Oblong Folio album (ca. 28x37,5 cm or 11 x 14 ¾ in). 23 card stock leaves (5 blank). With 36 mounted original gelatin silver photos (including one image in three copies), mostly from ca. 15x20,5 cm (6x8 in) to ca. 12x19,5 cm (4 ½ x 7 ½ in); with two smaller panoramic photos ca. 8x20 cm (3x8 in). Twenty-nine photos are captioned in negative; three photos are also dated in negative (“1901,” “Feb. 1899,” “1902”). Eighteen photos with the copyright of the Graham Photo Co. in negative (“Graham,” “Graham Photo,” “Wm. Graham,” &c.); one photo with the copyright of “Lamson studio” in negative. Period brown half sheep album with black cloth boards; gilt-tooled decorative borders on the corners and spine; moire pastedown endpapers. Covers slightly rubbed on extremities, spine with a minor tear at head, back cover with a minor water stain, mounts slightly waved, three photos previously removed from the album, one photo at the rear with minor scratches on the image, but overall a very good album of interesting strong photos.

An attractive collection of early, well-executed original studio photos of streets, parks, opulent private residences and hotels in modern-day Los Angeles, Pasadena, Altadena, Arcadia, Redlands, &c. The majority of the photos belong to a noted local “Graham Photo Company.” The views of Los Angeles show  Figueroa Street, a street in St. James Park neighbourhood and a private residence of Harrison Gray Otis (publisher of the Los Angeles Times; the residence became Otis College of Art and Design, torn down and replaced with a modern building in 1956).

The photos of Pasadena include several views of Orange Grove Avenue, scenes with orange trees and Gold of Ophir roses in bloom, two panoramic views of the second Raymond Hotel (built in 1901, torn down in 1934), and photos of the mansions of William C. Stuart (at 1201 South Orange Grove Ave., built in 1893, later owned by Harkness of Standard Oil), and Charles Richardson. A series of six photos depict Baldwin’s Ranch - now a part of the Los Angeles County Arboretum and Botanic Garden in Arcadia. There are also views of Altadena (the residence of Colonel George G. Green, later the site of the Altadena library), Redlands (Brookside Avenue, the private residence of Albert C. Burrage, built in 1901), Riverside (Magnolia Avenue), San Gabriel (a cactus grove), a scene at an ostrich farm, &c. A romantic portrait depicts a notable Polish actress, Helena Modjeska (1840-1909), posing in the garden of her “Forest of Arden” mansion in modern-day Mojeska Canyon near Silverado. Overall an attractive collection of early photos of private residences and urban landscapes of Los Angeles and southern California in the early 20th century.

A list of images: No. 484. Drive at San Gabriel Winery; No. 352. Poplar Trees at Baldwins Ranch. Graham; No. 415. Baldwins Lake; No. 414. Baldwins Ranch. No. 547. Sheep on Baldwins Ranch. Graham; [A herd of sheep]. Copyright 1901. Wm. Graham; [A forest road]. Copyright 1902 by Lamson; [Ostrich farm]; No. 525. The Otis Residence. Graham photo; [A private residence]; No. 618. Scene at Baldwins Ranch; [Ostriches on a farm]. Copyrighted Feb. 1899 by Wm. Graham, L.A., Cal.; No. 604. Orange Grove Ave., Pasadena. Graham photo; Street Scene on Figueroa. No. 27; No. 454. Scene on Orange Grove Ave. Pasadena, Graham; No. 170. Stewart’s residence on Orange Grove Ave. Pas. Cal. Graham photo; No. 586. Redlands, Cal.; Residence of Chas. Richardson. Pasadena. No. 85; No. 125. Orange blossoms and gold of Ophir <…>. S. Pas. Graham photo; Residence of Mr. Green, Altadena, Mount Lowe in the Distance. No. 75; [A private residence]; No. 643. Street it St. James park; Date palm on Adams. No. 114; No. 362. Cactus at San Gabriel. Graham photo; [A private residence]; No. 374. Merwin’s gold of Ophir roses at So. Pasadena. Graham photo; No. 371. Gold of Ophir and oranges. Graham photo; [Panoramic view of the Raymond Hotel in Pasadena]; [Panoramic view of the Raymond Hotel in Pasadena from a different angle]; No. 437. Magnolia Ave, Riverside. Graham photo; No. 584. Burrage residence; No. 584. Brookside Ave, Redlands, Graham photo; No. 712. Madam Modjeska at the fountain. Copyrighted 1902 by Graham; No. 583. Burrage residence, Redlands. Graham; No. 437. Magnolia Ave, Riverside. Graham photo (two identical views).