HOW AND WHERE TO LOOK IT UP
RESOURCES FOR RESEARCHING THE HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY, WEST VIRGINIA. ©2001
William D. Theriault, Ph.D.
17434 Virginia Ave.
Hagerstown, MD 21740
WMTheriault@myactv.net
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15. Pictures and Photographs
The most extensive collection of Jefferson County photographs (over 4,000) is maintained by the Jefferson County Oral and Visual History Association (JCOVHA). Approximately half of these have been included in the Explorer Database. An index to these and other JCOVHA photographs is included in the same source and on the Bibliography CD. Harper's Ferry National Historical Park also has a large collection, many of which have been scanned and are available via JCOVHA.

In this work, I have noted photographs found in special collections in Chapter 2, but you should also consult online catalogs to detect newly cataloged items at libraries and archives. The following major repositories are known to house some Jefferson County images:

Library of Congress (including the American Memory Collection)
Maryland Historical Society
Maryland State Archives
National Archives
Virginia State Library
Virginia Historical Society
West Virginia Archives (Charleston, WV)
West Virginia Regional History Collection (Morgantown, WV)

Most of these institutions have online catalogs that list at least some of the photographs they hold; and some let you view, print, or download images in their collections. The Historic Shepherdstown Museum (Shepherdstown, WV) and the Jefferson County Museum (Charles Town, WV) also have photo collections. (There may be restrictions placed on their use.) The Harpers Ferry Center Library has over 1 million images related to the National Park System, many of which concern the Harpers Ferry area. Storer College images are also available from this resource.

The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum should be consulted for images that document its route through the Jefferson County. Since the B & O often tried to increase ridership by promoting tourism, its publications frequently contain photographs buildings and scenery. The Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad Society archives should also be consulted.

Volumes published by the West Virginia Geological Survey, particularly those on iron ore, limestone, and mineral springs, contain photographs of commercial or industrial sites. Many of these were taken in the early 20th century. For more than fifteen years, the Spirit of Jefferson has usually included an historic photograph in each issue. Many of them are available via the Explorer Database.

The annotated Bibliography CD that accompanies this work includes captions for photographs and illustrations found in the sources noted. Searching for the word “photograph” or “illustration” will produce a listing of these sources. Performing a combined search (such as “agriculture AND photographs”) will yield a more selective list.

NEXT: 16. Archaeology