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Howard W. Wright Family Collection of Photographs: Finding Aid
photCL 222  
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Table of contents What's This?
  • Overview of the Collection
  • Access
  • Administrative Information
  • Biographical Note
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement
  • Indexing Terms

    • Overview of the Collection

    Title: Howard W. Wright Family Collection of Photographs next hit
    Dates (inclusive): approximately 1878-1930
    Bulk dates: 1896-1917
    Collection Number: photCL 222
    Creator: Wright family.
    Extent: approximately 1520 previous hit photographs next hit in 11 volumes comprising 4 journals and 7 previous hit photograph next hit albums in 4 boxes: chiefly gelatin silver prints ; journals 21 x 38 cm (8 x 15 in.) and 21 x 26 cm (8 x 10 in.), previous hit photograph next hit albums various sizes, 29 x 38 cm (11 x 15 in.) and smaller, prints various sizes, 21 x 24 cm (8 x 9 in.) and smaller, chiefly 17 x 12 cm (7 x 5 in.) and smaller
    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: The Howard W. Wright Family Collection of previous hit Photographs next hit contains approximately 1520 previous hit photographs next hit in eleven volumes, comprising four journal accounts written by Walter S. Wright from 1899-1901 and illustrated using previous hit photographs next hit , and seven previous hit photograph next hit albums compiled by Walter S. Wright and his son, Howard Walter Wright, with previous hit photographs next hit dating from approximately 1878-1930 (chiefly 1896-1917). The photographers are chiefly unidentified, though it is assumed that most were taken by members of the Wright family, chiefly Walter S. Wright and Howard Walter Wright. The text in the journals, which contain approximately 210 previous hit photographs next hit , concerns family life in Pasadena; Walter S. Wright's travels to Sonora, Mexico with business partners in order to gain a railroad concession for the Los Pintos Mines; and a cruise taken by the Wright family to the Channel Islands, in which Howard W. Wright engaged in bird collecting and observation, and photography. The previous hit photograph next hit albums, which contain approximately 1310 previous hit photographs next hit , document the Wright family's life in Pasadena; its travels to Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and other areas of California; trips aboard the Wright family yachts Seabird and Siwash to the Channel Islands and to various sites in Mexico, including for birding expeditions; Howard W. Wright's years as a student at Stanford University (from 1911-1915); his travels in Japan, China, and the Philippines; and his service in the United States Navy during World War I.
    Language: English.

    Access

    The collection is open to qualified researchers by prior application through the Reader Services Department. For more information, please visit the Huntington's website: www.huntington.org.  

    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], Howard W. Wright Family Collection of previous hit Photographs next hit , The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

    Provenance

    Gift of the estate of Howard W. Wright, May 31, 1978.

