Visual Materials

Mining views, buildings, and other subjects

Description: This series begins with four ambrotypes or daguerreotypes of California miners, dating from approximately 1849-1850s. The remaining five photographs are of various subjects: First Baptist Church, San Francisco; a steam locomotive; main street of early Western town Orleans, California; a musical band; and a clothes washing machine displayed on a platform.
Type: Visual Materials(Opens in new tab)
Date: approximately 1849-1900s
Call number: Series 2
Provenance: Acquired from various sources. Assembled into a collection by the Library from various sources. See finding aid for sources of individual items.
Restrictions: RESTRICTED. Items are fragile. Available with curatorial approval. Please view digital surrogates.

Modern ambrotypes and daguerreotypes

Visual Materials

A group of five daguerreotypes and ambrotypes made by artists born in the mid-20th century. Two daguerreotypes by Robert Shlaer (b. 1943) depict a New Mexico landscape, 1992, and a group portrait of 201 Huntington Library employees posed in the institution's Japanese Garden, 2003. Barret Oliver (b. 1973) made three ambrotypes in 2012 of the mausoleum of Henry E. Huntington and Arabella Huntington on the grounds of the Huntington Library.

Series 3

Image not available

View of a clothes washing machine on a small platform

Visual Materials

"Welcome Washing Machine" on side of machine, which has rollers, a hand crank, and basin. Dated based on content and photograph format.

(photDAG 136)

Sundry Amusements in the Mines

Rare Books

Image contains four vignettes depicting activities in the daily life of miners. The vignette on the top left is of three miners washing their clothes in a stream. The vignette on the top right is of two miners cooking in a tent. The vignette on the bottom left is of two miners mending their boots and clothes in a tent. The vignette on the bottom right is of two miners discovering a bear in their tent. The number 23 is in the upper right corner, indicating that this image may be part of a series. "Lith. & Published by Britton & Rey."--text, below image. Paper color: buff.

48052:043

Image not available

Portraits

Visual Materials

This series contains 155 studio portraits and a miniature portrait album of individuals alone or in groups. There are two variant postmortem views of Margaret Hereford Wilson, a daughter of B. D. Wilson, as a little girl. All are original photographs unless otherwise noted, such as a few reproduction photographs of Abraham Lincoln. When dates cannot be determined from any other source, estimated dates have been given based on dates of major usage: daguerreotypes (1840s-1850s); ambrotypes (1855-1865); and tintypes (use began mid-1850s and continued into early 20th century, though tintypes in this collection are estimated to date no later than 1900s.)

Series 1

View of the Philadelphia Volunteer Refreshment Saloons

Visual Materials

Image of six interior and exterior vignettes of the Volunteer Refreshment Saloons in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, including the cooking and washing departments, dining hall, and a view of the buildings' exterior with parade and locomotive at center; bald eagle with American flags and shield at top center; list of names from the Volunteer Refreshment Committee in bottom margin; image of Volunteer Refreshment Committee hospital exterior in mylar on verso.

priJLC_MIL_000808

Image not available

Musical band of 12 members posed outside, with instruments

Visual Materials

A collection of chiefly 19th-century photographs mounted in their original cases, which are mostly portraits with some outdoor views, and some related images in other formats. The collection contains 72 daguerreotypes and 46 ambrotypes (approximately 1840s-1860s), and 58 early tintypes (approximately mid-1850-1900s). In addition, there are two modern daguerreotypes, made in 1992 and 2003 by photographer Robert Shlaer, and three ambrotypes made in 2012 by Barret Oliver, of the mausoleum of Henry E. Huntington and his wife, Arabella Huntington, on the grounds of the Huntington Library. Most of the photographs are studio portraits, including pioneers of the American West, or ancestors of families who came West, and many sitters are unidentified. A few of the notable portraits are: Edgar Allan Poe; Jane Thoreau (aunt of Henry David Thoreau); John B. Colton (Jayhawker of 1849); a postmortem view of a young daughter of Benjamin D. Wilson; Theodore D. Judah; a whole plate ambrotype of a group of San Francisco businessmen; and a Civil War drummer boy and his mother. There are a few cased photographic prints and tintypes of Abraham Lincoln, including two circular images that were campaign badges. Also in the collection are several outdoor scenes: California Gold Rush miners posed with tools at work sites; the First Baptist Church, San Francisco, 1849; a street scene in the frontier town of Orleans, California; and the locomotive "Sam Cruse."

(photDAG 101)

Mining views, buildings, and other subjects

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Modern ambrotypes and daguerreotypes

View of a clothes washing machine on a small platform

Sundry Amusements in the Mines

Portraits

View of the Philadelphia Volunteer Refreshment Saloons

Musical band of 12 members posed outside, with instruments