Photo collection will go to museum

The Sweetwater County Historical Museum is set to get a late Christmas present when more than 75,000 photo negatives from New Studio will be added to its collection.

Museum Director Ruth Lauritzen said the actual purchase will be made by the Sweetwater County Historical Society and donated to the museum.

Lauritzen said the museum reached its funding goal late last month when the Kim and Jody Brown Family Foundation donated $15,000 to the cause. Other large donations came from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund, The Sweetwater County Historical Society, The Rocky Mountain Power Foundation and Sweetwater BOCES. A few requests made through social media also resulted in funding coming from county residents.

Lauritzen said the purchase will be finalized in the coming months, with her next goal involving finding a suitable place to store the historic photos. Lauritzen said the pictures, which date back to the early 1900s, will be cleaned and processed. The work is expected to take a long time and involve a photo archivist to help the process along.

Lauritzen said in a previous interview with the newspaper that she applied for a grant to hire a temporary archivist.

Along with the photo collection itself, the museum will also receive historic cameras, furniture and backdrops used by New Studio. The collection features photos of buildings, portraits, events and people taken during the development of Rock Springs, from its time as the headquarters of the Union Pacific Coal Company and through its growth into one of Wyoming’s major economic centers.

Lauritzen said she’s excited about raising the needed funds, but admits there were points she wasn’t sure if they would meet their April deadline.

“You’re always concerned,” she said.

Her concerns mounted during a period where she received multiple rejection letters from foundations declining her grant requests. However, despite the concerns, she said she remained optimistic and saw the support from many residents as a sign the purchase was the right move to make.

“People embrace the concept of that studio collection and preserving it,” Lauritzen said.

According to a press released issued by the museum, selected images and an opening event will take place later this year.