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 image from 1950, possibly a promotional photograph, shows an unidentified state patrol member discussing a map with a young woman.
Merle Junk photo, 1950, Washington State Archives, Susan Parish Collection
Text © Deborah Ross and The Olympian 2025