Category Archives: Finley

“Catching Birds with a Camera” ~ the OHS exhibit comes to OSU

osu-finley-exhibit-poster

We are so excited to be hosting the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) exhibit “Catching Birds with a Camera: Finley, Bohlman and the Photographs That Launched Oregon’s Conservation Movement” from February – July 2019!

OHS curated and hosted the exhibit in 2018 as an extension of a joint grant project between OHS and SCARC. During 2016-2017, both institutions collaborated on the project “Reuniting Finley and Bohlman” to make more than 40 years of photographs, manuscripts, publications, correspondence, and other materials created by William Finley, Irene Finley, and Herman Bohlman available online. The digitization effort allows the collection, which is physically divided between the OHS and SCARC to be united in its entirety for researchers and conservationists to access online. Included in the project are nearly 7,000 images and over 8,000 pages of manuscript materials that are available at digitalcollections.ohs.org and oregondigital.org/sets/finley-bohlman

William L. Finley’s interest in wildlife conservation began when he and his boyhood friend, Herman T. Bohlman, began photographing birds around Oregon at the turn of the twentieth century. Photos and manuscripts by noted conservationist William L. Finley, his wife Irene, and Herman T. Bohlman helped in establishing wildlife refuges in Oregon. The photographs include Finley and Bohlman’s trips to Malheur Lake, the Klamath Lakes, and Three Arch Rocks on the Oregon coast – and, these photographs played a key role in President Theodore Roosevelt’s decision to create wildlife refuges at those locations. A fourth wildlife refuge in Corvallis was named in honor of William Finley. More information about Finley can be found on The Oregon Encyclopedia

In addition, the project included a public lecture tour, “On the Road with Finley and Bohlman,” in which the exhibit curator and OHS’s digital services librarian, Laura Cray, gave a lecture series in various locations across the state. A recording of one of the lectures, along with a panel discussion and Q&A featuring Bob Sallinger, Tom McAllister, and Worth Mathewson, can be found online via OHS’s website “On the Road with Finley and Bohlman: Portland” In addition, Cray wrote an article for the Oregon Historical Quarterly “Finding Finley: Reuniting the Works of Naturalist William L. Finley through Digital Collaboration”

If you stop by SCARC and have interest in checking out our collections, be sure to review:

Also, we’ve blogged quite a bit about Finley’s work, so be sure to peruse our many Speaking of History blog posts about Finley

And now, photos of the exhibit!

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The “Getting Our Goat” video is available online – a very well spent 15 minutes of your time if you ask us.

Plus, we have a mini-display just outside the main exhibit cases…

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We hope you stop by in the coming months to view the exhibit!

On the Road with Finley and Bohlman

Motoring across Alkali Flats, 1912. Org. Lot 369, Finley B0160.

Motoring across Alkali Flats, 1912. Org. Lot 369, Finley B0160.

Our year of working on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman project is reaching its conclusion and to celebrate, we are taking our show on the road. Starting in two weeks, OHS staff are headed out east to share some of our favorite finds from the collections. Complete program details available at www.ohs.org/finley.

We hope that we will see you there!

On the Road with Finley and Bohlman
program tour schedule:

William L. Finley photographing beside his car near Island Ranch, Harney County, Oregon, 1919. Org. Lot 369, Finley D1991.

William L. Finley photographing beside his car near Island Ranch, Harney County, Oregon, 1919. Org. Lot 369, Finley D1991.

Burns
Presented by Laura Cray

Free and open to the public
Tuesday, April 25, 2017
6:30PM – 8PM

Harney County Library
80 West D Street
Burns, Oregon 97720

 

Finding Finley and Bohlman’s Wildlife Muses – A Malheur Refuge Outing

Follow in Finley and Bohlman’s footsteps Wednesday, April 26th on a self-guided tour of some of Harney County’s best birding hotspots. Guide maps will be handed out at the event Tuesday night and the Malheur Refuge Headquarters will be staffed with volunteers and refuge employees to answer questions from 8:00am to 4:00pm.


