Looking Back’s theme for 2025 featured Thurston County area photographers, artists, and their subjects. Merle Junk, a product of the Olympia school system, turned to photography early in his life. He was prolific and well-respected. He captured images of legislators, local events, and places, often for promotional purposes. This photograph from a family scrapbook was taken at the time of his marriage to Marjorie May Cook in 1923.
Photo Courtesy Rebecca Junk Sherrell
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2025