Asahel Curtis captured everything from irrigation systems to the Denny Regrade. Now, the Washington State Historical Society is making his work available to all.
TACOMA, Wash. — From architecture in Sunnyside to the early days of Pike Place Market, Asahel Curtis seemingly captured an encyclopedic history of Washington state around the early 1900s. Now, his 60,000-photo collection is being digitized for all to enjoy.
Thanks to a $25,000 grant from the Pendleton and Elisabeth Carey Miller Charitable Foundation, the Washington State Historical Society is working to preserve and archive Curtis’ work. The museum purchased the collection in 1943, two years after the photographer’s death.
“I feel like we get to be an art detective every day,” said Margaret Wetherbee, head of collections at WSHS. “We see the plate, but then when it’s digitized, you can see what’s there.”
Curtis was a paid photographer and captured irrigation systems, churches, schools, large events and more. Then, in his spare time, he …