Carleton E. Watkins photographs, 1861-1885

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Watkins, Carleton E., 1829-1916
Title
Carleton E. Watkins photographs
Dates
1861-1885
Quantity
9.5 cubic feet, (100 loose mammoth plates and 424 other photographs in 1 document box, 2 card file boxes, 2 oversize boxes, and 2 volumes in 2 oversize boxes)
Collection Number
Org. Lot 93
Summary
Photographs taken by Carleton E. Watkins, renowned photographer of the American West, 1861-1885. The bulk of the collection contains Watkins' photographs of Portland, the Willamette River, and the Columbia River from 1867 and 1882-1885, as well as images of California, Utah, the Washington Territory, and British Columbia. Includes stereographs and other card photographs, mammoth plates, panoramic photographs, and photograph albums.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Carleton E. Watkins, renowned nineteenth-century photographer of the American West, began his career in photography in 1854 at the age of 25. Born in Oneonta, N. Y. in 1829, Watkins relocated to California in the spring of 1851 and by 1853-1854 was living in San Francisco. There he was taught the art of photography by Robert Vance (1825-1876), owner of daguerreotype studios in San Francisco and San Jose. By 1856, Watkins had moved on to work as an ambrotypist in the portrait studio of James M. Ford (1827-circa 1877) in San Jose.

Sometime between 1856 and 1858, Watkins began operating as a freelance photographer in the San Jose and San Francisco areas and experimented with large-format outdoor photography using wet-plate collodion negatives. His largest surviving body of work prior to 1861 documents Las Mariposas, the California mining estate of Col. John C. Frémont. In 1861, Watkins traveled to Yosemite with a mammoth-plate camera. The thirty mammoth plates and one hundred stereoscopic negatives that he made during this trip were partly responsible for government protection of Yosemite as a national park and were published in Josiah Whitney’s The Yosemite Book in 1869, one of the first American books devoted solely to landscape photography. Watkins returned to Yosemite many times between 1861 and 1881 to photograph the park and even set up his own gallery there to showcase and sell his photography.

In 1865, Watkins opened his "Yo Semite Gallery" at 425 Montgomery Street in San Francisco. That same year, he won an award for "Mountain Views" at the San Francisco Mechanics' Institute Industrial Exhibition and, in 1867, won a bronze medal for his mammoth plates of Yosemite at the Paris International Exposition, earning him an international reputation as a landscape photographer. In July of that same year, Watkins traveled to Oregon to photograph Portland, Or. and the Columbia River area. Beginning in Portland, Watkins traveled south to Oswego and Oregon City on the Willamette River to photograph the area and north again across the Columbia to Vancouver in the Washington Territory. He then traveled east along the Columbia River, following the trade route of the Oregon Steam Navigation Company, finally leaving Oregon in November of 1867 with fifty-nine mammoth plates and one hundred stereograph negatives. Fifty of these mammoth views were exhibited in Portland in 1868 at Shanahan’s Art Gallery, garnering Watkins much acclaim. He also won the top award that year for a major exhibit of Pacific Coast photography at the San Francisco Mechanics’ Institute Industrial Exhibition.

In 1875, financial troubles and a nationwide economic slump caused Watkins to lose his studio in San Francisco, his gallery in Yosemite, and the entire collection of what is now known as his “Old Series” negatives. His business was sold to Isaiah W. Taber, who continued to print these negatives under his own studio imprint. However, by 1876, Watkins was up and running again, determined to re-photograph many of his famous views for what he called his “New Series of Pacific Coast Views.” As part of this series, Watkins made a return trip to Oregon in 1882, stopping at Portland and the Columbia River before continuing north to photograph the Puget Sound area of the Washington Territory and Victoria, British Columbia. He returned to Oregon again in 1883 to photograph Cascade Locks on the Columbia River, as well as other features of the river valley, and again during the winter of 1884-1885, when he photographed a winter blizzard that snowed in an Oregon Railway and Navigation Railroad train on its tracks in the Columbia River Gorge.

Carleton Watkins continued to photograph until the early 1890s, when his health began to fail. For the rest of his life, he lived in near blindness and poverty. All of his negatives were destroyed in the April 1906 earthquake and fire in San Francisco. For the next decade, Watkins lived under the custody of his daughter and the Napa State Hospital for the Insane and died on June 23, 1916. His photographs remain some of the earliest and most well-regarded visual records of the landscape of the American West and its early settlement.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

This collection contains stereographs, cartes de visite, cabinet and boudoir cards, photograph albums, mammoth plates, and other loose prints taken by landscape photographer Carleton E. Watkins, 1861-1885. Watkins photographs that were taken before he lost his Yosemite Art Gallery studio in 1876 to Isaiah W. Taber are known as his "Old Series." Watkins photographs taken after 1876 are referred to as his "New Series." The collection contains both Old Series and New Series images and includes some of Watkins' photographs printed under Taber's imprint.

The bulk of the stereographs and mammoth plate photographs in this collection were taken during Watkins' trips to Oregon to photograph Portland, the Willamette River, and the Columbia River in 1867 (Old Series), as well as in 1882, 1883, and the winter of 1884-1885 (New Series). There are also some stereographs that were taken by Watkins on his 1882 voyage to photograph Puget Sound in the Washington Territory and Victoria in British Columbia. Other mammoth plates, cartes de visite, and stereographs depict views of places in California, including Yosemite and Mariposa County, the Farallon Islands and other scenes of the California coast, San Francisco, Round Top, Mount Lola, and Mount Shasta, as well as views of Utah taken for the Union Pacific Railroad. There are also cabinet card portraits taken by Watkins of various people, including Oregon railroad financier Simeon Gannett Reed and members of the family of Cornelius C. Beekman (1828-1915), banker from Jacksonville, Or.