William L. Finley seated in front of an umbrella blind taking notes on the 1905 Klamath expedition with several small birds perched around his legs. Org. Lot 369, Finley A1600.

William L. Finley seated in front of an umbrella blind taking notes on the 1905 Klamath expedition with several small birds perched around his legs. Org. Lot 369, Finley A1600.

Klamath Falls
Presented by Laura Cray

Free and open to the public
Thursday, April 27, 2017
7PM – 8PM

Oregon Institute of Technology, College Union Auditorium
3201 Campus Drive
Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601

 

 

Finding Finley and Bohlman’s Wildlife Muses – A Lower Klamath Refuge Outing

Follow in Finley and Bohlman’s footsteps Friday, April 28th on a self-guided tour of some of the Klamath Basin’s best birding hotspots. Guide maps will be handed out at the event Tuesday night and the Refuge Headquarters at Tule Lake will be staffed with refuge employees to answer questions from 9:00am to 4:00pm.


Ellis Hadley (First in line), William L. Finley (center), and Herman Bohlman (last) wading pantsless through water to photograph a red-tailed hawk’s in 1902 near Portland, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2652.

Ellis Hadley (First in line), William L. Finley (center), and Herman Bohlman (last) wading pantsless through water to photograph a red-tailed hawk’s in 1902 near Portland, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2652.

Corvallis
Presented by Laura Cray and
Bob Sallinger

Free and open to the public
Saturday, May 13, 2017
6PM – 7:30PM

Willamette Room – Oregon State University Library
121 The Valley Library
Corvallis, Oregon 97331

 

Finding Finley and Bohlman’s Wildlife Muses – A Finley Refuge Outing

The William L. Finley National Wildlife Refuge was named for the famous conservationist and photographer of the same name. Join USFWS staff and volunteers on an evening discovery outing while looking for the very species Finley and Bohlman captured and described in their photographs, writings and talks. We’ll finish just in time for you to enjoy a picnic meal out at the Tyee Winery bonfire event that night, just down the road. And the walk will set the stage for the Saturday evening event discussing the fascinating history and legacy of William L. Finley and Herman Bohlman – conservation leaders without whom we might not have this special wildlife refuge right out our backdoor.


Herman T. Bohlman and William L. Finley climbing up a the face of Shag Rock to photograph murres in 1903 at Three Arch Rocks, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2520.

Herman T. Bohlman and William L. Finley climbing up a the face of Shag Rock to photograph murres in 1903 at Three Arch Rocks, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2520.

Oceanside
Presented by Laura Cray and Bob Sallinger

Free and open to the public
Sunday, May 14, 2017
2PM – 3:30PM

Netarts Community Club
4949 Hwy SR131
Netarts, Oregon 97143

Finding Finley and Bohlman’s Wildlife Muses – A Three Arch Outing

May 14, 2017 3:30pm – 4:30pm

Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint

Immediately following the main program, Join USFWS staff and volunteers on a discovery outing while looking for the very species Finley and Bohlman captured and described in their photographs, writings and talks. From the Cape Meares Scenic Viewpoint, visitors will be able to enjoy views of Three Arch Rocks and to learn about the seabirds protected at the refuge.


Herman T. Bohlman and A. W. Anthony photographing kingfishers in 1902 near Portland, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2723.

Herman T. Bohlman and A. W. Anthony photographing kingfishers in 1902 near Portland, OR. Org. Lot 369, Finley A2723.

Portland
Presented by Laura Cray with guest panelists Bob Sallinger, Tom McAllister, and Worth Mathewson

Free and open to the public
Wednesday, June 7, 2017
6:30PM – 7:30PM

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205


Learn More

To see more, be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

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Dallas Lore Sharp’s Grand Tour of Oregon

Dallas Lore Sharp (center) and two unidentified Audubon Game Wardens paddling in a canoe through the tules on Lower Klamath Lake, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0319.

Dallas Lore Sharp (center) and two unidentified Audubon Game Wardens paddling in a canoe through the tules on Lower Klamath Lake, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0319.

