In 1942, the Portland Art Museum commissioned photographer Minor White to document the splendor of two of Portland's Victorian homes, the Knapp house and the Jacobs-Dolph house. This book is a rare glimpse into an architectural era long past, as well as an examination of the early years of Minor White's work. The eighty-two duotone reproductions mark the first time many of these photographs have been seen in over fifty years.

Author Fred DeWolfe's text provides insight into Victorians, their houses, and their design proclivities, and discusses the men whose wealth built these particular houses. An introduction by Terry Toedtemeier, curator of photography for the Portland Art Museum, adds contextual information about Minor White's work in Oregon from 1937 to 1942. The photographs lead the viewer on a tour of both houses, with an emphasis on the rich Victorian interiors.

Stairways, doorways, windows, walls, and fixtures all show the many levels of detail so loved by Victorians and so compelling to the photographic eye of the young Minor White.