James G. Crawford
Wherever and whenever he practiced his art, he had a keen eye and a penchant for including people in his scenic views, sometimes incongruously. Beginning in Albany in 1868, he produced stereoviews and boudoir cards of scenes from the coast through the Columbia Gorge, and up to the summit of Mt. Hood.
Arriving in Oregon by wagon train in 1852 at the age of two, Crawford was a true Oregonian. He learned his craft from many of the fine photographers of his era, including A. B. Paxton, J. A. Winter, Joseph Buchtel, and in the studio of I. G. Davidson.
In 1924 Fred Lockley wrote, "J. G. Crawford of Albany probably holds the record for Oregon for length of service as a photographer. He has been taking pictures for more than 56 years." However, in his interview with Lockley, Crawford preferred to talk about another interest:
"When I was at Harrisburg I commenced what has proved to be my life work -- the collecting and classifying of the relics of the Indians and the Mound Builders... I put in all my spare time studying about primitive man. I discovered that between here and Brownsville there are at least 35 mounds built by some race that inhabited the Willamette valley many centuries ago."
28 Item(s)
List Grid
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Alcove Point and Cape Foulweather (Yaquina Head) - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Barely visible in the distance in this photo of women picnicking at Alcove Point is the lighthouse at Cape Foulweather, now known as Yaquina Head. Learn More -
Alpha Hall, Oregon Agricultural College - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Alpha Hall, the first residence hall on the Oregon Agricultural College campus, was constructed by Samuel G. McFadden in 1889. Learn More -
Cape Foulweather (Yaquina Head) Lighthouse - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Yaquina Head is a narrow point of land jutting due west into the Pacific at the north end of Newport in Lincoln County. It is currently managed by the BLM as the Yaquina Head Natural Area. Learn More -
Cape Foulweather (Yaquina Head) Lighthouse Closeup - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Completed in 1873, at 93 feet, Yaquina Head is Oregon's tallest lighthouse. Its original Fresnel lense is still in use. Learn More -
Cape Foulweather Lighthouse, Looking Out to Sea - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00One of a series of Crawford's views of this lighthouse, this one is taken looking over the complex towards the ocean, and shows the fenced in areas for crops and livestock. Learn More -
Central Public School, Corvallis - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Built in 1889 on 7th Street between Monroe and Madison, Central School replaced South School, which had burned in 1887, and North School, which was turned into a private residence. Learn More -
Dormitory at Chemawa Indian School - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00This dormitory was one of the first buildings completed at Chemawa Indian School when it moved from Forest Grove to the Salem area in 1885. Learn More -
Family with Their Fishwheel, Columbia River - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00While some of the large fishwheels, and most of the permanently fixed fishwheels, were owned by corporations or other businesses, many families built and operated their own fishwheels on the Columbia River. Learn More -
Fish Wheel at Bradford's Island - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00The original title of this photo didn't even mention the fish wheel; it was just called "Bradford's Island, Columbia River". Learn More -
Fort Canby, Cape Disappointment - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Built during the Civil War to protect the mouth of the Columbia, the garrison buildings for what was initially called Fort Cape Disappointment were located on the protected bay side of of the southern end of Long Beach Peninsula. Learn More -
Fort Canby, From the Bay - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00This view of the southern part of the Fort Canby garrison also shows the extreme southern tip of Long Beach Peninsula, which divides Willapa Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Learn More -
Mechanical Hall, Oregon Agricultural College - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00The original Mechanical Hall and water tower at Oregon Agricultural College, now Oregon State University, was opened in 1889. Learn More -
North Jetty, Newport - c. 1898
$25.00 As low as: $12.00This photo was taken shortly after the north jetty for Yaquina Bay was completed in 1896, after 8 years of construction. Learn More -
Oneonta Gorge - c. 1885
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Oneonta Gorge, in the Columbia River Gorge, as captured by J. G. Crawford in the 1880s. Learn More -
Oregon Agricultural College Experiment Station - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00The Oregon Agricultural Experiment Station was established in 1888, funded by the Hatch Act of 1887, which provided funds for experiment stations at land-grant colleges in each state and territory. Learn More -
Oregon State Insane Asylum - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Built in Salem in 1883 as the Oregon State Insane Asylum, much of this building is still in use today as the Oregon State Hospital. Learn More -
Suspension Bridge, Oregon City - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00The first Oregon City bridge was built in 1888, a few years before this photo. Some folks criticized it a "the bridge to nowhere", as the area on the West Linn side of the river was so sparsely populated. Learn More -
The Dalles, Town View - 1870s
$25.00 As low as: $12.00The Dalles in the 1870s, looking west from its "back yard". Learn More -
The New Footbridge - c. 1900
$25.00 As low as: $12.00This detailed pastoral view features two men showing off their new bridge to the ladies. Another man tends some horses to the left. Learn More -
Tumwater (Celilo) Falls, Columbia River - c. 1885
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Tumwater Falls, the traditional name of the main part of Celilo Falls, on the Columbia River. Learn More -
Tunnel No. 3, East Side - c. 1885
$25.00 As low as: $12.00An early three-wheel handcar emerges from the east end of Tunnel No. 3, below Rooster Rock on the Columbia Gorge. Learn More -
Upper Cape Horn, at Celilo - c. 1886
$25.00 As low as: $12.00By placing two small figures on the tracks, photographer Crawford adds some human interest and a sense of scale to this photo of railroad tracks rounding Upper Cape Horn, on the Oregon side of the Columbia River near Celilo Falls. Learn More -
Upper End of Willamette Falls Locks - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00This Crawford stereoview shows the locks about twenty years after their construction, looking downstream. By this time the rocky island to their right was completely covered by industries that still exist today - a paper mill and an electric plant. Learn More -
Willamette Falls and Locks - c. 1880
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Opened in 1873, by 1880 the locks still hosted only a few wooden frame buildings, mostly for the use of the lock-keepers and their families. The town of Canemah is visible in the distance beyond the falls. Learn More -
Willamette Falls Locks
$25.00 As low as: $12.00An early view of the Willamette Falls locks, opened January 1, 1873. Learn More -
Willamette Falls with Fishing Platform - c. 1890
$25.00 As low as: $12.00Fishing from platforms by Native Americans was coming to an end at the falls at the time this view was created by Crawford in about 1890. Learn More -
Willamette Falls, from Upper End of Locks - 1890s
$25.00 As low as: $12.00A different view of the falls, taken from the diversion area at the upper end of the locks. Learn More -
Young Girl from Harrisburg - 1870s
$25.00 As low as: $12.00A very composed young girl has perhaps her first portrait taken in Harrisburg, Oregon. Learn More
28 Item(s)
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- Oregon City (1)
- Newport (1)
- Columbia River (2)
- Columbia Gorge (4)
- Celilo Falls (1)
- Willamette Falls (6)
- West Linn (4)
- Harrisburg (1)
- The Dalles (1)
- Salem (2)
- Corvallis (4)
- Hood River County (1)
- Coos County (1)
- Clackamas County (6)
- Benton County (4)
- Wasco County (2)
- Multnomah County (2)
- Marion County (2)
- Linn County (1)
- Lincoln County (5)
- Washington State (2)
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- James G. Crawford (28)
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- Government Buildings (1)
- Schools (5)
- Rock Formations (2)
- Bays, Inlets and Straits (1)
- Rivers and Streams (1)
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- Ocean (1)
- Construction (1)
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- Fishing (3)
- Military Buildings (2)
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- Trains, Railroads, Streetcars (2)
- Locks (4)
- Town Views (1)
- Lighthouses (4)
