Harry Pidgeon Negatives
Finding aid created by California Museum of Photography staff using RecordEXPRESS
UC Riverside. California Museum of Photography
2020
3824 Main Street
Riverside, California 92501
(951) 827-5303
cmpcollections@ucr.edu
http://www.artsblock.ucr.edu/
Title: Harry Pidgeon Negatives
Dates: 1889-1936
Collection Number: 1986.0034
Creator/Collector:
Pidgeon, Harry
Extent: approximately 1550 glass negatives
Repository:
UC Riverside. California Museum of Photography
Riverside, California 92501
Abstract: The Harry Pidgeon Negatives collection consists of approximately 1550 glass plate negatives. The collection captures the
adventures of Pidgeon on his two sailing adventures around the world, as well as on various trips across North America. Pidgeon's
photographs document his time working in lumber camps in the Sierra, Alaska, and building his boat the "Islander" in Los Angeles,
as well as while traveling the Mississippi River, Hawaii, Oceania (including Fiji, Samoa, New Guinea), South Africa, Panama,
and the Caribbean.
Language of Material: English
Original negatives are available by appointment, but must be handled by the Curator of Collections. Images should be requested
by their print identification numbers.
All requests for permission to publish must be submitted in writing to the Curator of Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California 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 researcher.
Harry Pidgeon Negatives. UC Riverside. California Museum of Photography
The collection was donated to UCR/CMP in 1986 from Captain Charles E. Mohle.
Biography/Administrative History
Harry Pidgeon was born in 1869 in Iowa, and moved to California in 1884 to work in ranching. Pidgeon relocated to Alaska
for a time, but returned to California to work in lumber camps in the Sierra Nevada. In 1917, Pidgeon built the "Islander,"
a 34-foot yawl. Between 1921 and 1924, Pidgeon completed a solo circumnavigation of the globe on his boat, becoming only
the second person to accomplish this feat. His trip included stops in Samoa, Fiji, New Guinea, Christmas Island, Mauritius,
Cape Town, Ascension Island, the Panama Canal, which he documented with his camera, and later wrote about in his book, "Around
the World Single-Handed." Pidgeon completed a second solo circumnavigation between 1932 and 1937. Pidgeon died in 1954 in
San Pedro, California.
Scope and Content of Collection
The Harry Pidgeon Negatives collection consists of approximately 1550 5x7-inch glass plate negatives, which were donated to
the California Museum of Photography in 1986. The collection captures the adventures of Pidgeon on his two sailing adventures
around the world, as well as on various wagon trips across North America. Pidgeon's photographs document his time working
in lumber camps in the Sierra, Alaska, and building his boat the "Islander" in Los Angeles, as well as while traveling the
Mississippi River, Hawaii, Oceania (including Fiji, Samoa, New Guinea), South Africa, Panama, and the Caribbean. Other sites
of note include views made in Yosemite National Park and at the 1904 Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis.
Islander (Yawl)
Voyages around the world
Sailing
Pidgeon, Harry
Glass negatives