Carleton E. Watkins Stereograph Collection: Finding Aid

Finding aid prepared by Lisa Janssen and Diann Benti.

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

Overview of the Collection

Title: Carleton E. Watkins Stereograph Collection

Dates (inclusive): approximately 1870s-approximately 1880s

Collection Number: photST Watkins

Creator: Watkins, Carleton E., 1829-1916

Extent: 267 photographs in 2 boxes : albumen prints ; 9 x 18 cm (stereograph format)

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 269 stereographs by photographer Carleton E. Watkins, dating from the 1860s to about the 1880s, that chiefly depict buildings and locales in Northern and Southern California.

Language: English.

Note:

Finding aid last updated on January 4, 2016.

Access

Open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, contact Reader Services.

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], Carleton E. Watkins Stereograph Collection, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Provenance

Items were received from various sources. When known, provenance information is written on the stereograph verso. Donors include Carter, 1937; and many were received as part of the Historical Society of Southern California Collection, 1992, and are stamped "Society of California Pioneers, Chas. B. Turrill Collection."

Nos. 1701 and 1704 were received as the gift of Mr. Norman Neuerburg, April 1994.

Biographical Note

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).

Watkins photographed Yosemite for the first time in 1861. His large-scale images inspired President Abraham Lincoln and the United States Congress to declare Yosemite the nation’s first national preserve in 1864. By the end of the American Civil War, the photographer had become one of the medium’s leading lights, winning prestigious commissions and international awards.

Over the course of his career, Watkins operated studios at various Montgomery Street addresses in San Francisco. Around 1869, he purchased Alfred A. Hart’s stereographic negatives documenting the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad. Watkins subsequently published Hart’s negatives under the series title: “Watkins Central Pacific Railroad.”

Watkins suffered severe financial reverses in 1875, losing his negative inventory to competitor Isaiah H. Taber. From that point onward, Watkins published negatives under the “New Series” heading.

In 1879, Watkins married Frances Henrietta Snead. The couple had two children, Julia (1881–1977) and Collis (1883–1965). By the early 1890s, declining health forced Watkins to curtail his activities. He took his last major commission in 1894, photographing the Phoebe Apperson Hearst residence, Hacienda del Pozo de Verona, in Pleasanton, California. The earthquake and fire of 1906 destroyed Watkins’s San Francisco studio and its contents. Shortly thereafter, he entered the Napa State Asylum for the Insane in Napa, California, where he died in 1916.

Scope and Content

This collection contains 269 stereographs by photographer Carleton E. Watkins, dating from the 1860s to about the 1880s, that chiefly depict buildings, points of interest, and locales in Northern and Southern California. The collection includes 1 stereograph from the Central Pacific Railroad series; 5 stereographs from Watkins' Pacific Railroad Series; 110 stereographs from Watkins' Pacific Coast series; and 150 stereographs from Watkins' New Series.

The Watkins' Pacific Coast Series, created between 1861 and 1874, primarily depict locales in Northern California with many images of buildings in San Francisco, views of Yosemite and Mariposa County, Missions, and some mining operations including photographs of the North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company in Nevada County, California.

The Watkins' New Series stereographs, created between 1874 and 1890, consist of images of both Southern California and Northern California, in cities including San Francisco, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, and San Gabriel. Among the Southern California residences and properties depicted include the Sunny Slope Ranch of L.J. Rose in San Gabriel, Willow Dale owned by N.C. Carter, and Lake Vineyard owned by B.D. Wilson.

Some of the stereographs in Watkins' Pacific Coast Series include titles in the margins in Watkins' own hand (see Nos. 1033, 1135, 1146, 1153, and 1721).

Numbered captions with printed titles appear on many of the mounts; unnumbered mounts are numbered consecutively within the series beginning at 1. Item titles chiefly transcribed from printed titles in stereograph margin; cataloger devised titles are enclosed in square brackets.

Alternative Form of Materials Available

Visit the Huntington Digital Library: Photographs to view digitized items from this collection.

Related materials in the Huntington Library

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in 4 series:

Central Pacific Railroad
Watkins' Pacific Railroad
Watkins' Pacific Coast
Watkins' New Series

Within each series, stereographs are arranged numerically according to the photographer stock number printed with the image title, with unnumbered mounts listed first.

Indexing Terms

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

Subjects

Carter, Nathaniel Coburn, 1840- -- Homes and haunts -- Photographs.

Rose, L. J. (Leonard John), 1827-1899 -- Homes and haunts -- Photographs.

North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company -- Photographs.

Agriculture -- California -- Photographs.

Orchards -- California -- Photographs.

Dwellings -- California -- Photographs.

Mines and mineral resources -- West (U.S.) -- Photographs.

Missions, Spanish -- California -- Photographs.

Wineries -- California -- San Gabriel -- Photographs.

Pasadena (Calif.)-- Photographs.

San Gabriel (Calif.)-- Photographs.

San Francisco (Calif.)-- Photographs.

San Marino (Calif.)-- Photographs.

Sierra Madre (Calif.)-- Photographs.