The collection also contains two photograph albums assembled by Watkins and originally owned by Charles H. Prescott (b. 1839), manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. from 1881-1887. One album, "Sun Sketches of Columbia River Scenery," contains images taken by Watkins during his trips to the Columbia River Gorge circa 1882-1883, and the second album, ""Great Storm of the Winter of 1884-5. Columbia River, Or.," contains images that he took during a winter blizzard in December and January of 1884-1885 that snowed in an Oregon Railway and Navigation Co. train on its tracks along the Columbia River. The collection also contains one group of stereographs entitled "Watkins' Pacific Railroad" that were originally taken by Alfred A. Hart, official photographer for the Central Pacific Railroad, between 1862-1869 and reprinted by Watkins under his own imprint after 1870.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

The Watkins photographs are viewable online in OHS Digital Collections.

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society owns the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Carleton E. Watkins photographs, Org. Lot 93, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

This collection is arranged into the following series:

  • Series A. Stereographs, 1861-1885
    • Subseries 1. Watkins' "Old Series" stereographs, 1861-1873
    • Subseries 2. Watkins' New Series stereographs, circa 1876-1885
    • Subseries 3. Watkins' Pacific Railroad stereographs, circa 1862-1869
  • Series B. Card photographs, 1861-1885
    • Subseries 1. Cartes de visite, 1861-circa 1865
    • Subseries 2. Cabinet cards, circa 1871-1875
    • Subseries 3. Boudoir cards, 1867-1885
  • Series C. Mammoth plates, 1863-1883
    • Subseries 1. Portland, Willamette River, and Columbia River, 1867 and circa 1882-1883
    • Subseries 2. California coast, 1863-1869
    • Subseries 3. Round Top, Mount Lola, and Mount Shasta, 1879
    • Subseries 4. Yosemite, circa 1878-1881
  • Series D. Photograph albums, circa 1883-1885
    • Subseries 1. "Sun Sketches of Columbia River Scenery," circa 1882-1883
    • Subseries 2. "Great Storm of the Winter of 1884-5. Columbia River, Or.," 1884-1885
  • Series E. Other loose prints, circa 1883-1885

Preservation Note

Access to original materials in the collection is limited for preservation purposes. Researchers are asked to use digitized images available online in OHS Digital Collections or access prints available in the library. Contact staff for more information.

Processing Note

An item inventory to this collection was first prepared in 1981 and updated as images were added. This guide should be used as the complete index to the Carleton E. Watkins photographs, Org. Lot 93, at the Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Bibliography

Information on Carleton E. Watkins can be found in the following sources in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library:

Alinder, James, ed. Carleton E. Watkins: Photographs of the Columbia River and Oregon. [Carmel, Calif.]: The Friends of Photography and Weston Gallery, 1979. Johnson, Joe William. The Early Pacific Coast Photographs of Carleton E. Watkins. Berkeley, Calif.: Water Resources Center Archives, University of California, Berkeley, 1960. Nickel, Douglas R. Carleton Watkins: The Art of Perception. New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., for the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, 1999. Palmquist, Peter. Carleton E. Watkins: Photographer of the American West. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press for the Amon Carter Museum, 1983. Terry, Richard, comp. Carleton E. Watkins: A Listing of Photographs in the Collection of the California State Library. Sacramento: California State Library Foundation, 1984.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Series A:  Stereographs, 1861-1873Return to Top

