Guide to the Thomas H. Rutter Photograph Collection
1888-1900

Ships unloading tea at Tacoma wharves, undated. Special Collections, UW Libraries, UW5391

Biographical Note

Thomas H. Rutter was born on January 1, 1837 in Truro, Cornwall, England and worked as a veterinarian before immigrating to the United States. During the Civil war, in July, 1861, he enlisted in Company M of the 1st New York Cavalry as a farrier. He was honorably discharged by February 1862 because of a disability. Enticed by reports of a gold rush, he moved to the Montana Territory in 1864 and established mining claims in and around Bannack, Butte, Highland and Last Chance Gulch, Montana.

By 1867, Rutter became fascinated with the art of photography and started a photography studio with R. J. Nesbitt in Glendale, Montana. In 1870, Rutter opened his own studio in Butte, Montana as "Thomas H. Rutter, Portrait and Landscape Photographer." He married Lydia Lymburner of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on April 26, 1882 in Butte.

Rutter and his wife moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1888, where he opened a photography studio on 1346 Pacific Avenue in Tacoma. He operated the Tacoma studio until 1900, when he moved to North Yakima where he worked as a photographer until at least 1906 and possibly longer. During his time in Tacoma and Yakima, Rutter photographed the city, as well as the surrounding area and most notably the members of Yakima Indian tribe. He apparently sold off most or all of his negatives before his death. Some of his photographs were incorporated with other photographers' work and are not attributed to Rutter.

In 1915 Rutter and his wife moved to the Veteran’s Home in Orting, Washington where they remained until their deaths. Rutter died on August 21, 1925 at the age of eighty-eight.

Scope and Content

The collection consists of images of Tacoma, Washington including ships at dock in the harbor and buildings, as well as logging in the surrounding Puget Sound area and portraits of Yakima Indians.

Restrictions on Access

The collection is open to the public.

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Preferred Citation

The required credit line for use of images from Special Collections is: University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, [plus the negative number].

The negative number is provided with the image and is a letter + number combination such as UW13452; Hegg 1234; or NA1275. A typical credit line would be, University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections, UW13452.

Acquisition Info

Gifts from: C. Bagley, 1959; Doug McDonnell, no date; E. B. Meany; no date; and Dorothy Wills, no date.

Processing Info

Processed by Liam McDonnell, 2005, Megan Peacock, 2006; processing completed in 2006.

Inventory

Folder

Item

Date

Tacoma, Washington

1

1

Episcopal Church

August 18, 1888

Caption says "oldest church tower in United States."

2

Headquarters building of the National Pacific Railroad overlooking the river and landscape

undated

3

The Tacoma Hotel

1888

4

The Tacoma Hotel with addition built after 1888

1891

5

The Tacoma Hotel on a hill above the harbor and docks.

1892

The front of the photograph says "Rutter, Photographer" and the back of the mat board is stamped "French, Crayon Artist and Photographer, 501 California Block, Tacoma."

2

6

Arch of coke and coal erected over Pacific Avenue at 13th Street for visit by President Harrison

May 6th, 1891

Coke is a distillation of bituminous coal

7

Arch constructed from bags of flour and grain erected over Pacific Avenue for visit by President Harrison

May 6th, 1891

Above the arch is a banner reading "The State of Washington Can Feed All Mankind."

8

Docks with ships loading wheat for Great Britain

1890

"Rutter" is written on the image but the mat board gives "French, California Building, Tacoma" as the photographer.

9

Ships unloading cargo of tea at the Tacoma wharves

undated

10

Ship at dock near waterfront coal bunkers

undated

Folder

Item

Date

Puget Sound, Washington

3

11

Six men on shore of Old Fort Lake, Nisqually, Washington

undated

12

Three lumberjacks chopping down tree

undated

“Wood choppers of Puget Sound, cutting saw logs”

13

Group of men sitting on and around large cedar stump

undated

"50 men on stump"

Folder

Item

Date

Yakima Indian portraits

4

14

Chief Dal-Tim-Shah in full-length feather headdress

1900

Caption on back: "This head-dress was made of eagle feathers and is very expensive. The bonnet was made by Cheyenne Sioux for this Indian. His dress is velvet and beads.”

15

Chief Sheta-Mo-On-e in front of buffalo skin tepee

1900

Caption on back: "Shut-A-Mo-Ne, Sheep Cross Horns. This Indian is half Yakima and half Umatilla..." The caption explains that the clothing he is wearing in the photograph belonged to his uncle who was a Umatilla chief involved in the Bannock War of 1878 who served with the U.S. forces.

16

Chief Spencer, age 88

1900

17

Chief White Swan, head chief of the Yakima tribe

1900

hand colored

18

Large group of Yakima men and women in front of a train

1900

hand colored

Caption on back: “Most noted Indians of Yakima Reservation."

Standing starting from the left, second person in, Chief White Swan, Chief Spencer, and Chief Sheta-Mo-On-e.

Subject Terms

Personal Names:

Rutter, Thomas H., 1837-1925--Photographs.

Geographic Names:

Tacoma (Wash.)--Photographs.

Subjects:

Hotels--Washington (State)--Tacoma--Photographs.

Yakama Indians--Photographs.