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George Alderson Photographs, 1954-1955

By Finding aid prepared by Elizabeth Nielsen.

Collection Overview

Title: George Alderson Photographs, 1954-1955

ID: P 248

Primary Creator: Alderson, George

Extent: 0.01 cubic feet. More info below.

Languages of Materials: English [eng]

Abstract

The George Alderson Photographs consist of snapshot photographs made by Alderson when he visited Corvallis, Oregon, as a youth in the mid-1950s. The photographs depict views of the Oregon State College campus and agricultural lands, Camp Adair, and downtown Corvallis.

Scope and Content Notes

The George Alderson Photographs consist of snapshot photographs made by Alderson when he visited Corvallis, Oregon, in 1954-1955. The photographs depict views of the Oregon State College campus and agricultural lands, Camp Adair, and downtown Corvallis. The images include views of Gill Coliseum, Withycombe Hall, and Sackett Hall as well as the Forestry Club Cabin and Cronemiller Lake at Peavy Arboretum. Photographs of the OSC livestock facilities and hog farm near 33rd and Jackson Streets are part of the collection; these images include sheep, horses, and hogs. Of special note is a photograph of a street sign for Jackson and 33rd Streets next to agricultural land.

The collection includes several views of downtown Corvallis as well as Camp Adair structures. The downtown Corvallis images include the Corvallis City Hall on 4th and Madison that was constructed in 1892 and demolished in the late 1950s. Photographs of the downtown streets include Christmas decorations and a view of McGregor's variety store. A landscape view from the road leading to the Bald Peak State Viewpoint near Newberg, Oregon, is also included.

All of the images are b/w. Descriptions of the photographs prepared by Alderson are included with the images.

Biographical / Historical Notes

As a teenager, George Alderson visited his aunt, Lora Ives Kelts, a librarian at Oregon State College. Alderson attended Reed College and graduated in 1963 with a major in biology. Alderson worked in Washington, D.C. as a conservation activist and lobbyist for the Wilderness Society and Friends of the Earth. He helped found the wilderness program in the Bureau of Land Management and wrote a handbook on being a citizen lobbyist, How You Can Influence Congress, published in 1979. He received the Sierra Club's Special Achievement Award in 1968. Alderson is a classical violinist and has played with several orchestras in the Washington, D.C. area.

Administrative Information

More Extent Information: 17 photographs; 1 box

Statement on Access: Collection is open for research.

Acquisition Note: The photographs were donated to the Archives by Alderson in 2003.

Related Materials: The Special Collections and Archives Research Center's holdings include many collections with photographs of campus buildings and views, including Harriet's Photograph Collection (P HC) and the Buildings Photographic Collection (P 016). The Wilson H. Foote Photographs (P 268) include many views of the Oregon State College campus during the 1950s. Other photographs of Camp Adair are available in several collections, including the John H. Gallagher, Sr. Collection (MSS Gallagher), the Agriculture Photograph Collection (P 040), and the Gwil Evans Photographic Collection (P 082).

Preferred Citation: George Alderson Photographs (P 248), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.

Creators

Alderson, George

People, Places, and Topics

Agriculture--Oregon.
Alderson, George
Camp Adair (Or.)
College buildings--Oregon--Corvallis.
Corvallis (Or.)
Local History
Oregon State College--Buildings.
University History

Forms of Material

Photographic prints.


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