    Biographical Note

    The family of Howard Walter Wright (1892-1977) included his father, Walter Savage Wright (1854-1915); his mother, Bernice Long (1861-1931); and his sisters, Adaline Wright (1888-1935) and Catherine Wright (1895-1942).
    Walter Savage Wright was City Attorney for Pasadena, California. In 1898 and 1899, Wright and business partners, including J. H. Holmes (sometimes known as James or John H. Holmes), who was then manager of the Hotel Green in Pasadena, traveled to Mexico in order to secure concessions from the Mexican government for a railroad in Western Mexico, proposed for the purpose of developing the property of the Los Pintos Gold Mining Company. Other partners in this venture included Pasadena business leader William R. Staats, who was a developer and owner of the Mount Wilson Toll Road, along with Holmes and Walter S. Wright; Colonel C. P. Morehouse of Pasadena; and J. D. Thompson of Los Angeles, manager of the Bonanza mine at Quitovaca in Sonora, Mexico.
    Howard Walter Wright was a bird collector and observer, writer, lawyer, and lifelong Pasadena resident. A graduate of Throop Polytechnic Institute and Stanford University, Howard W. Wright began observing and collecting birds while still in high school, traveling primarily to the Channel Islands, initially on his sailboat, Seabird, and then on the yacht that his father gave him in 1911, the Siwash. Howard W. Wright undertook many birding expeditions with friends and family from 1908-1916, at times accompanied by ornithologists. He gathered bald eagle eggs on Santa Catalina Island in 1909; cruised around the Channel Islands with a friend from Stanford in 1912, visiting Santa Barbara, Anacapa, Santa Cruz, San Miguel, and Prince Islands; and in 1913 went on a birding expedition to San Martin Island in Mexico on the Siwash. From 1908-1913, he wrote six articles about his exploits, published in The Condor: A Magazine of Western Ornithology, some illustrated with his previous hit photographs next hit .
    Howard W. Wright married Ruth Casner Shelton (1893-1967) in 1916 and traveled to Japan, China, and the Philippines; during World War I, he served in the U.S. Navy. Returning home from his service, Wright gave up bird collecting to devote himself to his career as a Los Angeles-based attorney. A member of the California and American Bar Associations, he also served as commodore of the Los Angeles Yacht Club and the Trans-Pacific Yacht Club, and for 35 years held the sailing record around Santa Catalina Island. In 1956, after 45 years of sailing, he gave the Siwash to his son, Howard Walter Wright, Jr., and the boat remained in the family, passing on to Wright's grandson, marine biologist Dr. William G. Wright. Upon Wright's death in 1977, his ashes were scattered at sea.

    Scope and Content

    This collection contains approximately 1520 previous hit photographs next hit in 11 volumes, comprising four journal accounts written by Walter Savage Wright from 1899-1901 and 7 previous hit photograph next hit albums compiled by Walter S. Wright and his son, Howard Walter Wright. The journal accounts contain approximately 210 previous hit photographs next hit and the previous hit photograph next hit albums approximately 1310 previous hit photographs next hit , dating from approximately 1878-1930, chiefly 1896-1917. The photographers are chiefly unidentified, though it is assumed that most were taken by members of the Wright family, chiefly Walter S. Wright and Howard Walter Wright; some previous hit photographs next hit were taken by commercial photographers.
    The journal accounts, entitled The Wrights in 1899 (Volume I); How Thompson Shows his Mines (1899, Volume II); About that Mexican Trip: How they Landed the Concession for the Railroad for Exploiting Los Pintos Mines (1900, Volume III); and A Summer Cruise (1901, Volume IV), are typewritten, with previous hit photographs next hit pasted in to accompany the text; the titles are printed on the volumes. Topics addressed in the journals include the Wrights' family life in Pasadena; Walter S. Wright's journeys to Sonora, Mexico, with business partners to secure a railroad concession for the Los Pintos Mines; and a cruise taken by the Wright family to the Channel Islands in 1899, so that son Howard W. Wright could engage in bird collecting and photography.
    The previous hit photograph next hit albums depict the Wrights' life and residence in Pasadena; the family's travels to Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and other areas of California; trips aboard the yachts Seabird and Siwash to the Channel Islands; Baja, Mexico; and and other destinations, both for family vacations and for Howard Walter Wright's exploits as a bird collector and birder; Howard W. Wright's years as a student at Stanford University (1911-1915) and his tours in Japan, China, and the Philippines during his service in the Navy during World War I. Titles for the previous hit photograph next hit albums were devised by the cataloger.

