Photographs of the California Missions by William Henry Jackson: Finding
Aid
Finding aid prepared by Michelle Sanchez.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2013
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.
Overview of the Collection
Title: Photographs of the California Missions by William Henry Jackson
Dates (inclusive): approximately 1885-1890
Collection Number: photCL 444
Creator:
Jackson, William Henry, 1843-1942
Extent:
39 albumen photographs 17.8 x 23.5 cm. (7 x 9 ¼ in.), on mounts measuring 20 x 25.5 cm. (8 x 10 in.)
Repository:
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens.
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: A collection of albumen photographs of 12 California Missions, taken by nineteenth-century photographer William Henry Jackson
sometime between 1885 and 1890.
One or more images of the following missions are included: San Antonio de Padua, San Carlos Borroméo de Carmel, San Diego
de Alcalá,
San Fernando Rey, San Francisco de Asís, San Gabriel Arcángel, San Juan Bautista, San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Rey, San Miguel
Arcángel,
Santa Barbara and Santa Ines. The photographs primarily show the missions’ front façades or courtyards, both in ruins and
with slight repair work.
Language: English.
Access
Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader
Services.
Administrative Information
Publication Rights
The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material,
nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and
obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.
Preferred Citation
Photographs of the California Missions by William Henry Jackson. The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.
Provenance
Gift of Kenneth Hill in April 2001.
Biographical Note
William Henry Jackson was born April 4, 1843, in Keeseville, New York. While growing up, Jackson taught himself how to
paint and draw; at the age of 15, he was first exposed to photography through a job he took at a local photographer's studio.
After serving in the Civil War, he went to Omaha,
Nebraska, to help run a photography studio with his brothers.
In 1869, Jackson was approached by Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden, the head of the United States Geological Survey of the Territories,
who asked Jackson to join his team. Jackson did so, and
for the next seven years took photographs of hot springs, geysers, and mineral formations in the territory that is now Yellowstone
National Park. After this project, Jackson began to take
photographs of landmarks along the Union Pacific Railroad to sell to tourists.
At some point between 1885 and 1890, Jackson traveled to California and took photographs of the California missions, which
were then in ruins and being viewed in a romantic light as part
of California's mythic past. To cater to tourists, Jackson photographed most, if not all, of the missions and sold them to
the steady stream of sightseers.
At the age of 81, Jackson swapped photography for painting, focusing on the development of the American West as his subjects.
He died on June 30, 1942, in New York City at the age of 99.
Scope and Content of Collection
A collection of 39 albumen photographs of 12 California Missions, taken by nineteenth-century photographer William Henry
Jackson sometime between 1885 and 1890.
All of the photographs are titled and signed, "W.H.J. & Co." One or more images of the following missions are included: San
Antonio de Padua, San Carlos
Borroméo de Carmel, San Diego de Alcalá, San Fernando Rey, San Francisco de Asís, San Gabriel Arcángel, San Juan Bautista,
San Juan Capistrano, San Luis Rey,
San Miguel Arcángel, Santa Barbara and Santa Ines. The photographs primarily show the missions' front façades or courtyards,
both in ruins and with slight repair work.
The California Missions were a favored subject for photographers at the turn of the nineteenth century. Jackson, like many
of his contemporaries, capitalized
on the romantic interest in the ruins, and took photographs to sell to tourists. While the photographs are primarily artistic
works of the architecture alone,
a few photographs have people in them. Of note is (11), taken at San Juan Bautista, where a photographer can be seen on the
left with his large-format camera,
setting up his own shot.
Indexing Terms
California missions -- Photographs.
Mission San Carlos Borromeo (Carmel, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Mission San Juan Capistrano -- Photographs.
Mission San Miguel Arcangel (San Miguel, Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Antonio de Pádua (Mission) -- Photographs.
San Diego Mission -- Photographs.
San Fernando, Rey de España (Mission : San Fernando, Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Francisco de Asís Mission (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Juan Bautista (Mission : San Juan Bautista, Calif.) -- Photographs.
San Luis Rey Mission (Calif.) -- Photographs.
Santa Barbara Mission -- Photographs.
Santa Inés Mission (Solvang, Calif.) -- Photographs.
Albumen prints.
Architectural photographs.
Photographs.
Box 1
Photographs
Images from this collection are digitized in the Huntington Digital Library.
Box 1, Item 1
Mission of San Antonio, Cal. [View of church and olive tree]
Box 1, Item 2
Mission of San Antonio, Cal. [View of workshop corridor]
Box 1, Item 3
The Mission of San Antonio, Cal. [View of workshop corridor and church]
Box 1, Item 4
The Garden at San Antonio
San Carlos Borroméo de Carmel
Box 1, Item 6
Mission of San Diego, Cal.
Box 1, Item 7
The Mission of San Fernando, Cal. [End of corridor with pigs]
Box 1, Item 8
Mission of San Fernando [View of buggy in corridor]
Box 1, Item 9
Mission Dolores. San Francisco
Box 1, Item 10
Mission of San Gabriel. Cal.
Box 1, Item 11
The Mission of San Juan [Photographer and his equipment visible on left side of photograph]
Box 1, Item 12
The Corridors at San Juan
Box 1, Item 13
The Corridors at San Juan [Two men standing in corridor]
Box 1, Item 14
Mission of San Juan Capistrano. Cal. [View of courtyard from corridors]
Box 1, Item 15
Mission of San Juan Capistrano, Cal. [View from corridor]
Box 1, Item 16
Mission of San Juan Capistrano. Cal. [Ruins of church]
Box 1, Item 17
Mission of San Juan Capistrano. Cal. [Ruins of church]
Box 1, Item 18
The Bells -- Mission of San Juan Capistrano
Box 1, Item 19
Mission of San Luis Rey, Cal. [View of church]
Box 1, Item 20
Mission of San Luis Rey, Cal. [View of church]
Box 1, Item 21
Mission of San Luis Rey, Cal. [View of church]
Box 1, Item 22
Mission of San Luis Rey, Cal. [View of church from across courtyard]
Box 1, Item 23
The Cloisters -- San Luis Rey
Box 1, Item 24
Mission of San Luis Rey, Cal. [View of church from across courtyard]
Box 1, Item 25
Mission of San Luis Rey [View of church from across courtyard]
Box 1, Item 26
The Graveyard -- San Luis Rey
Box 1, Item 27
Mission of San Miguel, Cal. [View of convento]
Box 1, Item 28
Mission of San Miguel, Cal. [View of church and bell]
Box 1, Item 29
Mission of Santa Barbara, Ca. [View from hill]
Box 1, Item 31
North from the Mission Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 32
South from the Mission -- Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 33
East from the Mission -- Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 34
West from the Mission. Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 35
Mission of Santa Barbara [View facing the 1808 fountain]
Box 1, Item 36
Santa Barbara South from Corridor
Box 1, Item 37
The Garden. Mission of Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 38
Interior. Mission of Santa Barbara
Box 1, Item 39
Mission of Santa Ynez, Cal.