Drake Bros. Studio Photograph Collection, 1863-1969

Contents and Arrangement

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Collection Overview

Creator:

Drake, June D. (1880-1969)

Collector:

Princeton University. Library. Special Collections

Title:

Drake Bros. Studio Photograph Collection

Repository:

Manuscripts Division

Permanent URL:

http://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/1j92g8224

Dates:

1863-1969

Size:

5 boxes and 4.5 linear feet

Storage Note:

Firestone Library (scamss): Box 1-5

Language:

English

Abstract: Consists of photographs (and related material) by June D. Drake, which provides a visual record of Silverton, Oregon, and surrounding areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Collection Description & Creator Information

Scope and Contents

The collection contains photograph and manuscript material by June D. Drake, which provides a visual record of Silverton, Oregon, and surrounding areas in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. There are nearly nine hundred photographs by Drake Studios, most with the studio stamp on versos along with detailed manuscript notes, including dates, identification of individuals, and the names of buildings and streets (many of which no longer exist in Silverton). Most of the photos dated before 1900 are copies of photos taken by William L. Jones, and others. The collection may be the working photographs and documents for Drake's unpublished history of Silverton and environs.

Manuscript materials include notes and newspaper clippings on the history of Silverton, Oregon, and its founding, the history of Silver Falls State Park, and history of the Drake and Schoenfeld families. Also included are a ledger of the Norwich Union Fire Insurance Society, Ltd., a bound photograph album, and a field camera (Rochester Optical Company's Improved Empire State View Camera, ca. 1905), once owned and used by the studio.

Collection Creator Biography:

Drake

Photographers June D. Drake (1880-1969) and his brother Emory Roy Drake founded Drake Brothers Studio in 1900 in Silverton, Oregon. Four years later the brothers bought out the business of W.L. Jones, a noted 19th-century Oregon pioneer photographer, and added his negatives to their inventory. The brothers operated together until 1908 when a fire destroyed their studio; very few images were salvaged. June Drake continued to photograph in a new studio until his retirement in 1960.

June Drake was a local historian interested in documenting Silverton history, though he considered his greatest achievement to be the establishment of the Silver Falls State Park. He photographed all ten of the falls from as early as 1902, and created many travel brochures, pamphlets, and postcards to raise awareness around Oregon and the Pacific Northwest of the need to protect this area from logging. Drake published many local history pieces in the Silvertonian and Silverton-Appeal newspapers.

Collection History

Acquisition:

Purchased in 2012. AM 2013-10.

The field camera was the gift of Larry S. Pierce in 2013. AM 2014-60.

Appraisal

No appraisal information is available.

Processing Information

Finding Aid and folder inventory written by Hilde Creager '2015 in 2012. Biographical and descriptive text throughout is adapted from description provided by Kol Shaver; edited by Valerie Addonizio.

In 2022, restrictions were lifted as part of a restrictions review project.

Access & Use

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. To cite or publish quotations that fall within Fair Use, as defined under U. S. Copyright Law, no permission is required. For instances beyond Fair Use, it is the responsibility of the researcher to determine whether any permissions related to copyright, privacy, publicity, or any other rights are necessary for their intended use of the Library's materials, and to obtain all required permissions from any existing rights holders, if they have not already done so. Princeton University Library's Special Collections does not charge any permission or use fees for the publication of images of materials from our collections, nor does it require researchers to obtain its permission for said use. The department does request that its collections be properly cited and images credited. More detailed information can be found on the Copyright, Credit and Citations Guidelines page on our website. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us through the Ask Us! form.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

For preservation reasons, original analog and digital media may not be read or played back in the reading room. Users may visually inspect physical media but may not remove it from its enclosure. All analog audiovisual media must be digitized to preservation-quality standards prior to use. Audiovisual digitization requests are processed by an approved third-party vendor. Please note, the transfer time required can be as little as several weeks to as long as several months and there may be financial costs associated with the process. Requests should be directed through the Ask Us Form.

The field camera is a large, fragile object and requires special handling in the reading room.

Credit this material: