Thousands of researchers access the Whatcom Museum’s Photo Archives each year, with searches that range from tracing family history to compiling material for books or films to a host of academic pursuits. We hope you will use this resource for your research project.
Location and Hours:
The Photo Archives research room is open for public hours Wednesday – Friday, 1 – 5 pm.
Old Fire Station No. 1
201 Prospect Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
(The research room is accessed at the back-alley entrance of the building, next to Old City Hall. Ring the buzzer at the marked door to be admitted.) 360.778.8952 or email Photo Archives
The Photo Archives collections are accessible during public hours through the Whatcom Museum’s in-house database (Past Perfect 5.0). Using the database, researchers may search on their own across all photographic and archival collections using a name(s) and/or word(s). Print-outs from the database are 25 cents per page. The Research Room also contains local history books, city directories, maps, reference materials, and other resources that patrons may search.
Email orders and inquiries are also accepted.
Research & Image Use:
The Photo Archives staff will provide assistance in research and answer questions regarding photos, history, and purchasing/use of photographic copies. Staff cannot undertake open-ended research projects for patrons, does not provide genealogical research services, nor does the staff offer proofreading, fact-checking, and/or editing services for patrons’ manuscripts and other work.
Early office of the Reveille Printing at C and Dupont Streets
Leona Campbell, 1928
Photo by J. W. Sandison
Printing Photos from the Museum Archives
To request a digital image, print copy, and/or get copyright permissions for publication of a Whatcom Museum image, please fill out this form: Photo Archives
Prints:
5 x 7 – $12
8 x 10 – $18
11 x 14 – $23
16 x 20 – $45
20 x 24 – $60
24 x 30 – $110
Digital Images:
$1 per megabyte
Murals & Large-format Prints:
Call for custom quotes
Photo orders are processed in the order they are received. Depending on the size and complexity of the order, and your place in the queue, your order may take several weeks to process. Please order early for the holidays, as this is a very busy time for the Photo Archives.
Virtual Exhibits
The Whatcom Museum features a selection of virtual gallery exhibits with images from our collection including works by early photographers of the region, plans by a prominent shipbuilder, curated topical exhibits, and images of key ethnographic, historic, and art objects.