The Nevada County Library announced today the official launch of a searchable online collection of digitized photographs held by the Doris Foley Library for Historical Research in downtown Nevada City. The Doris Foley Library Digital Collection, which can be accessed from the Nevada County Library website, currently contains scans of photographs taken or collected by Robert M. Wyckoff (1928-2014).
Wycoff was a long-time writer and photographer for the Union newspaper and the historic preservation officer for Nevada City in the 1970s. The 178 photographs included in the Doris Foley Library Digital Collection’s launch represent a small fraction of the thousands of photographs in the Foley’s physical collection.
“Launching the Doris Foley Library Digital Collection is an exciting step towards making the Foley’s resources easily available to everyone,” stated branch manager Laura Pappani. “The photos currently available cover a variety of subjects, including aerial views prior to the construction of Highway 49, Greg LeMond winning the Nevada City Bicycle Race in 1986, and scenes from around Nevada City. Some were collected by Wyckoff and date back to the 1850s, while more recent ones were taken by him and are from the sixties through the early 2000s.”
Expanding the Digital Collection: Future Additions and Offerings
After the official launch, the Doris Foley Library Digital Collection will grow as more photographs from the Wyckoff Collection are added. Scans of photographs, posters, and artwork from other collections in the Foley Library archives will appear in the coming months, including examples of graphic design and historic renovation photographs from the Osborn Woods Collection; photographs, posters, and playbills from the Foothill Theatre Company archives; photographs from the Bob Paine Collection; and historical letters and documents from the Foley’s general archives. Photographs and other items can be downloaded or printed from the Doris Foley Library Digital Collection for free for personal use.
More Information
The Doris Foley Library for Historical Research is a branch of the Nevada County Library system. Located at 211 North Pine Street in Nevada City, the Foley is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM. For more information, contact Doris Foley Library manager Laura Pappani at (530) 265-4606, or visit the Nevada County Library website.