Photography & Ephemera

[CALIFORNIA]. Two photo albums depicting scenes from San Francisco, Monterey and surrounding areas, possibly by Isaiah West Taber. Circa 1880s. 4to. Seventy-one sepia-toned and cyanotype photographs depicting San Francisco and surrounding areas. Images of Golden Gate Park, the Francis Scott Key monument, various views of the first Hotel del Monte in Monterey, nearby ranches, the Carmel Mission, outdoor scenes, and various photographs of men, women, and children, including photographs of African American families. Provenance: From the estate of Clara Fargo Thomas. The photographs in these albums present a fascinating view into a bygone era of California history. Settlers were granted overland railroad access to the west coast with the completion of the Pacific Railroad in 1869 and in droves they went, seduced by the promise of cheap land and grand adventures. San Francisco became a major financial hub, as old and new wealth alike settled in the rolling hills of the City by the Bay. With new wealth came new investment. The Hotel del Monte, once one of the finest hotels in all of North America, existed in its first incarnation for only seven short years, from 1880-1887, before burning to the ground in a catastrophic fire. Development began on Golden Gate Park in 1871, and today it is the third most visited public park in the United States. With these exciting new developments came a slew of photographers eager to document every minute detail of life on the Golden Coast, among them Carleton Watkins, Isaiah West Taber, and C.W.J. Johnson. The photographs which they and others took during this time provide an invaluable glimpse into these changes, as well as a unique insight into the lives of those who made them happen.