Dallas Lore Sharp sitting in the tules with a Juvenile gull perched on his knee. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0358.

Dallas Lore Sharp sitting in the tules with a Juvenile gull perched on his knee. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0358.

William Finley and Herman Bohlman did not act alone in their efforts to promote their message of conservation. They were part of a national network of scientists, nature writers, and concerned citizens who worked to educate Americans of the increasingly devastating impact over-hunting and habitat destruction had on bird populations.

In this month’s installment of the ongoing Reuniting Finley and Bohlman series we take a look at one of Finley and Bohlman’s most well known collaborations. In the summer of 1912 noted nature writer Dallas Lore Sharp and his family spent the summer touring Oregon with the pair, revisiting the sites made popular in their photography a decade before. The summer was significant as it was Finley’s first traveling the state as Oregon’s new Game Warden tasked with promoting new, stricter regulation on hunting and fishing. The summer was also the last time Bohlman would join Finley on an expedition.

Sharp wrote about his travels in his 1914 book, Where Rolls the Oregon. Filled with Sharp’s trademark turn-of-the-century florid writing, the book recounts his many adventures in the state and lauds Finley and Bohlman’s work in conservation. “Oregon, and the country as a whole,” Sharp declared, “owe Finley and Bohlman a large debt for what they have done to preserve wildlife.” [i]

Touring with Audubon Game Wardens in Eastern Oregon

Three men in a touring car driving across Alkali Flat on their way to inspect an egret colony near Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0160.

Three men in a touring car driving across Alkali Flat on their way to inspect an egret colony near Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0160.

Dallas Lore Sharp and four unidentified Malheur Audubon wardens wading in the mud along the edge of Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0177.

Dallas Lore Sharp and four unidentified Malheur Audubon wardens wading in the mud along the edge of Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0177.

The warden stood speechless at the sight of snow-white birds in the willows — they had been so nearly exterminated by the plumers, — and his wonder fell upon us all. [ii]

An egret in its nest near Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0200.

An egret in its nest near Silver Lake, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0200.

Bohlman and two unidentified Audubon wardens inside the Audubon Society’s patrol boat, The Grebe, with an American flag displayed at its stern. Taken on Lower Klamath Lake, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0269.

Bohlman and two unidentified Audubon wardens inside the Audubon Society’s patrol boat, The Grebe, with an American flag displayed at its stern. Taken on Lower Klamath Lake, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0269.

Dallas Lore Sharp on horseback in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0610.

Dallas Lore Sharp on horseback in the Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0610.

Camping on Three Arch Rocks

Herman Bohlman kneeling with his hat in his hand. A downy bird chick is perched atop the hat on Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0827.

Herman Bohlman kneeling with his hat in his hand. A downy bird chick is perched atop the hat on Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0827.

So we got over the rim along the south face of the cliff, up which we had climbed, and by rope descended to a small shelf under an overhanging ledge about forty feet above the waves. Here, protected from the northwest wind, and from much of the rain, we rolled up in our blankets, while night crept down upon us and out over the sea. [iii]

Dallas Lore Sharp, his son, Dallas Lore Sharp, Jr., and Herman Bohlman (lower right) standing on a small ledge on the side of Three Arch Rock. Their camp is anchored to the rocks in the center. Murres and other sea birds are perched en masse upon the rock. Near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0807.

Dallas Lore Sharp, his son, Dallas Lore Sharp, Jr., and Herman Bohlman (lower right) standing on a small ledge on the side of Three Arch Rock. Their camp is anchored to the rocks in the center. Murres and other sea birds are perched en masse upon the rock. Near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0807.

A flock of cormorants and murres perched on the rocks and Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0815.

A flock of cormorants and murres perched on the rocks and Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0815.

Dallas Lore Sharp Jr. sitting with a downy chick perched on his knee on Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0831.

Dallas Lore Sharp Jr. sitting with a downy chick perched on his knee on Three Arch Rocks near Oceanside, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0831.

Summiting Mount Hood

A group of four men including Dallas Lore Sharp (second from front) tethered together on their ascent of Mount Hood, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0857.