    Arrangement

    The volumes were organized and numbered by the cataloger by format and then in chronological order. The collection is arranged in the following two series:
    • Series I. Journals, 1899-1901
      • Subseries A. The Wrights in 1899 (Volume I)
      • Subseries B. How Thompson Shows His Mines (Volume II)
      • Subseries C. About that Mexican Trip: How they Landed the Concession for the Railroad for Exploiting Los Pintos Mines (Volume III)
      • Subseries D. A Summer Cruise (Volume IV)
    • Series II. previous hit Photograph next hit albums, approximately 1878-1930, bulk 1896-1917
      • Subseries A. The Wright Family: Home and Travels (Volume V)
      • Subseries B. Pasadena, Catalina Island, San Gabriel Mountains, and Mexico (Volume VI)
      • Subseries C. The Wright Family Album (Volume VII)
      • Subseries D. Channel Islands and Mexico (Volume VIII)
      • Subseries E. Stanford University (Volume IX)
      • Subseries F. Japan, China, and Philippines; World War I Naval Service; Baja, Mexico and Channel Islands (Volume X)
      • Subseries G. Miscellaneous previous hit photographs next hit (Volume XI)

    Indexing Terms

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

    Subjects

    Holmes, James H., -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Staats, William R., 1867-1928 -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Wright, Howard Walter, 1892-1977 -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Wright, Walter Savage, 1854-1915 -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Wright family -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Wright family -- Homes and haunts -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Catedral de México -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Hermosa (steamship) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Mission San Gabriel Arcangel (San Gabriel, Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    San Jorges Bay & Eastern Railroad (Mexico).
    Stanford University -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Stanford University -- Sports -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Tournament of Roses -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Americans -- Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Birds -- California -- Channel Islands (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Birds -- California -- Santa Catalina Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Birds -- Collection and preservation -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Birds -- Eggs -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Birds -- Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Bullfighting -- Ensenada (Baja California, Mexico) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Camping -- California -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Camp sites, facilities, etc. -- California -- San Gabriel Mountains -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Children -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Dwellings -- California -- Pasadena -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Families -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Fires -- California -- Avalon -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Fishing -- California -- Santa Catalina Island -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Gardens -- California -- Pasadena -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Gold mines and mining -- Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Greek letter societies -- California -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Hiking -- California -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Hotels -- California -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Imperialism -- United States.
    Indians of Mexico -- Mexico, North -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Leisure -- California -- Santa Catalina Island -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Markets -- Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Mines and mineral resources -- Mexico, North.
    Photography -- Political aspects -- Mexico.
    Railroads -- Mexico.
    Ships -- California -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Soldiers -- Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Storm surges -- California -- Avalon -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Vacations -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Warships -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    World War, 1914-1918-- Naval operations, American -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Yacht racing -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Yachting -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Yachts -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Anacapa Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Arizona -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Avalon (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Baja California (Mexico : Peninsula) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Channel Islands (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    China -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Coronado Islands (Mexico) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Guaymas (Sonora, Mexico) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Hermosillo (Mexico)-- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Japan -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Macau (China) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Mexico -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Mexico -- Foreign economic relations -- United States.
    Mexico City (Mexico) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Pasadena (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Philippines -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    San Clemente Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    San Gabriel Mountains (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    San Miguel Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Santa Barbara Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Santa Catalina Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Santa Cruz Island (Calif.) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Sonora (Mexico: State) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .
    United States -- Foreign economic relations -- Mexico.
    Wilson, Mount (Calif. : Mountain) -- previous hit Photographs next hit .

    Forms/Genres

    Cyanotypes.
    Journals (accounts).
    Panoramas.
    previous hit Photograph next hit albums.
    previous hit Photographs next hit .
    Portraits.

    Contributors

    Banning, Hancock, 1892-1982, former owner.
    Ironmonger, Charles, photographer.
    Kindig, W. H., photographer.
    Staats, William R., 1867-1928, photographer.
    Wright, Howard Walter, 1892-1977, compiler.
    Wright, Howard Walter, 1892-1977, photographer.
    Wright, Walter Savage, 1854-1915, author.
    Wright, Walter Savage, 1854-1915, compiler.
    Wright, Walter Savage, 1854-1915, photographer.
    Wright family, compiler.
    C. J. Crandall & Co., photographer.
    C. J. D. Photo, photographer.
    Park & Co., photographer.

    135 Search hits
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    Collection Contents
    Container List
    Series I. Journals. [15 hits]
    Series II. Photograph albums. [27 hits]
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