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Fair Oaks Ranch Photographs : Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Lisa Janssen.
The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
© 2015
The Huntington Library. All rights reserved.

Overview of the Collection

Title: Fair Oaks Ranch Photographs next hit
Dates (inclusive): approximately 1878-approximately 1900
Bulk dates: approximately 1889
Collection Number: photCL 6
Collector: James F. Crank Family
Extent: 96 previous hit photographs next hit (including duplicates) in 1 box : prints
Repository: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Photo Archives
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, California 91108
Phone: (626) 405-2191
Email: reference@huntington.org
URL: http://www.huntington.org
Abstract: This collection contains one previous hit photograph next hit album and thirty-five loose previous hit photographs next hit depicting the Fair Oaks Ranch, in Altadena, California, during the late 19th century. The ranch, owned by businessman and rancher James F. Crank, encompassed a vineyard, winery, and citrus orchards, along with a lavish residence and grounds. Subjects include interior and exterior views of the residence; the Crank family; Chinese agricultural workers and ranch hands in the vineyard; winery operations; fruit orchards; and trees and plant life on the property. previous hit Photographs next hit in the album are cyanotype prints; the loose previous hit photographs next hit include cyanotypes, cabinet cards, and stereographs.
Language: English.
Note:
Finding aid last updated on 2015-06-15.

Access

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Administrative Information

Publication Rights

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], Fair Oaks Ranch previous hit Photographs next hit , The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Gift of Mildred Crank, 1935-1938.

Historical Note

The Fair Oaks Ranch property (now in modern day Pasadena and Altadena, California) was originally part of the Rancho San Pasqual. Eliza Griffin Johnston purchased the property in 1862 from her brother Dr. John S. Griffin, who had large land holdings in the Los Angeles area. Eliza Johnston named the ranch “Fair Oaks” after her hometown in West Virginia, but left California after only two years following the death of her son, Albert S. Johnston II. In 1877, Benjamin S. Eaton took over the property , subdivided the ranch, and sold the northern parcel to businessman James F. Crank (1842-1935) in 1877. Crank had recently moved to Los Angeles, California, from the East Coast with his wife, Mary Agnes Crank (1846-1932), and son, Albert F. Crank (1870-1933). Crank proceeded to plant vineyards and fruit orchards and built a Victorian mansion on the property in 1882. In 1885, he constructed a winery and the next year started the Sierra Madre Vintage Company. Crank was also president of the Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley Railroad. He hit financial hard times and sold the ranch around 1905.

Scope and Content

This collection consists of one previous hit photograph next hit album with 48 previous hit photographs next hit and 35 loose previous hit photographs next hit (as well as some duplicates), with images depicting the Fair Oaks Ranch in Altadena, California. The previous hit photographs next hit in the album are cyanotype prints dating from around 1889; the loose previous hit photographs next hit include cyanotypes, cabinet cards, and stereographs that date from the late 1870s to about 1900. The last page of the album contains a travel sketch in pencil, followed by sketches of a room interior and floor plan on two pages laid in. Subjects include interior and exterior views of the residence, landscaped grounds, trees, and plant life; members of the Crank family; ranch workers, including Chinese laborers, working in the orchards and vineyard, harvesting and packing fruit, drying apricots, and loading fruit onto horse-drawn carts; workers’ quarters; the operations of the winery and distillery; and also a handful of sweeping views of the San Gabriel Mountains and the Altadena and Pasadena areas taken from vantage points on the property.
The photographer of the album is unknown, but Item 46 shows a wood hutch with a mirror in which the photographer and camera are reflected. Some of the cabinet cards and stereographs have imprints from area photographers: C. McMurtrey (Item 80), C.B. Ripley (Items 73-74), and A.C. Varela (Items 76-78).
Titles have been transcribed from captions on album pages and photo-mounts when present; titles devised by the cataloger are enclosed in square brackets. Additional information was gathered from notes on the backs of some previous hit photographs next hit . Approximate dates for the collection were devised by the cataloger based on years noted on certain items, the general history of the property and Crank family, and also on a year visible on a calendar in Item 46. Thirteen previous hit photographs next hit have duplicates in the collection, which are noted in the inventory below.

Related materials in the Huntington Library

Alternative Form of Materials Available

Visit the Huntington Digital Library: previous hit Photographs next hit   to view digitized images from this collection.

Arrangement

The collection is arranged with the album first, followed by the loose previous hit photographs next hit in order of image number.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Huntington Library's Online Catalog.  

Subjects

Crank, James F. -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Crank Family -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Agricultural laborers -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Agriculture -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Architecture, Victorian -- California -- Altadena -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Chinese Americans -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Dwellings -- California -- Altadena -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Gardens -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Orchards -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Ranch houses -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Ranches -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Trees -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Upper class families -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Vineyards -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Wine and wine making -- California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
Altadena (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit
California, Southern -- previous hit Photographs next hit
Pasadena (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit
San Gabriel Mountains (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit
San Gabriel River Valley (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit

Forms/Genres

previous hit Photographs next hit .
Cabinet previous hit photographs next hit .
Cyanotypes.
Stereographs.
previous hit Photograph next hit albums.

Contributors

McMurtrey, C., photographer.
Ripley, C. B., photographer.
Varela, A. C. (Alexander C.), 1839-1915, photographer.