A group of four men including Dallas Lore Sharp (second from front) tethered together on their ascent of Mount Hood, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0857.

Might one not need to climb Hood many times for the eyes to grow used to seeing and the soul to feeling such unwonted vastness of expanse, such unaccustomed and overwhelming depths? [iv]

Dallas Lore Sharp resting on a rock near the summit of Mount Hood, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0864.

Dallas Lore Sharp resting on a rock near the summit of Mount Hood, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0864.

Learn More

To see more, be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

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[i] Dallas Lore Sharp, Where Rolls the Oregon (Houghton Mifflin, 1914), viii.

[ii] Sharp, Where Rolls the Oregon, 74.

[iii] Sharp, Where Rolls the Oregon, 23.

[iv] Sharp, Where Rolls the Oregon 148.

William Finley and the great elk transplant of 1912

An unidentified man sitting buried up to his neck in a field of heavy snow. Idaho, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0521.

An unidentified man sitting buried up to his neck in a field of heavy snow. Idaho, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0521.

With Oregon draped in a heavy blanket of snow last week and the holiday season in full swing, I cannot help but call to mind the sound of hoof prints in the snow and William Finley’s great elk transplant of 1912 for this month’s installment of the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman series.

Clipping from the February 12, 1912 Morning Oregonian detailing the concerns from members of the Wallowa County Wool Growers about the planned transplant of elk to the region. Full text of the article available at: ohttp://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/sn83025138/1912-02-12/ed-1/seq-7/

Clipping from the February 12, 1912 Morning Oregonian detailing the concerns from members of the Wallowa County Wool Growers about the planned transplant of elk to the region. Full text of the article available at: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/ sn83025138/1912-02-12/ed-1/seq-7/

While Finely is better known for his wildlife photography and role in the conservation movement, he also played a key role in Oregon’s early wildlife management. In 1911, Governor Oswald West hired Finely to help form Oregon’s first Fish and Game Commission. West formally appointed Finley as the state’s game warden to oversee the Commission later that year.

As head of the Commission, Finley hired a team of forty game wardens to work under him across the state. He established and, for the early years wrote most of the content for, Oregon Sportsman. He also pushed for stricter limits and regulations on hunting and fishing in the state to protect and restore rapidly depleting wild populations.

One of Finley’s first and most prominent projects as game warden was to address the state’s declining elk population. Overhunting and diminishing habitat reduced the once plentiful elk herds to a few scattered bands in remote mountainous sections of the state. The Biological Survey of the Department of Agriculture donated a herd of 15 wild elk from the Jackson Hole region in Wyoming to be sent to Oregon. Some in the community, particularly members of the Wool Growers Association, protested the loss of grazing lands at Billy Meadows in Wallowa County to make room for the new elk.

Feature in the April 26, 1914 edition of the Sunday Oregonian about Finley's efforts to restore wildlife populations around the state. Full text available at: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/ sn83045782/1914-04-26/ed-1/seq-80/

Feature in the April 26, 1914 edition of the Sunday Oregonian about Finley’s efforts to restore wildlife populations around the state. Full text available at: http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/lccn/ sn83045782/1914-04-26/ed-1/seq-80/

Most in the state, however, watched the process with great interest. To pay for the journey Elks Lodge members raised $351 and the residents of Wallow County raised the final $181.25.[1]

In early March 1912, the elk were loaded into specially built sleighs and the team set out on an arduous two-week journey from Wyoming to the Wallowa Mountains. Newspapers covered the herd’s progress as they moved westward by sleigh, wagon, and train. As they traveled through towns along the route, crowds came out to catch glimpses of the elk. After their release in Billy Meadows communities throughout the state continued to follow the elk, with newspapers giving regular accounts of births, deaths, and other goings on within the heard. By 1917, the Billy Meadows heard had increased enough to send small bands of elk to repopulate regions throughout the state.

Horses pulling large crates full of elk on sled runners in the snow near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0402.

Horses pulling large crates full of elk on sled runners in the snow near Jackson Hole, Wyoming, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0402.

