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The glass negatives were generated by the "Computing and Drafting Division" of the Salt Lake City Engineering Department. The Engineering Department depended upon the photographic division to produce a photographic record of all public improvements. It was felt that the photographic documentation of a project was as important as the designs. Public improvements were photographed, both before and after a project was completed. Some projects were photographed at intervals to documents the construction's progress. This was done be selecting the same point of view each time, which produced a series of photographs which documented in detail construction projects. The photographs were also published in the
The City Engineers Photograph Collection documents the infrastructure of the Salt Lake County area from approximately 1902 to 1931. The collection contains images of the construction of water/sewer lines, street railways, underground comfort stations, street lighting, street paving, curb and gutter installations, water plants, irrigation systems, street scenes, dams and reservoirs, the Jordan River and canals.
There are extensive photographs of Parley's Canyon, Millcreek Canyon, Little Cottonwood Canyon, City Creek Canyon, Utah Lake and the Jordan River that show conduits, weirs, canals, power plants, equipment, flooding, bridges. There is a complete series of glass negatives of the construction of Mountain Dell Dam--from groundbreaking to the finished dam and reservoir. (See images: 1864-1866, 1870-1872, 1874, 1876, 1877, 1881, 1882, 1888, 1889, 1892, 1893, 1907, 1908, 1911, 1913, 1914)
There are many photographs of Salt Lake City streets illustrating the construction progress. Curb and gutter construction, sewer installations, street paving, machinery and equipment used to build the infrastructure are highlighted in this rich documentary collection of early twentieth century life in Salt Lake City.
Salt Lake City Engineers Glass Plate Negative Collection, ca.1902-1931. Utah State Historical Society.
Gift of Willard R. Harwood
The Salt Lake City Engineers Glass Plate Negative Collection is the physical property of the Utah Historical Society, Salt Lake City, Utah. Literary rights, including copyright, may belong to the authors or their heirs and assigns. Please contact the Historical Society for information regarding specific use of this collection.