A Pair of Photograph Albums Documenting San Francisco, Monterey, and the Surrounding Areas in the Late 1880s

Northern California, 1880. 4to, one album in burgundy cloth, the other oblong brown pebbled cloth. Seventy-one sepia-toned and cyanotype photographs, most measuring 6 ½ x 4 ½ inches. Near fine with some light wear to albums, photographs very good or better with very good contrast, some showing a hint of fading. A very early pair of vernacular photograph albums, centering on the experiences of a wealthy family in San Francisco, Monterey, and the surrounding areas in the late 1880s. The bulk of the images show the family and their unidentified circle in domestic scenes, with the vernacular architecture and landscapes of the Bay Area on full display. Other images show landmarks including Golden Gate Park, the Francis Scott Key monument, various views of the first Hotel del Monte in Monterey, which would burn in 1887, dating the photographs to the period prior to the fire. The album also includes photographs of African American families.

The image quality is generally quite strong, and the photographer was either a professional assembling the album, which includes many portraits of family and presumed friends, for themselves, or the work of a highly skilled amateur. The Initials on the front pastedown are "M.J.R.," though this could be a later owner. The albums were from the estate of the muralist Clara Fargo Thomas, who was a resident of New York, and could possibly have been from one of her family members, though we are unable to glean much detail from the contents. The few annotations offer little clues, one just reading "5/11/89 - Golden Gate Park," and another identifying a house as 509 Webster St. in San Francisco, though the typical Victorian architecture and sloped street of the house suggest it could have just been a photograph of San Francisco's unique architecture.

The photographs of the people give insight into the lives of the new wealthy class of San Francisco residents of the late 19th century, with others, interestingly showing rural scenes and people. The photographer also had an eye for the flora of the region, which is displayed throughout. It is unclear what the relationship of the African-American subjects was to the photographer, and why they appear in the album. Overall a compelling group of images, and the earliest example of vernacular photograph albums of California images we can find in the trade.