J. Enos Wait photographic negatives

Collection

Identifier: Org. Lot 1441

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Collection consists of 34 nitrate film negatives which primarily depict scenes in Oregon and Washington, most of them unidentified. Some images may depict scenes from the 1905 Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition in Portland, Oregon. Other scenes include trains, ships, boats, and ports, possibly in Seattle, Washington; unidentified group portraits; residences; and landscapes. Some residences and landscape photographs are taken from a bird's-eye viewpoint.

Dates

Creation: approximately 1905-1910

Creator

Wait, J. Enos (James Enos), 1870-1947 (Photographer, 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

James Enos Wait was born June 25, 1870, in Brunswick, Ohio. At 14 years old, Wait began working as an apprentice in a printing office in Exeter, Nebraska, and at 18, he founded the first newspaper in Bessimer, Wyoming. Wait later attended South Western Dental School in Kansas City, then moved to Superior, Nebraska, to set up a dental practice. Wait married in 1904 and practiced dentistry in Superior for 48 years. At the time of his death in 1947, he was recognized in the community as the oldest businessman or professional in Superior.

Sources: “Funeral Sunday for Dr. E. J. Wait,” The Superior Express, February 13, 1947, page 1; vital records via Ancestry.com.

Extent

0.1 Cubic Feet (1 folder in shared box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Collection consists of nitrate negatives of Oregon and Washington scenes from approximately 1905-1910, including images of the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition in Portland, Oregon. The photographs were taken by J. Enos Wait (1870-1947), a dentist from Superior, Nebraska.

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.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transfer from Adams County Historical Society, April 2017 (Lib. Acc. 29043).

Processing Information

Information received when the negatives were transferred from the Adams County Historical Society in 2017 stated that the negatives were originally housed in three envelopes with annotations identifying the images as "Seattle Navy Yard," "Seattle," and "Portland." The source of the information is unknown and locations have not been verified by Oregon Historical Society Research Library staff. During processing in 2024, negatives were grouped based on image content, rehoused into archival sleeves, and numbered 1-34.