An elk waiting in a corral in Saint Anthony, Idaho, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0415.

An elk waiting in a corral in Saint Anthony, Idaho, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0415.

Three men standing at the door of a boxcar used to transport elk from Saint Anthony, Idaho to Joseph, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0408.

Three men standing at the door of a boxcar used to transport elk from Saint Anthony, Idaho to Joseph, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0408.

A man holding his hand out to pet a calf elk in a corral in Saint Anthony, Idaho, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0424.

A man holding his hand out to pet a calf elk in a corral in Saint Anthony, Idaho, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0424.

A large crowd gathered to view elk loaded in a boxcar on their trip from Saint Anthony, Idaho to Joseph, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0433.

A large crowd gathered to view elk loaded in a boxcar on their trip from Saint Anthony, Idaho to Joseph, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0433.

A train of wagons hauling elk crates through heavy snow up to Billy Meadows in the Wallowa Mountains, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0457.

A train of wagons hauling elk crates through heavy snow up to Billy Meadows in the Wallowa Mountains, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0457.

A group of unidentified men working to lift an elk crate from the wagon base with a pulley to transfer to sled runners after snow became too deep to continue with the wagons. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0484.

A group of unidentified men working to lift an elk crate from the wagon base with a pulley to transfer to sled runners after snow became too deep to continue with the wagons. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0484.

A group of men lowering an elk crate onto skids after the snow became too deep to traverse by wagon. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0486.

A group of men lowering an elk crate onto skids after the snow became too deep to traverse by wagon.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0486.

A group of men lowering an elk crate onto skids after the snow became too deep to traverse by wagon. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0488.

A group of men lowering an elk crate onto skids after the snow became too deep to traverse by wagon.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0488.

A man balancing atop a "go-devil" makeshift sled hauling elk crates through the heavy snow. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0489.

A man balancing atop a “go-devil” makeshift sled hauling elk crates through the heavy snow. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0489.

Men standing by a fence watching elk as they are unloaded from crates into a holding corral at Billy Meadows. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0506.

Men standing by a fence watching elk as they are unloaded from crates into a holding corral at Billy Meadows. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0506.

A herd of elk standing in the snow at Billy Meadows after being released at the end of their journey from Wyoming. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0510.

A herd of elk standing in the snow at Billy Meadows after being released at the end of their journey from Wyoming. Wallowa Mountains, Oregon, 1912.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley B0510.

Learn More

To see more, be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

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Oregon State University Logo

 

 

 

[1] Finley, W. L. (1912). Game and fish protection and propagation in Oregon, 1911, 1912. Portland: Boyer Printing Co..

Nature Photography: A Family Affair

Umbrella blind set up at gnatcatcher’s nest. William L. and Irene Finley standing by cholla cactus. Arizona, 1910. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0063.

Umbrella blind set up at gnatcatcher’s nest. William L. and Irene Finley standing by cholla cactus. Arizona, 1910.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0063.

William Finley and Herman Bohlman were not the only ones behind the camera. In the Finley household, photography was a family affair.  This month’s installment of the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman series looks at the close involvement Irene and the Finley children had in the later years of William Finley’s work.

Nellie Irene Barnhard met Finley when both were students at the University of California. The couple married in 1906 and moved to Oregon, where William had purchased a plot of land south of Portland at Jennings Lodge, a site that had long been a favorite for his wildlife photography and collecting.  Their family expanded quickly in those early years with the birth of Phoebe Katherine in 1907 and William Jr. in 1908.

Mrs. Irene Finley climbing up a rock face with photography equipment on her back. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1327.

Mrs. Irene Finley climbing up a rock face with photography equipment on her back.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1327.

Not even the move, home construction, and the birth of two children was enough to slow the Finleys down. As Herman Bohlman began taking on greater responsibility in his family plumbing business and spending less time in the field, Irene Finley stepped in as William’s field partner. She contributed significantly to the manuscript of American Birds, William Finley’s first book, which was published in 1907. Over the course of their careers, William and Irene co-authored two additional books, Little Blue Bird (1915) and Wild Animal Pets (1928), along with a number of articles. During that time, Irene began selling articles published under her own byline in addition to being a regular fixture in the field and an active Audubon Society member.

William L, Irene, Phoebe Katherine, and William L. Jr. wading in the Santa Cruz River. Arizona, 1910. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0065.

William L, Irene, Phoebe Katherine, and William L. Jr. wading in the Santa Cruz River.
Arizona, 1910.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0065.

The Finley children also had a role in this era, often serving as models holding the birds for their parents to photograph. The young family took its first major photography expedition through the Sonoran Desert of Arizona in 1910. The trip was just the first of many in what became a career of promoting popular nature lectures and films across the country.

Throughout the 1920s and ’30s, the Finleys formed a close working relationship with the American Nature Association and Nature Magazine, regularly contributing images and articles. William Finley was appointed as the magazine’s naturalist and lecturer in 1925. During this era, Arthur Pack, associate editor for the magazine, often joined the Finleys on expeditions to film and photograph the natural wonders of the American west. During trips ranging from Alaska to Arizona, Pack became a fixture of the family. This closeness was solidified by Pack’s marriage to Phoebe Finley in 1936.

In a 1946 letter to William Finley in honor of his 70th birthday, Arthur Pack wrote the following tribute to Irene and her contributions to their partnership:

You have had always a partner in your enterprise, Bill, who has never failed you. There has always been a by-line on your pictures, “By William L. and Irene Finley”, and I know you would wish her to share with you this token of appreciation from your fellow leaders in the cause to which both of you have dedicated your years. Your deeds are hers, and hers are yours.[1]

Two young palmer thrashers perched on Irene Finely’s shoulder. Arizona, 1910. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0227.

Two young palmer thrashers perched on Irene Finely’s shoulder.
Arizona, 1910.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A0227.

Learn More

To see more, be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

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Oregon Historical Society Logo

Oregon State University Logo

 

 

 

[1] William L. Finley Letters and Scrapbook, Mss 2654, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Getting the Drop on Nature

William Finley filming while dressed as a goat. Glacier Park, Montana, 1929. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley D1024.

William Finley filming while dressed as a goat. Glacier Park, Montana, 1929.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley D1024.

Halloween is just a week away. In celebration, this month’s installation of our Reuniting Finley and Bohlman series takes a look at costumes—the innovative wildlife photographer’s best friend.

William Finley and his collaborators are renowned for their ingenuity and stubborn determination in ensuring that they got the best shot. Several photographs show Finley and Herman Bohlman burrowed deep into haystacks or perched precariously in the treetops waiting for birds to land in just the right place (often persuaded by a snack kindly left by the photographers). Finley’s earliest photography blind was a large wagon with a heavy green tarp hung down the sides, inside which he and Bohlman concealed themselves and their camera. In later years, particularly after Finley’s future son-in-law, Arthur Pack, joined the expeditions, the disguises got noticeably more creative.

The Infamous Goat Men of Glacier

On a 1928 expedition to Glacier Park in Montana, Finley and Pack took their efforts to photograph wildlife a step further than hiding in a blind: They donned a white flannel goat costume, complete with horns and whiskers. Writing of the experience later, Finley noted:

Carefully smoothing out my false whiskers, I crawled on to a point where I got good pictures within fifty feet. His white form almost filled the finder as I pressed the trigger. I shot pictures as fast as the film would run, and on to the end; after all, it was rather a simple thing to get the goat at fifty feet and less. It was perhaps just a matter of whiskers—white whiskers.”

To our great fortune, Finley and Pack’s goat antics are preserved in a 1930 Nature Magazine short film, “Getting our Goat.” The 15 minute film features stunning vistas of Glacier’s rugged terrain, intimate depictions of wildlife behavior, and of course, a be-goated Finley doing his best to get the drop on a group of wary goats.

GettingOurGoat

Illustration from Modern Mechanics and Inventions featuring Arthur Pack's cactus disguise.

