Conditions Governing Use

Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. For more information, please see the Permissions and Copyright page on the West Virginia and Regional History Center website.

Conditions Governing Access

No special access restriction applies.

Advisory: Boxes 64 and 65 containe nitrate film negatives. Nitrate negatives pose a potential health risk. Nitrate negatives should be handled only while wearing gloves and should only be viewed in a well-ventilated area.

Researchers may access digitized materials by visiting the link attached to each item or by requesting to view the materials in person by appointment or remotely by contacting the West Virginia & Regional History Center reference department at https://westvirginia.libanswers.com/wvrhc.

Preferred Citation

[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Scott Gibson, Photographer, Glass Plate Negatives, A&M 4023, West Virginia and Regional History Center, West Virginia University Libraries, Morgantown, West Virginia.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Transfer from WVU Libraries, West Virginia and Regional History Center, 2014/05/22.

Gift from LePera, Ruby B. (Gibson), 1966 October 11.

Addenda of 2021-05-01 and 2021-06-15: Gift of LePera, Frank S., 2021.

Biographical / Historical

Scott Gibson (1883-1965) was a local photographer in the early twentieth century in Morgantown and Monongalia and Preston Counties. He is regarded as one of the best photographers in the area in this era, in addition to his brother, O.Z. Gibson, in Valley Point, Preston County.

Scope and Contents

This collection includes glass plate negatives and film negatives of photographs taken by Scott Gibson of Valley Point, Preston County, West Virginia. These photographs feature a variety of outdoor and indoor scenes, as well as family and individual portraits, mainly in Monongalia and Preston Counties.

Original accession (collection circa 1900-1920, undated) includes over 1,500 glass plate negatives. Subjects of the photographs include portraits of individuals (including infants and children), couples, families, and groups (including schools, churches, social events, and holidays); horses and buggies; animals (including livestock, horses, and dogs); buildings; and industry (including textile mills, logging, and agriculture). Members of the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) can be found in boxes 35 to 37; a group portrait of these members is likely the image filed in box 44 folder 26. Most of the photographs in the collection were taken outdoors; a small number are of interior scenes. The majority of photographs are not identified, aside from name of the photographer. Locations identified are mainly in Preston County, West Virginia; there are some from southwestern Pennsylvania.

Addendum of 2021-05-01, Glass Plates and Film Negatives (circa 1900-1950, undated) (Boxes 54-64, 66): Includes a wide variety of glass plate negatives and film negative photographs, including scenes in Morgantown, Coopers Rock State Park, West Virginia University, and other areas in nearby West Virginia and Pennsylvania. It includes family portraits, especially of the Gibson family, and individual and other studio portraits. Other scenes include that of local parades, Civil War and World War I veterans (including parades celebrating the return of World War I troops to Morgantown), railroads, streetcars and city scenes, local companies and industries, churches, and landscape and wildlife scenes. Documents pertaining to the family can be found in box 54.

Addendum of 2021-06-15, Glass Plates and Film Negatives, Poster (circa 1880-1960, undated) (Boxes 64-65, 67-68, Oversize Folder 1): Includes postcards, film negatives, and 5 glass plates of various scenes. Also contains panoramic photographs of the Gibson family (1920s) and 3 ft. roll panoramic negatives of Gibson family reunion, 1923-1924. Other film negatives depict service stations, pharmacy, and steamboats. Also includes a Great War poster titled the "Soldier's Memorial" with a roster for Company L, 1st West Virginia Infantry.

Related Material

4000, 4023

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Gibson, Scott, 1883-1965
• LePera, Frank
• Morgantown (W. Va.)
• Preston County (W. Va.)
• West Virginia University