Scrapbook 1, undated.

The photographs remain in the two scrapbooks created by H. Wayne Patterson, and the arrangement has not been altered. Patterson labeled most of the photographs, and many dates or incomplete identities can be inferred from other photos or the location of a photo in the albums. The majority of images in the albums are in chronological order; only in a few instances do photographs seem to be out of sequence. A complete list of Patterson's original captions is available from the archivist (a hard-copy is located in the security file).

Patterson's father, Colonel Robert Harman Patterson, was an Army officer and the family moved quite often. The different locations and various homes are reflected in the photo albums. In addition to H. Wayne, Colonel Patterson and his wife, Mary Wayne, had two daughters. Mary P., born in 1877, was also known as "Maza." Maza married Earle Percy Jessop and they had two boys, Edward and Charles Harman. There are several photos of Maza, Edward, and Charles Harman in the albums. The second sister, Maria M., was born in 1887 or 1888; she never married. Maria was known as "Mid" or "Middie" and she appears frequently in the photo albums.

The majority of the photographs in this collection are gelatin silver prints; however, there are several cyanotypes and postcards. Most of the photographs show signs of minor deterioration such as silver mirroring, fading, loss of detail, and change in image color. Also within this collection are copy prints, which were used in the book, Images and Memories, Georgia Tech: 1885-1985.

This collection also contains a few manuscript items found in the scrapbooks, or otherwise collected by H. Wayne Patterson. There are two newspaper clippings, one about a canceled engagement and the other about an elopement. There is also Patterson's June 1912 report card showing his grades from his final term at Tech. The manuscript folder also contains a letter written from Patterson, age ten, to his aunt Georgie and an article about Sand Island, Fort Morgan, Alabama.