Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Provenance
Processing Information
Physical Characteristics or Technical Requirements
Biographical Note
Scope and Contents
Arrangement
Related materials in the Huntington Library
Contributing Institution:
The Huntington Library
Title: Patton Family Collection of Negatives and Photographs
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 282
Physical Description:
7.73 Linear Feet
(16 boxes)
Date (inclusive): 1885-1945; 1971
Date (bulk): 1895-1907
Abstract: The Patton Family Collection consists
of 156 glass plate negatives, 218 film negatives, 875 photographs, and a negative book,
1885-1945 (bulk 1895-1907), created and/or collected by members of the Patton family and
friends. Also included are photographs of Lake Vineyard II, 1971. The collection provides an
intimate look into the private lives of one of Southern California's prominent families
around the turn of the twentieth century.
Language of Material: English.
Access
Advance arrangements for viewing negatives must be made with the Curator of Photographs.
The collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader
Services Department. For more information, please visit the Huntington's website:
www.huntington.org.
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
Patton family Collection of Negatives and Photographs. The Huntington Library, San Marino,
California.
Provenance
Gift of Anne Wilson Patton, 1957.
Processing Information
The glass plate negatives and prints made from those negatives were rehoused, numbered and
arranged by Brita Mack and Jane Apostol in the late 1980s. Jane Apostol rehoused, numbered
and arranged the remainder of the collection, and created the original Container List, in
2005. In November 2006, Sue Luftschein created this finding aid based, in part, on the
original Container List.
Physical Characteristics or Technical Requirements
The collection consists of glass plate and film negatives, copy prints from these
negatives, and original photographs. Boxes 1-2 contain the copy prints, plus some
photographs for which there are no existing negatives. Original glass plate negatives are
housed in boxes 6-12. Original film negatives, boxes 13-16, are housed in cold storage.
Biographical Note
In 1844, Benjamin D. Wilson, second Mayor of Los Angeles, married Ramona Yorba, daughter of
Bernardo Yorba, a well-known land owner during California's Mexican period. After Ramona's
death, Wilson married Margaret S. Hereford in 1853. He was the father of one son and three
daughters. Mariona Wilson married James DeBarth Shorb (1842-1896) and Ruth Wilson married
George Smith Patton (1856-1927) (one-time District Attorney of Los Angeles and the first
Mayor of San Marino) on December 10, 1884. Ruth and George sired two children, George Smith
Patton, Jr. (1885-1945) or "Georgie" and Anne Wilson Patton (1887-1971) or "Nita." George
Smith Patton, Jr., General in the United States Army, became famous in World War II as "Old
Blood and Guts."
Patton and his family resided at Lake Vineyard, apparently built by Benjamin Wilson on 128
acres in the heart of present-day San Marino. This house, Lake Vineyard I, was torn down in
1910 to make way for a larger house, Lake Vineyard II, which was the site of planning
sessions for the incorporation of present-day San Marino.
Ann Wilson, Ruth Wilson Patton's sister, lived with the Patton family at Lake Vineyard and
may have been the photographer for the images in the first four boxes of the collection, and
was the photographer and creator of the photograph album in Box 5.
The Patton and Banning Families, both prominent in the history of Southern California,
shared a close relationship; Benjamin Wilson and Phineas Banning (founder of the Port of Los
Angeles and of Wilmington, California) were business partners. George S. Patton, Jr.,
married Beatrice Banning Ayer.
Scope and Contents
The Patton Family Collection consists of 156 glass plate negatives, 218 film negatives, 875
photographs, and a negative book, 1885-1945 (bulk 1895-1907), created and/or collected by
members of the Patton family and friends. The collection provides an intimate look into the
private lives of one of Southern California's prominent families around the turn of the
twentieth century.
Boxes 1 and 2 contain copy prints of glass plate negatives taken by Ann Wilson, sister of
Ruth Wilson Patton, and printed in her darkroom on the family's Lake Vineyard property.
These photographs depict members of the Patton family and friends of the family; interiors
of both of the Lake Vineyard houses in San Marino, California (Lake Vineyard I and II);
views of the Lake Vineyard property; and photographs of the Patton family and friends on
Santa Catalina Island and views of Catalina. Box 2 also contains photographs of Lake
Vineyard II taken in 1971. Box 3 contains photographs of the Banning residence in
Wilmington, California, along with images of the Patton and Banning families at family
celebrations; and photographs (many created by studio photographers) of members of the
Patton family, including George S. Patton, Jr.; Anne Wilson Patton; Ruth Wilson Patton; and
George Smith Patton, Sr. Box 4 contains snapshots taken by an unidentified individual of
(presumably) Patton family friends at various resort locations in California, including
Catalina Island and Mount Tamalpais, as well as photographs of the Patton family at Lake Vineyard.
Box 5 contains a photograph album created by Ann Wilson that contains images of members of
both the Patton and Shorb families.
In addition to the images created by Ann Wilson, the collection includes photographs
created by Joseph Harrison Lamson, Frank G. Schumacher, George Steckel, and James D.
Westervelt.
Many photographs have annotations on the verso added in 1976 by Hancock Banning.
Arrangement
The collection is generally arranged by photographer and subject. Copy prints of Ann
Wilson's glass plate negatives form the first part of the collection, followed by copy
prints of photographs taken by an unidentified individual. Box 5 houses a photograph album
compiled by Ann Wilson.
Related materials in the Huntington Library
-
Banning Family Collection of Photographs, Part I (photCL
180)
-
Banning Family Collection of Photographs, Part II (photCL
451)
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Long Beach (Calif.)--Photographs
Lowe, Mount (Los Angeles County, Calif.)--Photographs
San Gabriel River Valley (Calif.)--Photographs
San Marino (Calif.)--Photographs
Santa Catalina Island (Calif.)--Photographs
Santa Cruz (Calif.)--Photographs
Wilson, Mount (Calif. : Mountain)--Photographs
Tamalpais, Mount (Calif.)--Photographs
Wilmington (Los Angeles, Calif.)--Photographs
Bicycles -- Photographs
Children -- Photographs
Dwellings -- California -- San Marino -- Photographs
Horsemanship -- California -- San Marino -- Photographs
Interiors -- California -- San Marino -- Photographs
Military cadets -- Photographs
Parades -- California -- Pasadena -- Photographs
Recreation -- California -- Photographs
Ships -- California -- Photographs
Tennis -- California -- San Marino -- Photographs
Clippings.
Negatives.
Notes.
Photograph albums.
Photographs