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General Photo File Collection, circa 1860-1980s
P-101
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Title: General Photo File Collection, circa 1860-1980s
Dates: (bulk 1860-1980)
Collection Number: P-101
Creator/Collector:
Greene, Al (1906-1980);
Maude, Frederick Hamer (1858-1959);
Washburn, Frank Layton (1867-1950);
Behrman, Martin (1862-1945);
Flanders, Dudley P. (1840-);
Wolfenstein, Valentin (1847-1909);
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Extent: 58 linear feet (Boxes: 5 x 7, letter, ½ letter, 3-ring binders, 1 ov, 1 ov folder in mc-14)
Online items available
Repository:
Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles, California 90007-4057
Abstract: The General Photo File Collection represents an important collection of historical photographs of early California and Los
Angeles, from the mid-19th Century through the 1980s. The collection of approximately 9,100 photographic prints was assembled
by former History Department archivists and curators from other collections held at the Seaver Center for Western History
Research. The prints in this collection have been assigned a variety of geographic titles, including: Los Angeles, Los Angeles
neighborhoods, Los Angeles County, California cities and counties, and the western United States. The subject headings within
this collection are varied: Transportation, Agriculture, Industries, Schools, Churches, Parks, Architecture, California Missions,
Weapons, and War. A major selection of the prints in this collection provide a comprehensive look at the development of Los
Angeles as a city and county from California Mission life through to its development to a large metropolis.
Language of Material: English
Research is by appointment only. Researchers should refer to the General Photo File Number at all times when requesting information.
Permission to publish, quote or reproduce must be secured from the repository and the copyright holder.
General Photo File Collection, circa 1860-1980s . Seaver Center for Western History Research, Natural History Museum of Los
Angeles County
The General Photo File Collection is an artificial collection comprised of photographs drawn from various Seaver Center collections.
Biography/Administrative History
This collection was created and has grown from years of research activity at the Seaver Center for Western History Research.
Throughout the years, copy prints of select photographs were made, especially for the purpose of fulfilling user and research
requests. As copy prints of photographs were requested, a new copy was made, designated a General Photo File number and placed
in black binders. The prints in this collection have been amassed from a variety of creators and sources, however many are
attributed to Al Greene, Frederic Hamer Maude, and Frank Layton Washburn.
Al Greene (1906-1980) was a commercial photographer in mid-twentieth century Los Angeles whose company, Al Greene & Associates,
specialized in making photographic murals. He not only shot many of the photographs in this collection, but also bought the
print and negative collections of retiring photographers in the region. Greene’s practice of copying other photographer’s
images and supplying his own identification should alert researchers to treat the photographer/creator, descriptive, and date
information on the photographs with some skepticism.
Frederic Hamer Maude (1858-1959) was a commercial photographer who shot most of his prints and negatives in this collection
himself, but also obtained some from other photographers.
Frank Layton Washburn (1867-1950) was an inspector for the gas and electric company in Los Angeles. His photographs document
the company’s work in various Los Angeles neighborhoods, including historic Chinatown, which was razed in the 1930s to build
Union Station.
Other recurrent photographers include Martin Behrman (1862-1945), an amateur who made copies of early daguerreotype panoramas
in San Francisco, circa 1910; Dudley P. Flanders (1840-), operated various partnerships throughout California and Arizona,
most notably with William Godfrey and Henri Penelon; and Valentin Wolfenstein, a Union Army veteran born in Sweden. Wolfenstein
took up photography after the Civil War, and throughout the latter half of the 19th Century he opened various galleries in
Fort Sumner, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Guatemala, and Stockholm.
Scope and Content of Collection
Collection consists of photographic prints and negatives pertaining to early California and Los Angeles, from the mid-19th
Century through the 1980s. The prints in this collection have been assigned a variety of geographic titles, including: Los
Angeles, Los Angeles neighborhoods, Los Angeles County, California cities and counties, and the western United States. The
subject headings within this collection are varied: Transportation, Agriculture, Industries, Schools, Churches, Parks, Architecture,
California Missions, Weapons, and War. A major selection of the prints in this collection provide a comprehensive look at
the development of Los Angeles as a city and county from California Mission life through to its development to a large metropolis.
Cityscapes--California--Photographs.
Cities and towns--California--Photographs.
Landscape--United States--Photographs.
Missions--California--Photographs.
Adobe houses--California--Photographs.
Agriculture--California--Photographs.
Industries--California--Photographs.
Vehicles--California--Photographs.
Stagecoaches--California--Photographs.
Railroads--California--Los Angeles--Photographs.
Plants--California--Photographs.
Los Angeles (Calif.)--History--19th century--Photographs.
Los Angeles (Calif.)--History--20th century--Photographs.
California--History--Photographs.
Mexican War, 1846-1848.
Architecture--California--History--19th century.
Architecture--California--History--20th century.
Libraries.
Parks.
Churches.
Theaters.
Transportation.
Ships.
Weapons.
Coronel, Antonio Franco, 1817-1894.
Foster, Stephen Clark, 1820-1898.
Frémont, John Charles, 1813-1890.
Hart, William S. (William Surrey), 1864-1946.
Pico family
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Los Angeles (Calif.)
San Francisco (Calif.)
San Pedro (Los Angeles, Calif.)
San Bernardino (Calif.)
Photographic prints
Photographic prints
Cityscapes
Group portraits
Portraits