Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Library uncovers trove of historic photos

Union Pacific photographers took promotional shots in Sun Valley?s early days


By REBECCA MEANY
Express Staff Writer

In this 1939 photo, Roberta Brass Garretson, left, and Marjorie Brass Heiss, enjoy the rodeo in Sun Valley. The photo was likely taken by Bob Fletcher. The Brass family sold land to Averell Harriman for $10 an acre. Photo courtesy Regional History Department, Community Library

Some things go bad if left in the refrigerator too long. Other things just get better.

Chris Millspaugh, regional history librarian at The Community Library in Ketchum, opened a refrigerator door last week to a discovery far more interesting than half-empty condiment jars or last week's lasagna.

Breaking open a lock, Millspaugh peered into a fridge full of historic photos from Sun Valley Resort's early days.

"I was stunned," Millspaugh said.

The chilled photographic treasure includes 2,909 color negatives from Union Pacific.

"When I first started here in 2000, this was locked and nobody had the key," he said. "There's so many projects going on, you forget about things."

Staff thought there might be film in the refrigerator, but no one knew for sure.

"I haven't been able to find a record of it," Millspaugh said.

A sign posted on the refrigerator mandating the door must remain closed kept prying eyes out—for a while.

"Experts have told us that color film exposed rapidly to the light would be destroyed," Millspaugh said. "That put me off for a while."

But curiosity got the better of library staff, and they decided to break in.

"It's been this treasure that's been here, and now we're going to make it available to the public," said Executive Director Colleen Daly. "We'll catalogue everything, and people will be able to see them on the computer."

The Regional History Department's photograph collection contains more than 9,000 photographs, including many taken by the Union Pacific publicity department. This discovery will bump the photographic holdings up by a third.

But first, the photos have to be printed, mounted on poster board, scanned into a computer—maybe posted on the Web site—and then filed.

"It's going to be a slow process unless we get volunteers to help us," Millspaugh said.

The library gained possession of the photos in 1966, Millspaugh said, when staffers traveled to Omaha, Neb., headquarters of Union Pacific to seek their acquisition.

"Librarians asked them to sign them over to us," he said.

Union Pacific agreed to donate the photo collection.

The black-and-white photos already housed in the history department were part of the acquisition. The color negatives were likely put in cold storage later, in the belief they needed cooler temperatures to survive.

Some of the color negatives may be duplicates of black-and-white images already housed in the history department. But others haven't been viewed at least for 25 years when they were likely put away.

Union Pacific was not only a promoter of Sun Valley; it was also the founder.

UP Chairman Averell Harriman sent a team out West to find the perfect location for a ski resort.

In 1936, Sun Valley opened for business as "America's first destination ski resort."

Union Pacific hired photographers to promote the new Sun Valley Resort, Millspaugh said.

"The photos were sent to travel magazines," he said. "One was on the cover of Life (magazine)."

Promotional films were also made and distributed to stir up attention in the new resort, as were brochures.

But skiing wasn't the only activity Sun Valley offered.

In 1939, promoters stepped up efforts to showcase other recreational activities.

Photos were soon coming out of Sun Valley presenting smiling visitors riding bicycles, hunting and fishing, Millspaugh said.

Author Ernest Hemingway was invited to the area to promote autumn and the outdoor activities available during that crisp and colorful season.

The identities of other famous visitors who came to the resort may have been locked away for years, but their mountain romps may soon be revealed as the refrigerator gives up its secrets.




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