Illustration from Modern Mechanics and Inventions featuring Arthur Pack’s cactus disguise.

A Prickly Situation

Costumes were deployed again on a 1930 expedition to Arizona and New Mexico that Finley co-led with Pack. This time, Pack hid inside a giant cactus held up by suspenders that concealed both man and camera. As he roamed the desert of the southwest in search of vantage points from which to lie in wait, Pack succeeded in capturing images of some of the region’s most elusive species. Though, given the lack of visible ventilation and seemingly fixed position of the camera, coupled with the extreme heat of the American Southwest, one has to wonder whether this effort led to more frustration than success.

 

Excerpt from March 1931 issue of Popular Science featuring Arthur Pack's cactus design.

Excerpt from March 1931 issue of Popular Science featuring Arthur Pack’s cactus design.

Learn More

To see more, be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.

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Herman Bohlman, the Man Behind the Lens

Bohlman in a Field of Gulls

Herman T. Bohlman standing in a field with a the sky full of gulls. Klamath Marsh, 1905.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1713.

Herman T. Bohlman sitting with young burrowing owls. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1751.

Herman T. Bohlman sitting with young burrowing owls. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1751.

In this month’s installment of our ongoing series, Reuniting Finley and Bohlman, about our efforts to digitize the collections of nature photographer William Finley, we shift our focus to explore the life of Herman Bohlman, Finley’s childhood friend and partner in crime on his earliest photography endeavors.

Herman Theodore Bohlman was born in Portland, Oregon on April 15, 1872. Friendship kindled between Finley and Bohlman shortly after the Finley family’s move to Portland in 1887. In high school, Bohlman and Finley’s interest in ornithology and collecting inspired them to start a side business selling biological specimens, including bird skins and eggs, to scientists and private collectors. By the late 1890s, however, the impact of over-collecting on bird populations led to a shift in public sentiment on the practice. The pair traded their collecting kit for a camera and embarked on a decade long partnership of artistic and scientific works. Between 1899 and 1908 Bohlman and Finley photographed and wrote about thousands of birds on expeditions throughout Oregon and California.

Bohlman passes Finley a glass plate as they are perched on a branch high in a tree photographing an eagle nest near Mission Peak, California, 1904. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A441.

Bohlman passes Finley a glass plate as they are perched on a branch high in a tree photographing an eagle nest near Mission Peak, California, 1904. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A441.

Of the two, Bohlman is often credited with having the more artistic eye behind the lens and some of the most iconic images to come from their collaboration bear only Bohlman’s name on the copyright. However, both men had cameras in the field and often worked in tandem to capture photographs from some truly precarious of vantage points. Bohlman’s photographs appeared in several U.S. and international publications, including Finley’s 1907 book, American Birds.

Herman Bohlman and Maud Bittleston on their wedding day in 1908. OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Herman T. Bohlman Photograph Collection, ca. 1898-1925 (P 202)

Herman Bohlman and Maud Bittleston on their wedding day in 1908.
OSU Special Collections & Archives Research Center, Herman T. Bohlman Photograph Collection, ca. 1898-1925 (P 202)

Bohlman’s partnership with Finley largely came to an end in 1908 with Bohlman’s marriage to Maud Bittleston and the birth of their son, H. Theodore Bohlman. After that point, while their friendship endured, Bohlman shifted his focus to domestic responsibilities and his work within the family plumbing business. While he continued to be an active member of what would become the Oregon Audubon Society and to maintain his interest in birds, Bohlman rarely accompanied Finley into the field after marriage. He did, however, continue artistic pursuits through his love of oil painting later in life.

To see more examples of Bohlman’s photography, be sure to visit the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This blog series is part of a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and manuscript collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

Bohlman Walking with a Pelican

Herman T. Bohlman and a pelican walking side by side near Klamath Marsh, 1905. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A1796.

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Happy 140th Birthday William Finley!

Three young barn owls in a row on a fence, hissing.

Three young barn owls in a row on a fence, hissing. 1904. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A572.

William Finley photographing heron nests.

