A handsome group of photographs depicting scenes in and around Mt. Wilson, a peak in San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, in Los Angeles County, Ca. With shots of the breathtaking...
A handsome group of photographs depicting scenes in and around Mt. Wilson, a peak in San Gabriel Mountains National Monument, in Los Angeles County, Ca. With shots of the breathtaking scenic views and charming portraits of its visitors.
The photos in this collection were used as proofs for postcards published by the Edward Mitchell Postcard Co. of San Francisco or the Newman Postcard Co. of Los Angeles, and most of them bear pencil captions on the verso which were used as titles when printed.
The earliest photographs in the group date to the 1890s, these are titled “Camp Life at Wilson’s Peak,” “Camping at Mt. Wilson” and “Snow Scene on Mt. Wilson Trail,” the latter of which is credited to Graham Photo Co., though the others are possibly by the firm as well.
Also included are seven photos by Michael Rieder, an early 20th-century stationer, publisher and photographer in the Los Angeles area. These sweeping dramatic shots, taken from the top of Mount Wilson, also show the nearby Mount Harvard, Mount Lowe, Mount Markham, and Mount San Antonio (“Old Baldy”). There is an eighth photo, very similar in style, credited to A.B. post, a camera supplier in Pasadena.
Of the remaining images, primarily showing hikers and horseback riders ascending the trails, two photos credited to the Pasadena-based commercial photographer Harold Parker, two to Laessig and Co., and the rest are uncredited.