This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
By Sylvia Podwika, Ruth Vondracek, and Larry Landis
Title: Kinsey Brothers Photographs, 1907-1945
Predominant Dates: 1907-1930
ID: P 309
Primary Creator: Kinsey, Clark
Extent: 2.5 cubic feet. More info below.
Arrangement:
The collection is arranged into two series, each designated by the photographer of the prints. As Clark’s body of work is larger in this collection, his images make up the first series followed by Darius’s contributions in the second series. The two series are: 1. Clark Kinsey 1907-1945; 2. Darius Kinsey 1907-1940.
The prints in the collection are arranged by subject and then chronologically when possible. The Spruce Division photographs are arranged by item number.
Date Acquired: 00/00/2007
Languages of Materials: English [eng]
The Kinsey Brothers Photographs collection consists of both mounted and unmounted photographic prints reflecting the logging industry. Gerald W. Williams collected the images in the course of his work as a Forest Service sociologist and historian, largely due to his deep interest in the history of forestry in the United States, especially that of the Pacific Northwest region.
The two photographers, Clark and Darius Kinsey, began working as photographers in the late 19th century, finishing their respective careers in the mid-1940s. Both Clark and Darius made significant contributions to photographing the Pacific Northwest, especially Spruce Production Division and Civilian Conservation Corps life. Darius was the more widely-known of the two. This particular collection contains more of Clark’s work, which chiefly features logging crews and companies.
The photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available upon request.
The Kinsey Brothers Photographs collection largely is made up of black and white prints, with a few sepia toned images and a single color print. Gerald W. Williams collected the mounted and unmounted images in the course of his work as a Forest Service sociologist and historian. This was largely due to his deep interest in the history of forestry and the history of the United States, especially that of the Pacific Northwest region. The subjects of the Kinsey Brothers prints aptly matched William’s interest as they were largely concentrated on documenting the logging process from start to finish. Both men were able to capture the innovations in machinery of the time, with donkey engines being a popular background item. In this collection, Clark’s prints showcase the various logging companies, Spruce Production Division and Civilian Conservation Corps camps, primarily those south of Seattle, whereas Darius’s feature scenic backgrounds of the camps and logging areas. chiefly to the north of Seattle.
The photographs in this collection have been digitized and are available upon request.
Darius and Clark Kinsey were brothers who worked as photographers in the Pacific Northwest in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. Both were noted for their prolific work photographing the timber industry.
Darius Kinsey (1869-1945) was born in Missouri and relocated to Snoqualmie, Washington, with an older brother, Alfred, in late 1889. As early as 1890 he was introduced to photography, and by 1894 was working as an itinerant photographer in Washington. In 1895 he formed a partnership with his younger brother, Clark, and by 1896 they had established a studio at Sedro-Woolley, north of Seattle. Between 1897 and 1906 Darius made seven photographic expeditions, including a 1904 trip to Yellowstone National Park. In late 1906 Darius opened a new studio in Seattle. During World War I he took photographs of the U.S. Spruce Production Division. Darius continued working as a photographer until 1940, when an accident in the field ended his career.
Clark Kinsey (1877-1956) was also born in Missouri and moved with his family to Snoqualmie, Washington, sometime after his two older brothers had moved there. After opening the Sedro-Woolley studio with Darius in 1896, he and another brother, Clarence, moved to Grand Forks in the Yukon Territory in 1897 and operated a photography studio there. Clark was not active as a photographer between 1906 and about 1913. He returned to the photography business just before World War I, taking photographs of logging operations and lumber mills in the Pacific Northwest. Much of this work was done for the West Coast Lumbermen’s Association. During World War I he documented the Spruce Production Division in Oregon and Washington, and during the 1930s he extensively photographed Civilian Conservation Corps camps in both states. Clark retired from photography in 1945.
Both Kinsey brothers used large format cameras in the field – they ranged from 6 ½ x 8 ½” to a mammoth camera that could take a 20”x24” image. The 11”x14” camera was a favorite of both brothers. One account indicated that in order to not compete with one another for photos of logging operations, Darius focused on the area north of Seattle and Clark worked south of Seattle.
More Extent Information: 4 oversize boxes. 40 images including 35 black and white prints, 4 sepia toned prints, and 1 color print
Statement on Access: Materials are open for research.
Use Restrictions: Restrictions may exist for reproduction or publication of post-1922 images.
Acquisition Note: These materials were received from Gerald W. Williams in 2007.
Related Materials:
Other materials that relate to the Kinsey Brothers Photographs include Gerald W. Williams Collection on the Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-2012 (MSS CCC); Gerald W. Williams Collection on the Army Spruce Production Division (MSS Sruce); Edward J. Reiger Civilian Conservation Corps Photograph Album (P 322); the Gerald W. Williams Regional Albums (P 303) and the Royal G. Jackson Papers (MSS JacksonR).
The University of Washington holds collections of Darius' Kinsey's photographs and Clark's photographs and stereoscopes produced at the Kinsey studios. The Whatcomb Museum owns the Darius and Tabitha Kinsey collection that includes nearly 5000 of Darius' photographs.
Preferred Citation: Kinsey Brothers Photographs (P 309), Oregon State University Special Collections and Archives Research Center, Corvallis, Oregon.
Processing Information: Originally described as part of the Gerald W. Williams Collection, these materials were separated in 2016 from the Williams Collection to form this new collection.
Kinsey, Clark
Kinsey, Darius, 1869-1945
Williams, Gerald W.
Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.)
Eufaula Company
Logging--Northwest, Pacific.
Long-Bell Lumber Co.
Natural Resources
Polson Logging Company
United States. War Department. Spruce Production Division
Photographic prints.
Series 1 showcases Clark Kinsey's contribution to photography in the Pacific Northwest. The subjects of his photographs are largely group portraitures of logging and Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camp crews. The CCC participated in public works, such as forestry, flood control, firefighting, and developing national parks. In this series, it is believed that the majority of the camps worked in logging. Clark numbered his prints, such as "No. 100". He seldom used letters. This differs from his brother's system of using a combination of numbers and letters.
The photographs in this series have been digitized and are available upon request.
Series 2 displays the work of Darius Kinsey, the more recognized photographer of the pair. Darius photographed a number of subjects but he is best known for large format prints of logging activities and scenic landscapes. Largely working in Washington State and the surrounding Pacific Northwest, Darius captured many of the early years of the region's lumber activities. However, Darius could be artistic at times, which is evident in the print titled "Waterfall in Western Washington". Unlike his brother, Darius's numbering system used a combination of numbers and letters. Clark seldom used letters in his system.
The photographs in this series have been digitized and are available upon request.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.