A striking and uniform group of photographs documenting the Roberts Lumber Company, which was founded around 1900 outside the Sierra County town of Loyalton, California. Akin to the work of...
A striking and uniform group of photographs documenting the Roberts Lumber Company, which was founded around 1900 outside the Sierra County town of Loyalton, California. Akin to the work of Darius Kinsey, the present photographs depict the backbreaking labor and dangerous endeavors loggers endured while felling mammoth trees and transporting the lumber via man-made “chutes.” There are also images of the towering alleys made from processed timber, shots of the trains on the McCloud River and Boca and Loyalton railroad line, both of which transported the product across the west coast, and other compelling scenes of industry.
While there is scant information available about the accomplished image-maker (identified only as “Thompson the Photographer”), we were able to locate some of the shots reproduced as postcards, suggesting these were possibly used for proofs and other promotional means..