Coloradoan Collection

The Coloradoan Collection consists of approximately 50,000 4x5 and 35mm negatives that were taken for the newspaper during the years 1951-1956 and 1966-1975. Only a few of these photographs ever appeared in the newspaper. As prints of these negatives are made, they are added to the Photograph Files. The on-line photograph database includes approximately 1400 Coloradoan negatives that have been scanned for display on the internet. The Coloradoan photographers wrote the date the photograph was taken and a very brief description of its content on the negative envelope. These brief descriptions have been entered in the catalog record and you may find more detail on the photograph by searching the Coloradoan microfilm from that time period. The microfilm is available in the Reference area of the main library. More detail to the photograph descriptions will be added in the future as research is performed on each image and as site users provide new information.

Hancock Collection

The Hancock Collection is comprised of approximately 3,000 prints and negatives taken between 1923 and 1959 by Fort Collins/Loveland photographer Eugene A. Hancock. For 15 years Mr. Hancock was the managing editor of the Fort Collins Express-Courier (now the Coloradoan) until 1935 when he opened a professional photogrpahy studio in Loveland. He was born November 24, 1886 in Coupeville, Washington. Some of the collection's photographs are of this area. The majority of the collection is of natural landscapes in Larimer County, Rocky Mountain National Park, and Yellowstone National Park; family photographs; and buildings in Loveland, Fort Collins, Denver, and Estes Park. He died February 12, 1967 in Loveland, Colorado. 750 negatives have been scanned from this collection for the on-line photograph database. The other 2250 catalog records are accessible also in the photograph database without scanned images. Mr. Hancock wrote brief descriptions on the negative envelopes that have been entered into the database; additional research is being performed to add more information to the photograph descriptions. Generally, he wrote the dates the photographs were taken also on the negative envelope; we estimated time dates for the others based on photograph content and/or order in which they were cataloged.

Historical Collection

The Historical Collection consists of over 21,000 negatives and/or prints taken from the 1860s to the present. The bulk of the collection was donated by the Fort Collins Historical Society, with additional donations from other groups and individuals. This collection includes all types of photographs from glass plate negatives to prints. The focus of the collection is Larimer County and Colorado buildings, landscapes, objects, animals, advertisements, and people. However, there are some photographs of other states that were included in personal collections such as the Frank McCafferty Collection, a scrapbook collection of a local stonemason who photographed his masonry work on the Nebraska State Capitol and projects in Washington, D.C. Some photographs have vague descriptions and more detailed information will be provided by further research and as site users provide new information.

Map Collection

There are a few images of maps in the archive's collection that are now available for viewing through the on-line photograph database and through links to the images in the Finding Aids for the Map Collection.

Miller Collection

The Miller Collection consists of over 77,000 negatives dating from 1907 to 1970 that were taken by local photographer, Mark Miller. This collection was donated to the archive by photographer John Clark, who purchased his business. Many of the negatives in the Miller collection do not have prints and are stored off-site due to their silver nitrate composition. Approximately 1000 prints have been cataloged in the on-line photograph database. 300 of these prints have been scanned and are available on-line. This collection includes natural and built landscapes of Larimer, Jackson, and Weld counties; business advertisements and displays; and a large biograpical collection of school and family portraits.

Slide Collection

The library also maintains a collection of about 12,000 slides that have never been cataloged. Many of the slides have been donated by various individuals who have developed slide shows pertaining to the area's history. Currently, they are being scanned and cataloged for the on-line photograph database. Most of the slides had very brief or no descriptions and were filed according to general subjects. More detailed descriptions will be added as research is performed on each image and as site users provide new information. Some of the slides are duplicates of photographs in the Historical Collection but have never been cataloged with those numbers. Therefore there may be duplicates on-line, one of a print and one of a slide.

Tax Assessor Records

Use the Photo Search to access the on-line photographs from the Tax Assessor Records; the information from the Records is not on-line. The Tax Assessor Records include photographs, drawings of the footprint of the buildings on the lot, construction and remodel dates, sometimes the date of removal or moving of a structure, and measurements of the interior and exterior of the building. The Tax Assessor's office donates their old records (dated 1948-1995)to the archive for historic research purposes after they have microfilmed the entire record. The earliest record available is for the year 1948. The archive does not have a record for every property but the Tax Assessor has either the old record or the microfilmed old record available to view. The Loveland Museum, Berthoud Library, and Estes Park Library have the discarded tax records for their communities. Many of the photographs from the Old Town Fort Collins records have been scanned and are available in the on-line photograph database. Some brief information from the records may also be entered in the description of the photograph record. Please view the entire record at the Tax Assessor Office in the Court House Annex (200 W. Oak), or at the library's archive.

Triangle Review Collection

This collection consists of approximately 10,000 negatives and contact prints that were produced for the Triangle Review weekly newspaper published from 1972-1995. The collection covers all aspects of the Fort Collins community and some areas of Larimer County. Very few of these photographs have been cataloged or scanned for the on-line photograph database.