FollowAn old photograph can evoke waves of nostalgia. The sepia-tinged pictures demonstrate how people and places change and provide a small window into the past for future generations. The Oklahoma Historical Society is working to archive more than ten million images to ensure those future generations have access to the past.
Rachel Mosman is a photographic archivist for the Oklahoma Historical Society. She is passionate about preserving and sharing the images of Oklahoma’s past. When Mosman comes to work, she knows that she’ll leave with a new discovery.
“Every day. Every day we come across something. Like, the Colcord was originally meant to have two wings,” Mosman said.
The Colcord Building, which is now a boutique hotel, is considered Oklahoma City’s first skyscraper. Mosman says she learned of the original design thanks to an old architectural rendering in the photo archive.
Some of the collections featured at the Oklahoma Historical Society include the Oklahoma Journal Photo Morgue, The Oklahoman Photo Morgue and the Barney Hillerman Collection.
“Our larger collections are purchased with grants, but there also are a lot of generous donors who offer us their collections.”
As Mosman and others make their way through the collections of photos, they have been digitizing the old pictures, further ensuring they are available for future eyes.
“We’ve been doing that for a while. We have hundreds of thousands scanned already. But it is just the tip of the iceberg because there is just two of us in this office. We’ve actually been able to outsource the scans for the Oklahoman photos.”
Several collections still need to be processed so they can be shared online to the public. It means the photo archivist has to prioritize when dealing with more than ten million images.
“What we do is target the ones that might fill a gap. Say, we don’t have a lot from Pittsburg County. So, if we see one from Pittsburg County, then you want to see what’s in it and see if that’s something we should immediately try to get online. You also look at the way something is housed. Sometimes when something is housed in a magnetic scrapbook, that isn’t good for it.”
The Historical Society’s photo archive has several uses. For instance, the archive has been used by documentary and feature filmmakers.
“Ken Burns documentary, ‘The Dust Bowl,’ that’s one we’ve helped with. And we provided images for the set designs for the movie, ‘The Killer Inside Me.’”
Mosman says people and organizations use the photo archives for many reasons. She says she has provided copies of photos so individuals can hang them in their office as artwork. News channels also ask for the photo archive’s help.
One of Mosman’s favorite collections contained within the archive is the Cave Collection. She says it offers a unique perspective of the composition of a photograph.
“It is a very small, plate glass collection. They’re photographs by a photographer who was just playing around with his family. You don’t just see the portrait of the person that the photographer wants you to see, but you can also see the backdrop, the studio and the way the lighting was done.”
Mosman says many times as she is processing a collection, she discovers the stories of the people to whom those photos formerly belonged. A personal example for her is Oklahoma City Civil Rights Activist, Clara Luper’s pictures.
“When you’re processing collections, you learn a lot about the person. Not necessarily with the commercial photographers, but like with Miss Clara Luper. She started Miss Black Oklahoma, and I didn’t know that before I started working on the collection. She also had a radio show, and I learned about her children, her family life. I felt like I grew to know her.”
One of Mosman’s personal favorite collections in the archive is that of commercial photographer, Barney Hillerman.
“I know that you’re not supposed to have a favorite child, so I don’t always admit this, but the Barney Hillerman Collection. It is Oklahoma City centric, and I try to be broader than that, but it is the first collection that I worked with. And it’s the first collection that taught me to pay attention to architecture and what goes up and what goes down. I love to share these old photos with people, so when they get excited about it, it makes me excited.”
Mosman points out that the photo archive shows the progress and history of places like Oklahoma City, documenting the many changes which formed Oklahoma’s capitol.
“It is amazing how things change. It’s also amazing how things stay the same.”
Mosman has a passion for her job. She wants to share history with others. She also wants to teach others how to preserve their old photographs to make sure they withstand the rigors of time.
“My job is to escort the past safely to the future.”
Written by Jason Doyle Oden | Photography BY Emily Brashier and Oklahoma Historical Society
