The Susan Parish Collection of Photography
A Private Photograph Archives
in the Pacific Northwest
Est. 1983
The SPC is a privately owned photographic archives
containing thousands of original negatives and images dating back to the 1860's.
Ms. Parish, a native of Washington State, began making and collecting photographs as a
child in the 1950's.
The SPC encompasses the full spectrum of the photographic medium, as well as
materials and documents related to the history and process of this
art/communication form as an important adjunct to its holdings and as a asset
for the community. This reflects her curatorial tenet that "photographic objects
are invaluable
to the study of the environmental and cultural history and must be preserved”.
The SPC documents the natural and cultural landscape
and traces the
entire history of photography including its aesthetic movements and
technological advancements. Processes from Daguerreotypes, salt prints, Woodbury
types, albumen prints, ambrotypes, tintypes, film and contemporary processes
of analog and digital photography are represented. Contemporary color and
Black & White photographs, negatives and transparencies—along with a selection of videotapes and films are held in the collection.
The SPC reflects the central role photography plays in our image-based culture as a
communication tool, an expressive medium and as documentary records.
Although the backdrop of most images in the SPC are Washington State, there are
photographs and their negatives from 23 other states in the union and over 35
other countries. Included are fine photographs of Alaska, including the Gold Rush, Oregon, Idaho, Arizona, California and Africa, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Tahiti, France, Italy
and Spain.
And, while the entire
collection illustrates the complex and varied history of the medium, its major
areas of strength are time
period of 1914 - 1970 and in social and environmental documentary photography.
Included are:
19th century works in city and landscape, documentary and modern works of pre and post-World War II constitute the
strongest areas of the collection.
The
Subject Matter
is extensive ~ with the common themes associated with early development of the
Pacific Northwest and its natural and cultural landscape well represented; i.e.
pristine landscapes showing old growth forests and logging, railroading,
seascapes and soaring mountains, steam ships and tug boats, dusty main streets
of emerging cities, portraits of indigenous Native American and multi-cultural
pioneers, recreational activities such as skiing, hiking, fishing, hunting, as
well as many historical events of national note.
Contact The Susan Parish Collection
