William Alonso Clapshaw Glass Plate Negatives Collection

Collection

Identifier: MS-154

Staff Only

Content Description

A collection of 59 glass plate negatives created by William Alonso Clapshaw (1880-1974) of Forest Grove, Oregon. Most of the negatives show images of outdoor locations near Forest Grove between 1900-1910, such as farmhouses, barns, roads, construction projects, and outdoor group portraits. There are also several portraits staged indoors, including one self-portrait of the photographer. Many of the images appear to be connected to the Clapshaw Family.

The box that the collection was originally found in (which was not retained as it was in very poor condition) had the photographer's name on it: "W. A. Clapshaw." A photocopy of a handwritten partial inventory list that was originally found with the plates is also included; the original list disintegrated and no longer exists. Some images are damaged due to the photographic emulsion layer separating and cracking off of the glass. About half measure approximately 4" x 6" and half measure approximately 6" x 8".

This collection was digitized in 2024 and may be viewed on the Pacific University Archives Digital Exhibits site.

Dates

Creation: 1900-1910

Creator

Clapshaw, William Alonso, 1880-1974 (Photographer, Person)

Biographical / Historical

William Alonso Clapshaw was a clerk and shopkeeper who lived near Forest Grove, Oregon for most of his life. He was born in 1880, probably at the family's home in the Hillside neighborhood of Forest Grove, on what is now Clapshaw Hill Road east of Gales Creek. The Clapshaw Family had immigrated from England to the United States in 1848. After living for some years in Wisconsin, they moved to Oregon in the 1870s and began farming soon afterwards. William attended high school at Tualatin Academy in Forest Grove from 1898-1901. He worked in various occupations over his lifetime, but mostly served as a shopkeeper or clerk between Forest Grove and Portland. He died in 1974 and was buried in the family plot at Hillside Cemetery.

Around 1905, William apparently took an interest in photography and created a set of glass plate negatives documenting scenes near his family's lands as well as images of himself, his friends and family members. He most likely used a silver gelatin dry plate process. This process involved acquiring machine-made glass plates that had been pre-coated with photosensitive gelatin, exposing them to light via a camera, and then later developing the images in a darkroom.

Extent

1 Cubic Feet (1 box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Condition Description

The glass plates are extremely fragile and the emulsion layer has begun to crack off some of them. Many also have dirt or dust encrustations. Due to their extremely fragile condition, access to the originals must be limited and great care must be taken in handling them. Public access to the images will need to be via digital scans, and the originals should be stored securely and left as untouched as possible.