268 items.
Arranged into three subseries: Watkins' "Old Series" stereographs; Watkins' New Series stereographs; and Watkins' Pacific Railroad stereographs.
Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Watkins' "Old Series" stereographs
161 items.
This subseries consists of stereographs taken by Watkins from 1861-1875 that are commonly known as his "Old Series."
Arranged numerically by Watkins stereograph number.
1861-1873
Box/Folder
1/1
Stereograph 37: "Tasayac, or the Half Dome, 5000 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
1861
1/2
Stereograph 140: "New Road from Mine Park" [New Almaden, Calif.]
Hand-written caption. Signed by Watkins.
1863
1/3
Stereograph 777: "At the Cliff House, San Francisco."
circa 1864
1/4
Stereograph 946: "Fort Point, from Black Point, San Francisco."
circa 1864
1/5
Stereograph 1021: "View on the Merced, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/6
Stereograph 1043: "In Camp Grove, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/7
Stereograph 1064: "Indian Camp, Yosemite Valley Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/8
Stereograph 1078: "Pohono, or the Bridal Veil, 900 feet, from the Coulterville Trail, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865-1866
1/9
Stereograph 1083: "Cascade between the Vernal and Nevada Falls, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/10
Stereograph 1106: "View Up the Valley, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/11
Stereograph 1116: "Mount Starr King, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/12
Stereograph 1131: "Tacoye, or the North Dome, 3730 feet, Yosemite Valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/13
Stereograph 1151: "The Tenaya Cañon, from Glacier Point, Yosemite valley, Mariposa County, Cal."
circa 1865
1/14
Stereograph 1164: "Section of the Grizzly Giant, 33 feet diameter, Mariposa Grove, Mariposa County, Cal."
1861
1/15
Stereograph 1168: "In the Mariposa Grove"
Hand-written caption. Signed by Watkins.
1861
1/16
Stereograph 1201: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 1."
1867
1/17
Stereograph 1202: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 2."
1867
1/18-1/19
Stereograph 1203: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 3."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/20-1/21
Stereograph 1204: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 4."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts. The stereograph in 1/21 is a half-stereograph; the other half is missing.
1867
1/22-1/23
Stereograph 1205: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 5."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts. The stereograph in 1/23 is a half-stereograph; the other half is missing.
1867
1/24-1/25
Stereograph 1206: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 6."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/26-1/27
Stereograph 1207: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 7."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts. The stereograph in 1/26 is a half-stereograph; the other half is missing.
1867
1/28-1/29
Stereograph 1208: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 8."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts. The stereograph in 1/28 is a half-stereograph; the other half is missing.
1867
1/30
Stereograph 1209: "Panorama of Portland and the Willamette River, Oregon. No. 9."
1867
1/31-1/32
Stereograph 1211: "Smelting Furnace, Oswego Iron Works, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/33-1/35
Stereograph 1212: "Oswego Iron Works, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on three different mounts.
1867
1/36
Stereograph 1213: "Oswego Iron Works, Oregon."
1867
1/37
Stereograph 1214: "Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 1."
1867
1/38
Stereograph 1215: "Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 2."
1867
1/39
Stereograph 1216: "Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 3."
1867
1/40-1/42
Stereograph 1217: "Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 4."
Three different printings of the same stereograph.
1867
1/43-1/44
Stereograph 1218: "Panorama of Oregon City and the Willamette Falls. No. 5."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/45-1/54
Stereographs 1219-1222: "The Willamette Falls, Oregon."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts and different printings of the same stereograph. The stereograph in 1/48 is uncut and unmounted stereograph (1/48), and the stereograph in 1/52 bears the imprint of I. W. Taber.
1867
1/55
Stereograph 1223: "Oregon City, Oregon."
1867
1/56
Stereograph 1224: "Imperial Mills, Oregon City."
1867
1/57-1/59
Stereographs 1225-1226: "View on the Columbia River, near Vancouver."
Stereographs in 1/57 and 1/58 are duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/60
Stereograph 1227: "Residence of Mrs. Knight, Columbia River, opposite Government Island."
1867
1/61-1/62
Stereograph 1228: "Rooster Rock, Columbia River."
Stereograph in 1/62 bears the imprint of I. W. Taber.
1867
1/63-1/69
Stereographs 1229-1232: "Cape Horn, Columbia River."
Includes different printings of the same stereographs. The Stereograph in 1/65 bears the imprint of I. W. Taber.
1867
1/70
Stereograph 1233: "Lone Rock, Columbia River."
1867
1/71
Stereograph 1234: "Residence of John Stephenson, Esq., Columbia River."
1867
1/72-1/73
Stereograph 1235: "Nimrod, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on two different mounts.
1867
1/74
Stereograph 1236: "In the Orchard, Columbia River."
1867
1/75-1/78
Stereographs 1237-1239: "Multnomah Falls, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/79-1/81
Stereographs 1240-1241: "Lower Multnomah Fall, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/82-1/83
Stereograph 1242: "View from Multnomah Falls, Columbia River."
1867
1/84-1/96
Stereographs 1243-1248: "Castle Rock, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts and different printings of the same stereograph. The stereograph in 1/90 has a mounting that is labeled "Watkins' New Series" but is numbered as the Old Series and was taken as part of the Old Series.
1867
1/97
Stereograph 1249: "Steamer Cascade."
1867
1/98-1/99
Stereograph 1250: "A foggy morning in the Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/100-1/101
Stereograph 1251: "Betsey Baker, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/102
Stereograph 1252: "J. S. Ruckle, Cascades, Columbia River."
1867
1/103-1/104
Stereograph 1253: "S. G. Reed, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/105
Stereograph 1254: "Car House at the Cascades, Columbia River."
1867
1/106-1/107
Stereograph 1255: "Lower Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/108
Stereograph 1256: "Residence of G. Copely, Esq., Cascades, Columbia River."
1867
1/109-1/111
Stereograph 1257: "The Garrison, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/112-1/113
Stereograph 1258: "The Middle Landing, O. R. R., Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/114-1/116
Stereograph 1259: "The Middle Block House, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. The stereograph in 1/116 is mounted on a Watkins' New Series mount but is numbered as the Old Series and was taken as part of the Old Series.
1867
1/117-1/118
Stereograph 1260: "The Middle Block House, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/119-1/120
Stereograph 1261: "View on the Columbia River from the Middle Block House."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/121
Stereograph 1262: "The Cut, Middle Block House."
1867
1/122-1/124
Stereograph 1263: "View on the Columbia River, Middle Block House, Cascades."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/125-1/127
Stereograph 1264: "View on the Columbia River, from the Middle Block House."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. The stereograph in 1/127 is mounted on a Watkins' New Series mount but is numbered as the Old Series and was taken as part of the Old Series.
1867
1/128-1/129
Stereograph 1265: "Ruins of the High Bridge, Middle Block House, Cascades."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/130-1/131
Stereograph 1266: "The Upper Cascades, Columbia River, from the Block House."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/132-1/135
Stereographs 1267-1268: "Salmon Fishing in the Cascades, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/136
