Fisher (Robert) Collection of Views of Europe, circa 1850-circa 1920

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Summary

Title:
Robert B. Fisher collection of Views of Europe
Dates:
circa 1850-circa 1920
Creators:
London Stereoscopic Company, Léon et Lévy, Photo Zürich, Frith, Francis, Schmitz, Anselm, 1839-1903, Bonfils, Félix, 1831-1885, Valentine, James, 1815-1879, Wilson, G. W. (George Washington), 1823-1893, Sommer, Giorgio, 1834-1914, Neurdein frères, Darrah, William C. (William Culp), 1909-1989, Green, C.E., Grillet, Grundy, William Morris, 1806-1859, Smith, Beck, and Beck, Fenton, Roger, 1819-1869, England, William, 1830-1896, De la Rue, Warren, 1815-1889, Sedgfield, William Russell, 1826-1902, Williams, T. R., Zangaki, P., Bedford, Francis, 1816-1894, Hautecoeur, J., Macpherson, Robert, 1815 or 1816-1872, Notman, William, Richebourg, Pierre Ambroise, 1810-1875, Ogle and Edge, Negretti and Zambra, Fratelli Alinari, Fisher, Robert B., and Lawrence & Houseworth
Abstract:
A collection of glass and paper stereographs, glass lantern slides, photographic prints (single and mounted in an album) and photomechanically illustrated travel booklets, primarily depicting European sites and cities, together with some genre scenes and a few non-European views.
Extent:
9.8 Linear Feet (11 boxes)
Language:
Collection material is in English, French, German, and Italian.
Preferred citation:

Robert B. Fisher collection of views of Europe, circa 1850-circa 1920, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 94.R.30

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa94r30

Background

Scope and content:

Assembled by Dr. Robert B. Fisher over a 35-year period, the focus of the collection is early European photography. The collection contains 737 items in the following formats: 142 glass stereos, 164 lantern slides, 380 paper stereographs, 44 photographic prints, 1 album, and 6 travel booklets. The images primarily depict European sites and cities, together with some genre scenes and a few non-European views.

Series I: Glass stereographs, comprises 142 items (boxes 1-3), arranged by geographic location. The countries represented are Austria, England (Roger Fenton, G.W. Wilson), France (Ferrier et Soulier), Germany, Italy (Grillet), Russia, Spain, Switzerland (Ferrier et Soulier), Istanbul (Ferrier et Soulier), and Egypt (Francis Frith). There is also a rare image of the moon by Warren De la Rue, circa 1860s, published by Smith, Beck, and Beck.

Series II: Glass lantern slides, comprises 164 items (boxes 4-5). 109 images of France are by C.E. Green. The original negatives, circa 1859, were published by Levy and Company circa 1870; 100 are contained in their original box (box 4). A group of 39 slides mostly labeled 1916 represent a rail trip from Italy to Russia made that year; images include trains and train stations, markets, daily activities, monuments, parades, and demonstrations. A group of 16 miscellaneous slides contains images of Germany, France, the cliffs of Dover, Palestine, Spain, Ecuador, Egypt, and Martinique.

Series III: Paper stereographs, comprises 380 items (boxes 6-7), arranged by country, and maker when known. The emphasis is on early stereographic formats including salt prints, tissue views, and hand-colored salt and albumen prints, mostly dating from 1850-1870. A number of the stereographs are from the Darrah collection. Countries represented include France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Spain, and Switzerland, as well as sites in the Middle East. Great Britain is the best represented, with images by Francis Bedford, William England, Francis Frith, William Grundy, Negretti and Zambra (expositions at the Crystal Palace, 1851, and Sydenham, 1854), Ogle and Edge, William Russell Sedgfield, T. R. Williams, and G. W. Wilson. The early works of the London Stereographic Company are also well represented. French photographers include J. Hautecoeur and Richebourg. There are three stereos of the Paris Commune. Tissue views include several examples of French "Diablos," European genre scenes, and images of the Crystal Palace and London Bridge.

Series IV: Single photographs, is comprised of 44 items (boxes 8-9). Box 8 consists of mostly unmounted photographs of France, Germany, Great Britain, and Italy. Photographers represented include: Neurdein Frères, Giorgio Sommer, and Alinari. Box 9 consists of mounted photographs, including nine images of Egypt by Zangaki, a view of the Mount of Olives by Bonfils, various views of Italy by Sommer and Alinari, and two views of Athens, possibly by Robert Macpherson.

Series V comprises a single leather-bound album (box 10) containing 140 albumen prints with handwritten captions in English. Some images are dated 1870 or 1872. The album belonged to an unidentified family who may have emigrated from Scotland to Canada. Images are of various sites in Scotland and of Hespeler and London, Ontario. In addition, there are several images of Niagara Falls by William Notman and images of San Francisco by Lawrence and Houseworth.

Series VI: Travel booklets, is comprised of 6 volumes (box 11). The volumes are small, accordion-folded, photomechanically illustrated travel booklets. One booklet is entitled "Around the World." Another booklet is of views of the Isle of Wight. The remaining booklets depict various sites in Scotland.

Biographical / historical:

Robert B. Fisher, M.D. moved to Washington Township, California in 1950 and established a medical practice in San Jose. He was keenly interested in local history, especially that of pioneer families who settled the area, and he founded Mission Peak Heritage Foundation in Fremont, California in 1962. He was also an expert on early European photography.

Acquisition information:
Acquired in 1994.
Processing information:

the collection was processed by Hilary Brown and Beth Ann Guynn. The finding aid was written by Guynn and encoded by Holly Larson with grant funding from the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR).

Arrangement:

Organized in six series: Series I. Glass stereographs; Series II. Glass lantern slides; Series III. Paper stereographs; Series IV. Single photographs; Series V. Album; Series VI. Travel booklets.

Physical location:
Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Hilary Brown and Beth Ann Guynn
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2024-05-14 13:51:31 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers.

Terms of access:

Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.

Preferred citation:

Robert B. Fisher collection of views of Europe, circa 1850-circa 1920, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 94.R.30

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa94r30

Location of this collection:
1200 Getty Center Drive, Suite 1100
Los Angeles, CA 90049-1688, US
Contact:
(310) 440-7390
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