The nitrate negatives are generally housed in separate envelopes. Sometimes two or more images are on one film sheet or strip. Most of the negatives are in good condition at present. Discoloration of some negatives has been observed and their envelopes marked. The images were shot from various angles, often showing the front of a house or store, but some show side and rear elevations.
Vehicles are sometimes present but people are rare.
The images are in focus without distracting or incomplete portrayal. The project can make information on our urban images more readily available to the university community, townspeople, and a wider research public. Cataloging could theoretically be available not only in the University of Iowa Libraries but also at the State Historical Society of Iowa, Johnson County Historical Society, and the Iowa City city engineer's office, saving patrons at those locations inconvenience. Adding the names of property owners, where marked on the negative envelopes, to finding aids would add to their usefulness. A successful project could be a model for other repositories with similar holdings and a staff training experience for improving access to and preservation for other photographic holdings.