Digital Collections, Exhibits & Podcasts

Digital Collections

Browse or search the Digital Collections which are exclusive to the UW Libraries Special Collections Division.

Online Exhibits

Pacific Northwest

• A Ballot for the Ladies: Washington Women’s Struggle for the Vote, 1850-1910
• Blast! Mt. St. Helens 1980
• Clark Kinsey and the Documentation of the Pacific Northwest Logging Industry
• The Evergreen State…in Black and White
• History of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge
• Japanese American Exhibit and Access Project
  The Japanese American Exhibit and Access Project was created in 1997 to provide access to UW Libraries projects related to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.
• King County Snapshots
  Presents King County, Washington, through 12,000 historical images carefully chosen from twelve organizations’ collections. The 19th and 20th century images portray people, places, and events in the county’s urban, suburban, and rural communities.
• Klondike Gold Rush: The Perilous Journey North
• Landback: Indigenous Sovereignty in the Urban Native Era
  
• Mount Rainier National Park: 100 Years In Paradise
• Northwest of the West: the Frontier Experience on the Northwest Coast
• Researching the Roadside: Travel & Tourism in the Pacific Northwest

Pacific Northwest–Labor and Working People’s History

• Author, Poet, and Worker: The World of Carlos Bulosan
  Explore the digital version of LAW’s exhibit dedicated to Carlos Bulosan, a prominent Filipino American labor activist, writer, and poet. Delve into the world of Carlos Bulosan and discover the labor, activist, and ethnic communities that shaped his remarkable life and work.
• An Injury to One is an Injury to All: The Legacy of the 1916 Everett Massacre and the Industrial Workers of the World in the Pacific Northwest
  On November 5, 1916, a bloody confrontation known as the Everett Massacre occurred when 300 Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) members clashed with local police and armed vigilantes in Everett, Washington. The incident left several IWW members dead and wounded, following escalating tensions over labor strikes and free speech rights. This exhibit puts the events in a larger regional historical context and draws from the collections of UW Special Collections and the Labor Archives of Washington.
• Solidarity Centennial: The Legacy of the Seattle General Strike Era and the Centralia Tragedy of 1919
  The Seattle General Strike of 1919 brought the city to a standstill for an astounding six days, uniting diverse groups across various occupations and political affiliations. Later that same year, a violent confrontation in Centralia, Washington, marked a tragic turning point in the aftermath of the strike’s success. This exhibit was part of a statewide series of Solidarity Centennial programming in 2019, and was made possible by the generous support of the Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies.
• Strikes! Labor History of the Pacific Northwest
  This exhibit explores the rich history of labor strikes in the Pacific Northwest, showcasing key moments when workers took collective action to demand better wages, working conditions, and rights. Through historical photographs, documents, and artifacts, the exhibit highlights the struggles and victories of diverse labor movements, illustrating the critical role strikes have played in shaping the region’s labor history and worker protections.
• Washington State Farmworker Struggles
  This exhibit traces the history of farmworkers in Washington State from the 1910s to the 2010s, highlighting their ongoing fight for fair wages, safe working conditions, and labor rights. Through photographs, documents, and personal stories, the exhibit explores the struggles and triumphs of the workers who have been essential to the state’s agricultural industry. It provides a deeper understanding of their contributions, activism, and the movements that have shaped labor history in the region.
• Women at Work: Highlights from Labor Archives of Washington Collections on Women in the Trades
  This exhibit explores the history of women in the building and construction trades, a traditionally male-dominated industry. Featuring materials from the Labor Archives of Washington, the exhibit traces key moments in this history, from the influx of women into shipbuilding and metal trades during WWI and WWII to the apprenticeship programs of the 1970s and 80s. It also examines the systemic barriers that have limited women’s participation, including gender discrimination, lack of training opportunities, and the compounded challenges faced by women of color.

University of Washington

• Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, University of Washington Campus, 1909
• Dream, Design, Build: The UW Architecture Student Drawing Collection, 1914-1947
• New, Thinking, Agile, and Patriotic: “Hindu” Students at the University of Washington, 1908-1915
• No Finer Site: the University of Washington’s Early Years on Union Bay
• Spotlight on the Zygmunt William Byrnbaum Papers
• University of Washington : A Pictorial History
• University of Washington Presidents
• When the world came to campus, AYPE 1909

Collection Centered

• “Greetings from the Country”: the University of Washington Libraries Postcard Collection
• Illuminating the Material History of the Book
• Industrial Workers of the World Photograph Collection Exhibit
  This exhibit provides a comprehensive look at the historical context surrounding the Industrial Workers of the World Photograph Collection. Immerse yourself in the visual narratives of this iconic collection.
• Images of Labor and Social Justice: The Art of Richard Correll
  Experience the digital version of LAW’s exhibit celebrating the artistry of Richard V. “Dick” Correll (1904-1990), renowned as one of the leading masters of printmaking in the West. Correll’s powerful black and white linoleum cuts, etchings, and woodblock prints reflect a wide range of themes, from landscapes and animals to political and social issues that remained close to his heart throughout his life.
• Invisible Cities: The Prints of Giovanni Battista Piranesi and the Art of the Built Environment
• Just One Look: An Exhibition of Contemporary Book Arts Exploring the Theme of Women and Vision
• Looking glass for the mind : 350 years of books for children
• Under the Wings of Artemis: The Crossroads of Scholarship and Art, Themes from the Academic Works of the University of Washington Classics Faculty Reflected In Modern Book Arts

Podcasts

Queer Air

• This podcast takes a dive into the University of Washington’s archives and discusses a variety of queer content and issues. Queer Air (seasons 1 and 2) is a capstone project for our Library and Information Sciences Masters Program at the University of Washington.

Beyond Scope and Content

• A podcast series which tells the hidden stories of women filmmakers in the Film Archive.

Long Shadows of Seattle

• This podcast explores the stories of important people that made an impact on Seattle’s history of racial justice and political activism. Using collections from the University of Washington Libraries’ Special Collections, host Stellan Harris will guide you through the lives of some of Seattle’s hidden figures.

We Do the Work “Learn Yourself” Segment

• The “Learn Yourself” segment on the “We Do the Work” radio program provides guidance on using primary and secondary sources in research. The goal is to inspire listeners to explore topics on their own, utilizing resources from the UW Special Collections, the Labor Archives of Washington, and related repositories. The segment features researchers who have utilized these collections, event participants, and community members involved in the discussions. By highlighting the voices of historically marginalized communities, this approach is part of a collaborative outreach strategy.