Preserving Boone County’s Visual and Documentary History
The Henry “Hank” J. Waters III Digital Imaging Lab, located at the Boone County History & Culture Center, is dedicated to preserving and expanding public access to Boone County’s historic photographs and early government records. The Lab was founded in 2017 through the generosity of the late Hank Waters and his wife, Vicki Russell. Executive Director Chris Campbell, former BCHS board president, Karen M. Miller, and volunteer Mary Waters all made significant contributions to the Lab’s conception and creation. Through careful digitization, the Lab protects fragile originals while making thousands of images and documents available online for researchers, educators, and the broader community.
This ongoing effort is powered largely by trained volunteers and supported by public and private generosity, ensuring Boone County’s history remains accessible for generations to come.
The Photography Collection
The Boone County Historical Society’s Photography Collection contains more than 500,000 glass plate and plastic negatives, dating from 1886 to 1970. While the collection includes work by many photographers, it is anchored by four who worked from a single Columbia studio across more than seven decades: Joseph L. Douglass Jr., Henry Holborn, Wesley Blackmore, and John Francis Westhoff.
Click a photo to view larger.
Through professional succession and careful preservation, much of their combined work remained intact. In 1970, when Westhoff retired, the entire accumulated collection was donated to the Boone County Historical Society. In 1991, thousands of long-lost Joseph Douglass negatives were discovered beneath a 1920s-era home and later added to the collection.
In 2018, the Smithsonian’s American History Museum’s photography curator David Haberstitch described the collection as “undoubtedly one of the largest collections – if not the largest – of a cumulative aggregation of community photography in the nation.” Importantly, the images document all of Boone County, not solely Columbia, capturing everyday life, families, businesses, and landscapes across the region.
Click a photo to view larger.
Digitization and Access
Digitization began in earnest with the establishment of the Waters Digital Imaging Lab in April 2017, made possible through support from the Government of Boone County and dozens of individual donors. The first 6,500 glass plate negatives were digitized entirely by volunteers.
As of 2026, the collection includes photographs by Columbia photographers Henry Holborn, Algert Peterson, Wesley Blackmore, Joseph Douglass Jr., Paul Parsons, and John Frances Westhoff. Approximately 58,000 images are available online. About 8,000 – 10,000 images are added to the online collection every year.. The long-term goal is to preserve and provide access to all 500,000 images.
Each digitized photograph includes accompanying data such as names, dates, and subjects, drawn directly from original photographer journals and record books. While records have been cross-referenced when possible, some details remain incomplete. Visitors who recognize individuals or locations are encouraged to contact the Center to help further identify the collection.
Approximately 58,000 images are available online.
About 8,000 – 10,000 images are added to the online collection every year.
The long-term goal is to preserve and provide access to all 500,000 images.
Click a photo to view larger.
Boone County Records Collection
In addition to photographs, the Waters Digital Imaging Lab houses the Boone County Records Collection, a growing digital archive of the county’s earliest court records. Beginning with Book A in 1821, these handwritten volumes document the daily work of Boone County’s first governing officials, then known as judges and now called commissioners.
Since 2017, volunteers have digitized thousands of pages of these foundational records. As of January 2026, approximately 10,000 pages, representing approximately the years 1822 through 1940, have been preserved and made accessible.
Powered by Volunteers
The success of the Waters Digital Imaging Lab is made possible by the dedication of its volunteers, whose time and expertise sustain this vital preservation work.
The Boone County History & Culture Center is deeply grateful for their continued commitment to safeguarding local history.
Explore the Collections
Discover Boone County’s past through an unparalleled archive of photographs and records that reveal the people, places, and stories that shaped our community.