Frank Buhla Collection
About the Collection
The Frank Buhla digital collection contains hundreds of photographs collected by Frank Buhla depicting the early industry, coal mining, company towns, and covered bridges of southeast Ohio. These date primarily from the late 1800s- early 1900s and were displayed in the back of his son’s antique shop in Glouster, Ohio. The online collection also contains a selection of magic-related items from the larger physical collection.
The Frank Buhla physical collection contains biographical materials related to Buhla’s life and career as a magician, as well as photos collected by him focusing on the industrial history of southeastern Ohio. Within the collection there are many magic-related materials such as daily appointment books, posters, correspondence, magic catalogs, and photographs.
Learn more about the collection by reading the collection finding aid and Ohio University Libraries’ Gatherings Spotlight: Frank Buhla Collection (2023).
About Frank Buhla
Frank Buhla (1907-1973) spent most of his life in Glouster, Ohio where he worked with his father in the coal mines before heading north for more opportunities. Buhla came back to Glouster and in the 1930s opened and operated a boxing gym with his wife Esther, worked as a bartender, and later had a successful career performing as a magician.
Preferred Collection Citation
Frank Buhla Collection, Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, Ohio University Libraries.
Future Additions
No future additions are planned.
Related Collections
See additional items from the Mahn Center's online manuscript collections.
Access at Alden
The physical collection is held by, and can be viewed at, the Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections, on the 5th floor of Alden Library.
Access Online
Browse and search the collection in CONTENTdm.
Collection Contact
Use the Mahn Center Research Request Form to submit a question to Manuscripts Archivist Greta Suiter.
Policy
See the Digital Archival Collections Materials Selection and Rights policy.
Rights Statement
The Frank Buhla Collection is a mixed-rights collection. Some items remain in copyright, others are in the public domain (no copyright). RightsStatements.org copyright designations can be found within the individual item descriptions.