Glendora Historical Society Collection of B.D. Jackson Photographs and Negatives, 1893-1951, bulk 1920s-1930s

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Summary

Creators:
Glendora Historical Society
Abstract:
The Glendora Historical Society of B.D. Jackson Photographs and Negatives consists of 1202 black-and-white and color photographs (including postcards, stereographs, mounted photographs, and photograph albums) and 202 black-and-white and color negatives created by Southern California photographer B.D. Jackson (ca. 1850-1937) and/or collected by Jackson, his wife Cora, and his stepdaughter Ruth, between 1893 and 1951 (bulk 1920s-1930s). The collection provides a broad overview of the growth of many of the San Gabriel Valley's suburban communities as well as a survey of many notable landscapes of California and the American West. It also gives an overview of Jackson's career as a commercial, landscape, and scenic view photographer, and contains family photographs. The collection supplements and complements the B.D. Jackson Collection of Negatives and Photographs (photCL 332). Many of the negatives in the Jackson Collection exist in print form in the Glendora Collection, and many of the images in the Glendora Collection round out series in the Jackson Collection.
Extent:
6.23 linear feet,
Language:
English

Background

Scope and content:

The Glendora Historical Society of B.D. Jackson Photographs and Negatives consists of 1202 black-and-white and color photographs (including postcards, stereographs, mounted photographs, and photograph albums) and 202 black-and-white and color negatives created by B.D. Jackson and/or collected by Jackson, his wife Cora, and his stepdaughter Ruth, 1893-1951 (bulk 1920s-1930s). The collection provides a broad overview of the growth of many of the San Gabriel Valley's suburban communities as well as a survey of notable landscapes of California and the American West. It also gives an overview of Jackson's career as a commercial, landscape, and scenic view photographer, and contains Jackson family photographs. The collection supplements and complements the B.D. Jackson Collection of Negatives and Photographs (photCL 332). Many of the negatives in the Jackson Collection exist in print form in the Glendora Collection, and many of the images in the Glendora Collection round out series in the Jackson Collection.

The first part of the collection concentrates on many of the San Gabriel Valley's growing communities and scenic landscapes, including Glendale, Eagle Rock, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, Pasadena, Glendora, and the San Gabriel Mountains. Photographs of Glendale, Eagle Rock, La Canada Flintridge, La Crescenta, and Glendora include panoramic views. The Pasadena images include an early photograph album of Jackson's images of Busch Gardens, and views of Arroyo Seco Canyon. The photographs of Glendora include numerous residential street scenes, and views of the grounds of Judge Charles Silent's home. The San Gabriel Mountains photographs include a large number of the series of the newly-completed Angeles Crest Highway; views of Camp Coldbrook; Big Pines; and Mount Lowe and Mount Wilson (including many views of the Granite Gate on the Mount Lowe Railway).

Images of the San Fernando Valley include views of Sunland; Tujunga Canyon; the ruins of the St. Francis Dam; and Chatsworth Park Lake and Twin Lakes. Images of Los Angeles County include views of the Bernheimer Gardens in Pacific Palisades; views of Antelope Valley; and photographs of Vasquez Rocks.

Jackson also ventured beyond the San Gabriel Valley and Los Angeles County for landscape views; these include views of Palm Canyon, Joshua Tree National Park, and Painted Canyon in Riverside County; Lake Tahoe and Palisades Glacier in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; Yosemite National Park; Mount Rainier; Yellowstone; and Zion National Park and Bryce Canyon in Utah.

The collection also contains work created before Jackson's move to California in 1901, such as "Jackson's World's Fair Views," a small photograph album of 26 views of the World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893); miscellaneous views of Lake Michigan; and portraits created in his Grand Rapids studio.

The latter part of the collection contains personal photographs taken by Jackson and members of his extended family. Included are a photograph album with snapshots documenting a number of the photographic trips Jackson took in the 1930s.

A presumably early photograph album showcasing B.D. Jackson's work can be found at the end of the collection. It contains 26 prints depicting primarily residential and commercial interiors.

The collection also contains miscellaneous manuscript material in the form of notebooks containing scraps of information on Jackson's stereograph series and real estate purchases.

In addition to snapshots taken by, presumably, Cora and Ruth Jackson, the collection contains images by Angeleno Photo Service, Frasher's Fotos, and "HWM."

Biographical / historical:

Bradford "Dan" Jackson (1850/51-1937) was born in Sullivan, Ohio around 1850. He began his career as a portrait photographer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1901, in search of a better climate, he moved to Pomona, California where he purchased a portrait studio. In addition to portrait work, he began photographing the surrounding towns and the mountains and beaches of Southern California. Jackson lived and worked at various times in Pomona, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Hollywood, La Canada, Glendora, La Crescenta, and Glendale, all of which figure in his work. Eventually he gave up the portrait aspect of the business and concentrated on landscape views for the production of stereographs and postcards. As he said, "Views don't talk back."

Jackson was one of the first photographers to document the construction and completion of the Angeles Crest Highway, and his images of the Montrose-La Crescenta flood of 1934 were used by Los Angeles County officials to document the drainage patterns of the mountains.

Acquisition information:
The Glendora Historical Society donated parts of the collection in 1969; the remainder was donated by Mrs. T.F. Wettstein from the estate of Mrs. Max L. [Ruth Jackson] Green, November 1976. The provenance of individual items is unclear.
Arrangement:

The collection is arranged geographically and by subject. Original ephemeral materials have been placed at the end of the collection.

Physical description:
7 boxes
Rules or conventions:
Finding aid prepared using Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Advance arrangements for viewing the unprinted negatives in the collection must be made with the Curator of Photographs. 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.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2129
reference@huntington.org
Website