Tasker (Dain L.) photograph collection, 1929-1955

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Summary

Title:
Dain L. Tasker photograph collection
Dates:
1929-1955
Abstract:
Dr. Dain Loren Tasker was a doctor specializing in radiology and osteopathy as well as an artist and photographer. This collection is comprised of 61 gelatin silver prints made from x-ray negatives by Dain L. Tasker and a small amount of ephemera. The prints depict a variety of flowers and one snail as seen through x-ray imaging.
Extent:
7.42 Linear Feet (6 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. Dain L. Tasker photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

The collection consists of 61 gelatin silver prints made from x-ray negatives produced by Dr. Dain Loren Tasker. The collection also includes one hand-formed copper wire cursive signature label for x-rays and a hand-hammered copper and wood photograph album cover. A small number of the prints are labeled and signed by the artist. Many of the plant identifications were made by Joseph Bellows Gallery or The Huntington Botanical Department. The prints depict x-ray images of a variety of flowers and plants as well as one snail. The prints range in size from 9 x 12.5 cm to 32 x 40 cm.

Biographical / historical:

Dr. Dain Loren Tasker was a doctor specializing in radiology and osteopathy as well as an artist and photographer. Tasker was born in Beloit, Wisconsin in 1872. He moved to Riverside, California in 1892 and graduated from the Pacific College of Osteopathy in 1898. Tasker served as the Director of South Pasadena Osteopathic Sanitarium when it opened in 1903. He was chief radiologist at the Wilshire Hospital in Los Angeles. Tasker started practicing pictorial photography around 1920, and around 1930 he began taking x-ray images of flowers. Tasker died in 1964.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from Joseph Bellows Gallery, July 2025. Gift of Joseph Bellows, September 2025. Purchased for the Huntington from Joseph Bellows Gallery by the Library Collectors' Council, March 2026.
Processing information:

Processed by Carri Frola in June 2026.

Arrangement:

Organized in two series: Series 1. Album, approximately 1930-1939; Series 2. Additional prints, 1929-1955.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

About this collection guide

Collection Guide Author:
Carri Frola
Date Encoded:
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2026-08-17 14:47:58 -0700 .

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

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:

[Identification of item]. Dain L. Tasker photograph collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
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