemhistory@cityofsalem.net .
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