Ralph Eddy

Ralph Eddy
Born in New York in 1889, Ralph Eddy moved west to Portland where he was first listed in the city directory in 1909, as a clerk for Lipman Wolfe & Company. The following year he teamed with his father, Watson, to open a photographic studio at 70th and Sandy.

Over the next few years, Ralph supplemented his photography income by working a variety of jobs. In 1915, his family moved to Oregon City, where Ralph opened a photographic studio and Watson opened a dry goods store. Ralph specialized in the production of "real photo" post cards of Oregon views, capturing scenes in the Columbia Gorge, Oregon City and Northwest Oregon.

For many years, Ralph and his wife Lillie operated a post card stand at Wahkeena Falls in the Columbia Gorge.

Ralph Eddy died in 1970 in Riverside, California.

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  1. Along the Willamette River, Oregon City - 1940
    As low as $5.00
    This well-composed view shows the concrete Pacific Highway entering Oregon City. Then a national highway, 99E was removed from the federal system in 1972. Learn More
  2. Applying Gunite, Oregon City Bridge Construction - 1922
    As low as $5.00
    The Oregon City Bridge is the only Oregon bridge to be encased in gunite, which protects its steel frame from corrosive sulfur dioxide fumes from the paper mills to the south of the bridge. Learn More
  3. Arch Bridge from Below - c. 1950
    As low as $5.00
    This deceptively simple view from below shows the Arch Bridge at about the age of thirty. Learn More
  4. Arch Bridge Vista, Oregon City - c. 1950
    As low as $5.00
    A striking view that contrasts the natural landscape with the built structure of the bridge, taken by photographer Ralph Eddy near the end of his professional career. Learn More
  5. Ashland Creek in Lithia Park, Ashland - 1932
    As low as $5.00
    This view of Ashland Creek received more positive comments than any other photo in our 2012 Ralph Eddy Exhibit at the Clackamas County Historical Society. Learn More
  6. Barge Used for Oregon City Bridge Construction - 1922
    As low as $5.00
    This close-up view shows us many of the details of the barge with a steam donkey powered crane used to build the Oregon City Arch Bridge. Learn More
  7. Barracks Row, U. S. Military Post, Vancouver, Washington - 1931
    As low as $5.00
    These buildings of Barracks Row are across the parade grounds from the better-known Officers Row at Vancouver Barracks. Learn More
  8. Bertilson Barber Shop, 7th & Water, Oregon City - 1947
    As low as $5.00
    This great view of Oregon City daily life was taken by Eddy toward the end of his career, using his postcard camera. Ole Bertilson is the barber on the right. Learn More
  9. Bonneville Dam, Columbia River - 1939
    As low as $5.00
    Ralph Eddy was fascinated with the interplay between built structures like bridges and dams, and the natural environment where they were placed. This view shows the Bonneville Dam shortly after it was completed in 1937. Learn More
  10. Breakers Row and Strand at Bandon Beach - 1932
    As low as $5.00
    This striking image of Bandon Beach was captured by Oregon postcard photographer Ralph Eddy in 1932. Learn More
  11. Bringing Home the Hay from Park Place - 1923
    As low as $5.00
    Cars of this era needed to be versatile, as this farmer demonstrates for us in spades. Learn More
  12. Brockway Covered Bridge near Roseburg - 1935
    As low as $5.00
    This is the old Brockway Bridge over Lookingglass Creek, just west of current day Winston and south of Roseburg. Learn More
  13. Buggy in Front of the Courthouse, Oregon City - c. 1915
    As low as $5.00
    One of Ralph Eddy's early glass plate photos, this crisp view taken with his large wooden camera shows a street scene at Eighth and Main Streets in downtown Oregon City. Learn More
  14. Building the Temporary Bridge at Willamette Falls - 1921
    As low as $5.00
    It's said that this temporary footbridge was built in one day, which may be a slight exaggeration, but it clearly went up quickly. Learn More
  15. Business District and Waterfront, Portland, Oregon - 1936
    As low as $5.00
