Gifford Collection Documentary Materials

Gifford Collection Documentary Materials, 1897-1996

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Gifford family.
Title: Gifford Collection Documentary Materials
Dates: 1897-1996 (inclusive)
18971996

1926-1957 (bulk)
19261957
Quantity: 3.7 cubic feet, (8 boxes, including 3 oversize boxes)
Collection Number: P 218-SG 7
Summary: The Gifford Collection Documentary Materials consist of paper records, artifacts, and ephemera documenting the Gifford Family's activities as photographers in Oregon. The Gifford Family included four notable Oregon photographers spanning three generations: Benjamin A. Gifford; his son, Ralph, and Ralph's wife, Wanda; and Ralph and Wanda's son Ben L. Gifford.
Repository: Oregon State University Libraries, Special Collections and Archives Research Center
Special Collections and Archives Research Center
121 The Valley Library
Oregon State University
Corvallis OR
97331-4501
Telephone: 5417372075
Fax: 5417378674
scarc@oregonstate.edu
Access Restrictions: Collection is open for research.
Languages: English
Sponsor: Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

The Gifford Family is considered Oregon's first family of photography. Beginning in 1888, when Benjamin A. Gifford emigrated to Portland from Kansas, they began a photographic tradition that lasted into the 1950s and spanned three generations. Benjamin A. Gifford worked as photographer in Portland and The Dalles, Oregon, from the late 1880s until about 1920, when his son Ralph took over his studio in Portland. In 1936, Ralph became the first photographer of the newly established Travel and Information Department of the Oregon State Highway Department, a position he held until his death in 1947. After her husband's death, Wanda Muir Gifford took over the family's photography business and continued to take and sell photographs through the mid-1950s. Ben L. Gifford, the son of Ralph I. and Wanda Gifford, joined his mother in the family's business in early 1950s and also worked for a Salem photography studio from 1951 until 1955. Three generations of Gifford photography began to come to a close when Ben took an engineering job with the State Highway Commission in 1955.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The Gifford Collection Documentary Materials consist of paper records, artifacts, and ephemera documenting the Gifford Family's activities as photographers in Oregon. The documentary materials include biographical information on each photographer and other family members, business records, publications that include Gifford photographs, technical manuals and catalogs for photographic and motion picture equipment, artifacts, and ephemeral materials created for the Giffords' photography business. The ephemeral items include envelopes, invoices and order forms, business cards, and labels. The bulk of the business records is correspondence with magazines, other publications, and stock houses regarding purchase and use of Gifford images. A descriptive booklet about the Fred Archer School of Photography in Los Angeles is also included.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Preferred Citation

Gifford Collection Documentary Materials (P 218-SG 7), Oregon State University Archives, Corvallis, Oregon.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The Gifford Collection Documentary Materials are arranged in 9 series: I. Gifford Family Biographical Information, 1897-1996; II. Business Records, 1926-1957; III. Fred Archer School of Photography Information Booklet, circa 1950; IV. Publications with Gifford Photographs, 1902-1987; V. Technical Manuals and Equipment Catalogs, circa 1937 - circa 1953; VI. Signs, circa 1940; VII. Oil Portrait of Ralph I. Gifford, circa 1940; VIII. Ephemera, circa 1905 - 1964; and IX. Artifacts, circa 1936-1947.

Custodial History

The materials were donated to the Oregon State University Horner Museum in 1986 by Ben L. and Beth Gifford.

Acquisition Information

The materials were transferred from the Oregon State University Horner Museum to the University Archives in July 1996.

Related Materials

This is one component of the Gifford Photographic Collection (P 218) held by the OSU Archives. Other components are: Benjamin A. Gifford Photographs (P 218-SG 1); Ralph I. Gifford Photographs (P 218-SG 2); Ralph I. Gifford Motion Pictures (P 218-SG 3); Wanda Gifford Photographs (P 218-SG 4); Ben L. Gifford Photographs (P 218-SG 5); and Gifford Collection Photographs by Unknown or Other Photographers (P 218-SG 6).