Sunny Slope Ranch (Calif.) -- Photographs.

Yosemite Valley (Calif.) -- Photographs.

Forms/Genres

Photographs.

Stereographs.

Stereographs

Box 1

Central Pacific Railroad

Item Central Pacific Railroad 42

Long Ravine Bridge from below, 120 feet high.

Box 1

Watkins' Pacific Railroad

Item Watkins' Pacific Railroad 256

Crested Peak and Tunnel no. 10. Eastern Slope of Western Summit.

Item Watkins' Pacific Railroad 282

Piute Squaws and Children, at Reno

Item Watkins' Pacific Railroad 331

Sentinel Rock, Ten Mile Cañon.

Item Watkins' Pacific Railroad 339

Alcove in Palisades, Ten Mile Cañon. [With railroad tracks at right of image]

Item Watkins' Pacific Railroad 339

Alcove in Palisades, Ten Mile Cañon. [Without railroad tracks at right of image]

Box 1

Watkins' Pacific Coast

Scope and Content

These stereographs are chiefly on yellow or orange mounts, with the text "C.E. Watkins, Pacific Coast" or "Watkins' Pacific Coast" printed in the left margin, and often listing studio addresses including "429 Montgomery Street, San Francisco," "22 and 26 Montgomery Street, opposite Lick House entrance, San Francisco," and "No. 1 Montgomery St., cor Post, San Francisco."

No. 1

Yosemite Falls, 2630 feet, Yosemite Valley Mariposa County Cal.

No. 2

University of California, Berkeley

Note

Mount unnumbered; could be No. 2268-2269.

No. 3

[Unidentified mansion, Northern California]

Note

Mount unnumbered.

No. 4

[Aerial view of hotel amid trees, Sonoma Co.]

Note

Mount unnumbered and lacking title.

No. 5

Residence of W.C. Ralston, Belmont.

Note

Mount unnumbered; No. 2117.

No. 6

Ralston's ballroom at Belmont (W.C. Ralston), San Mateo Co.

Note

Mount unnumbered; No. 2118.

No. 7

On the way to the lower falls, Watkins Yosemite.

Note

Unnumbered. Title handwritten in margin in Carleton E. Watkins' hand.

No. 8

Yosemite Valley, Yosemite Falls.

Note

Mount unnumbered.

No. 9

Residence of W.C. Ralston, Belmont.

Note

Mount unnumbered; No. 2126.

No. 10

[Exterior of two-story residence, with girl and dog standing against fence in front.]

Note

Mount unnumbered and lacking title.

No. 11

[Masonic Temple. Corner of Market and Montgomery, San Francisco.]

Note

Mount unnumbered and lacking title; No. 1368.

No. 72

Under the Upper Yosemite Fall, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 109

Grizzly Giant - Section. Watkins Mariposa.

No. 160

The Planella, New Almaden.

No. 275

Albion River, Albion, Mendocino County, California.

No. 482

View from Howard Hill, San Mateo, Cal.

No. 506

First Street, from Rincon Hill, San Francisco.

No. 751

Montgomery St., from Austin's Building, July 4, '65, S.F.

No. 766

Panorama from Russian Hill, San Francisco. (No. 5.)

No. 786

Synagogue Emanuel, San Francisco.

No. 939

Merchants' Exchange, San Francisco.

No. 940

Bank of California, San Francisco.

No. 941

Bank of California, San Francisco.

No. 946

Fort Point, from Black Point, San Francisco.

No. 950

Fort Point, from the wreck of the Viscata, San Francisco.

No. 1013

The Sentinel, 3270 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1027

View down the Valley, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1033

River View. Watson's Yosemite.

Note

Title handwritten in margin in Carleton E. Watkins' hand.

No. 1041

In Camp Grove, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1042

In Camp Grove, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1078

Pohono, or the Bridal Veil, 900 feet, from the Coulterville Trail, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1080

Piwyac, or the Vernal Fall, 300 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1081

Piwyac, or The Vernal Fall, from the Cliff, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Co.

No. 1085

Yowiye, or the Nevada Fall, 700 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1127

Tasayac, or the Half Dome, 5000 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1135

From the "Best general View," Mariposa Trail. Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1135

The Yosemite Valley. Watkins Yosemite.

Note

Title handwritten in margin in Carleton E. Watkins' hand.

No. 1146

Yosemite Valley. Views from the Sentinel Dome. Watkins Yosemite.

Note

Title handwritten in margin in Carleton E. Watkins' hand.

No. 1153

Yosemite Valley. Half Dome from Glacier Pt. Watkins Yosemite.

Note

Title handwritten in margin in Carleton E. Watkins' hand.

No. 1164

Section of the Grizzly Giant, 33 feet diameter, Mariposa Grove, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1166

In the Mariposa Grove, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1169

In the Mariposa Grove, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1171

In the Mariposa Grove, Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1178

White & Hatches', Mariposa County, Cal.

No. 1209

Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 9.

No. 1214

Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 1

No. 1216

Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 3

No. 1318

The Dalles, from Sun Set Hill.

