Historic Hood River
Arline Moore Album
Notes
This week’s artifact (#51.110) is an old friend– the Arline Moore photo album which has provided so many images to this site. Matt and I scanned this back in 2011, then carefully wrapped it in archival paper, placed it in a box, and put it on the archive shelves. I hadn’t seen the actual object for a long time, but when one of our Cemetery Tales actors asked some questions I thought it would be good to make sure it was still where it was supposed to be.
We know this album was first catalogued in the museum collection in 1951. Arline Moore was active in the Pioneer Association which became the History Museum, and the evidence is she prepared this album herself. Her captions on the photographs are clearly reminiscences from her early life, with several question marks and a few minor errors of dates or location. The note inside the front cover says:
This little album was prepared by Mr. and Mrs. Max L. Moore. Most of the acenes were ‘taken’ by them and while not particularly good as pictures are judged do give an idea of the time and place of those years and the development of our valley since.
While the digital images are often better than the original object for most photographic inquiries, sometimes you need the object to know the whole story. Seeing this charming little album, hand made with the self-deprecating title pages neatly typed and glued to the front and inside of the cover, tells me quite a bit about this woman I haven’t met. I think seeing the physical object will help the actor bring the Moores to life.
An interesting side note is that we have a wire recording from this same era of Arline Moore giving a lecture about Hood River history. We’re applying for a grant to transcribe our small collection of wire recording to a modern digital form. If all works out, we might actually get to hear her voice speaking to us from 70 year in the past, telling us about her life more than 100 years ago.
You might also enjoy this biography of Arline Winchell Moore as told by Linda Tamura.
L.E.
Thanks Arthur. I think Arline Moore would have given you a big hug for all the work you have done preserving the local history.
Arlen L Sheldrake
an absolute jewel!!! one hopes some of our digital photos get similar treatment. Roger and my grandfather’s, John H. Sheldrake, HR funeral was wire taped. not sure where the tape went, maybe Roger knows.
cg
And thanks for the link to the Densho Encyclopedia with Linda Tamura’s article.