It’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.