Box 1

previous hit Photographs next hit

Volume 1

Fair Oaks Rancho previous hit Photograph next hit Album, approximately 1889-approximately 1891

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Physical Description: 48 previous hit photographs next hit in 1 volume : cyanotype prints ; images various sizes 12.5 x 20 cm and smaller, album 22.5 x 29 cm + 3 drawings

Scope and Content

This previous hit photograph next hit album contains cyanotype prints dating from about 1889. The title "Fair Oaks Rancho San Gabriel Valley, California" is hand drawn on the cover. Images are of interior and exterior views of the Crank residence; Chinese agricultural workers and ranch hands in the vineyard and fruit orchards; winery operations; and trees and plant life on the property. The last few pages of album feature three pencil sketches by an unknown artist of a rowboat scene on Lake Keuka, a room interior, and a floor plan.
Album date range supplied by cataloger based on 1889 year visible on a calendar in Item 46 and the 1891 date in the title for the sketch of rowboats (Drawing 1).
Item 1

[Front lawn of Crank residence.]

Item 2

[Upper level of Crank Residence.]

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 3

[Three-quarters view of back of Crank residence.]

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 4

[Exterior view of front of Crank residence.]

Item 5

[Exterior view of back of Crank residence.]

Item 6

[Three-quarters exterior view of front of Crank residence.]

Item 7

[Porch of Crank residence.]

Item 8

[Interior of Crank residence.]

Item 9

[Road through orchard.]

Item 10

[Road through shade trees.]

Item 11

[Two cabbage trees.]

Item 12

[Roof of water tank.]

Item 13

[Worker's quarters.]

Item 14

Reservoir.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 15

[Fruit harvest.]

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 16

[Dirt road through trees.]

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 17

[Workers in orchard.]

Item 18

[San Gabriel Mountains.]

Item 19

[Citrus grove.]

Item 20

[Fruit tree].

Item 21

[Orchard and San Gabriel Mountains.]

Item 22

[Scenic view of mountains.]

Item 23

[Orchard path.]

Item 24

Ripe persimmons.

Item 25

In the vineyards.

Item 26

In the vineyards.

Item 27

In the vineyards.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 28

In the vineyards.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 29

In the vineyards.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 30

In the vineyards.

Item 31

Pickers filling the boxes.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 32

Pickers filling the boxes.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 33

Ready for the wagon.

Item 34

Loading the wagon.

Item 35

Loading the wagon.

Item 36

Ready for the wagon.

Item 37

[Harvested grapes.]

Item 38

Hauling to the wine press.

Item 39

On the endless belt going to the crusher.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 40

On the scales.

Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 41

3700 pounds.

Item 42

Still house.

Item 43

Bottling port.

Item 44

A row in the wine cellar.

Item 45

Making brandy.

Item 46

Sample room.

Item 47

Exterior of James F. Crank house.

Item 48

Chinese vineyard workers.

Drawing 1

Going to the corn roast, Lake Keuka [pencil sketch], Sept. 1, 1891.

Drawing 2

[Pencil drawing of a front room interior with fireplace].

Drawing 3

[Pencil drawing of a house floorplan.]

 

Loose previous hit Photographs next hit , approximately 1880-approximately 1900

Physical Description: 35 previous hit photographs next hit : prints ; images various sizes.

Scope and Content

These loose previous hit photographs next hit include cyanotypes, cabinet cards, and stereographs. Images are of the Crank residence, the Crank family, horses, and workers harvesting grapes and citrus fruit from the vineyard and orchards on the property. One previous hit photograph next hit shows a man painting in the "plein air" manner that was popular at the time (Item 60).
Item 49

Main house.

Item 50

Ranch house.

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Item 51

East porch and garden.

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Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 52

Garden.

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Item 53

Cactus plants and oak tree.

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Item 54

Hall and staircase.

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Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 55

Interior.

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Item 56

Interior -- group playing cards.

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Item 57

Three unidentified women.

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Item 58

Woman in garden.

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Item 59

Unidentified woman.

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Item 60

[Man painting watercolor.]

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Item 61

Elderly man under huge live-oak tree.

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Item 62

Adobe house of Chinese help.

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Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 63

Chinese man before adobe house.

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Note

Duplicate loose print in collection.
Item 64

White carriage house outside stable.

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Item 65

Group of horses including Bert Ranks "Inyo."

Item 66

Ranch house group.

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Item 67

Reservoir and house.

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Item 68

Drying apricots in the sun.

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Item 69

Drying apricots.

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Item 70

Bert drying apricots.

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Item 71

Chinese picking grapes.

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Item 72

Chinese picking grapes.

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Item 73

House surrounded by young grape vines.

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Stereograph by C.B. Ripley.
Item 74

Driveway to house.

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Stereograph by C.B. Ripley.
Item 75

Harvesting grapes.

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Item 76

The vineyards of Fair Oaks Ranch.

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Stereograph by A.C. Varela.
Item 77

Mexican help before adobe.

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Stereograph by A.C. Varela.
Item 78

Crank family.

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Stereograph by A.C. Varela.
Item 79

Pampas grass (18 feet) and umbrella tree.

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Item 80

Grape picking, Cranks' ranch.

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previous hit Photograph by C. McMurtrey.
Item 81

Grape vine -- Cranks' ranch.

Item 82

Gathering oranges, Mr. Crank at left.

Item 83

East porch and garden.

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