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Bernice E. Mayer collection of Sawyer's Inc. photographs and booklets

 Collection
Identifier: Org. Lot 1302

Scope and Contents

Small collection of materials that belonged to Bernice E. Mayer, sister of the owners of Sawyer's Inc., which manufactured the View-Master stereoscope. The collection includes photographs and booklets on the pages of a disassembled album, as well as a loose second copy of one booklet; an employee handbook; and three loose negatives.

The photographs depict subjects including: Sawyer's factories, among them a building on SW Ella Street and the company's complex in Progress, Oregon; delivery cars; employees, both in portraits and on the job; manufacturing and processing equipment; and products. The loose negatives show buildings in the Portland area.

The two booklets in the collection were created circa 1951 and in 1986. The older booklet, made by Sawyer's, is titled "Sawyer's Story" and includes a brief history of the company, photographs of employees and departments, and a list of View-Master products. The 1986 booklet, similarly titled "The Sawyer's Story," was compiled by George Patton and Claude Baskett of the Sawyer's Alumni Association. It provides a history of the company and brief vignettes about important figures in Sawyer's development, including Edwin E. Mayer, Fred J. Mayer, Harold J. Graves, Ray F. Kelly, and William B. Gruber. The employee handbook in the collection, created circa 1953 and titled "We're in Business Together!," includes information about the company's history, departments, and benefits.

Dates

  • circa 1925-1986

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Biographical note

Bernice Eileen Mayer (1912-2004) was born in Colfax, Washington, and later lived in Portland, Beaverton, and Lake Oswego, Oregon. She was the sister of the owners of Sawyer's, Inc., and worked as a secretary to her brother.

Source: Obituary in the Oregonian, January 16, 2004.

Administrative history

Sawyer's was founded as a photo-finishing service in Portland, Oregon, by Carleton Sawyer, G. L. Rogers, and A. S. Specht in 1914. In 1919, the company was purchased by Edwin E. Mayer, his brothers Fred J. Mayer and Al Mayer, and their brother-in-law Ray F. Kelly. In 1926, Harold J. Graves, who had owned a photographic studio, joined the company, and not long afterward, Sawyer's also began to produce scenic postcards. In 1938, Graves met William B. Gruber, inventor of the View-Master stereoscope, at the Oregon Caves, where Gruber was taking pictures with a homemade stereographic device. Gruber worked with Sawyer's to develop the View-Master, which the company manufactured. Sawyer's later also produced scenic slides and slide projectors. The company was sold to General Aniline & Film Corp. (GAF) in 1966.

Sources: Collection materials; "View-Master Firm Plans Stock Offering" by Gerry Pratt, Oregonian, August 12, 1965; "General Aniline Buys Sawyer's; Management Stays In Portland," Oregonian, November 1, 1966; vital records in Ancestry.com.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Small collection of materials that belonged to Bernice E. Mayer, sister of the owners of Sawyer's Inc., manufacturer of the View-Master stereoscope. The collection includes photographs of company buildings, employees, equipment, and products, as well as booklets about Sawyer's and an employee handbook.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of the Bernice E. Mayer Trust, care of Diane Kelly, June 2004 (Lib. Acc. 25460).

Processing Information

Collection was titled "Sawyer-Viewmaster collection" prior to March 2023.

Title
Guide to the Bernice E. Mayer collection of Sawyer's Inc. photographs and booklets
Status
Completed
Author
Katie Mayer
Date
2023
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240