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Hamley & Co. photographs and business ephemera

 Collection
Identifier: Coll 1037

Scope and Contents

This collection is composed of photographs and business ephemera relating to the Hamley & Co. saddlery in Pendleton, Oregon; the Pendleton Round-Up; and the Hamley family. Photographs in the collection consist of 1,029 photographic prints, 453 negatives, and 1 tintype. Many of the photographs depict Hamley & Co. shop scenes; employees, including Lester and J. J. Hamley; and Hamley & Co. products including bridles, belts, kits, and saddles. Some of the saddles pictured are trophy saddles awarded as prizes for rodeo events, and the owner or winner is named when known. Other images depict the extended Hamley family, Pendleton parades and festivals, and Pendleton Round-Up events. Notable people represented in the collection include Hoot Gibson, Yakima Canutt, Norman Cowan, Burel Mulkey, Ike Rude, King Merritt, Pete Knight, and Toots Mansfield. Many of the photographs are stamped by Dave Hamley and may have been used by Hamley & Co. for documentation or promotion of the company's goods.

Also included in the collection are Hamley & Co. shop catalogs, record books, and business documents, as well as articles about the company; Hamley family personal documents, including handwritten letters and investment certificates; and Pendleton Round-Up programs and cowboy ephemera.

Dates

  • Creation: 1883-1997

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.

Historical Note

Brothers J. J. Hamley and Henry Hamley founded Hamley & Co. as a leather and saddle shop in 1883. They first operated in South Dakota and Iowa before moving the business to a permanent location in Pendleton, Oregon, in 1905. After moving to Oregon, Hamley & Co. expanded beyond saddlery, offering tack, boots, clothing, blankets, and other Western-style goods. In 1910, J. J. Hamley contributed to the organizing, founding, and directing of the Pendleton Round-Up, and Hamley & Co. has remained closely involved in the annual rodeo ever since, most notably providing prize saddles to event winners. The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation purchased the Hamley brand and properties in 2019.

Sources: Collection materials; "About Hamley Western Store & Saddle Shop" (originally accessed August 30, 2024; archived page accessed March 11, 2025), https://web.archive.org/web/20240804012549/https://hamley.com/western-store/

Historical Note

The Pendleton Round-Up has been held in Pendleton, Oregon, since 1910. It features rodeo events including bronc riding, calf and steer roping, barrel racing, and bull-riding. The Round-Up also includes a parade and, since 1916, the Happy Canyon night show, which highlights traditional Native life and culture, the arrival of Euro-American emigrants, and development after their arrival. Members of the Umatilla, Cayuse, and Walla Walla tribes (now the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation), along with Native people from other tribes throughout the Northwest, have participated in the Round-Up from the inception of the event.

Sources: "Pendleton Round-Up," by William F. Willingham, Oregon Encyclopedia, accessed August 30, 2024, https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/pendleton_round_up/

Extent

3.29 Cubic Feet (7 letter document cases, 1 slim letter document case, 1 flat box (10x13), 1 flat box (13x16))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Collection consists of documents and photographs relating to the Hamley & Co. saddlery of Pendleton, Oregon; the Pendleton Round-Up; and the Hamley family. Brothers J. J. Hamley and Henry Hamley founded the company as a leather and saddle shop in 1883, operating in South Dakota and Iowa before moving to a permanent location in Pendleton in 1905, and then expanding the business's offerings to include tack, boots, clothing, blankets, and other goods. In 1910, the family contributed to the organization and founding of the Pendleton Round-Up, and remained closely involved in the annual event thereafter.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged in nine series:

  1. Series 1: Product catalogs
  2. Series 2: Record books
  3. Series 3: Hamley business and family documents
  4. Series 4: Pendleton Round-Up programs and ephemera
  5. Series 5: Western and cowboy ephemera
  6. Series 6: Hamley & Co. shop and employee photographs
  7. Series 7: Hamley & Co. product photographs
  8. Series 8: Community and rodeo scene photographs
  9. Series 9: Hamley family photographs

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Researcher access to negatives in the collection is limited for preservation purposes. To inquire about viewing the negatives, contact library staff.

Other Finding Aids

A detailed inventory of collection materials is available from library staff. This inventory provides additional descriptive information about collection items, including some image descriptions and context and special order information such as customer names and product details.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Joseph J. Sherwood, December 2023 (RL2023-087) and January 2024 (RL2024-002).

Subject

Title
Guide to the Hamley & Co. photographs and business ephemera
Status
Completed
Author
Jax De La Cruz-Luera
Date
2024
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