Historically Interesting Well-Annotated Photo Album with 178 Gelatin Silver Photographs of a Road Trip from California to Arizona, Showing Missions (the Ruins of La Purisima Concepcion, as well as the Pala, San Xavier Del Bac, San Diego de Alcalá, Santa Inez Missions, etc.), Dams (the Newly Constructed Coolidge Dam and the Laguna & Hetch Hetchy Dams), Deserted Mining Town of Tombstone, Governor Castro's House, a Sausalito Ferry, the World’s Largest “General Sherman” Tree, a “50-Ton Frog,” etc.; also with the Views of Sequoia National Park, Apache Indian Reservation, Yosemite National Park, Chiricahua National Monument, Grand Canyon National Park, etc. Ca. 1930s.
Houten, Chas V. Two Original Private Letters Written by a Pioneer of Barker House (Modern-day Woodleaf, California) to His “Guiding Star” and “Dearest” Girlfriend Back Home in Sunbury (Ohio), Talking About His Failing Business, the Influx of Migrants From the East, and the Most Popular Trail to California via the Great Plains; Also Passionately Writing, “There Is Not One Hour, That Passes, but My Heart Is With You”. Barker House (California): 23 July & 10 October 1853.
Album with 142 Gelatin Silver Photographs of California, Showing Local Bridges (Including the Newly Built San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridges, the Original Fruitvale and the Bay Farm Island Bridges, the Diamond Canyon Bridge, etc.), Missions (Santa Barbara, San Gabriel, San Juan Capistrano, and Carmel), Schooners (Old Ironsides, Owl, Lottie Bennett), as well as the 1939-1940 Golden Gate International Exposition (“The Tower of the Sun,” the “Pacifica” Statue, the Chinese Village, Pool of the Nation, Court of the Moon, etc.); also with the Photographs of the Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks in Wyoming. Ca. 1930s-1940s.
Taber, Isaiah West (1830-1912); Johnson, Charles Wallace Jacob (1833-1903); Savage, Charles Roscoe (1832-1909), and others. Album with 46 Rare Original Albumen Photographs, Showing Monterey (Chinatown, Monterey Bay, Hotel del Monte, First Adobe Buildings, Custom House, “The First Jail,” “General Fremont’s Headquarters during the Mexican War,” &c.), San Francisco (“Mrs. Mark Hopkins and Gov. Stanford Mansions,” “Court, Palace Hotel,” “Bazaar in Chinatown,” “The Entry – Chinese Theatre,” “Chinese Grand Restaurant,” “Mission Dolores”), Salt Lake City (“Brigham Young’s Grave,” “The Eagle Gate near Brigham Young’s Residence,” “Temple Block,” “Beehive and Lion House”), Chinatown in Los Angeles, &c. Ca. 1886.
Whiting, Jasper S.; [Ives, Joseph Christmas] (1829-1868). Autograph Note Signed by an American Engineer and Surveyor of Lower California and Sonora, Talking about Him Joining Lt. Ives’ Exploratory Expedition to the Colorado River. San Francisco: 22 October [1857].
Early Billhead of California Pioneer Bookseller, A. Roman & Co, Returning an “Imperfect” Copy of Webster’s Dictionary to G & C Merriam; With Merriam’s Note About Sending the Book to the Company’s Binder and Future Mayor of Cambridge MA, Henry Houghton. San Francisco, 29 October 1867.
Crocker, Anna Louis (ca. 1867-1957). Historically Interesting Original Autograph Letter Written by a Wealthy Music Teacher from Maroa, Illinois, Describing her Vacation in Los Angeles, Redlands, and Oak Green, Including Staying at the “Hotel Lincoln” in LA, Singing in a Presbyterian Organ Recital, and Participating at a Local Thimble Party. Los Angeles: 8 April 1899.
[Clark, S.M.?]. Original Autograph Letter Written by a Gold Miner in the Garden Valley (El Dorado County), Talking about His Sea Voyage, Being Fed with “Hard Bread & Stinking Meat,” Gold Mining in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Tree Cutting, Plans to Take a “Job of Fluming to Carry Water from one Hill to Another,” California Climate, Liberal Public Attitude to Sundays, and Mentioning: “I have never Found that Large Nuget of Gold you Told me to Send you, but I Expect to Soon”]. Garden Valley, 17 April 185[8 or 9?].
Kolloch, M.H. Historically Important Original Autograph Manuscript Letter Written by M. H. Kolloch on His Way From Fairplay (Colorado Territory) To Paradise Valley (Arizona Territory), Bragging About His Discovery of the North Extension of the “Richest Mine” in the Now-abandoned Settlement of Brownsville (California), Enthusiastically Reporting on a Two-feet-Wide Ledge Stuffed With Free Gold, and Writing That He Needs To Build 200 Feet of Road Leading to the Mine. Fairplay, California: 14 October 1866.
Original Autograph Letter Written by a San Jose Resident to His Brother, Professor of Music in Hamilton, Ontario (C.W.), Giving Detailed Advice for his Brothers’ “Quickest Route” to California, Suggesting to Cross the Isthmus of Central America at San Juan (Nicaragua) or Panama, the Best Place to Stay in San Francisco, as Well as Underlining the Importance of a Thorough Knowledge of English to Find a Job in California. San Jose (California), 12 April 1854.
Historically Important Album with 104 Original Gelatin Silver Photos and Real Photo Postcards of California, Showing the Town of Hobart Mills (non-Existent since 1938), Prosser Creek, Independence Lake, Tahoe Lake, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Gabriel Mission, Life Savers at Long Beach, &c. Ca. 1900s.