The Archives holdings include several collections documenting photography instruction at Oregon State, including the Robert E. McDole Papers and the John Garman Photographic Collections (P 095).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series I: Gifford Family Biographical Information, 1897-1996Return to Top

Series I includes biographical information for Gifford Family members and consists primarily of photocopies that were provided by the family when the photographs were donated to Oregon State University. The documents include obituaries as well as news articles and other compilations of biographical information.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
72	Benjamin A. Gifford	1929-1993
72	Rachel M. Gifford	1973
72	Ralph I. Gifford	1946-1947
72	Wanda M. Gifford	1989
72	Ben L. Gifford	1944-1996
72	Excerpts, "History and Genealogy of the Gifford Family in America (1626-1953)"	1984
72	My Story of the Last Indian War in the Northwest Thomas Morgan	1954
72	Gifford Family Scrapbook	1897 - circa 1968
71	News clippings about Ralph I. Gifford and Ben L. Gifford	1944-1947

Series II: Business Records, 1926-1957Return to Top

Series II consists primarily of correspondence documenting the Gifford Family photography business during the 1930s-1950s, especially the purchase of photographs by various publications.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Correspondence	1926-1957
Box
72	Letter to Benjamin A. Gifford from W.T. Jordan of Maryhill, Washington, regarding information about one of Gifford's Native American photographs taken in the area	September 1926
	Letter to Ralph Gifford from Universal Pictures Corporation regarding motion picture assignment at Mt. Hood	September 1934
Box
72	Letters of recommendation for Ralph Gifford working at the State Highway Commission	July 1936
72	Letter and photograph to Ralph Gifford from Sgt. F.L. Boulier	Sept. 1944
72	Letter of condolence to Wanda Gifford from State Parks Superintendent S.H. Boardman regarding Ralph Gifford's death	June 1947
72	Letter to State Highway Dept. from Ben L. Gifford regarding state photographer tests	January 1957
Box
72	Correspondence with magazines, other publications, and stock houses	1936-1956
Box
72	American Fruit Grower Magazine	1950-1956
72	A-D
72	E-L
72	M-Z and unclassified
72	Customer consent slips	1949
72	Exhibition records for The New Oregon Trail motion picture	1942
72	Image log, Ralph Gifford and Ben L. Gifford Includes original and photocopy.
72	Ralph Gifford expense log	1940-1947
72	Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association meeting program	June 1947
72	Lists of magazines using freelance photographs	undated
72	Jersey Spring Show program	May 1951

Series III: Fred Archer School of Photography Information Booklet, circa 1950Return to Top

Container(s): Box 72

Series III consists of a booklet with information about the Fred Archer School of Photography in Los Angeles, California, including facilities, faculty, the 2-year course of study, and admissions requirements. Ben L. Gifford attended the Fred Archer School in 1950-1951.

Series IV: Publications with Gifford Photographs, 1902-1987Return to Top

Series IV consists of publications that include photographs by the Gifford Family photographers, primarily in the 1940s and 1950s; several of the publications featured Gifford photographs as the cover images.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
72	Snap Shots on the Columbia Photocopy; see Benjamin A. Gifford Photographs (P 218-SG 1) for original.	1902
72	Neah-Kah-Nie Mountain: The Most Beautiful Spot on the Pacific Coast, by Lewis M. Head	1910
72	Events Illustrated March, June Published by Beaver Engraving Co.	March, June & August 1938
72	The Exhaust	December 1938
72	The Oregon State Employee Cover photos by Ralph I. Gifford.	August-September 1944
72	Oregon Tuberculosis Association annual report	1946
72	The Oregon State Employee; Salem Cherry Festival program Cover photos by Ralph I. Gifford.	May-June 1947
72	Along the Union Pacific Railroad	July 1947
72	International Evergreen Empire; tourist brochure on Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia	circa 1947
72	The County Officer magazine	June 1949
72	Public Works magazine	December 1950
72	Oregon Jersey Review	Winter 1951
72	The Northwest Calendar for Engagements	1954
72	Oregon: Cool green vacation land, tourist brochure	undated
72	Snogo snow removal ad	undated
72	Undated tear sheets from Pacific Pathways, National Geographic and unidentified publication	undated
78	Newspapers with Gifford photographs	1938-1984
71	OSU Foundation 1986-87 annual report	1987

Series V: Technical Manuals and Equipment Catalogs, circa 1937 - circa 1953Return to Top

