A collection of 653 albumen photographs (430 by Carleton E. Watkins and 223 by Alfred A. Hart) dating from approximately 1860s to 1880s. The images document scenery and activity chiefly in Northern and Southern California in the 1870s and 1880s, as well as construction of the western half of the transcontinental railroad by the Central Pacific Railroad in the 1860s.

Carleton E. Watkins (1829-1916) was born in 1829 in Oneonta, New York. In 1851, he migrated to Sacramento, California in the company of businessman Collis P. Huntington and several other residents of Oneonta. He began his photographic career as an apprentice to established San Francisco Bay area studio photographers Robert H. Vance (1825–1876) and James May Ford (c. 1827–1877).

6.25 Linear Feet (10 boxes)

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.

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services. RESTRICTED: Original album (Box 10): Fragile. Available with curatorial approval.