Langford, Benjamin (Ca. 1827-1904); Beatty, Addison (Ca. 1822-1903). Original Handwritten, Signed, and Notary Certified Deed of the Sale of Langford and Beatty Ranch Along the North Bank of the Mokelumne River (Now Ghosted Town of Elliot) from Benjamin Langford to Addison Beatty on 9 November 1853]. Moquellemne (Mokelumne) River: 9 November 1853.
Album with One Hundred Original Vernacular Gelatin Silver Photographs of California, Showing Los Angeles and Environs (Mission San Gabriel Arcangel, Pasadena, Cawston Ostrich Farm, Deadmans Island near San Pedro, Long Beach), San Francisco (Ferry Building, Market Street, Golden Gate Park, Lands End Park), Portland (Union Railway Station, Streets, Willamette River, Washington Park), Victoria (BC Parliament Buildings, Government Street), Railway Tracks, a Swing Bridge, Port, &c. Ca. 1900.
Original Autograph Manuscript Letter by a Fruit Seller in Marysville, CA., Talking about the Crowds of Chinese Immigrants & Native Americans, the General Buzz over Local Elections, High Rental Prices, Teacher Salaries, etc.; also Writing “Every Nation upon the Globe is Represented Here in Cal” and “California Produces all Kinds of Fruits and Nuts”. Marysville: 17 March 1859.
Harris, William. Historically Interesting Original Letter by William Harris, a San Francisco Entrepreneur, Urging his Business Associate Harriett Stone to Immediately Foreclose and Divide the Former Mexican Land Grant Rancho Sisquoc in Santa Barbara County, California. San Francisco: 6 June 1891.
Album with 63 Original Gelatin Silver Photographs of California Franciscan Missions, Titled: California’s Richest Heritage – Her Franciscan Missions. Ca. 1933-1935.
Anthony, E. M. (ca. 1826-?). An 1856 Legal Order to Arrest "Sailor Jim," One of Yreka’s (Siskiyou Co., California) Earliest and Most Ill-Fated Murderers Doomed to Be Hanged Twice. Yreka, Siskiyou County, California: 24 December 1856.
Historically Interesting Original Letter by Nevada City’s (California) Pioneer, Writing to His Sister Back Home and Talking about Limited Job Opportunities, Striking Disparity in Earnings, and the Widespread Practices of Gambling & Drinking. Nevada City: 12 June 1854.
Ware, Joel (ca. 1833-1902). Historically Interesting Original Letter Signed by Joel Ware, a Young Sacramento Pioneer and Future Founder of Oregon’s “People’s Press” Newspaper, to His Brother in Damascus, Ohio, Crying over his Hopeless Love for “Sib” and Urging his Brother to Pursue his Chances with her. Sacramento: 1852-1857.
Murray, John Sutherland (1818-1882); Moore, Henry M. Original Autograph Letter Signed from Moores Flat (a Gold Mining Town Later Abandoned in the Early 20th Century), Written by a California Forty-Niner and Talking about the Construction of a “Store-Room” in the General Store or the Hotel of Town Founder H.M. Moore, Successful Gold Mining, When “an Ounce of Beautiful Gold” was Obtained after an Hour Washing “under Disadvantageous Circumstances,” Nevada County Pioneer and Gold Miner James Weaver, &c. Moores Flat (Nevada Co.): 1 January 1854.
Ogorodnikov, Pavel Ivanovich (1837- 20 December 1884 O.S./ 1 January 1885 N.S.)
Ot Niyu-Yorka do San-Frantsisko i obratno v Rossiyu [From New York to San Francisco and back to Russia]. Saint Petersburg: Edition of booksellers F. Kolesov & F. Mikhin, Typ. of Dr. M. Khan, 1872.
Original Autograph Manuscript Letter Signed by One “Claude” in San Francisco and Addressed to “Dear Uncle,” Talking about Being Depressed over Her Brother’s Failing Health and Sharing News about Financial & Family Matters. San Francisco: 26 December 1885.
Taber, Isaiah West (1830-1912); Baker, Walter T. & Cathcart, Walter, & others. Album with Nineteen Early Original Albumen Photographs from the Collection of Samuel Parsons - a San Francisco Resident and Employee of a Local Wall Paper Dealer “George W. Clark & Co,” Including a Series of Parson’s Portraits, Views of His Residences and a Street of San Francisco, the Storefront of “George W. Clark & Co” on Market Street with Staff Members, Most likely Including Parsons, Scenes from an Outing in the Redwood Forest, &c.; with a Later Gelatin Silver Portrait of a Young Girl at the Rear. Ca. 1880s.
Healey, Charles Terraine (1833-1914). Historically Significant Archive of Three Original Manuscript Notebooks, by California’s First Licensed Surveyor, Documenting His Land Surveys of New Almaden and Guadalupe Quicksilver Mines (Santa Clara Co.), Los Vergeles, Moro Cojo and Los Capitancillos Ranches, in the Vicinity of the Sargent Station of the Southern Pacific Railroad (now a Ghost Town), &c.; WITH: a Period Copy of a Survey on the Retracing of Los Huecos Rancho (Santa Clara Co.), Signed and Sealed by the U.S. Surveyor General for California, W.H. Brown. Notebooks: ca. 1871-1879, 1886.
Collection of 75 Loose Original Gelatin Silver Photographs, Showing the Destruction in Santa Barbara and Environs after the Earthquake on June 29, 1925.