Tim Dear and Friend on Railroad Bridge, Oakland Oregon, c 1925

Tim Dear and Friend on Railroad Bridge, Oakland Oregon, c 1925

Author: Thurman Eugene Dear

Year: 1925

High school photo of Tim Dear from his personal album titled Snapshots, likely taken near Oakland, Oregon, around 1925. The image shows two boys perched on a railroad bridge during what appears to be a class outing or picnic. Many of the surrounding photos depict classmates relaxing on blankets and posing for the camera. The prints in the album show signs of home development—uneven cuts, handmade photo corners, and surface debris—suggesting the work of an amateur darkroom, possibly by Tim himself or his cousin Charles Vail, who later became a respected early photographer in Camas, Washington. The album reflects a do-it-yourself spirit tied to life on the Dear family farm and preserves a vivid glimpse into the lives of Oregon pioneer descendants during their high school years. Approximately 140 photographs from this album are being digitized and archived.