Stereograph 1269: "Steamer Oneonta, Upper Cascades, Columbia River."
1867
1/137-1/138
Stereograph 1270: "Upper Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/139-1/140
Stereograph 1271: "Lookout Mountain, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/141-1/146
Stereographs 1272-1274: "Islands in the Columbia, from the Upper Cascades."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts. The stereograph in 1/144 bears the imprint of I. W. Taber.
1867
1/147-1/148
Stereograph 1275: "Steamer Oneonta, Upper Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/149-1/153
Stereographs 1276-1279: "Upper Cascades, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/154-1/165
Stereographs 1280-1286 : "View on the Columbia River, from the O. R. R., Cascades."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/166-1/167
Stereograph 1287: "Moonlight on the Columbia, from the O. R. R. Cascades."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/168
Stereograph 1288: "In Camp, O. R. R., Columbia River Cascades."
1867
1/169-1/180
Stereographs 1289-1294: "View on the Columbia River, from the O. R. R. Cascades."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts and different printings of the same stereograph.
1867
1/181-1/183
Stereograph 1295: "Residence of Jo. Bailey, Esq., O. R. R. Cascades."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/184-1/185
Stereograph 1296: "Eagle Creek Saw Mill, O. R. R. Cascades."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1896
1/186-1/190
Stereographs 1297-1299: "The Tooth Bridge, O. R. R. Cascades, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts. The stereograph in 1/187 bears the imprint of I. W. Taber.
1867
1/191-1/194
Stereographs 1300-1301: "View on the Columbia, O. R. R. Cascades, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/195-1/196
Stereograph 1302: "Running Stock, O. R. R. Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. The stereograph in 1/195 is erroneously printed with the caption "View on the Columbia, O. R. R. Cascades, Columbia River" and Watkins no. 1301.
1867
1/197-1/198
Stereograph 1303: "Dalles City from Rockland, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/199
Stereograph 1304: "Dalles City, Columbia River. View from the East."
1867
1/200-1/201
Stereographs 1305-1306: "Dalles City, Columbia River, from Sun Set Hill."
1867
1/202
Stereograph 1307: "O. S. N. Co's Works, Dalles City, Columbia River."
1867
1/203-1/204
Stereograph 1308: "Machine Shop, O. S. N. Co's, Dalles City: Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/205-1/207
Stereograph 1309-1310: "O. S. N Co's Office, Dalles City, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/208-1/209
Stereograph 1311: "Officer's Quarters O. S. N. Co., Dalles City, Columbia River."
Two different printings of the same stereograph on different mounts.
1867
1/210-1/211
Stereographs 1312-1313: "D. F. Bradford, Dalles City, Columbia River."
1867
1/212-1/214
Stereographs 1314-1315: "Dalles City, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts
1867
1/215-1/216
Stereograph 1316: "Catholic Church, Dalles City, Columbia River."
The stereograph in 1/215 is a half-stereograph; other half is missing.
1867
1/217-1/218
Stereograph 1317: "Suburban Retreat, Dalles City, Columbia River."
The stereograph in 1/217 is not captioned or numbered.
1867
1/219-1/220
Stereograph 1318: "The Dalles, from Sun Set Hill."
Two different printings of the same stereograph.
1867
1/221-1/222
Stereograph 1319: "Mount Adams, from Sun Set Hills, Columbia River."
Two different printings of the same stereograph on different mountings.
1867
1/223
Stereograph 1320: "Mount Hood, from Sun Set Hill, Columbia River."
1867
1/224
Stereograph 1321: "Mount Hood, from Five Mile Creek, Columbia River."
1867
1/225-1/226
Stereograph 1322: "Mount Hood, from the Head of the Dalles."
Two different printings of the same stereograph on different mountings.
1867
1/227
Stereograph 1323: "Mount Hood, from the Dalles, Columbia River."
1867
1/228-1/229
Stereograph 1324: "Mount Hood and the Dalles, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/230-1/231
Stereograph 1325: "The Passage of the Dalles, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/232-1/234
Stereograph 1326: "Indian Camp at the Head of the Dalles, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/235
Stereograph 1327: "Tum Water, Columbia River."
1867
1/236-1/238
Stereographs 1328-1329: "Cape Horn, near Celilo, Columbia River."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
1/239-1/240
Stereograph 1330: "O. S. N. Co.'s Warehouse, Celilo, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. "O. S. N. Co." is the Oregon Steam Navigation Company.
1867
2/1
Stereograph 1331: "Indian Ranch on the Columbia, during Salmon Fishing."
1867
2/2
Stereograph 1332: "Interior of the O. S. N. Co.'s Warehouse, Celilo, Columbia River."
1867
2/3-2/4
Stereograph 1333: "O. S. N. Co.'s Dry Dock, Celilo, Columbia River."
Two different printings of the same stereograph.
1867
2/5
Stereograph 1334: "View on the Columbia River, from Celilo."
1867
2/6-2/7
Stereograph 1335: "A Country School at the Garrison, Cascades, Columbia River."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts.
1867
2/8
Stereograph 1336: "At the Lower Cascades, C. R."
1867
2/9
Stereograph 1337: "Lower Cascades, C. R."
Caption may alternately read: "Mc_________ Lower Cascades, C. R."
1867
2/10
Stereograph 1613: "Point Bonita. First Australian Steamer outward bound"
circa 1869
2/11
Stereograph 1770: "Montgomery Street from Market, S. F."
circa 1869
2/12
Stereograph 2043: "Sea Lions, West End, Farallone Islands, P. O."
1869
2/13
Stereograph 2049: "Sea Lions, West End, Farallone Islands, Pacific Ocean."
1869
2/14
Stereograph 2051: "Sea Lions, West End, Farallone Islands, P. O."
1869
2/15
Stereograph 2063: "Gull, Shags & Murr, Farrallon Island, Pacific Ocean."
1869
2/16
Stereograph 2072: "The Oldest Inhabitant of the Farallone Islands."
1869
2/17
Stereograph 2516: "View of Lava Bed, looking South-west."
circa 1873
2/18
Stereograph 2751: "Tithing Houses, Salt Lake, Utah."
1873
2/19
Stereograph 2752: "The Tabernacle, Salt Lake, Utah."
1873
2/20
Stereograph 2755: "The Toll Gatherer at the Devil's Gate, Weber Canyon, Utah, U. P. R. R."
1873
2/21
Stereograph 2756: "The Devil's Slide, Weber Canyon, Utah, U. P. R. R."
1873
2/22
Stereograph 2757: "1000-mile Tree, Weber Canyon, Utah. U. P. R. R."
1873
2/23
Stereograph 2761: "View from Witch Rocks, near Echo, Utah. U. P. R. R."
Images depicts Watkins' photo wagon.
1873
2/24
Stereograph 2766: "Pulpit Rock, (view West), Echo, Utah. U. P. R. R."
1873
2/25
Stereograph 2767: "Pulpit Rock, Echo Canyon, Utah. U. P. R. R."
1873
2/26
Unnumbered stereograph: Portrait of John Stephenson
No caption on stereograph. Identification supplied by Terry Toedtemeier. John Stephenson's last name has alternately also been spelled "Stevenson."
1867
2/27
Unnumbered stereograph: Portrait of the Bailey family of Eagle Creek
No caption on stereograph. Identification supplied by Terry Toedtemeier.
1867
Subseries 2: Watkins' New Series stereographs
97 items.
Arranged numerically by Watkins stereograph number.
This subseries contains stereographs produced by Carleton Watkins that were taken after his bankruptcy in 1875 and are known as his "New Series." Some of these stereographs were taken before 1875 but published later in the New Series.
circa 1876-1885
Box/Folder
2/28-2/30
Stereographs 3638 and 3641-3642: "View from the Residence of Chas. Crocker, Esq., S. F. California St."
circa 1878
2/31
Stereograph 4158: "Gold Hill, from the Reservoir."
circa 1876-1877
2/32
Stereograph 5219: "Panorama of Seattle, (W. T.), from Denny's Hill. No. 2."
1882
2/33
Stereograph 5224: "Panorama of Seattle from Denny's Hill, W. T., No. 7."
1882
2/34
Stereograph 5226: "Bell Town, Seattle, W.T."
1882
2/35
Stereograph 5228: "Seattle, Puget Sound, W. T.; view from South Ridge."
1882
2/36
Stereograph 5230: "Suburban Residence, Seattle, W. T."
1882
2/37-2/38
Stereographs 5236 and 5242: "At Port Blakeley, Puget Sound, W. T."
1882
2/39-2/41
Stereographs 5254-5256: "At Port Gamble, W. T."
1882
2/42
Stereograph 5258: "At Port Ludlow, Puget Sound, W. T."
1882
2/43
Stereograph 5259: "'Old Saw Dust,' Port Ludlow, W. T."
1882
2/44
Stereograph 5260: "Cottage at Port Ludlow, W. T."
1882
2/45
