Photograph Collections
Special Collections and University Archives (SCUA) maintains over 1,000,000 photographs, slides, and digital images. The majority of these images focus on Iowa State University. Only a selection of these collections are available online through Digital Collections and therefore require viewing in our Reading Room (Parks Library 403).
Copies may be requested; see the Scans and Reproductions page for more information. Please allow two weeks for fulfillment of image requests.
University Images
These collections document Iowa State University dating back to the 1870s. The inventories below guide users in locating images, however in most cases researchers will have to visit the department in order to view the actual items. The department also holds digital images created by the University Photographer dating from 2000-2015. These can only be accessed by contacting University Archives directly.
- University Photograph Collection, 1870-2014, bulk 1900-1990
- University Slide Collection, 1950-2001, bulk 1990-2001
- University Postcard Collection
- University Photographer Collection, 2000-2015 (contact University Archives)
- University Marketing Photography - Brand Standards (modern stock images)
- Engineering Communications and Marketing Department Photographs and Slides, 1897-2006 (RS 11/1/8)
- Iowa Agriculture and Home Economics Experiment Station Agricultural Engineering Photographs, 1942-1970 (RS 9/2/6)
- College of Business Photographs and Slides, 1984-2001 (RS 27/1/5)
- College of Design Photographs and Slides, 1976-2000 (RS 26/1/4)
Photographs may be found throughout University Archives collections in scrapbooks and alongside paper records. Browse the finding aids in CARDinal for more information or contact us for assistance.
Agriculture and Rural Life Images
These collections contain significant numbers of images related to Iowa's agriculture, rural life, and local history. Some may also include images of the larger Midwest region. These collections have been donated to the department largely by private individuals and organizations. It is important to note that this is just a selection of the collections held by the department that contain visual images related to agriculture and rural life. Search CARDinal for the finding aids for these and other collections.
Tom Becker Photographs (MS-0681)
Friedrich Fritsch Photography Collection (Garner, Iowa) (MS-0539)
C. J. (Dutch) Gross Soybean Photographs (MS-0230)
Michael P. Harker Photographs (MS-0661)
Iowa Aerial Photograph Collection (MS-0336)
Iowa Train Photograph Collection (MS-0604)
Bob Kisken Photographs (MS-0596)
Descartes Pascal Papers (MS-0091)
United States. Soil Conservation Service Photograph Collection (MS-0179)
United States. Work Projects Administration (Iowa) Projects Photographs (MS-0260)
- Helen D. Gunderson Papers (RS 21/7/92)