Finding aid to George Robinson Fardon's Views in California photograph album PC RM Fardon
Jaime Henderson
California Historical Society
March 2019
678 Mission Street
San Francisco, CA 94105
reference@calhist.org
Language of Material:
English
Contributing Institution:
California Historical Society
Title: George Robinson Fardon's Views in California photograph album
Creator:
Fardon, G.R.
Identifier/Call Number: PC RM Fardon
Physical Description:
0.81 Linear Feet
One photograph album and a sleeved pannotype housed in flat box.
Date: 1856
Abstract: One photograph album containing 12
black and white, salted paper prints. Photographed by G.R. Fardon and published in 1865, the
images are considered the earliest published photographic record of an American city.
Photographs document the development of downtown San Francisco. Photographs primarily
document churches and fire houses in San Francisco.
Language of Material: Collection materials are in
English.
RESTRICTED ALBUM; permission of archivist required for use.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of Templeton Crocker.
George Robinson (G.R.) Fardon was born in Birmingham, England in 1807. He first emigrated
to New York, but relocated to San Francisco in 1849, where he started a photography
business. Fardon is believed to have introduced the glass plate negative process to San
Francisco in 1852. Fardon captured photographic views of the city, including a seven-panel
panorama of San Francisco and the published volume
San Francisco
Album
(also known as
Views in California). He moved
to Victoria, British Columbia in 1859 where he continued to work as a photographer. In 1876
he returned to California, opening a photography studio with William H. Bluett. He died and
was buried in Victoria in 1877. References: Palmquist, Peter E. and Thomas Kailbourn.
Pioneer Photographs of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary,
1840-1865
Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2000.
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Please access digital images available on the California Historical Society's Digital
Libary: http://digitallibrary.californiahistoricalsociety.org/object/4317
[Identification of item, date]; Fardon's (George Robinson)
Views in
California
photograph album, PC RM Fardon; California Historical Society.
One photograph album titled
Views in California (also known
as
12 Views in California and
San
Francisco Album
) photographed by G.R. (George Robinson) Fardon and published in
1856. Contains the earliest published photographic record of an American city. Photographs
document the early development of downtown San Francisco. The album is arranged with images
on right side and handwritten labels on left side. Images include the following San
Francisco locations (identified in with handwritten labels): "Monumental" Brenham Place
(also know as Monumental Engine house, on the Plaza); the First Methodist Church, Powell
between Washington and Jackson; Sansome Engine House, Gold and Sansome Streets; Grace
Church, Powell between Jackson and Pacific; the Custom House, Washington and Battery
Streets; St. Mary's Cathedral, California and Dupont Streets; Pacific No. 8 (Firehouse),
front between Jackson and Pacific; Merchants' Exchange, Battery and Washington Streets;
Empire No. 1 (Firehouse), Sacramento Street, between Kearny and Dupont Streets;
Knickerbocker (Firehouse), north side, Sacramento Street near Sansome Street; Columbian
(Firehouse), Bush Street above Kearny Street; Old American Theater, Sansome and Halleck
Streets, torn down June 1854. First page with photograph is also labeled by hand: "12 Views
in California" and "Views in California." Photographs and small label at bottom left of each
photograph are affixed to the pages of the album. Label is a salt print printed: "G.R.
Fardon", but is faded beyond visibility in most cases. Photograph album does not contain a
title page or index. Photograph album is housed with a pannotype portrait of John Henry
Link, son of James Lick, an early San Francisco real estate investor. The pannotype portrait
is printed on leather and was taken by George Robinson Fardon, circa 1856-1858, and is
stamped with Fardon's mark on the back of the photograph.
Materials in this collection, which were created in 1856, are in the public domain in the
United States. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Church buildings -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial
works
Fire stations -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial
works
San Francisco (Calif.) -- History -- Pictorial works
San Francisco (Calif.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. -- Pictorial
works
Photograph albums
Salted paper prints
Pannotype
Lick, John Henry