Stereograph 5265: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 2.)"
1882
2/46
Stereograph 5267: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 4.)"
1882
2/47
Stereograph 5269: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 6.)"
1882
2/48
Stereograph 5270: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 7.)"
1882
2/49
Stereograph 5272: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 9.)"
1882
2/50
Stereograph 5274: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 11.)"
1882
2/51
Stereograph 5276: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from the Government Buildings, (No. 13.)"
1882
2/52
Stereograph 5277: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from Christ Church, (No. 1.)"
1882
2/53
Stereograph 5287: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from Christ Church, (No. 11.)"
1882
2/54
Stereograph 5288: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from Christ Church, (No. 112.)"
1882
2/55
Stereograph 5292: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from Christ Church, (No. 16.)"
1882
2/56
Stereograph 5293: "Panorama of Victoria (B. C.) from Christ Church, (No. 17.)"
1882
2/57
Stereograph 5294: "Interior of Christ Church, Victoria, (B. C.)"
1882
2/58-2/61
Stereographs 5295-5298: "Government House, Victoria, (B. C.)"
1882
2/62
Stereograph 5303: "View from Government House, Victoria, (B. C.)"
1882
2/63
Stereograph E1: "Willamett [sic] Falls, Oregon City, Oregon."
circa 1882-circa 1882-1883
2/64
Stereograph E2: "Portland, Oregon, in 1868."
Though the date in the caption is listed as 1868, the negative for this image dates from Watkins' 1867 visit to Portland.
1867
2/65-2/66
Stereograph E3: "Multnomah Falls, 700 ft., Col. River Scenery, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/66: "Multnomah Falls, 700 feet, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/67-2/68
Stereographs E4-E5: "Multnomah Falls, 700 feet, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/69-2/70
Stereographs E6-E7: "Oneonta Gorge, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/71
Stereograph E8 : "Oneonta Falls, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/72-2/73
Stereograph E9: "Oneonta Bluffs, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/73: "Oneonta Bluffs, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/74
Stereograph E10: "Castle Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/75
Stereograph E11: "Castle Rock, from Bonneville, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/76
Stereograph E12: "Eagle Creek Crossing, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/77
Stereograph E13: "Salmon wheel, Columbia River Scenery, O'gn."
circa 1882-1883
2/78-2/79
Stereograph E14: "Salmon Wheel Boat, Columbia River, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/79: "Floating Salmon wheel Columbia River Scenery, O'gn."
circa 1882-1883
2/80
Stereograph E15: "'The Rapids,' Upper Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/81
Stereograph E16: "Mitchell's Point, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/82-2/83
Stereograph E17: "Hood River Crossing, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/83: "Hood River Crossing, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/84
Stereograph E18: "Rock Bluffs west from Tunnel No. 3, Col. River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/85-2/86
Stereograph E19: "West Portal, Tunnel No. 3, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/86: "Tunnel No. 3, West Portal, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/87
Stereograph E20: "East Portal, Tunnel No. 3, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/88-2/89
Stereograph E21: "Interior Tunnel No. 3, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/89: "Interior Tunnel No. 3, Columbia River Scenery, O'gn."
circa 1882-1883
2/90-2/91
Stereograph E22: "Rock Bluff, from over Tunnel No. 3, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/91: "Rock Bluff from over Tunnel No. 3, Col. River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/92
Stereograph E23: "Mt. Adams, from above Dalles City, Oregon. Columbia River Scenery."
circa 1882-1883
2/93-2/95
Stereographs E24-E25: "Mt. Hood from the Dalles, Columbia River, Or."
Includes duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/95: "Mt. Hood from the Dalles, Col. River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/96
Stereograph E26: "Mt. Hood and the Passage of the Dalles, Col. River, Or."
circa 1882-1883
2/97
Stereograph E27: "The Passage of the Dalles, Col. River, Or."
circa 1882-1883
2/98-2/99
Stereograph E28: "Chinese Camp at the Head of the Dalles, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/99: "Chinese Camp at the head of the Dalles, Col. Riv. Scenery, Ogn."
circa 1882-1883
2/100
Stereograph E29: "Rooster Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/101-2/102
Stereograph E30: "'The Needles,' View East, Cascades, Col. River, Or."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/102: "The Needles, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/103
Stereograph E31: "'The Needles,' Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/104
Stereograph E32: "'The Needles,' View West, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/105
Stereograph E33: "Bridal Veil Bluffs, Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/106
Stereograph E34: "Bridal Veil Falls, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/107
Stereograph E35: "Clearing the Track, Winter of 1884-5, Oregon. Columbia River Scenery."
circa 1884-1885
2/108-2/110
Stereographs E37-E39: "Multnomah Falls in Winter, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/111
Stereograph E40: "Multnomah Fall in Winter, Columbia River Scenery, O."
circa 1884-1885
2/112
Stereograph E41: "Bridge at Oneonta Fall in Winter, Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
2/113
Stereograph E42: "Oneonta Falls in Winter, Columbia River Scenery, O."
circa 1884-1885
2/114
Stereograph E43: "Castle Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/115
Stereograph E44: "Castle Rock, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/116
Stereograph E45: "Bonneville Station, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-18834
2/117
Stereograph E46: "Bridge Building at Bonneville Station, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/118
Stereograph E47: "Distant View of Tooth Bridge, Col. River Scenery, Or."
circa 1882-1883
2/119
Stereograph E48: "Tooth Bridge, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/120-2/121
Stereographs E50-E51: "Distant View of Castle Rock, looking west, Oregon. Columbia River Scenery."
circa 1882-1883
2/122
Stereograph E52: "Upper Cascades, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
2/123-2/124
Stereograph E53: "Lower End of the Cascade Locks, Oregon."
Duplicate stereographs on different mounts. Alternate caption on stereograph in 2/124: "Lower End of the Locks, Upper Cascades, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
Subseries 3: Watkins' Pacific Railroad stereographs
10 items.
Photographs originally taken by Alfred A. Hart (1816-1908), official photographer for the Central Pacific Railroad, between 1862-1869 during the Central Pacific Railroad's race to complete the first transcontinental railroad with the Union Pacific Railroad. Watkins acquired Hart's negatives in 1869 and published them under the imprint, "Watkins' Pacific Railroad."
circa 1862-1869
Box/Folder
2/125
Stereograph 42: "Long Ravine Bridge from below, 120 feet high"
circa 1862-1869
2/126
Stereograph 48: "Secret Town, Trestle from the West, Length 1,100 feet"
circa 1862-1869
2/127
Stereograph 49: "Secret Town, Trestle from the East, Height 90 feet"
circa 1862-1869
2/128
Stereograph 109: "Summit Valley, Attitude 6,960 feet. Emigrant Mt. and R. R. Pass in distance"
circa 1862-1869
2/129
Stereograph 114: "Scene at Lake Angela, Altitude 7,300 feet"
circa 1862-1869
2/130
Stereograph 129: "Donner Lake, with Crested Peak and Mt. Lincoln in distance"
circa 1862-1869
2/131
Stereograph 163: "Frame for Snow Covering, interior view."
circa 1862-1869
2/132
Stereograph 258: "Castle Peak from Railroad, above Donner Lake"
circa 1862-1869
2/133
Stereograph 295: "Scene on Bank of Truckee River, Lower Cañon of Truckee"
circa 1862-1869
2/134
Stereograph 341: "View across River and Canyon, from top of Palisades"
circa 1862-1869

