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Howard W. Wright Family Collection of Photographs
Series I. Journals

Visual Materials

Series I. Journals

Description: This collection contains approximately 1520 photographs in 11 volumes, comprising four journal accounts written by Walter Savage Wright from 1899-1901 and 7 photograph albums compiled by Walter S. Wright and his son, Howard Walter Wright. The journal accounts contain approximately 210 photographs and the photograph albums approximately 1310 photographs, dating from approximately 1878-1930, chiefly 1896-1917. The photographers are chiefly unidentified, though it is assumed that most were taken by members of the Wright family, chiefly Walter S. Wright and Howard Walter Wright; some photographs were taken by commercial photographers. The journal accounts concern the Wrights' family life in Pasadena; Walter S. Wright's journeys to Sonora, Mexico, with business partners to secure a railroad concession for the Los Pintos Mines; and a cruise taken by the Wright family to the Channel Islands in 1899, so that son Howard W. Wright could engage in bird collecting and photography. The photograph albums depict the Wrights' life and residence in Pasadena; the family's travels to Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and other areas of California; trips to the Channel Islands, Mexico, and other destinations; Howard W. Wright's years as a student at Stanford University (1911-1915) and his tours in Japan, China, and the Philippines during his service in the Navy during World War I.

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Type

Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)

Date

1899-1901.

Call number

photCL 222

Creator

Wright (Family)(Opens in new tab)

Restrictions

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Associated people

Banning, Hancock, (1892-1982,)

Ironmonger, Charles, (1867-1928,)

Kindig, W. H., (1892-1977,)

Staats, William R., (1892-1977,)

Wright, Howard Walter, (1854-1915,)

Wright, Howard Walter, (1854-1915,)

Wright, Walter Savage, (1854-1915,)

Wright, Walter Savage,

Wright, Walter Savage,

Wright (Family),

Associated organizations

C.J. Crandall & Co.,

C. J. D. Photo,

Park & Co.,

Find out more

View in the Library catalog(Opens in new tab)

