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Patton Family Collection of Photographs and Negatives
photCL 282
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Repository:
The Huntington Library
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA
91108
Phone: 626-405-2180
Email: jwatts@huntington.org
Collector:
Patton family
Title: Patton Family Collection of Negatives and Photographs
Dates: 1885-1945
Dates: (bulk 1895-1907)
Quantity: 16 boxes, 7.73 linear feet
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. 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.
Identification: photCL 282
Language of Material: English
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.
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 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
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.
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 created by Ann Wilson.
See also:
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 180,
Title:
Banning Family Albums.
Identifier/Call Number: photCL 451,
Title:
Banning Family Collection of Photographs.
This record series is indexed under the following controlled access subject terms.
Banning, Hancock, Sr.--Photographs.
Huntington, Henry Edwards, 1850-1927--Photographs.
Lamson, Joseph Harrison, 1840-1902.
Patton, Anne Wilson--Photographs.
Patton, George S. (George Smith)--Photographs.
Patton, George S. (George Smith), 1885-1945--Photographs.
Patton, Ruth Wilson--Photographs.
Patton, Susan Glassell--Photographs.
Schumacher, Frank G., b. 1861.
Steckel, Geo. (George), b. 1864.
Westervelt, James D., b. 1844.
Wilson, Ann.
Banning family--Photographs.
Shorb family--Photographs.
United States Military Academy--Photographs.
Virginia Military Institute--Photographs.
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.
Sant 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.
Access is granted to qualified researchers and by appointment.
All requests for permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Photographs. Permission
for publication is given on behalf of the Huntington as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or
imply permission of the copyright holder, which must also be obtained.
photCL 282, Patton family Collection of Negatives and Photographs, 1885-1945.
Donated by Anne Wilson Patton, 1957.
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 13-15, are housed in cold storage. Requests to view negatives must
be made with the Curator of Photographs.