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Beryl Ford Collection

Local historian Beryl Ford collected the largest and most significant collection of photographs and artifacts relevant to the history of the City of Tulsa and surrounding area throughout his lifetime. We are fortunate that he shared part of his legacy as Tulsa historian with us in the form of this invaluable collection, now available online.  This collection was made possible by the Rotary Club of Tulsa.

The Levorsen Oil Photography Collection

A.I. Levorsen was the first dean of the School of Mineral Sciences at Stanford University, but he spent much of his career in Tulsa. Dr. Levorsen donated his extensive collection of texts, maps, and photographs regarding the petroleum industry to the library in 1968. Here, view 300 images from the early days of the Oklahoma petroleum industry.

Austin Hellwig Collection

Austin Hellwig has produced more than 30 photo journals on the city of Tulsa, particularly on the subject of road construction. This sample of Mr. Hellwig's work features photographs from the 1980s and '90s and documents the city's expansion as demonstrated through roadway improvements. Other Tulsa County communities and historic bridges are also featured.

Charles Page Memorial Library Collection

Browse historic images from the dedication of the original Charles Page Library in Sand Springs.

Oklahoma Postcard Collection

Postcards carry their own messages about the pride we take in our state's natural beauty, modern urban areas, and famous personalities. Take a look at some of the images used to promote Oklahoma over the years.

Oral History Collection

This audio collection, conducted by the Junior League of Tulsa in the late 1970s and early 1980s, features discussions with pioneer Tulsans on medicine, lifestyles, architecture, government, business, education, journalism, and many other subjects regarding the early history of Tulsa. We are in the process of transcribing these oral histories and could use your help. If you are interested, please contact me.

Tulsa Race Riot of 1921

Photographs are from the TCCL African-American Resource Center and the Beryl Ford Collection.

Tulsa City-County Library in Pictures

Find images of Tulsa City-County Library over the years.

Tulsa Area History Collection

Selected notable items from the Library's Tulsa & Oklahoma Collection: rare books, photographs, maps, and more.

Tulsa City Directories

City directories contain a wealth of information for genealogists, researchers, and history enthusiasts. In these resources, you will find addresses and occupations of residents, complete business directories, advertisements, and more. The 1910 directory is the first digitized directory from our physical collection.

Biography Index

This collection consists of the indexes to books with biographical information on important local history figures. The full text of the books are not available online. To view most of these items, you need to visit the Local History Collection at Central Library or contact rcaskus@tulsalibrary.org.