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About the Collection  
This collection of photos covers the entire span of time since the Puyallup Fair’s inception in 1900. While over a century has passed, the solid foundation developed by the Fair’s forefathers remains steadfast. Animals and agriculture are cornerstones of our history -- and our future. Youth programs stay true to that solid foundation, too.   Today, the Puyallup Fair features those age-old favorites, plus new trends and activities. It is the careful blend of the two that has kept the Fair in the top 10 fairs in attendance in the world (source:  International Association of Fairs and Expositions). Each year, over 1.1 million guests attend the Puyallup Fair, and another 500,000 enjoy other activities the remainder of the year.  

The photos found in this archive are the works of numerous photographers, many of whom are – or were - well known in the community. The works of photographers such as Griffin Studios of Puyallup, Lee Merrill, Jack Thompson, Ron Allen and Dick Milligan, among others, were used in businesses, newspapers, and even arranged, portrait-style, on fireplace mantels at home. Each had a talent of capturing real life for generations to enjoy.  

The Western Washington Fair Association and the Tacoma Public Library entered into a Cooperative Agreement in January 2002, in which the Fair provided the Library with historic fair photographs and descriptions. The library agreed to develop a database to allow public access to this rich collection. Currently there are more than 5,000 photographs available for view in this database, covering the years from 1900 through 2007.