Description
The collection consists of 140 albumen prints on their original 22 x 28 inch mounts. The
collection comprises views of the western United States including Upper Geyser Basin
National Park, a rare set of images of Mammoth Hot Springs National Park, Casa Grande
Pre-Historic Ruins in Arizona, scenes along the Columbia River in Oregon and Washington
including Cape Horn, views from Mt. Lola and Round Top, Lake Tahoe, scenes along the route
of the Central Pacific Railroad, views of San Francisco, and uncommon images of Monterey
county. These are primarily landscape views, but also include scenes of industrial and urban
development. The photographs are undated; however, many of the images are noted on their
mounts as being from Watkins's "New Series." Photographs in his "New Series" were made after
1874. Watkins was active between 1854 and the late 1890s.
Background
Carleton E. Watkins was born in Oneonta, Oswego county, New York, on November 11, 1829. He
was the youngest of five children of a Scottish innkeeper. During his youth he became
acquainted with Collis P. Huntington, who frequented his father's hotel. Soon after the
discovery of gold, both young men went to California, where Huntington later became one of
the Big Four who built the Central Pacific Railroad.
Extent
141 photographic prints : albumen ; on 22 x 28 inch mounts;
141 digital objects
Restrictions
Copyright has not been assigned to The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology. All requests for
permission to publish photographs must be submitted in writing to the museum's media permissions division,
see https://hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/media-permissions/ for policy and procedure to request media permission.
Permission for publication is given on behalf of The Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology 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 by the reader.
Availability
Original prints are restricted and may not be viewed unless permission is granted by the museum's Director.
Photographs should be requested by their catalog numbers.