Emanuel Fritz and Woodbridge Metcalf were faculty members of the School of Forestry at the University of California, Berkeley, and collaborators in the development of this collection of approximately 9000 photographs. The photographs were taken by Emanuel Fritz, Woodbridge Metcalf, and others from 1906 to 1984, with the bulk of the collection dating between 1910 and 1960.
This collection is a record of forestry, conservation, the lumber industry, and related topics, primarily in California and the Western United States, but including other areas as well. The subject matter comprises logging operations, logging equipment, reforestation, forest research, fire protection, lumber mills, and the activities of the University of California's School of Forestry.
Emanuel Fritz (1886-1988) taught forestry at the University of California from 1919 to 1954. During this time and for many years afterwards, Professor Fritz was a consultant to the lumber industry, to government, and to conservation organizations. Among other positions, he was forester for the California Redwood Association, consultant to the California Legislative Interim Committee (1943-45), editor-in-chief of the Journal of Forestry (1930-32), founder of the Redwood Region Logging Conference, and councilor of the Save-the-Redwoods League. He was the author of many works on forestry, the lumber industry, and wood technology, including an extensive bibliography of the Coast redwood. In 1955 he received the Western Forestry and Conservation Association award for distinguished achievement in forestry.
Woodbridge Metcalf (1888-1972) was on the faculty of the School of Forestry from 1914 until 1956. He was Extension Forester from 1926 to 1957. During these 43 years, Professor Metcalf not only taught forestry but was involved in numerous projects throughout California, including 4-H Clubs, cork oak utilization, and Christmas tree and eucalyptus plantations. During World War I, he organized 300 rural volunteer fire-fighting companies, out of which later emerged the state-wide fire protection programs of the California Division of Forestry. He served as president of the California Conservation Council, and in 1954 received the Nash Merit Award Certificate for his work in conservation.