Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Charles Butterworth papers, 1856-1975
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Charles Butterworth, 1858-1936.
- Title
- Charles Butterworth papers
- Dates
- 1856-1975 (inclusive)18561975
1893-1970 (bulk)18931970 - Quantity
- 1 cubic foot (2 document cases, 1 flat box)
- Collection Number
- Mss 2427
- Summary
- Papers of a photographer and painter of Portland, Oregon, including studio log books, genealogical materials, writings, and a small amount of correspondence. Also included is correspondence of Charles Butterworth's daughter Esther; and minutes of the Trails Club of Oregon, 1928-1930.
- Repository
-
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org - Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
- Sponsor
- Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Photographer and painter Charles Butterworth was born in 1858 in Mainsville, near Cincinnati, Ohio. He grew up on his parents' farm and went to New Vienna, Ohio, to study photography. There he married Etta Miller in 1883. He worked as a photographer in Wilmington, Ohio, then moved with his family to Ontario, California, in 1895. In 1898 the Butterworths relocated to Portland, Oregon, where they remained the rest of their lives. Charles Butterworth achieved recognition for his artistic photographic work, especially children's portraiture, and he was instrumental in the formation of the Photographic Association of Portland. The Butterworths had two children, Arthur and Esther. Esther Butterworth (1889-1975) became a photographer herself, and was also known as a photo colorist. She worked for a time in the studios of photographer Edwin S. Curtis in Los Angeles.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
The collection includes a small amount of correspondence of Charles and Etta Butterworth, writings of Charles Butterworth, genealogical materials, minutes of The Trails Club, and correspondence of Esther Butterworth. Also included are Charles Butterworth's studio log books dating from 1911-1933 (with gaps). Of special interest among the correspondence is a letter from Charles Butterworth, 1893, describing the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago; and a letter from Etta Butterworth describing the family's train trip from Ohio to California in 1895.
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library before any publication use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.
Preferred Citation
Charles Butterworth papers, Mss2427, Oregon Historical Society Research Library
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Arrangement
The collection is arranged in two series:
- Series A: Charles Butterworth papers, 1856-1970
- Series B: Esther Butterworth papers, 1862-1975
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
Series A: Charles Butterworth papers, 1856-1970Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Correspondence |
||
Box/Folder | ||
1/1 | 1893-1899 | |
1/2 | 1908-1918 | |
1/3 | 1921-1936 | |
1/4 | Fragments and undated
letters |
undated |
1/5 | Butterworth genealogical
materials |
1856-1970 |
1/6 | Writings of Charles
Butterworth |
undated |
1/7 | Marriage certificate and
wedding invitation |
1883 |
1/8 | Newspaper
clippings |
1883-1936 |
1/9 | Pacific International
Photographers Association, certificate of membership |
undated |
1/10 | Trails Club of Oregon
minutes |
1928-1930 |
Photography studio
logs |
||
Box/Folder | ||
3/1 | Studio
journal |
1911-1916 |
3/2 | Studio
register |
1911 June-1915 April |
3/3 | Studio
register |
1919 October-1920 November |
3/4 | Studio register (with
date gaps) |
1920-1933 |
3/5 | Studio register--Loose
pages from above book |
1920-1933 |
3/6 | Studio
register |
1925 December-1931 January |
Series B: Esther Butterworth papers, 1862-1975Return to Top
Container(s) | Description | Dates |
---|---|---|
Box/Folder | ||
1/11 | Photographs of ancestral
sites |
circa 1960-1970 |
1/12 | Family poems |
undated |
1/13 |
Sesquicentennial scrapbook, Religious Society of
Friends |
1970 |
1/14 | "My family genealogy" (ledger
book) |
undated |
2/1-2 | Correspondence |
1932-1975 |
2/3 | Documents and
ephemera |
1862-1970 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Clubs--Oregon--History.
- Photographers--Oregon--Portland--History.
- Photography--Oregon--Portland--History.
Personal Names
- Butterworth, Charles, 1858-1936. (creator)
- Butterworth, Esther. (creator)
- Butterworth, Etta Miller. (creator)
Corporate Names
- Trails Club of Oregon--Archives.
- World's Columbian Exposition (1893 : Chicago, Ill.)
Family Names
- Butterworth family.
Geographical Names
- Portland (Or.)--History.
- United States--Description and travel--1865-1900.
Form or Genre Terms
- Letters (correspondence)
- Logs (records)
Occupations
- Photographer.