William L. Finley photographing heron nests in the treetops. San Francisco Bay, 1904.
OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 369, Finley A532.

Long before the people of Oregon took to their local parks in search of Pidgeys and Spearows on Pokemon Go, William Finley and his childhood friend Herman Bohlman were out with their cameras on breaks from school capturing Oregon’s pigeons and sparrows on film. Finley’s early fascination with birds blossomed into a lifelong passion for ornithology.

Today we celebrate William Finley, Oregon’s pioneering wildlife photographer, conservationist, and author. He was born August 9, 1876 in Santa Clara, California. After moving to Portland, Oregon in 1887, Finley went on to become one of the biggest advocates for birds and wildlife in the state. Along with his wife, Irene Finley, and Bohlman, Finley photographed and wrote extensively about birding in Oregon. He also was a founding member and president of the Oregon Audubon Society, founded the Oregon Sportsman magazine, and served as Oregon Fish and Game commissioner, state game warden, and state biologist. His photographs and advocacy helped pass laws protecting birds from overhunting and pushed President Theodore Roosevelt to establish national wildlife refuges at Three Arch Rocks, Klamath, and Malheur.

Ellis Hadley (left) William Finley (center) and Herman Bohlman wading across a river on their way to a red-tailed hawks' nest, circa 1900. William L. Finley Papers, 1899-1946 (MSS Finley)

Ellis Hadley (left) William Finley (center) and Herman Bohlman wading across a river on their way to a red-tailed hawks’ nest, circa 1900. William L. Finley Papers, 1899-1946 (MSS Finley)

Nature had few obstacles too great for Finley and Bohlman in their pursuit of the perfect shot. The pair scaled countless trees and forded many a river in search of some of the West’s rarest bird species, most notably the California condor. Even going so far as to hide for hours in haystacks and donning goat costumes in an effort to photograph their subjects unnoticed (more on these in a future blog post, I promise it is worth the wait).

Want to learn more? Read on in the Oregon Encyclopedia: William L. Finley (1876-1953), and be sure to check up on the Reuniting Finley and Bohlman Collection on Oregon Digital throughout the year as additional materials are uploaded.

This month we are celebrating Finley’s 140th birthday by kicking off a yearlong partnership between the Oregon Historical Society Research Library and Oregon State University Libraries Special Collections and Archives to digitize the Finley and Bohlman photograph and document collections held by our libraries and to unite them online through Oregon Digital and the OHS Digital Collections website. Stay tuned in coming months for future installments about Finley, Bohlman, and their birding adventures around the state.

This project is supported in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Oregon State Library.Institute of Museum and Library Services Logo

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It’s for the birds

E. E. Wilson feeding a chicken, circa 1915

E. E. Wilson feeding a chicken, circa 1915

We wowed you with a small Flickr set in 2009 called “William Finley and Herman Bohlman: American Birds.” This week we’re back with the birds, this time flying through the E.E. Wilson, Edwin Russell Jackman, and the Fisheries and Wildlife Department Photographs with our new Flickr Commons set “It’s for the birds.”

Desert grouse, 1938

Desert grouse, 1938

Always a treasure trove!

Chirp, chirp: new Flickr Commons set!

hummingbird.jpgIt’s spring and time to look at the pretty birds…

We happen to have the personal papers of renowned wildlife conservationist William L. Finley in the OSU Archives, which means we have his amazing nature photography as well!

Between 1900 and 1908, Finley and friend and partner Herman T. Bohlman made several trips around the Pacific Northwest to photograph birds. Finley published “American Birds”in 1907, and subsequently published two other books and over 100 illustrated articles in newspapers and wildlife magazines.

Fun fact: did you know that William L. Finley happens to be a nephew of William A. Finley, the first president of Corvallis College, what we now know as OSU?

For detailed information on Finley’s life, see “William L. Finley: Pioneer Wildlife Photographer,” by Worth Mathewson (OSU Press, 1986) and available in both the Valley Library and OSU Archives.

For more about the William F. Finley Manuscript Collection, read through our collection guide.