    Taken during Portland's first "Fleet Week", this view shows the destroyer Reuben James and other Navy ships in front of the City's downtown business district. Learn More
  16. Clackamas River Near Estacada - 1922
    As low as $5.00
    One of Ralph Eddy's earliest landscape photos, this view looks up the Clackamas River at an unknown location - probably not too far from Eddy's home in Oregon City. Learn More
  17. Cloud Cap Inn and Mt. Hood - c. 1935
    As low as $5.00
    Mount Hood is definitely the focus of this image by Ralph Eddy, though some details of Cloud Cap Inn can be clearly seen in the lower left. Learn More
  18. Columbia Gorge from Crown Point - 1932
    As low as $5.00
    Looking upstream in the Columbia Gorge, with the photographer standing near Vista House at Crown Point. The decorative wall and lamps are still there today. Learn More
  19. Columbia River Highway at Multnomah Falls - 1923
    As low as $5.00
    This is one of Ralph Eddy's earliest photos of the Columbia Gorge - a location where he would soon establish his postcard stand and build a career. Learn More
  20. Columbia River Highway Under Tooth Rock - 1927
    As low as $5.00
    We're looking upstream at Tooth Rock Viaduct, devised as a way to allow the new scenic highway to pass around the rock without destroying it by blasting. Learn More
  21. Columbia River Valley and Highway from Rowena Heights - 1927
    As low as $5.00
    At first glance, this looks like Crown Point on the left, but it's actually Rowena Heights - about halfway between Hood River and The Dalles on the Columbia River Highway. Learn More
  22. Concrete Workers, Oregon City - c. 1915
    As low as $5.00
    From the early part of Ralph Eddy's career, this image is restored and printed from his original glass negative. Learn More
  23. Coos Bay Bridge, Oregon Coast Highway, Nearing Completion - 1936
    As low as $5.00
    This photo was taken on May 24th, 1936, shortly before the Coos Bay Bridge opened on June 6th. The bridge replaced regular quarter-hour ferry trips across the bay. Learn More
  24. Crater Lake Lodge, After Expansion - 1926
    As low as $5.00
    Originally opened in 1915, Crater Lake Lodge was significantly expanded from 1922 through 1924, doubling the number of guest rooms and adding private bathrooms to the lodge's new wing. Learn More
  25. Crooked River Bridge, The Dalles-California Highway - 1930
    As low as $5.00
    The Crooked River High Bridge was completed in 1926, four years before this photo was created. Like many other arched bridges in Oregon, it was designed by Conde McCullough. Learn More
  26. Dedication Crowd, Oregon City Bridge Opening - 1922
    As low as $5.00
    On December 28, 1922, the new Arch Bridge across the Willamette River between Oregon City and West Linn was dedicated. Photographer Ralph Eddy captures the view from below. Learn More
  27. Deep in the Woods - circa 1915
    As low as $5.00
    This scene is from an unknown location, but is likely near Oregon City, the home of photographer Ralph Eddy. It is restored from his glass negative, taken early in his career. Learn More
  28. Downtown Eugene from Skinner Butte - 1937
    As low as $5.00
    Looking south across the railroad tracks and depot down Willamette Street. Photographer Eddy's vantage point was to the west of the McMurphey Johnson House. Learn More
  29. Elevator and Lamp Post, Oregon City - c. 1950
    As low as $5.00
    Created as part of a series of Oregon City vignettes by Ralph Eddy, using his new 35mm camera as he neared the end of his professional career. Learn More
  30. Evening on Broadway, Portland - c. 1940
    As low as $5.00
    Bright lights point the way as pedestrians gather on Broadway on a circa 1940 evening. Learn More
  31. Evening on Willamette Street, Eugene - 1940
    As low as $5.00
    This striking view was taken between 11th and 10th on Willamette Street, looking north toward Skinner Butte. Learn More
  32. Evergreen Highway, Looking West at Rock Shed Around Cape Horn - c. 1930
    As low as $5.00
    In 1927, thirty-seven tons of dynamite were used to clear the way for the Evergreen Highway to extend around the river side of Cape Horn in Washington. Unfortunately, the blast loosened much more rock than anticipated, and hundreds of feet of railroad as well as buildings and a farm were covered in the ensuing landslide. Learn More
