MS 91 - Irven I. Freyman Collection

The Irven I. Freyman Collection consists of eighty-three glass plate negatives and six copy negatives made from original nitrate negatives. Prints for each negative are also included in this collection. All of the negatives depict scenes and events occurring in the small northwest Ohio town of Portage, during the early part of the twentieth century.

This collection is open for research as copy prints are available for all of the negatives. This register was compiled by Teel Slike, graduate student, Bowling Green State University, and completed by Ann Bowers, Assistant Director, in March 1987.

Irven I. Freyman was born in Portage, Ohio, in 1884. After attending school, he secured a job as a teller with the local bank and eventually became bank manager. He married (Ethel M.) In his early twenties, and they had one child, a girl. Other jobs he held were office manager at Froney's Department Store, Bowling Green, Ohio; agent for the State Bank Department; and appraiser for the Veteran's Administration. He died in 1956 at the age of seventy-two.

Freyman took up photography as a hobby while a young man. His subjects were the usual events occurring in a small town: local parades, social events, street scenes--and also those events considered of historical importance such as natural disasters. While only an amateur, his photographs captured various aspects of life in small northwestern Ohio communities during the early part of the twentieth century.

The Irven I. Freyman Collection consists of eighty-three glass plate negatives and six copy negatives from original nitrate negatives. Most of the negatives are of events and scenes in Portage, Ohio. The time period of the collection is between 1907 and the 1920s, with approximately two-thirds of the negatives being taken in 1910.

Events and scenes documented by these negatives are of the 1910 flood, Decoration Day parade, indoor and street scenes, and oil industry scenes. These negatives provide excellent documentation on structures, interior decorations, clothes, vehicles, and social events during the early part of the twentieth century.

The glass plate negatives are in good condition and are housed in separate envelopes with their series number marked in the left-hand corner. Negative number forty-five is damaged, having a broken off and missing section. A copy print has been made of each negative, and these prints are stored following the negatives. The nitrate negatives have had copy negatives made. The negatives have been arranged in numerical order, with the date, location, and description marked on each envelope.

PHOTOGRAPHIC MATERIAL

GLASS PLATE NEGATIVES
1909-1910.
Arranged in numerical order.
Depicting street scenes, indoor shots, parades, floods, in Portage, Ohio; and oil industry scenes in the Wood County area.

COPY NEGATIVES
1907, c. 1920s.
Arranged in numerical order and filed with glass plate negatives.
Depicting scenes in Portage, Ohio, of decorated vehicles in a parade and the Munn Bank.

PRINTS
1907-1920s.
Arranged in numerical order.
Black and white prints of each of the negatives, arranged by negative number and stored following all of the negatives.

Box 1

1. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Man in his 40s and young male child sitting at checker board in drawing room of house. Dick and son Harry Bavis.

2. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Same man as above sitting alone in front of checker board. Dick Bavis.

3. Portage, Ohio, ca. 1910 (no date)
Outdoor scene. Men pouring cement from mixer to do street work.

4. Portage, Ohio, ca. 1910 (no date)
Outdoor scene. Men pouring cement from mixer for street work.

5. Portage, Ohio, ca. 1910 (no date)
Outdoor scene. Men doing construction work on street.

6. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded road with man and child upon it.

7. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded road with houses and two bridges visible--one a railroad bridge.

8. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Rural creek flooding with woods visible in background.

9. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded field with fence row and woods in background.

10. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded road with telephone poles and fire in background (Al Ernstmaker farm)

11. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded creek showing Iron Bridge with houses and trees visible in background and man standing on far bank.

12. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded rural creek with woods in background.

13. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded lawn around two storey brick house in rural area with man posed on lawn. (Neuberger home)

14. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded field with man standing on unflooded road with houses and bridges visible in background.

15. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded rural creek with man with hat on and carrying a camera bag on near bank.

16. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded rural road with two trees in foreground, nearest tree has two signs nailed to it, one about farm investments and the other an advertisement for a shoe store.

17. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Flooded rural creek with same bridge as negative #15 on bank, only a bit further away from the camera.

18. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. "Decoration Day" parade going down street with mounted riders, floats and band wagon and small crowd on corner.

19. Portage, Ohio, ca. July 4, 1910 (no date)
Outdoor scene. Group of 39 children (Sunday School outing) and one goat posed for picture with tent and vine grotto in background. (Dallas Kinney with the goat)

20. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Group of people on horsedrawn wagon in dress clothes with American flags.

21. Portage, Ohio, March 27, 1910
Outdoor scene. Parade with band in front following mounted riders and flag bearers across railroad crossing.

22. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Men firing salute with muskets in cemetery, American flag in center.

23. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Men firing salute with muskets in cemetery, band members to side in foreground.

24. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Women with procession of young girls nearing a cemetery following a flag-bearer. George "Bandy" Winton is the flag-bearer.

25. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. People dressed up standing in a decorated wagon with flags alongside a mounted rider.

26. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Women with procession of young girls turning into cemetery after flag-bearer. George "Bandy" Winton is the flag-bearer.

27. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Parade going down street with band following mounted rider and two flag-bearers.

28. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Horse drawn floats parading down street.

29. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Parade of decorated carriages and wagons going past shops in Portage.

30. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Parade going past shops with automobile visible behind band.

31. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Front view of parade with lead rider to side facing across parade path.

32. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Side view of horse drawn band wagon in street with five men with muskets lined up behind wagon.

33. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Decorated parade wagons going down same section of street as in negatives #18 and 28.

34. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Parade crossing intersection with mounted rider and band in lead, automobile visible behind band.

35. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Large group of people seated in front of Portage High School with wagon with piano on it between group and school.

36-1 (N) Portage, Ohio, ca. 1920s? (No date)
Outdoor scene. Large parade float with desk and chair on top, flanked by American flags.

36-2 (N) Portage, Ohio, ca. 1920s? (No date)
Outdoor scene. 1875 horse drawn funeral carriage in parade followed by similar carriage.

36-3 (N) Portage, Ohio, ca. 1920s? (No date)
Outdoor scene. 1870 horse drawn fire fighting pumper in parade followed by car in background.

36-4 (N) Portage, Ohio, ca. 1920s? (No date)
Outdoor scene. Rear view of two decorated trucks in parade with farm equipment.

37. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910.
Outdoor scene. Ragamuffin parade with small decorated horse drawn cart going down street with large crowd of mostly children on the sides of the street.

38. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Ragamuffin parade with wagons, drummers, and two mounted riders on donkeys and front of parade.

39. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910
Outdoor scene. Ragamuffin parade with decorated carriages and small group of people marching holding hands at front of parade.

40. Portage, Ohio, 1910.
Outdoor scene. Large group of peolpe around building with large grove of trees in foreground and automobile visible in grove.

41. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Group of people posed in front of same building as negative #40 with grove of trees in foreground.

42. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Small boy (Dallas Kinney?) posed on goat cart with goat hitched up in rural location.

43. Portage, Ohio, 1909
Outdoor scene. Man and woman posed in automobile with right side of car facing the camera, letters F. W. S. visible on rear door. (S may stand for Stratton)

44. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1909)
Outdoor scene. One man, five women and one female child posed in automobile parked in street in front of large wood frame house. (Car may belong to G. C. Munn)

45. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. View of Portage from top of school house. View consists mainly of nearest house, rooftops, and treetops.

46. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Ten men, members of checker club posed by side of bank. Third from right, Dick Bavis.

47. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Fifteen men posed in front of checker boards in large hall. Some of the men also appear in Negative #46.

48. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Group of thirteen men, fourteen women, three female children, and four male children posed in front of wood frame house. (May be Brecker Reunion of 1909).

49. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Identical to Negative #48, with only minor shifts in posed positions.

50. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Eleven houng men in baseball outfits with baseball mitts and dog posed in grove. Portage High School team, Dick Bavis, manager.

51. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Nine young men and one older man in baseball outfits posed on playing field. Portage High School team, Dick Bavis, manager.

52. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Indoor scene. View of dmaged empty vault with the name G. F. Munn and Company across the top of the vault.

53. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Outdoor scene. Empty fire scarred lot between two buildings with fire-damaged connecting wall still standing in background.

54. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Outdoor scene. Same as Negative #53, but taken at slightly different angle and showing more debris in lot.

55. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Outdoor scene. View of fire damaged wall of building next to now-empty lot.

56. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Indoor scene of same damaged vault as in Negative #52.

57. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Indoor scene of same damaged vault as in Negatives #52 and #56.

58. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Shows wrecked office area with the same wrecked vault from above negatives visible to the side, and two large upside-down signs reading "Shooting Gallery" visible outside window.

59. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Two-story woodframe building with sign reading Munn Bank over door with man posed in doorway with large pair of wheels and axle in front of building.

60. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Same as Negative #59, but without man in doorway.

61. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Indoor scene. Two men standing to the sides of a damaged safe, safe has the name W. H. Sayler on it (May be hardware store safe)

62-1 (N). Portage, Ohio, November 1, 1907
Outdoor scene. Same building marked Munn Bank as in Negatives #59 and #60, but taken at a different angle to show front and left side of building.

62-2(N). Portage, Ohio, November 1, 1907
Outdoor scene. Same as negatives #62-1, #59, and #60 taken so only the front of the building shows.

63. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910)
Outdoor scene. Two story woodframe building on street corner with sign reading Sayler Hardware on one window and post office sign on other window. Horse-drawn wagon parked at side of building and man rolling oil drum across street in front of building.

64. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Same damaged safe as in Negative #61 but with only a single bystander.

65. Portage, Ohio, 1910
Indoor scene. Same damaged safe as in Negatives #61 and #64, but without bystanders.

66. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Two men and horse team working on oil derrick in rural locale with farmhouse visible in background.

67. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Two buildings and wooden oil tank with three men posed in front of buildings with construction materials on ground.

68. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden oil derrick with support buildings and wooden oil tank with man posed in foreground.

69. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Large wooden oil derrick in field with man posed in front of it.

70. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden shed by creek with man relaxing in chair just outside the door.

71. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden oil derrick with cluster of houses visible in the background.

72. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Oil field with six wooden oil derricks and support buildings in background and two men posed in foreground.

73. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Two wooden oil derricks.

74. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden oil derrick with man posed in front of it. Note: Wheels under tower are identical to the wheels scene in front of the Munn bank in Negatives #59, 60, 62-1 and 62-2.

75. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden oil derrick with buildings in background and man with two small girls posed in foreground.

76. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Same as Negative #72, with only slightly different poses of the two men.

77. Wood County, Ohio, 1910
Outdoor scene. Wooden oil derrick with house visible in background.

78. Portage, Ohio, 1910.
Indoor scene. Seven children (three boys, four girls) dressed up in wedding clothes in a wedding pose.

79. Portage, Ohio, 1910.
Outdoor scene. Same campground building from Negatives #40 and #41 with same people and same care in grove.

80. Portage, Ohio, July 4, 1910.
Outdoor scene. (Becker?) band marching with buildings in background and children on sidewalk in foreground (blurred).

81. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910).
Outdoor scene. One-story fire-gutted brick store buildings--Gotloeb Schwecheimer Butcher Shop.

82. Portage, Ohio, n.d. (ca. 1910).
Outdoor scene. Same building from Negative #81, showing rear view of building--Gotloeb Schwecheimer Butcher Shop.

83. Portage, Ohio, 1909.
Indoor scene. Picture of small female child sitting reading book (Frances Ror?)

84. Portage, Ohio, 1910.
Indoor scene. Fourteen people (five men, nine women) posed in dress clothes. May be Class of 1900. Earl Freyman first on right.

85. Portage, Ohio, 1910.
Outdoor scene. Same two people posed in same car as in Negative #43, with other side of car facing camera. Letters F. W. S. visible on rear door, houses visible in background (S may stand for Stratton).