The Susan Parish Collection of Photography

JEFFERS PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS STUDIO ~ PART ONE

Children often followed their parents into a trade - as was the case with the Jeffers family of Olympia who owned and operated Jeffers Studio, a highly successful photography business from 1903 - 1975. His son, Vibert Jeffers story is under his own name.

JOSEPH JEFFERS, FOUNDER OF JEFFERS ART STUDIO

1884 - 1924

For 70 years, Jeffers’ Photographic Art Studio was the studio of choice for anyone visiting or living in Olympia, Washington. Their photographs are in hundreds of permanent displays and are included in numerous museum, corporate and private collections around the world including Weyerhaeuser, IBM, Miller Brewing Company, and the Boeing Company. Many can be seen in Olympia commercial interiors and on Washington's Capitol Campus, from the Governor’s Office to the Supreme Court.

This family business operated as a commercial, portrait and fine art, photographic studio and was in continuous operation from 1903 to 1973. After apprenticing with local photographer A. D. Rogers, Joe Jeffers traveled the Southern Puget Sound capturing the early development of the new frontier. An avid sportsman and adventurer, he died tragically in 1924 while on a photographic expedition documenting the glaciers on Mt. Olympus for the university of Washington. His body never recovered, Jeffers Glacier on the south side of Mt. Olympus in the Olympic National Park is named in his honor.

His wife, Opal Prigmore Jeffers, took up the cameras and carried on the business until handing it over to their son, Vibert, in 1930. When "Vibe" retired in 1973 the Jeffers family had left behind a legacy of approximately 60,000 negatives, including original prints. Much of Vibe's unique style grew out of his studies in Hollywood, CA during the early 1930's. His Gallery is here...

Photographic Subject matter is extensive with the hundreds of images of the State Capitol, its' events, and people, including the construction of the Capitol Campus buildings, Governor's legislators, Supreme Court, etc., are an important and invaluable part of this Collection.