Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

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1 Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews, Overview of the Collection Photographer Watkins, Carleton E., Title Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews Dates (inclusive) 1890 (bulk) Quantity 54 stereoview cards; 2 imperial photographic cards (1 box; 1 folder) ; various sizes Collection Number PH1025 Summary Stereoview cards by Carleton E. Watkins Repository University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections Special Collections University of Washington Libraries Seattle, WA Telephone: Fax: speccoll@uw.edu Access Restrictions Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information. Languages English Biographical Note Carleton E. Watkins was born November 11, 1829 in Oneonta, New York. He moved to San Jose, California in 1851 at the height of the gold rush and worked as a daguerreotype photographer in a local photography studio. Around 1857, Watkins established his own photographic studio for portraits and landscape photography in San Francisco. Watkins visited the Yosemite Valley in 1861, making 30 mammoth plate (18" x 22") and 100 stereographic photographs of the area. His mammoth plates of Yosemite Valley were the first photographs of this size to be made in California, and among the first depictions of the American West available to people living in the eastern United States. Due in part to Watkins' photographs, President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill in 1864 that declared the Yosemite valley "inviolable," and that paved the way for the National Parks system. In 1865 the California Geological Survey (CGS) hired Watkins as their official photographer. While working for the CGS, Watkins became influenced by CGS Director Josiah Dwight Whitney s interest in the Northwest. Watkins visited the Columbia River in and photographed the region extensively. Financial problems caused Watkins to lose his Yosemite Art Galley in 1874, and subsequently to lose the rights to all of his prints and negatives to competitors J.J. Cook and Isaiah W. Taber. He later Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

2 rebuilt his collection by revisiting and photographing the sites he had originally photographed. During his travels to rebuild his collection, Watkins met Frances Sneed and the two married on November 11, They had two children, a daughter, Julia and a son, Collis. Frances later managed Watkins' Montgomery Street studio in San Francisco. In 1882, Watkins returned to the Northwest to create his "New Boudoir Series," which included Seattle, Port Blakely, Port Gamble, and Tacoma. On a second trip to the Northwest in 1890, Watkins made a series of stereoscopic views in Victoria, B.C., Canada. He extended this trip into Montana where he made mammoth plate views of the Anaconda copper mines and other subjects. Watkins' last large commercial job was to photograph the development work of the Kern County Land Company near Bakersfield, California. There, he made seven hundred photographs using 8" x 10" dry plate negatives. In the late 1890s Watkins began to photograph the Hearst Hacienda near Pleasanton, California, for Phoebe Apperson Hearst, but ill health prevented him from completing the assignment. Watkins was in the process of negotiating with Stanford University for the sale of his glass plate negatives and photographs when the 1906 earthquake struck San Francisco and destroyed his studio and nearly all of its contents. By this time, Watkins was partially blind, in poor health and experiencing financial difficulties. He retired to his small ranch near Capay in Yolo County, which had been deeded to Watkins for unpaid services to the Southern Pacific Railroad. In 1910 Watkins' failing health led his family to commit him to the Napa State Hospital at Imola, California. He died on June 23, 1916 and was buried on the hospital grounds. Content Description The collection contains 54 stereoviews and two "Imperial Cards" photographed by Carleton E. Watkins. They include images of locations along the Columbia River. Included are views of Willamette Falls, Cape Horn, Multnomah Falls, Castle Rock, the Upper and Lower Cascades Region, Dalles City, Celilo, and Fort Lugenbeel. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details. Administrative Information Arrangement The photographs on the stereoviews were all taken by Watkins in. However, the stereoviews cards were published at different dates and in some case by publishers other than Watkins. The collection is arranged in three series. The first series is from Watkins "Old Series" and is divided into eight sub-series by geographic location. They are arranged by the Watkins's original serial numbers. It is important to note that publishing dates and publishers differ on each stereoview. The second series consists of Watkins's "New Series" featuring stereoviews from the "E" series. The third series consists of mounted photographs that are "Imperial Cards" (8 1/2 x 10) inches in size. These Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

