The Sievers Studio Collection contains the full surviving work of the commercial photography studio Sievers Studio. The collection documents everyday life in a major Midwestern city from the studio’s opening in 1917 through its close in 1989.

Sievers Studio photographed a wide variety of subjects, including corporate groups, large and small businesses, conventions, family events, studio portraits, advertising photographs, new residential and commercial construction, and established residential and commercial areas. Isaac Sievers specialized in panoramic photographs, and much of the studio’s earliest business consisted of panoramas showing groups of servicemen during World War I.

The bulk of the collection consists of negatives, although some prints are also included. Material from each photo shoot was stored together in a single job assignment file, usually including detailed information about client, subject, and date.

Materials from the 1930s (Series 3), 1940s (Series 4), 1950s (Series 5), and 1960s (Series 6) have been processed and are available for research. Loose prints dating from 1930-1979 have been processed as Series 9 and are also available for research. Processing work on the remainder of the collection is ongoing, and no other portion of the collection is open for use at this time. Material will become available as it is processed.