Seneca Ray Stoddard
Torchlight Views of Howe Caverns in the Schoharie Valley, NY, 1889
Albumen prints (22)
Each 7 x 9 inches
With Stoddard's credit, title and date in negative.
With Stoddard's credit, title and date in negative.
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Howe Caverns in New York’s Schoharie Valley has been a tourist destination since it first opened to the public in 1843, a year after local farmer Lester Howe began to...
Howe Caverns in New York’s Schoharie Valley has been a tourist destination since it first opened to the public in 1843, a year after local farmer Lester Howe began to notice that on hot summer days his cows liked to congregate near some bushes at the bottom of a hill on his neighbor's land. Investigating this, he moved the bushes aside to discover a cool breeze emanating from a hole in the earth (later dubbed "Blowing Rock").
The present group of photographs, dated 1889, speak to the area's consistent popularity. Shot by the New York state photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard, these images were likely commissioned by the nearby Pavilion Hotel, as a means to attract visitors. What is most compelling about the photos is that the majority of them were shot by lamplight. While we have found a few stereoviews by Stoddard of the caves, we can trace no other large format images such as these.
Colorfully-named, subterranean locations shown in the collection include: The Ghost Chamber; Music Hall; Devil’s Gateway; Washington’s Wine Cellar; Martha Washington’s Hood; Tall Man’s Torment; Giant’s Gallery; Ramsey’s Cement Mine; Entrance to Congress Hall; Washington Hall; Alabaster Hall; The Elephant’s Ear; The King’s Corridor; and the Foot of the Lake. There is also a wonderful photo showing a pair of the cave’s famed bats. Exterior views include shots of the Cave House; the tunnel entrance; and the limestone quarry.
Also included are two pamphlets advertising the Pavillion Hotel.
The present group of photographs, dated 1889, speak to the area's consistent popularity. Shot by the New York state photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard, these images were likely commissioned by the nearby Pavilion Hotel, as a means to attract visitors. What is most compelling about the photos is that the majority of them were shot by lamplight. While we have found a few stereoviews by Stoddard of the caves, we can trace no other large format images such as these.
Colorfully-named, subterranean locations shown in the collection include: The Ghost Chamber; Music Hall; Devil’s Gateway; Washington’s Wine Cellar; Martha Washington’s Hood; Tall Man’s Torment; Giant’s Gallery; Ramsey’s Cement Mine; Entrance to Congress Hall; Washington Hall; Alabaster Hall; The Elephant’s Ear; The King’s Corridor; and the Foot of the Lake. There is also a wonderful photo showing a pair of the cave’s famed bats. Exterior views include shots of the Cave House; the tunnel entrance; and the limestone quarry.
Also included are two pamphlets advertising the Pavillion Hotel.