3 photographs were taken in, when Watkins traveled to the Pacific Northwest for the Oregon Steam Navigation Company. The first series contains yellow mounted stereoview cards from the years of and These have distinguishing characteristics: for the yellow stereoview mounts published in, the reverse of stereoview mount features "Photographic Views of the Pacific Coast, Stereoscope, Album, and Framing, Photographed and Published by C.E. Watkins, 425 Montgomery Street, San Francisco." Furthermore, the front sidebar is labeled "C.E." Watkins, Pacific Coast." The front sidebar indicates that the copyrights were "Entered according to the Act of Congress, in the year, by C.E. Watkins." The yellow mounts published in 1868 are distinguished with the "Paris International Exposition, 1868" featured on the reverse. The series features three different types of orange mounted stereoview cards. The photographs were taken by C.E. Watkins in, however, the publishing date and the publisher vary. Those published by C.E. Watkins between can be distinguished with the label on the front bard indicating "Watkins' Pacific Coast, 22 and 26 Montgomery Street, opposite Lick House entrance, San Francisco." The stereoviews published circa 1876 by Watkins' creditor, J.J. Cook, have the following characteristics: the front sidebar is labeled either "Watkin's Pacific Coast. No. 1 Montgomery St., cor. Post, San Francisco" or "Watkins' Pacific Coast. 26 Montgomery St., opp. Lick House Entrance, San Francisco," "J.J. Cook." Acquisition Information Donor: Sylvia Burns, 2008: 9 Stereoviews 5b, 8, 10b, 13, 15, 18, 20a, 32, 39. Processing Note Processed by Jordan Grimmer; processing completed in Stereoviews 5b, 8, 10b, 13, 15, 18, 20a, 32, 39, donated by Sylvia Burns and originally accessioned as PH , have been incorporated into this collection. Related Materials Carleton E. Watkins photograph collection PH Coll 286 is available for use in Special Collections. Detailed Description of the Collection Watkins's "Old Series" of Oregon, Portland and Columbia River area Stereoviews are arranged by Watkins's original series numbers. They are arranged into eight subseries based on geographic locations. Container(s) Description Dates Willamette Falls Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

4 1 1 Oregon City and Willamette Falls, Oregon[view] 1 2 Oregon City and Willamette Falls, Oregon[view] 1 3 Rocks and waterfall at Willamette Falls, Oregon with Oregon City in background[view] 1 4 Aerial view of Oregon City and Willamette Falls, Oregon[view] Columbia River 1 5a Beach on the Columbia River and forest near Rooster Rock[view] 1 5b Beach on the Columbia River and forest near Rooster Rock[view] 1 6 Cape Horn on the Columbia 1 7 Men and boats at Cape Horn on the Columbia River shore[view] 1 8 Tree stumps on hillside overlooking Cape Horn on the Columbia 1 9 Night landscape and moonlight on the Columbia river viewed from the O.R.R. Cascades[view] Multnomah Falls, Columbia River 1 10a-10b Multnomah Falls viewed through the forest[view] 1 11 Lower Multnomah Fall viewed from the bottom[view] 1 12 Lower Multnomah Fall viewed from down river[view] Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

5 1 13 River and rock formations viewed from Multnomah Falls[view] Castle Rock, Columbia River 1 14 Castle Rock viewed from the beach[view] 1 15 Castle Rock viewed from the beach[view] 1 16 Columbia River and Castle Rock viewed through the forest[view] 1 17 Steamship on the Columbia River with Castle Rock in the distance[view] 1 18 Columbia River and Castle Rock viewed through the forest[view] C.E. Watkins (publisher) Published Text on card mount: 1248 Castle Rock, Columbia River.; Watkins' Pacific Coast, 22 and 26 Montgomery Street, opposite Lick House entrance, San Francisco. Cascades, Columbia River 1 19 Steamship at dock on the Columbia 1 20a Pasture and fence with fog-covered Cascade Range in the background[view] 1 20b Pasture and fence with fog-covered Cascade Range in the background[view] 1 21 Man standing on the cab of a train engine called "Betsey Baker" near the Cascades Rapids on the Columbia 1 22 View of train station near the Cascades Rapids, Columbia Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

