Scope and Contents: Class albums are photograph albums with portraits of the graduating members of a particular class year at Oberlin College, which sometimes include photographs of faculty members or the president of the College. The date range for these is 1858-1898, but some years are not represented. These albums replace the daguerreotype and ambroytpe group portraits of the preceding two decades as photographers adopted the methods of making multiple prints from wet or dry plate negatives.
The following class years are missing from the series:
1864
1867
1869
1871
1881
1885
For these years the researcher should consult the loose photographs of graduates and former students in RG 32/3/1.
A related record group, Photograph Albums, is distinguished by comprising photographs that may have been taken during a student’s time at Oberlin College, but are not collections of the photographs of one senior class.
Forms of Material (links to similar genres)