Series B:  Card photographs, 1861-1885Return to Top

43 items.
This series is arranged into the following subseries: Cartes de visite; Cabinet cards; and Boudoir cards.
Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Cartes de visite
2 items.
There are no Watkins numbers on these cartes de visite.
1861-circa 1865
Box/Folder
3/1
Clark at the Grizzly Giant, Mariposa Grove, Calif.
No caption written or printed on carte de visite.
1861
3/1
"Mt. Shasta"
Not positively identified as having been taken by Carleton E. Watkins. Title written on verso of photograph in unknown hand.
circa 1861-1865
Subseries 2: Cabinet cards
12 items.
There are no Watkins numbers on these cabinet cards.
circa 1871-1875
Box/Folder
3/2
Locations -- "Palace Hotel, San Francisco. Warren Leland, Lessee."
Photograph of artwork.
undated
3/3
Portraits -- [ ] Beekman
Portrait of either Caroline Beekman (1865-1959) or Lydia Beekman (b. 1867).
circa 1871-1875
3/4
Portraits -- Benjamin B. Beekman (b. 1863)
circa 1871-1875
3/5
Portraits -- Cornelius C. Beekman (1828-1915)
circa 1871-1875
3/6
Portraits -- Julia E. Hoffman Beekman
circa 1871-1875
3/7
Portraits -- Cyrus West Field (1819-1892),
circa 1873
3/8
Portraits -- Simeon Gannett Reed (1830-1895)
circa 1871-1875
Subseries 3: Boudoir cards
29 items.
1867-1885
Box/Folder
3/9
Boudoir B139: "The Passage of the Dalles, Columbia River, Oregon."
See also the stereograph in 1/230.
1867
3/9
Boudoir B5222: "Panorama of Seattle, (W. T), and Suburbs, from Denny's Hill, (no. 3)."
1882
3/9
Boudoir B5252 : "Port Gamble, Puget Sound, W. T."
1882
3/10
Boudoir D53: "Rock Bluff, Columbia River Scenery. Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
3/10
Boudoir D62: "Mount Hood from the Dalles, Columbia River Scenery. O."
Photograph is inscribed incorrectly with the date "1867."
circa 1882-1883
3/10
Boudoir D71: "Panorama of Portland, Oregon. (No. 1.)
circa 1882-1883
3/10
Boudoir D89 : "Rooster Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
3/10
Boudoir D96: "Castle Rock, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
3/11
Boudoir D99: "A Winter Morning After a Storm. Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1884-1885
3/11
Boudoirs D101, D104, D105, and D109 : "Clearing the Track--Winter of 1884-5--Columbia River, Or."
Includes duplicate boudoir cards of D109 on different mounts.
circa 1884-1885
3/12
Boudoir D112: "Oneonta Bluffs--Winter of 1884-5--Columbia River, Or."
circa 1884-1885
3/12
Boudoir D118 : "Relief Train Passing the Needles--Winter of 1884-5--Columbia River, Or."
circa 1884-1885
3/12
Boudoir D121: Bridal Veil Bluffs--Winter of 1884-5--Columbia River, Or."
circa 1884-1885
3/12
Boudoir D129: "Upper Multnomah Falls after the Chinook--Winter of 1884-5--Columbia River, Or.
Two different printings of the same boudoir card.
circa 1884-1885
3/13
Boudoir D133: "Latourelle Fall near Rooster Rock. Columbia River scenery, O."
circa 1882-1883
3/13
Boudoir D143 : "The Needles. Columbia River scenery, O."
circa 1882-1883
3/13
Boudoir D145: "Warrendale Salmon Fishery, Columbia River Scenery, W. T."
circa 1882-1883
3/13
Boudoir D156 : "Mouth of Eagle Creek and Head of Bradford's Island. Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
3/13
Boudoirs D159 and D161: "Clearing the channel, Cascades, Columbia River, Oregon."
Includes duplicate boudoir cards of D159 on different mounts.
1883
3/14
Boudoirs D163, D164, and D166: "The Rapids, Upper Cascades, Columbia River Scenery, Oregon."
1883
3/14
Boudoir D172: "Islands in the Columbia, Upper Cascades, W. T."
circa 1882-1883

Series C:  Mammoth plates, 1863-circa 1883Return to Top

100 items.
Arranged into the following subseries: Portland, Willamette River, and Columbia River; California coast; Round Top, Mount Lola, and Mount Shasta; and Yosemite.

