The Heart of Every Museum
The Vashon Heritage Museum holds thousands of photos, objects, documents, and published materials that tell the story of Vashon Island’s history from the time of Native American Settlement to the present. We primarily rely on donations from the public to expand and diversify our collections.
Vashon Post 57, Grand Army of the Republic, 1895
Explore Our Collections
We are happy to facilitate access to the materials in our collections. The collections are housed in either the Harold K. “Pete” Steen Research Center in the museum’s main building or in the Gordon Building, a separate facility behind the main building. Some of the items in our collections are on display in our exhibits. There are several options for accessing these holdings.
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Come to the museum, browse the exhibits, and visit the research room. There you will find many resources for learning more about Vashon history. Examples include a collection of reference books; compiled research; Vashon phone books; birth, death, and marriage records; and computer access to our collections database. The research room is generally available during museum hours, Wednesday through Sunday, 1-4 PM, but to be certain we recommend making an appointment. Click here to make an appointment.
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If you would like assistance with your research, either at the museum or by email, please fill out and submit the research request form. We will gather the resources to help your search, and a volunteer researcher will contact you.
Request a Copy of a Photo
Net Fishermen in Quartermaster Harbor, photo by Norman Edson
The museum sells high-resolution digital scans of images from its photo archives for personal, educational, or commercial purposes, with costs depending on intended use. To request a scan of a photo or for more information, please email us.
Berry Pickers—Ethel Corbin ( back row far left ), Iryne Corbin ( back row 2nd from right ), Elmer Harmeling ( back row far right ),
Mrs. Ramsey ( front row left )
Circa 1919
Donate an Object or Photograph
We appreciate gifts and donations of any items that have historical and cultural significance for Vashon-Maury Island. If you have an item you would like to donate that fits this description, please fill out and submit this collections donation form. A collections volunteer will contact you.