Series V consists of manuals and catalogs assembled by the Giffords for photography and motion picture film equipment and photographic processing. Information about cameras, lenses, and projectors as well as photograph films, papers, and processing are included.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
72	Formulas notebook	undated
72	Temporary Strobonar Seven Instructions (electronic flash unit)	circa 1953
72	Ansco Formulas on Black and White Photography	1946-1948
72	Ansco Photographic Papers: Their Properties, Processing and Application	1947
72	Better Photography Made Easy (Ansco)	1947
72	Choosing Film for Your Camera for Black and White Photography (Ansco)	1947
72	Color Photography Made Easy (Ansco)	1947
72	Book of Formulas for Eastman Professional Films and Plates	May 1938
72	Kodak Data Books
Box
72	Formulas and Processing	1946 and 1952
72	Kodachrome and Kodacolor Film	1947
72	Kodak Lenses: Shutters and Portra Lenses	1948
72	Exposure and Your Camera, C.I. Jacobson	1948
72	Salon Photography	1951
72	Photo filter information	undated
72	Peerless camera store catalogs	1947-1948
72	Zeiss Ikon cameras catalog	undated
72	Stanley-Marsh picture frame tools catalog	circa 1937
72	Bolex motion picture film equipment catalog	circa 1941
72	Bell & Howell Filmosound "Master" motion picture film projector manual	circa 1939
72	History of the Cine-Kodak Special	undated
72	Eastman 8mm and 16mm home movie equipment catalog	fall 1938
72	Secrets of Good Projection, Frank E. Gunnell	undated

Series VI: Signs, circa 1940Return to Top

Series VI includes two signs created and used by Ralph Gifford. One is a sign for the darkroom door reminding visitors to knock; the second is a list of postcard sets available for purchase.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
71	Darkroom sign
71	Postcard list

Series VII: Oil Portrait of Ralph I. Gifford, circa 1940Return to Top

Container(s): Box 79

This framed portrait was painted by Lola Schroeder.

Series VIII: Ephemera, circa 1905 - 1964Return to Top

Series VIII consists of materials created for the Giffords' photography business and includes envelopes, invoice and order forms, business cards, and labels. Extra postcards and view sets created by Ralph Gifford are part of this series. Original paper sleeves that housed negatives when they were received by the Archives are included. Duplicates of a Benjamin A. Gifford advertisement include color transparencies and color photocopies made in the late 1990s.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
	Benjamin A. Gifford advertisement	circa 1905
Box
68	4 frames of 120 color film transparencies
71	color photocopies
Box
72	Ralph Gifford envelope from film business	circa 1930
72	Ralph Gifford	circa 1940
Box
72	Covers for Scenic Oregon Album Prints
72	Business cards
72	Labels for photoplaques
72	Photo order form
72	Oregon in Miniature sets envelopes
72	Letterhead, Travel Information Department, Oregon State Highway Commission
72	Ben and Beth Gifford Christmas card mock-ups	1964 and undated
80	Photographic products and business forms Includes extra postcards, view sets (in envelopes), blank invoice forms, business cards, and photoplaque labels.	circa 1935-1945
81	Original negative sleeves Includes original negative sleeves for photographs made by Ralph I. Gifford, Wanda Gifford, and Ben L. Gifford.	circa 1920-1955

Series IX: Artifacts, circa 1936-1947Return to Top

Series IX consists of rubber stamps used by Ralph Gifford for labeling the backs of photographic prints and several signed mats separated from the acompanying photographic prints.

Container(s)	Description	Dates
Box
70	Ralph Gifford rubber stamps for labeling backs of photographs	circa 1936-1947
78	Signed Gifford mats	circa 1936-1947

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

Landscape photography--Oregon.
Photographers--Oregon.
Photography--Equipment and supplies.
Photography--Oregon.
Photography--Processing.
Photography--Studios and dark rooms.
Photography--Study and teaching--California--Los Angeles.
Portrait photography--Oregon.
Selling--Photographs.

Geographical Names

Oregon--Description and travel.

Form or Genre Terms

Ephemera.
Oil paintings (visual works)

Other Creators

Personal Names
- Gifford, Benjamin A. (creator)
- Gifford, Ben L. (creator)
- Gifford, Ralph I. (creator)
- Gifford, Wanda. (creator)
Corporate Names
- Fred Archer School of Photography (Los Angeles, Calif.) (creator)

Archives West Finding Aid

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