Forest History Society Photograph Collection

The Forest History Society's (FHS) Alvin J. Huss Archives maintains a rich collection of over 25,000 photos, slides, negatives, plates, and films documenting the history of human interaction with the environment. Indexed by subject, the main collection covers a wide array of topics while focusing on the history of forests, the forest products industry, and lumbering and sawmilling practices.

Most images are in black-and-white print format, date from the 1920s to the 1960s, and pertain to the United States, although some images document activities in other countries. Scenes of the U.S. Pacific Northwest are more numerous than images of other regions.

Several auxiliary image collections created by companies or individuals are also available for study at the Forest History Society. Examples include photograph albums compiled by forestry school students on field trips; collections amassed by foresters or forest products companies in the course of conducting everyday operations; and images used in the publication of forest industry magazines. The Champion International Corporation Image Collection is one of the more recent auxiliary collections accessioned by the Forest History Society.

FHS allows authorized publication of images from its collections for most non-commercial uses, however permission from the Society is required prior to publication or display. Photographic Use Fees may apply.

A Guide to the Forest History Society Photograph Collection (Adobe Acrobat .pdf file) lists the various subject headings under which photographs are filed in our collection. If you are unable to view the electronic version of this guide, we will be happy to mail you a printed version free of charge.

The Forest History Society Image Database

Caption: Mrs. Carl Schenck standing between two high-wheeled logging carts, ca. 1890s-1910s. Source: FHS Photograph Collection

The society is pleased to announce that early results of a pilot project to digitize and catalog its photograph collection are now searchable in an Image Database. We are cataloging images on a daily basis and will be regularly updating the database, so please check the site often! Images displayed in the FHS Image Database are low-resolution images provided for academic research purposes only. Higher-resolution electronic scans and copy prints may be ordered. Our Photographic Services Fee Schedule describes research and duplication fees. You may also view a number of Photo Galleries and Online Exhibits containing images from the database that represent selected subject areas in our photograph collection. Our Digitization Procedures page provides information about scanning parameters and cataloging procedures followed.

For reference assistance, contact Photographic Archivist Eben Lehman. Mailing address: Archives, Forest History Society, 701 William Vickers Avenue, Durham, North Carolina, 27701. Telephone: 919-682-9319. Fax: 919-682-2349.