NOTE: All of the Carleton E. Watkins mammoth plates are located offsite. Prior arrangement must be made with the Library Director of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library to view these images. Consult a Reference Librarian for more information.

Container(s) Description Dates
Subseries 1: Portland, Willamette River, and Columbia River
83 items.
Arranged numerically by Watkins number.
All but one of the mammoth plates in this subseries were taken by Carleton E. Watkins during his 1867 voyage to Portland, the Willamette River, and the Columbia River and are now known as his "Old Series." The last mammoth plate in this subseries was taken by Watkins on his 1883 trip tore-photograph the Columbia River. Many of the captions on these mammoth plates are hand-written. Most of the mammoth plates are stored loose in mats; other duplicate and unmatted mammoths are stored in oversize folders.
1867 and circa 1882-1883
GSF
No. 400: Portland, Or. panorama, right panel
Two additional duplicate plates on different mounts located in OS Folder 2 (offsite). One duplicate has the alternate title: "Mount Hood."
1867
GSF
No. 400: Portland, Or. panorama, right panel
Two additional duplicate plates on different mounts located in OS Folder 2 (offsite). One duplicate has the alternate title: "Mount Hood."
GSF
No. 401: "City of Portland." Portland, Or. panorama, middle panel
Three additional duplicate plates on different mounts (some damaged) located in OS Folder 2 (offsite).
1867
GSF
Mammoth 402: "City of Portland, Oregon." Portland, Or. panorama, left panel
Three additional duplicate plates on different mounts located in OS Folder 2 (offsite). One duplicate has alternate title: "Mount St. Helen."
1867
GSF
Mammoths 404-406: "Oswego Iron Works. Oregon."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 407: "Panorama Oswego Iron Works. Oregon."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 408: Oswego Iron Works, Oregon
No caption written or printed on mammoth plate.
1867
GSF
Mammoth 409: "Canemah and the Willamette Falls, Oregon. From former site of Linn City."
One additional version of this plate with Taber's imprint is located in OS Folder 3, with the alternate title, "The Willamette Falls, Oregon."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 410: "Panorama Oregon City, from former site of Linn City." Part 1 of 3 panoramic images
1867
GSF
Mammoth 411: "Oregon City, Upper Basin, Just Below Canemah." Part 2 of 3 panoramic images
1867
GSF
Mammoth 412: "Panorama Oregon City & Falls from West Shore. From former site of Linn City." Part 3 of 3 panoramic images
1867
GSF
Mammoth 413: "Canemah and the Willamette Falls - Oregon City - Oregon. From West Shore."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 414: "The Willamette Falls. Oregon City, Oregon."
One additional duplicate plate with damaged mount located in OS Folder 3 (offsite).
1867
GSF
Mammoth 415: "Flour and Woolen Mills, Oregon City from Upper Basin."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 416: "Oregon City. Oregon."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 417: "Mt. Hood from near Vancouver, Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 418: "Rooster Rock. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 419: "Cape Horn. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 3 (offsite), with the alternate title, "Cape Horn Below the Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 421: "Cape Horn. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 4 (offsite), with the alternate title, "Cape Horn On Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 422: "Multnomah Falls. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate on a damaged mount is located in OS Folder 4 (offsite).
1867
GSF
Mammoth 423: "Multnomah Falls. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 4 (offsite).
1867
GSF
Mammoth 424: "Lower Multnomah Falls. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 425: "Castle Rock. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 426: "Distant View of Castle Rock. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 427: "The Lower Landing. Steamer Cascade. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 428: "O.S.N. Co's Works. Lower Cascades, Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 4, with alternate title, "Cascades Portage Railroad."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 429: S. G. Reed locomotive
No title written or printed on plate.
1867
GSF
Mammoth 430: "Rapids Indian Blockhouse, Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 431: "Middle Landing. Oregon R.R. Cascades."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 5 (offsite), with alternate title, "The Middle Landing, O.R.R. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 432: "Middle Block House. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 433: "View from the Middle Block House, Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 434: "Ruins of the High Bridge, Middle Block House, Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 435: "The Upper Cascades. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 436: "The Upper Cascades from The Block House. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 437: "The Upper Cascades. Columbia River."
Two additional versions of this plate located in OS Folder 5 (offsite). One is inscribed with Watkins' signature and has the alternate title, "Upper Blockhouse, Cascades." The other is an alternate printing from the same negative.
1867
GSF
Mammoth 438: "The Oneonta at the Upper Cascades. Col. River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 439: "Islands in the Columbia. Upper Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 441: "Islands in the Columbia. Upper Cascades."
1867
GSF: OS Folder 1
Mammoth 442: "Upper Cascades from the Oregon Side."
Not matted.
1867
GSF: OS Folder 1
Mammoth 443: "View from the Middle Landing. O. R. R. Cascades."
Not matted.
1867
GSF: OS Folder 1
Mammoth 444: "The Columbia River from near the Head of Bradfords Island."
Not matted. One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 6 (offsite), with alternate title, "View down the Columbia. Head of Bradfords Island. Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 445: "View from Eagle Creek. O. R. R. Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 446: Tooth Bridge
No title written or printed on matted plate. One additional version of this plate located in OS Folder 6 (offsite) on a cropped mount, with alternate title, "Columbia River near the Cascades."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 447: "O.S.N. Co's Works. Dalles City."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 448: "Dalles City from Rockland. W. T. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate located in OS Folder 6 (offsite), with alternate title, "Mt. Hood and Dalles City from Rockland. Columbia River."
GSF
Mammoth 449: Dalles City from the east
No title written or printed on the plate.
1867
GSF
Mammoth 450: "Dalles City from Sun Set Hill. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 451: Mt. Hood from Sunset Hill. Dalles City. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 452: "Mt. Adams from Sunset Hill. Dalles City."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 453: "Mt. Hood from 5 Mile Creek. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 454: "The Passage of the Dalles. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 455: "Mt. Hood and the Dalles. Columbia River."
One additional version of this plate is located in OS Folder 7 (offsite) with cropped mount.
1867
GSF
Mammoths 456-457: "Cape Horn near Celilo. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 458: "Tum Water. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Mammoth 459: "Celilo. Columbia River."
1867
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Multnomah Falls"
Mistitled. The photograph was taken in Oneonta Gorge.
circa 1882-1883
Subseries 2: California coast
4 items.
1863-1869
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Coast View off Mendocino"
Inscribed with signature of Carleton E. Watkins.
1863
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Coast View off Mendocino"
Inscribed with signature of Carleton E. Watkins.
1863
GSF
Unnumbered plate: Sugar Loaf Islands, Farallons
1869
GSF
Unnumbered plate: Sugar Loaf Islands, Farallons
1869
Subseries 3: Round Top, Mount Lola, and Mount Shasta
10 items.
1879
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Mt. Lola. Looking N. W. Showing effect of wind on trees."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Mt. Lola. Looking towards Round Top."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Mt. Lola. Looking towards Round Top, (R. T. not visible)."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top from Lake Winnemucca, looking S.W. 1370 ft.""
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top from a point just below [summit]."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top from a point W.S.W. of Summit looking W."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top from Western part of Ridge."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top. Looking along S. side of Ridge."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: "Round Top. Looking S.W."
GSF
Unnumbered plate: Mount Shasta
Subseries 4: Yosemite
3 items.
circa 1878-1881
GSF
Unnumbered plate: Yosemite Falls
GSF
Unnumbered plate: The Three Brothers
GSF
Unnumbered plate: Sentinel Falls