  33. Everything Happens at Night - Broadway in Portland, 1939
    As low as $5.00
    While it may not have been a great movie, Sonja Henie's film "Everything Happens at Night" provides a great caption for this image of Broadway at night in 1939. Learn More
  34. Heceta Head Lighthouse and New Coast Highway - 1935
    As low as $5.00
    This view by Eddy is as much about the new highway as it is about the scenic Heceta Head Lighthouse. Learn More
  35. Heceta Head Lighthouse from Cape Creek Cove - c. 1935
    As low as $5.00
    This view of the lighthouse was created by Ralph Eddy from the cove at the mouth of Cape Creek, just to the south of Heceta Head. Learn More
  36. Hood River Bridge - 1926
    As low as $20.00
    The Hood River Bridge is the second oldest bridge built across the Columbia between Oregon and Washington, having been completed in 1924, shortly before this photo was created. Learn More
  37. Hood River Valley in Blossom - 1922
    As low as $5.00
    Ralph Eddy created a number of views looking through Hood River Valley orchards towards Mt. Hood, and a few looking the other way towards Mt. Adams. Learn More
  38. Looking Across Steel Bay from Rim Drive, Crater Lake - c. 1930
    As low as $5.00
    In 1930, photographer Ralph Eddy would have used the one-lane unpaved Rim Road to reach this vantage point at Crater Lake. Learn More
  39. Looking East on State Street in Salem - 1933
    As low as $5.00
    The first building on the right is the 1868 Ladd and Bush Bank. The cross street is Commercial Street. Learn More
  40. Looking North from Skell Head, Crater Lake - c. 1930
    As low as $5.00
    This photo of Crater Lake was taken from Skell Head, at 8,000 feet elevation. Learn More
  41. Looking North on Sixth Street at Jefferson - 1936
    As low as $5.00
    The Public Service Building, with its "HEAT" sign on top, dominates this view, as it dominated downtown Portland for many years, being its tallest building. Learn More
  42. Looking Over Canemah Towards the Arch Bridge - 1937
    As low as $5.00
    It's not easy to find older photos of Canemah - usually the town is in the far background of photographs taken looking upstream at Willamette Falls. Learn More
  43. Looking Over the Newly Completed Bonneville Dam - 1939
    As low as $5.00
    Bonneville Dam and its associated locks brought huge changes to the Columbia River, as well as the rest of the Pacific Northwest. Learn More
  44. Looking Over Timberline Lodge Towards Mt. Jefferson - c. 1940
    As low as $5.00
    From behind Timberline Lodge, completed a couple years before this photo, we can see clearly to Mt. Jefferson, about fifty miles to the south. Learn More
  45. Lost Lake and Mount Hood - 1932
    As low as $5.00
    Native Americans called this lake E-e-kwahl-a-mat-yam-lshkt (heart of the mountains). The name Lost Lake came from Mack Hollamon, who was a hunting and fishing guide at the turn of the 20th century. Learn More
  46. Mills and Sternwheeler at Willamette Falls - c. 1915
    As low as $5.00
    There's a lot going on, and a lot of crisp detail, in this glass plate negative created by Ralph Eddy of Oregon City in about 1915. Learn More
  47. Moehnke's Mill and Willamette - c. 1914
    As low as $5.00
    Moehnke's sawmill was located on the Willamette River above the Falls, and produced much of the lumber used to build the town of Willamette around 1900. Learn More
  48. Motorcycle Hill Climb in Oregon City #2 - 1920
    As low as $5.00
    A rider struggles to stay upright in this image by Oregon City photographer Ralph Eddy taken at an April race in his home town. Learn More
  49. Motorcycle Hill Climb in Oregon City #3 - 1920
    As low as $5.00
    The rider of an Indian motorcycle loses control in this third image of racing in Oregon City by photographer Ralph Eddy. Learn More
  50. Motorcycle Hill Climb in Oregon City - 1920
    As low as $5.00
    A rider and his Indian motorcycle near the top of the hill in a motorcycle race in Oregon City, on April 11, 1920. Learn More
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