The Victor West Collection

Victor West began collecting information on the history of the southern Oregon coast in the 1930’s as a boy growing up in North Bend, Oregon. His collection is intended to be a reference for those interested in the history of this region, its industries, and more specifically Coos and Curry County’s maritime legacy. As a historian, West included every piece of information he found that was relevant to this geographic area, which led him to collect records of all subjects tied to his interests. The Collection contains information on the creation of ocean going ships and their builders, steam schooners, tug boats, the Mosquito Fleet, shipwrecks, international maritime trade, overland transportation, and the timber industry. Understanding history and recreating its narrative is difficult. This exhibit of the Collection is an attempt to re-imagine life as it was; from the emergence of southern Oregon coast settlements in the mid nineteenth century on up through current day maritime activities.

There are many types of records included in the Collection - such as articles, maps, blueprints, letters, photographs and books. As a child, West was taught to use a camera by his mother who took photographs daily of ships coming in and out of the Coos Bay. It is obvious that at an early age West learned the importance of imagery as historical narrative. In all, it is estimated that the Collection contains approximately ten thousand film negatives of various subjects pertaining to the history of this region. From the images, West created a series of albums, each consisting of several volumes that he organized into reference books. He personally edited his own collection into subject categories. Using photographic prints made from his negatives and a manual typewriter, West self-published more than thirty volumes that contain over six thousand images. The Collection, in its entirety, is believed to hold about thirty thousand pieces.

The Coos Art Museum received grants from the Oregon Cultural Trust, the Oregon Heritage Commission and Trust Management Services along with private donations to conserve the Collection for future use - as it is one of the most extensive reference compilations on the maritime history of the southern Oregon coast. It has become a priority to conserve the negatives, slides and photographs, along with maps, drawings and written documents through digital preservation techniques. Once these items are digitized, they are then entered into an interactive database. The database includes all information that was written and collected by West, making it a truly accessible resource. This is an ongoing process; any and all contributions are welcome and gladly accepted. For more information on the Collection, please contact the Coos Art Museum.

Ciara Van Velsor
Exhibit Curator
July, 2006