Charles Butterworth papers, 1856-1975

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Charles Butterworth, 1858-1936.
Title
Charles Butterworth papers
Dates
1856-1975 (inclusive)
1893-1970 (bulk)
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

Acquisition Information

Gift of David L. Davies, 1976 August; and Russel I. Butterworth, 1976.

Related Materials

Charles Butterworth's painting of Ezra Meeker is housed in the Artifact Collections, Oregon Historical Society.

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.