A collection of 37 mammoth plate photographs of Spanish missions in California by American photographer Carleton E. Watkins (1829-1916). The photographs are among the earliest made of the former mission buildings and grounds, which are seen in various states of ruin, 1876-1884. Sixteen missions are represented, and three photographs are copies of daguerreotypes made in the 1850s.

Carleton E. Watkins (1829-1916) was born in 1829 in Oneonta, New York. In 1851, he migrated to Sacramento, California in the company of businessman Collis P. Huntington and several other residents of Oneonta. He began his photographic career as an apprentice to established San Francisco Bay area studio photographers Robert H. Vance (1825–1876) and James May Ford (c. 1827–1877).

21.86 Linear Feet (8 oversize boxes)

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RESTRICTED. Due to the fragility of the prints, available only with curatorial approval. Requires extended retrieval and delivery time.