Views from a Trip to California, ca. 1887-1889

Summary

Creators:

Harriet S. Tolman

Extent:

217 photographic prints, albumen, various sizes. 207 digital objects

Language:

Collection materials are in English

Background

Scope and content:

The Views from a Trip to California collection contains 217 photographic prints collected by Harriet S. Tolman during a trip to California from 1888 to 1889. The dated prints range from 1887 to 1889, though many undated prints are likely to have been published earlier. The prints are primarily commercial views by popular photographers of the time depicting locales which Tolman presumably visited. California regions featured in the collection include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Pasadena, Santa Barbara, Ventura County, Monterey, and the Mojave Desert. Many California Missions are featured, including San Gabriel, San Diego, San Luis Rey, San Fernando, San Juan Capistrano, San Buenaventura, Santa Barbara, La Purisima, San Carlos de Borromeo, and Dolores. Several well-captioned prints picture California flora such as palms, cacti, pampas grass, grape vines, and oaks, as well as pepper, persimmon, oleander, banana, orange, lemon and fig trees. Other notable California subjects include the Raymond Hotel, the residence of Jason and Owen Brown (sons of the abolitionist John Brown), the Hotel Del Coronado, the Mexico-California boundary monument, Sweet Water Dam, Rancho Camulos, Matilija Canyon, the De la Guerra residence, the Hotel Del Monte, Yosemite Valley, and San Francisco's Palace Hotel and Chinatown.

Non-California subjects pictured in the collection include Utah, featuring Salt Lake City, Price Canyon and Sierra La Sal; Colorado, featuring the Marshall Pass, Georgetown and the Georgetown Loop of the Union Pacific Railroad, the Curecanti Needle, the Garden of the Gods, Cheyenne Mountain, Williams Canyon and the Manitou Grand Caverns; Indian scenes of Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Arizona flora.

The collection includes the work of many noteworthy photographers, including William H. Jackson, Charles R. Savage, Isaiah W. Taber, F.H. Rogers, and J.C. Brewster.

The prints are still affixed to the loose, captioned pages of what was presumably their original album. Viewing prints are provided for 10 oversize photographs which are shelved separately.

The collection contains no information regarding the identity of Harriet S. Tolman.

Acquisition information:

Unknown

Physical location:

Many of the Bancroft Library collections are stored offsite and advance notice may be required for use. For current information on the location of these materials, please consult the Library's online catalog.

Rules or conventions:

Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

Website