Site Credits | Technical Requirements

Since the earliest days, one of the predominant features of life in the Pacific Northwest has been an interest in the outdoors and the enjoyment found there. Blessed with two spectacular mountain ranges, people have availed themselves of the opportunity to challenge themselves in the mountains since the mid-19th Century. The group in Washington State most associated with recreational activities in the mountains has been, since early in the 20th century, The Mountaineers.

Fortunately those early Mountaineers left a legacy of photographs, journals and diaries that bring alive for us their enthusiasm and enjoyment. Through the cooperative efforts of the Tacoma Public Library, the Washington State Historical Society and the Tacoma Branch of The Mountaineers, some of the excitement those early outdoorsmen (and women) experienced can be shared with the citizens of today. Renowned photographers such as Asahel Curtis took many of the photographs included on this site; others were "snapped" by hikers trying out their Kodaks. Regardless of who the photographer was, the result is an inspiring as well as a personal look at recreational activities in Washington State in the early years of the last century.

Those early Mountaineers were generally of the professional classes; doctors, teachers and librarians made up a large percentage of their number. They worked for their living but they had both the leisure time and the disposable income that allowed them to go off into the mountains for weeks at a time. The women who participated, and about half of The Mountaineers were women, were often young, single and self-supporting.

While the information included here gives a sampling of one aspect of life in early 20th Century Washington State, it is just a sampling. Further information can be found at your local public library and at specialized libraries in the area. Of special note are the research collections found at the University of Washington and the Washington State Historical Society. Because of the fragility of the original photographs and artifacts, access to the public is sometimes limited in order to preserve these historical treasures. If you are planning a trip to either of these institutions, please call ahead for hours and information about their collections.

Reproductions of some of the images on this site are available and can be made at reasonable costs through professional photographic finishing services in the area. If the original photograph is owned by the Tacoma Public library, the Library will send a print to a photo finishing service to produce a copy negative and a copy print, at the patron's expense. The negatives produced in this process become part of the Library's collection. In this way, the public is constantly assisting in the evolution and preservation of this valuable public resource. Please allow 7 to 14 days for processing. If a photograph is to be used for exhibit, commercial, or publishing purposes, a credit citation must be given to the Tacoma Public Library.

If the photograph desired is part of the collection of the Washington State Historical Society or the University of Washington, please contact those institutions to find out about the options available.

Site Credits
This site is made possible by a Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grant from the Washington State Library. In addition: