Research Guides
Mountaineering in the Pacific Northwest: Digital Collections
Resources which document climbing the mountains of the Pacific Northwest throughout history.
Photographs and Documents
Mt. Shuksan looking south, undated. Dwight Alvin Watson photograph collection​. PH0165
Mountaineers on the eastern slope of Mount Baker, Washington, 1908. Washington Localities Photograph collection. PH1295.
Our online collection comprises a unique presentation of selected primary source material for a variety of research needs. Researchers who are studying mountaineering history and need digital access to our Visual Materials collections will find a variety of unique and unpublished artifacts such as photographs, textual materials, and oral histories. Only a portion of the material held by the Special Collections Division has been digitized.
- Albert Henry Barnes PhotographsBoth a photographer and a painter, Albert Henry Barnes (1876-1920) documented early scenes in Mount Rainier National Park.
- Lawrence Denny Lindsley PhotographsDuring his career as a photographer, woodsman, wilderness guide, and miner, Lindsley took thousands of photographs of Washington State, including scenes around Mount Rainier and the Cascade Mountains, Eastern Washington, and the Pacific Ocean beaches on the Olympic Peninsula. Lindsley was also a charter member of the Mountaineers Society.
- The Mountaineers Photograph Album CollectionThe Mountaineers is an outdoor club that was founded in 1906 to promote the discovery, conservation, and documentation of the "mountains, forests and watercourses of the Pacific Northwest." These albums depict some of the first major expeditions of the Mountaineers, including their first major outing to Mt. Olympus in 1907.
- Pacific Northwest Historical Documents DatabaseThis database is a collection of original diaries, letters, reminiscences, and political documents drawn from various sources within the Special Collections. Documents from the Dee Molenaar papers, Mountain Rescue Association records, Edmond Meany papers, Asahel Curtis papers, and others are included in this collection.
- Pamphlet and Textual Documents CollectionThis database showcases pamphlets, manuscripts, and other original material housed in the UW Libraries Special Collections. Material relating to Mount Rainier National Park is included in this collection.
- Rainier National Park Mountain-Glacier Wonderland Photograph AlbumThe Rainier National Park Mountain Glacier Wonderland Photograph Album is a series of images produced by Ranapar Studio of Tacoma, Washington, to highlight the scenic, recreational, and tourist activities found in Rainier National Park. The album dates from the mid-1920s and documents the early development and recreational activities of Mount Rainier National Park.
- Henry M. Sarvant PhotographsA portion of this collection depicts Mt. Tacoma (Mount Rainier) climbing expeditions and scenes of the vicinity, undertaken by Sarvant and his companions from 1892-1912.
- Society and Culture CollectionThis database is an ongoing digital collection of historical images primarily from Washington State, some of which cover recreational activities such as camping, hiking and mountaineering.
- Alvin H. Waite PhotographsImages in this collection include bicycling trips and hiking adventures in the Cascade Mountains. Some of Waite's most vivid photographs presented here are the monumental scenes captured on Mt. Rainier during his mountaineering expeditions to the park and its vicinity.
- Arthur Churchill Warner PhotographsThis collection includes images A.C. Warner took in 1888 when he joined a Mt. Rainier climbing expedition. It was on this expedition that he became the first person to use a camera to record the summiting of the highest peak in Washington State.
- Washington State Localities PhotographsThis is an ongoing digital collection of photographs documenting the towns and geographic regions of Washington State, primarily from the 1880s to the 1940s. A large selection of images depict mountaineering and activities within the national parks.
- Dwight Watson PhotographsThis collection includes photographs taken by mountaineer and amateur photographer Dwight Watson that depict scenic views and skiing expeditions to the Cascade Range and the Olympic Mountains.
Moving Images
Special Collections has over 200 moving image collections, consisting of thousands of films and videotapes from 1915 to the present. Short 3-5 minute selections from these moving image collections can be viewed as part of the UW Libraries Digital Collections: http://content.lib.washington.edu/filmarchweb/index.html