How to Use PastPerfect

What is PastPerfect?

PastPerfect is our in-house database of historical photos and documents. You can search PastPerfect by entering names or keywords. You can search PastPerfect only at the Museum, where we can retrieve high-resolution photos or the original documents.

To search online, you must go to Archive-in-a-Box (AIB), where in addition to our photos and documents, you can use names and keywords to search newspapers, historical texts, articles, yearbooks, etc. Click here to go to AIB.

For example, if you are interested in the history of logging, you might search using some of these words: donkey, spar tree, log, logger, mill, rigging, shingle, duplex, or steam.

Interested in mining? Try: mine, concentrator, gold, silver, "Monte Cristo", quarry, or adit.
Interested in fashion or recreation? Try: costume, dress, hat, picnic, or hunting.

Interested in railroads? Try: locomotive, depot, or railroad. If you know a railway's name such as "Hartford Eastern", or "Everett Monte Cristo", enter the name.

If locomotives are your interest, you can find them by name, too, such as Shay, Climax, or Heisler.

To locate a person, enter either the full name or last name. For example, to find pictures of Dr. Frank Chappell, enter Chappell or Frank Chappell. You need not use capital letters. If you misspell the name, you are given a list of possible matching items and can select the one you think best matches what you are searching for.

How do I access PastPefect?

Come to the Museum to search our database directly using PastPerfect.