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Series II. Photograph albums
Visual Materials
This collection contains approximately 1520 photographs in 11 volumes, comprising four journal accounts written by Walter Savage Wright from 1899-1901 and 7 photograph albums compiled by Walter S. Wright and his son, Howard Walter Wright. The journal accounts contain approximately 210 photographs and the photograph albums approximately 1310 photographs, dating from approximately 1878-1930, chiefly 1896-1917. The photographers are chiefly unidentified, though it is assumed that most were taken by members of the Wright family, chiefly Walter S. Wright and Howard Walter Wright; some photographs were taken by commercial photographers. The journal accounts concern the Wrights' family life in Pasadena; Walter S. Wright's journeys to Sonora, Mexico, with business partners to secure a railroad concession for the Los Pintos Mines; and a cruise taken by the Wright family to the Channel Islands in 1899, so that son Howard W. Wright could engage in bird collecting and photography. The photograph albums depict the Wrights' life and residence in Pasadena; the family's travels to Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and other areas of California; trips to the Channel Islands, Mexico, and other destinations; Howard W. Wright's years as a student at Stanford University (1911-1915) and his tours in Japan, China, and the Philippines during his service in the Navy during World War I.
photCL 222
Image not available
Howard W. Wright Family Collection of Photographs
Visual Materials
This collection contains approximately 1520 photographs in 11 volumes, comprising four journal accounts written by Walter Savage Wright from 1899-1901 and 7 photograph albums compiled by Walter S. Wright and his son, Howard Walter Wright. The journal accounts contain approximately 210 photographs and the photograph albums approximately 1310 photographs, dating from approximately 1878-1930, chiefly 1896-1917. The photographers are chiefly unidentified, though it is assumed that most were taken by members of the Wright family, chiefly Walter S. Wright and Howard Walter Wright; some photographs were taken by commercial photographers. The journal accounts, entitled The Wrights in 1899 (Volume I); How Thompson Shows his Mines (1899, Volume II); About that Mexican Trip: How they Landed the Concession for the Railroad for Exploiting Los Pintos Mines (1900, Volume III); and A Summer Cruise (1901, Volume IV), are typewritten, with photographs pasted in to accompany the text; the titles are printed on the volumes. Topics addressed in the journals include the Wrights' family life in Pasadena; Walter S. Wright's journeys to Sonora, Mexico, with business partners to secure a railroad concession for the Los Pintos Mines; and a cruise taken by the Wright family to the Channel Islands in 1899, so that son Howard W. Wright could engage in bird collecting and photography. The photograph albums depict the Wrights' life and residence in Pasadena; the family's travels to Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains, Santa Catalina Island, and other areas of California; trips aboard the yachts Seabird and Siwash to the Channel Islands; Baja, Mexico; and and other destinations, both for family vacations and for Howard Walter Wright's exploits as a bird collector and birder; Howard W. Wright's years as a student at Stanford University (1911-1915) and his tours in Japan, China, and the Philippines during his service in the Navy during World War I. Titles for the photograph albums were devised by the cataloger.
photCL 222
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Subseries A. The Wrights in 1899
Visual Materials
This volume describes a vacation taken by the Wright family and friends on Santa Catalina Island, where they stayed at a friend's cottage. Photographs depict the steamer on which the family traveled, the S. S. Hermosa; birds-eye views of Avalon Bay; interior and exterior views of the cottage; beach scenes and fishing trips; people including Walter S., Bernice, Howard, Catherine, and Adaline Wright and friends; Sugar Loaf; camping excursions, including a trip by Howard W. Wright with a group to Eagles' Nest Canyon; and Howard and Adaline Wright in a cave. The volume also includes a photograph of Walter S. Wright at work in his study and a few photographs of family trips to Santa Anita Canyon and Mount Wilson in the San Gabriel Mountains; some of the photographs were taken by commercial photographers. Additionally, at the end of the volume is a two-page letter from a young Howard to Walter S. Wright describing a trip collecting birds' eggs and a children's drawing by an unidentified person.
photCL 222
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Subseries G. Miscellaneous photographs
Visual Materials
Photographs depict a fire in Avalon in November, 1915, including views of destruction in the city and of the Hotel Metropole before and after its chimneys were destroyed; images of destruction of the Lincoln Kindergarten and of Howard W. Wright's garage from a storm described by the caption as the "Pasadena Cyclone of 1917"; a portrait of Throop High School's class of 1910, with a listing of the students, including Howard W. Wright; and reproductions of images of Avalon from September 1888 and between 1894-1896 and of San Pedro from approximately 1878, taken by J. B. Banning, Senior. Some of the prints are reproductions of photographs owned by Hancock Banning, Junior, who wrote extensive captions on versos detailing the history of the areas depicted and describing the contents of the images.
photCL 222
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Subseries F. Japan, China, and Philippines; World War I Naval Service; Baja, Mexico; and Channel Islands
Visual Materials
Photographs chiefly depict Japan, China, and the Philippines and Howard W. Wright's military service during World War I; images also depict various islands off of Baja, California, and the Channel Islands of Santa Cruz and Santa Barbara. Photographs show the ship Tenyo Maru leaving San Francisco and scenes from on board, including a gymastics competition; views of Honolulu, Yokohama, Kobe, Kyoto, Shanghai, Nara, and Nagasaki, including coal barges and coaling operations; houses and animals pulling wares in Manila; the bay and city of Hong Kong; river boats, street scenes, and a pagoda in Canton and a 1300-year-old pagoda on the Pearl River; boats and people in Macao; and carvings by Hidari Jinguro. Photographs depicting Howard W. Wright's Naval service include views of various ships, including a coaling ship in Acapulco and various images from on decks; Navy crews at work; portraits of Naval units; and the Miraflores lock at the Panama Canal. Views of Baja include cormorants on San Martin Island; Naval ships at sea; and boats and rocky shorelines at Todos Santos, with Punta Banda in the distance; and views of the Channel Islands include scenes of sailing at Santa Cruz Island and birds, wild boar, and images of boats at Santa Barbara Island.
photCL 222
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Subseries C. About that Mexican Trip: How they Landed the Concession for the Railroad for Exploiting Los Pintos Mines
Visual Materials
This volume describes the efforts of Walter S. Wright, J. H. Holmes (here referred to as John H. Holmes), and their partners to secure the concession to build the San Jorges Bay and Eastern Railroad to the Los Pintos Mines, detailing a meeting with Judge Ygnacio Sepúlveda, former judge of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, who facilitated American capital investment in Porfirian Mexico. The volume contains an appendix, Memoranda of the Concession, that outlines the terms granted to Holmes and partners "to construct and exploit a railroad on public domain from Sierra Pinta to San Jorges Bay in Sonora, Mexico." The journal account includes a business card from the Mexican Herald and describes a story in that newspaper claiming that Wright and Holmes were in Mexico in order to persuade President Porfirio Díaz to overthrow the current government of El Salvador and restore deposed President Carlos Ezeta to office. Photographs in the volume include depictions of Walter S. Wright; J. H. Holmes, including an image with Ezeta; President Díaz entering a carriage; Judge Sepúlveda; and several thumbnail portraits of various business partners. Photographs also show pilgrims on the way to the shrine of the Virgin of Guadalupe; indigenous people with their children and selling goods; people and street scenes in Mexico City, including some taken from the Hotel Iturbide, where the business partners stayed; the American Club and Cathedral of Mexico; palace guards and Mexican soldiers; markets, including the Flower Market; the floating gardens and Viga Canal; a bullfight; the Paseo de la Reforma; and images from a train journey, some taken from within the train and some on stops, of fruit sellers and residents of villages. One photograph features the daughter of the Reverend E. L. Conger and her husband, Mr. Vose, on their honeymoon; she is described as "a fair Pasadenan" (page 25).
photCL 222