6 1 23 "The Garrison" log cabin on the bank of the Columbia 1 24 O.R.R. landing along the Columbia River viewed from the opposite river bank[view] 1 25 Columbia River shore, log cabins on bluff, and the Block House[view] 1 26 Block House at the Cascades on the Columbia 1 27 Bridge along the Columbia 1 28 View of the ruins of the High Bridge and train on railroad tracks along the Columbia Upper Cascades, Columbia River 1 29 Islands on the Columbia River viewed through the forest[view] 1 30a Train and train trestle along Upper Cascades of the Columbia 1 30b View of buildings and railroad bridge along the Columbia River, with islands in the background[view] circa 1 31 View of buildings on islands in the Columbia 1 32a Islands on the Columbia River viewed through the forest[view] 1 32b Railroad trestles along the Columbia 1 33 Railroad bridge on bluff along the Columbia 1 34a View of The Tooth Bridge, railroad tracks, along the Columbia 1 34b Tooth Bridge on the Columbia River with two men and horse-drawn wagon visible on bridge[view] Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

7 Dalles City, Columbia River 1 35 Dalles City[view] 1 36 Works of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company in Dalles City, next to railroad bridge on the Columbia 1 37 Exterior of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company's Machine Shop in Dalles City[view] 1 38a Exterior of Officer's Quarters at Oregon Steam Navigation Company in Dalles City[view] 1 38b Exterior of Officer's Quarters of Oregon Steam Navigation Company in Dalles City[view] 1 39 View of the Dalles[view] 1 40a View of the Dalles[view] 1 40b American Indian camp near the Dalles, Columbia Celilo 1 41 Railroad tracks at the base of Cape Horn, near Celilo[view] 1 42 Railroad bridge on the beach at the base of Cape Horn, near Celilo[view] 1 43 Interior corridor of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company's warehouse in Celilo[view] 1 44 Woman and two children near the exterior of home, near Celilo[view] Rare 'E' Series: "New Series" of Pacific Coast Views Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

8 1 45 Salmon wheel on the Oregon side of the Columbia 1 46 Salmon wheel floating on the Oregon side of the Columbia circa circa Imperial Cards Two imperial photographic cards, taken on Watkins' trip to Oregon and the Columbia River area. Container(s) Description Dates Folder 1 47 View of Columbia River shore and log cabins on bluff[view] The same image is used in item View of buildings and railroad bridge on island on the Columbia Same location, but not the same image as in item 30.Text on verso: Upper Cascades Blockhouse; Fort Lubanbeale? (Bradford store & sawmill). Shows the Upper Blockhouse known as Fort Lugenbeel (built ) to the right; upper end of the portage facilites of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company; possibly Daniel F. Bradford's store and warehouse, center. Find Related Collections Subject Terms : Lumber trade--washington (State)--Photographs Piers--Washington (State)--Photographs Railroad tracks--washington (State)--Photographs Sawmills--Washington (State)--Photographs Shipbuilding--Washington (State)--Photographs Shipyards--Washington (State)--Photographs Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington) Wharves--Washington (State)--Photographs Personal Names : Watkins, Carleton E., Photographs Geographical Names : Cascades (Or. and Wash.) Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,

9 Celilo (Or.) Columbia River Dalles (Or.) Multnomah Falls (Or.) Willamette Falls (Or.) Form or Genre Terms : Stereo (photographs) Stereo views Stereoscope Stereoviews Carleton E. Watkins stereoviews,