Adalbert G. Bettman photographs

Collection

Identifier: Org. Lot 4

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The collection contains 64 glass negatives, 44 sheet film negatives, and 39 photographic prints taken by or attributed to the Bettman family between approximately 1880 and 1920. Thirty-five of the prints have corresponding negatives in the collection. Negative numbers are noted on the back of prints when known.

The collection includes individual and family portraits, views of the interior and displays of the Bettman drugstore, photographs depicting medical equipment and practice, including a neck brace and Adalbert G. Bettman’s sanitary measuring sugar bowl, and scenes throughout Oregon, including Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis. This collection may be of interest to individuals researching the history of medicine, pharmacy, and plastic surgery in Oregon.

Dates

1880-1920

Creator

Bettman, Adalbert G., 1883-1964 (Person)

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

Dr. Adalbert Goodman Bettman was born to Bertha and Goodman Bettman in 1883. He was licensed as a pharmacist in 1902 and worked at his father’s drugstore in Eugene, Oregon, to finance his education at the University of Oregon Medical School. He obtained his medical degree in 1907 and entered private practice in Portland in 1908. He specialized in reconstructive plastic surgery, becoming one of the first plastic surgeons in the Pacific Northwest. He pioneered innovative methods for the treatment and healing of burns, including the use of tannic acid-silver nitrate as a treatment. He invented and patented a sanitary (spoonless) measuring sugar bowl in 1914. He was involved in the formation of the University of Oregon Medical School Alumni Association and was a Mason, a Shriner, and a member of B’nai B’rith and the Royal Rosarians. Bettman retired in 1963 and died in 1964.

Source: "Adalbert G. Bettman (1883 - 1964)," by Sara Piasecki, Oregon Encyclopedia, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bettman_adalbert_g_1883_1964_/

Extent

0.46 Cubic Feet (1 document case; 1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Adalbert G. Bettman was a Portland pharmacist and physician who specialized in reconstructive plastic surgery and pioneered innovative methods for the treatment and healing of burns. This collection consists of glass plate negatives, sheet film negatives, and photographic prints taken by or attributed to the Bettman family between approximately 1880 and 1920. The collection includes individual and family portraits, views of the interior and displays of the Bettman drugstore, photographs depicting medical equipment and practice, including a neck brace and Bettman’s sanitary measuring sugar bowl, and scenes throughout Oregon, including Portland, Eugene, and Corvallis.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Negatives are not available for direct access due to fragility. Researchers are asked to use digitized copies viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.