Wonderful Early Photographs of Tucson, San Diego, La Jolla, Los Angeles, Including Street Scenes
Plus Scenes in Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky, and other Southern Views
An album of original photographs documenting travel in the Southwestern and Southern United States by a group of young men, circa 1904-1905. Especially notable are several street views and scenes in Tucson, Arizona Territory, and views in San Diego, La Jolla and Los Angeles. In addition, views of Georgia, North Carolina, Kentucky are also worth noting, especially the spontaneous street views at Macon and Atlanta and a Civil War battlefield in Tennessee. The arrangement of photographs is somewhat unusual, with clearly intentional juxtaposition of wildly different locales: for example a scene in Tucson, Arizona faces an image of the Capitol Building at Raleigh, North Carolina, while a fine image of the facade of the Mission San Xavier de Bac in Arizona faces a photo of the National Cemetery in Chattanooga, Tenn, or a bustling street view of downtown Los Angeles facing a comparable street scene of Macon, Georgia. The photographs are almost evenly split between Western views (Arizona and California) and Southern views (Virginia, West Virginia, Georgia, North Carolina, 1 of Florida).
A youthful spirit and vitality pervade the album - the photographs were almost certainly printed in a home darkroom. A group portrait of four young men in Revelstoke, B.C. is captioned "Machinist's Club Room" hinting at the possible occupations of these young men in that British Columbia town - a noted railway center then and now a world-renowned mountain ski resort. However, the fact that the U.S. flag decorates their wall in British Columbia combined with ownership inscription of Mr. J. E. Lehman of Canton, Ohio, strongly suggests these boys were Americans on a tour of their own country. The dating of the images is based on one of the photographs being inscribed, "Very sincerely yours... July 10, '04" and other images dated Jan. 18, 1905. There is also one image showing a 1905 wall calendar in the background. J. E. Lehman would later serve as Secretary of the Canton, Ohio County Fair Association.
Notable Western and Southwestern subjects include:
- "View of Tucson from Signal Peak"
- Main Street Tucson. An amazing street scene with horse-drawn street car, pedestrians, businesses: Alex Rossi's Columbus Restaurant & People's Store. Alexander Rossi (1860-1930), a native of Castellone, Cremona, Italy, was a noted chef and restauranteur in Tombstone and Tucson, Arizona Territory, and later in Nogales, Mexico.
- Hotel Santa Rita. Built in 1903, considered the finest hotel in Arizona Territory at the time of its opening. Designed by Henry Trost in the Mission Revival style.
- "Looking West from Santa Rita Hotel, Tucson" A fine panoramic view showing the built environment of tiny downtown Tucson, with mountains in the distant background.
- Looking South, Tucson. Likely a view from a hotel window.
- The mission of San Xavier de Bac.
- Ruins at San Xavier, built in 1609. Tucson, Arizona.
- Mexican's Adobes. Likely in Tucson.
- Mexican & U.S. Boundary marker near San Diego. With horse-drawn carriage. Likely near modern-day San Ysidro.
- D. Street San Diego, Cal. View of a very wide nearly empty Broadway in downtown San Diego. No automobiles visible.
- La Jolla coastal view.
- Cathedral Rock, La Jolla
- San Diego beach scene at Coronado.
- Hotel del Coronado.
- Main Street, Los Angeles, Cal.
- West Lake Park (3 different views)
- Medical College, Los Angeles.
- Home in Los Angeles.
- Cliff House, San Francisco.
- Golden Gate.
- "Parpet Suitor Heights / San Francisco" i.e. Parapet, Sutro Heights.
- Seal Rocks. Fine beach scene in San Francisco with crowds, Cliff House in background.
A selection from the Southern images:
- Rocky Mount N.C. Several views, including railroad engine.
- 40 minutes for lunch, Gardenville, Virginia. Scene from stopped train showing food vendors.
- Broad Street, Atlanta
- My Atlanta Home, South Pryor St.
- Street Scene, Macon, Georgia.
- "My Old Kentucky Home. Somerset, Ky."
- Fernandina, Fla. beach scene
- Fort Boreman, Parkersburg, W.V.
- Parkersburg, W.V. Panoramic view of the town.
- W. A. R. R. Engine No. 3 captured by Andrews Raiders, Civil War
- "The battle ground on which the battle above the clouds was fought. Nov. 24, '63. Craven's house in background. Gen. Walthall's headquarters." Site of Civil War Battle of Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee.
- Table Rock, Lookout Mountain.
- "A ride above the clouds" Precarious mountain-side train care coming around the curve.