No. 1338

Panorama from Telegraph Hill. (No. 1.) The Golden Gate.

No. 1380

North-east corner California and Sansome streets.

No. 1572

The Devil's Canon, Geysers--view looking up the Cañon, Sonoma Co., Cal.

No. 1585

The Devil's Cañon, Geysers. View looking up. Napa County, Cal.

No. 1587

The Devil's Tea-Kettle, from the Road, Sonoma Co., Cal.

No. 1593

Calistoga Hotel, Sonoma Co., Cal.

No. 1596

Petrified Grotto at the Calistoga Hotel. Napa County, Cal.

No. 1598

Cottage at the Calistoga Hotel, Sonoma Co., Cal.

No. 1608

Fort Point. From the west side.

No. 1642

At Woodward's Gardens, San Francisco.

No. 1665

Palace Hotel, S.F. Interior View.

No. 1701

Mission Church, Mission Dolores.

No. 1704

Mission Church, Mission Dolores.

No. 1709

Lake House, Ocean House Road.

No. 1712

Calvary Church, S.F.

No. 1718

Docking the Steamer China. Hunter's Point Dry Dock.

No. 1721

The China in the Dry Dock, Hunters Point.

Note

One of two different stereographic views in the Watkins' Pacific Coast series numbered 1721; this version has 22 & 26 Montgomery St. address printed in margin.

No. 1721

The China in the Dry Dock, Hunters Point.

Note

One of two different stereographic views in the Watkins' Pacific Coast series numbered 1721; this version has the 22 Montgomery St. address printed in margin

No. 1723

Steamer China in Hunter's Point Dry Dock.

No. 1742

Lick House Dining-room, S.F.

No. 1743

Lick House Dining room, S.F.

No. 1744

Lick House Dining Room, J. M. Lawlor & Co., Proprietors, San Francisco, Cal.

No. 1779

Montgomery St., Wells Fargo's Express, S.F.

No. 1782

Bank of California, S.F.

No. 1796

Chy Lung & Co., Sacramento Street, S.F.

No. 1802

Rudyard, (English) Dam. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company.

No. 1803

Big Cañon (Bowman) Dam. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company.

No. 1805

Flume and Catchwater below Bowman Dam. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Company.

No. 1809

Bowman Reservoir and Flume from the Henness Pass Road. North Bloomfield Gravel M. Co.

No. 1812

Aqueduct Pipes crossing Humbug Cañon. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1818

Malakoff Diggings. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1820

Malakoff Diggings, North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co. Nevada Co.

No. 1821

Malakoff Diggings. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1822

Malakoff Diggings. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1823

Sluicing at the Shaft House. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1824

Malakoff. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1825

Union Diggings, Columbia Hill. North Bloomfield Gravel Mining Co.

No. 1827

Columbia Hill from Union Diggings, near Lake City, Nevada Co. Cal.

No. 1835

Union Diggings, Relief Hill, Nevada Co. California.

No. 1839

City of Vallego and Suburbs. From the residence of A.D. Wood. (No. 1)

No. 2004

Light-house at Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2011

Fisherman's Bay, landing stones for Light House, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2020

Arch on Sugar Loaf Islands, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2055

Sea Lions, West End, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2058

Sea Lions, West End, Farallone Islands

No. 2066

Young Gulls, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2069

Sea Aquarium, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean.

No. 2218

Niantic Building, San Francisco

No. 2230

From the Ranch of Mr. Kercheval, Sacramento River, 203 Pears, weight, 85 pounds.

No. 2302

On the way to the Geysers.

No. 2306

On the way to the Geysers.

No. 2331

White Sulphur Springs

No. 2370

Clay St. Hill R.R. San Francisco, Ca. Run by A.S. Hallidie's …

No. 2377

San Francisco, from Dolores and Twenty-first Sts.

No. 2481

View from Mason and Pine, San Francisco.

No. 2502

Lava Bed, looking East, showing Soldiers Cemetery.

No. 2519

View of Lava Bed, looking North-east, showing the Modoc fortifications in the background.

No. 2521

View of Lava Bed, looking South-east, showing the spot where the Modocs camped, and to the right the trail by which they escaped from their stronghold.

No. 3037

Washington Column, 2,082 feet. Yosemite Valley, Mariposa Co., Cal.

No. 3042

Mirror Lake, Yosemite.

No. 3705

Residence of Chas. Crocker, Esq., Cal. St. Hill, S.F.

No. 4168

Virginia City, from Mt. Davidson, No. 2.

Box 2

Watkins' New Series

Scope and Content

These stereographs are on orange mounts with text beginning "Watkins' New Series" printed in the left margin. Earlier numbers have the imprint "Watkins' New Series, Yosemite and Pacific Coast. 26 Montgomery Street and Woodward's Garden, S.F." and later numbers read "Watkins' New Series Of Pacific Coast Views, 427 Montgomery Street, S.F."

No. 12

View at Los Angeles, Cal.

Note

Mount unnumbered; No. 4361.

No. 13

Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., Cal.

No. 14

Pasadena, Los Angeles Co., Cal.