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Photographic Resources |
Visual images form an essential part of the documentation preserved in the
South Dakota State Archives. Researchers use photos to supplement written records when
working on family histories, articles, books, and video documentaries.
Because the development of inexpensive and easily-available photographic processes coincided with the period of settlement and establishment of South Dakota as a state, the visual resources for studying South Dakota are particularly rich. The State Archives houses over 100,000 images dating from the territorial period to the present, covering topics such as homesteading and immigration, American Indians, town sites, scenery, and family life.
Photographs have been collected by the South Dakota State Historical Society since its founding in 1891. The State Archives program maintains collections received by the Society from private donors, and also acquires visual materials created by state and local government agencies. The State Archives accepts hundreds of historical photographs each year from individuals and organizations who wish to have them preserved and made available to the public, and benefits from tax-deductible cash contributions which provide funds to maintain and preserve the collection.
Photographers have used many different processes to create pictures, and each format requires unique treatments to preserve the images. The State Archives has examples of glass plates, tintypes, daguerrotypes, and cyanotypes from a hundred years ago, and now receives videotapes and digital images which need to be preserved for the future.
General Photo Collection
Until 1989, most of the photographs collected by the State Historical
Society were arranged in a single filing system by topic. This collection still forms the
largest and most heavily-used portion of the photo resources in the State Archives. Photos
from many sources and many dates are arranged in four categories: Towns; Individuals;
American Indians; and Subjects. Subjects include headings such as cowboys, farms, forts,
homesteads, recreation, and transportation.
Over 11,000 terms are now listed in a photograph database, including all the major subdivisions of the General Photo Collection; names of individuals in the Individual and American Indians categories and also the "Groups of People" and "Indian Delegations" sections; individuals listed in Who’s Who in South Dakota in 1956 and 1960; members of the State Legislature and Supreme Court; commissioners of School and Public Lands; governors and governors’ wives; and consitutional convention members. Archives staff continue to update this database.
Description of Photograph Collections
- Biographical file: Individuals who have figured prominently in the State's history; arranged alphabetically by surname.
- Town file: South Dakota towns; arranged alphabetically.
- Miscelleous Subject file: Indexed by subject terms.
- Special Photograph Collections
- American Indian Special Collections
Photo Use Agreement Form (Word) (Adobe)
The State Archives holds significant collections of images from well-known photographers or photo collectors. Bert Hall’s cowboy photos, William H. Illingworth’s pictures of the 1874 Custer Expedition, H. R. Locke’s Black Hills scenes, Gustav M. Johnson’s views of homesteads and events in the Philip area, and Myra Morton Miller’s documentation of her family and ranch are examples of what is available.
American Indian Special Collections
Photographs of American Indians by John A. Anderson, John C. Grabill, and Stanley J. Morrow, and collections of missionary Mary Clementine Collins and Indian agent John Brennan include portraits of individuals and also depict reservation life, celebrations, landscapes, schools, and dress.
Ash Creek, SD
Auto mechanics class, Flandreau Indian School
Thousands of photos document the work of the departments of Tourism, Transportation, Game, Fish & Parks, the State Legislature, and other agencies such as the State Penitentiary and the Cosmetology Commission. Since 1989 these photos have been kept together as part of the records of the creating agency.
The State Archives receives photographs from individuals, families, and organizations which document many aspects of life in South Dakota. The collection of Bon Homme County photographer John Blair includes portraits of families and individuals, as well as farm and leisure activities near Andrus, ca. 1880-1919. Images of women who worked at Deadwood's Green Door brothel from the 1950s through the 1980s are found in the papers of brothel owner Hazel Fletcher. Aberdeen pioneers Mr. and Mrs. T. Clarkson Gage and members of their family are highlighted in the Matilda Jewel Gage Papers. Many photographs are found in the General Federation of Women's Clubs of South Dakota Pioneer Daughters Collection which includes 6000 biographies of pioneer women of the state. Photographs in the Captain Javan Bradley Irvine Papers depict a family stationed at Fort Sully, Dakota Territory in the late 1860s. Irvine's daughter Louisa later married Thomas L. Riggs, Presbyterian missionary to the Sioux at Oahe Mission near Fort Sully. Florence Olson's teaching activities in Hyde County and her husband Clarence's work in road construction are highlighted in the Florence DeWolf Olson Papers. Views of the agricultural activities and daily lives of a family who farmed near McLaughlin on the Standing Rock Reservation and later in Sully County are found in the Eugene Miner Young Papers.
Publications
Published images complement the State Archives photograph collections. County and town histories, family histories, tourist brochures, magazines, state agency reports, and other types of publications contain historical and contemporary views of South Dakota subjects.
Photographs in the archives may be consulted in the research room of the Cultural Heritage Center. Most photos require special handling, and researchers must observe procedures provided by the archives staff. In a few cases, especially older formats of movies and videotapes, the archives may not have viewing equipment, or copies may need to be made at the researcher’s expense before viewing is allowed.
Limited reference service is available for researchers who contact the archives by mail, phone, fax, or e-mail. Photo searches are charged by the hour, with a 1/2 hour minimum and a limit of 1 hour. Photocopying charges are added if more than ten images are requested. Consult the archives fee schedule for prices.
Copies of photographs are provided for research use only, unless specific permission to reproduce is granted. Researchers planning to reproduce photographs in books, articles, exhibits, videos, or other formats must request permission in advance by submitting a photograph use form. Permission will normally be granted as long as applicable use fees are paid and donor or copyright restrictions do not prohibit the intended use.
Photocopies, copy prints, slides, and digital images are available for most photographs in the archives collections. If a negative is not on file, the patron must pay the charge for producing a negative. Negatives are retained by the State Archives. Consult the fee schedule for a full list of services and prices. Prepayment is required for all orders.
When ordering prints, it is best to mail or fax a photocopy of the image you want, and write specific printing instructions on the photocopy (such as, "8 X 10 matte finish, 2 prints"). Please allow plenty of time for your order to be completed. Orders can usually be completed in three weeks. Custom services and rush orders are available on request, but some types of reproductions may not be available or may require extra time. Please let the archives staff know if you have deadlines or other special needs.
Our preferred photo credit line is: South Dakota State Historical Society/State Archives. We also request that you complete and return a copy of the Photo Use Agreement Form (Word) (Adobe) when you use any of our photographs.
Copyright: It is the responsibility of anyone reproducing photographs from the State Archives collections to determine the copyright holders and obtain permission from them if necessary. Archives staff will provide copyright information from archives files on request. Many photos in the archives collections, especially those received before 1989, may not have complete information on file. It is the publisher’s responsibility to obtain necessary copyright permissions before reproducing an image.
Use fees: Use fees for reproductions of photographs vary depending on the source of the photograph, the intended use, and whether the publisher is for-profit or not-for-profit. Please consult the fee schedule for a complete list of use fees.
| SD State Archives, 605-773-3804, fax 605-773-6041; email archref@state.sd.us |
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