The photographic holdings of the Oberlin College Archives are organized under two general classification schemes. The Photographic Collection (RG 32), Part I, is an artificial group created by the College Archives staff to organize photographs by individuals, subjects, or format. The bulk of this collection was generated by two College Photographers, Arthur L. Princehorn, 1917-31, and his son Arthur E. "Pinky" Princehorn, 1931-69. The bulk of the Princehorn Collection has been classified as a separate manuscript group.

The other classification scheme, Part II, includes the collections that contain photographs as part of the records or papers received by the College Archives (i.e., personal papers or administrative offices). The finding guides for these collections will contain additional information concerning the photographs.

The Scanned Images, Part III, are photographs that have compiled for various reports, publications, and course work. The origins of the scanned images include the collections listed in Part I and II of this guide.

This guide is both an inventory and an index to the photographic holdings of the Oberlin College Archives. The table of contents identifies the collections included in the guide. In most cases, the actual Box/Folder listing is included in each section. The exceptions are noted and further explanation is included in those sections. The intent of the guide is to provide a quick reference to photographs of various subjects, buildings, events, people, or types of photos.