Series D:  Photograph albums, 1882-1885Return to Top

104 items in 2 volumes.
Container(s) Description Dates
Box
Box 4
Subseries 1: "Sun Sketches of Columbia River Scenery"
Arranged numerically by Watkins number. Note that some of the photos appear out of numerical sequence within the album.
This album was originally owned in 1884 by Charles H. Prescott (b. 1839), manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. from 1881-1887, and is inscribed with his signature and the date. It also bears an inscription from John Neilson Barry (b. 1870), an Episcopal clergyman and historian from Portland, Or., to Julius L. Meier (1874-1937), governor of Oregon from 1931-1935. The album contains photographs taken during Watkins' trips to Portland and the Columbia River in 1882-1883, as well as two cropped reprints (noted below) of mammoth plates that he took during his original 1867 trip to the area. The images in this album were published separately as "Watkins' New Series Columbia River Scenery." There are loose duplicate plates of twenty-nine of these images that are housed in Boxes 5 and 7 (folder numbers noted below).
circa 1882-1883
O. 1: "Mt. Hood from near Vancouver."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/1. Cropped version of Mammoth plate 417.
1867
O. 2: "Cape Horn. View Looking Up the River."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/1. Cropped version of Mammoth plate 419.
1867
O. 3: "Cape Horn. View Looking Down the River."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 4: "Castle Rock, Columbia River, Oregon."
circa 1882-1883
O. 5: "Cascades. Columbia River, Oregon."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 6: "Cascades, with Indian Block House."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 7: "Cascades Canal, Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
O. 8: "Cascade Range and Tooth Bridge, Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
O. 9: "Tooth Bridge and Eagle Creek Crossing, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/2.
circa 1882-1883
O. 10: "Eagle Creek Crossing and Head of Bradford's Island."
circa 1882-1883
O. 11: "Eagle Creek Crossing, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/2.
circa 1882-1883
O. 12: "Eagle Creek from Railroad Crossing, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 13: "Floating Salmon Wheel, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/3.
circa 1882-1883
O. 14: "Salmon Wheel, Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
O. 15: "Oneonta Gorge, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/3.
circa 1882-1883
O. 16: "Oneonta Gorge, Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
O. 17: "Railroad Crossing from the Mouth of the Oneonta Gorge, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/3.
circa 1882-1883
O. 18: "Oneonta Gorge from the Railroad Crossing, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/3.
circa 1882-1883
O. 19: "View up the Oneonta Gorge, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/3.
circa 1882-1883
O. 20: "View out the Oneonta Gorge, Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
O. 21: "Multnomah Falls, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/4.
circa 1882-1883
O. 22: "Oneonta Falls, Cascades."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/4. Misidentified as Oneonta Falls; actually depicts Horsetail Falls.
circa 1882-1883
O. 23: "Beaver Lake, Columbia River, Oregon."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/4.
circa 1882-1883
O. 24: "Mitchell's Point, View Looking Up the River."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/4.
circa 1882-1883
O. 25: "The Foot of Mitchell's Point, View Looking Down the River."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/5.
circa 1882-1883
O. 26: "Hood River and Mt. Hood. View from near Hood River Station."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/5.
circa 1882-1883
O. 27: "Hood River Crossing."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/5.
circa 1882-1883
O. 30: "Indian Summer."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/6.
circa 1882-1883
O. 31: "West Portal of Tunnel No. 3."
circa 1882-1883
O. 32: "Rock Bluff from Tunnel No. 3, View Looking West."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/6.
circa 1882-1883
O. 33: "View of Rock Bluff from over Tunnel No. 3, Looking East."
circa 1882-1883
O. 34: "View up the Columbia from Tunnel No. 3."
circa 1882-1883
O. 35: "Rock Bluff, Looking East."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/6.
circa 1882-1883
O. 36: "Rock Bluff and Tunnel No. 3, Looking West."
circa 1882-1883
O. 37: "Rock Bluff and Tunnel No. 3 from the River Bank."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/7.
circa 1882-1883
O. 38: "An October Day on the Columbia. View from Rock Bluff."
circa 1882-1883
O. 39: "Mt. Hood from the Head of the Dalles."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/7.
circa 1882-1883
O. 40: "Mt. Hood from the Head of the Dalles."
circa 1882-1883
O. 41: "Mt. Hood and the Head of the Dalles."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 42: "The Passage of the Dalles."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 43: "Indian Village, from the Passage of the Dalles."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 44: "The Head of the Dalles."
Loose duplicate plate in 7/1.
circa 1882-1883
O. 45: "The Summit of Mt. Hood from the Hood River Ascent."
Loose duplicate plate in 5/7.
circa 1882-1883
Subseries 2: "Great Storm of the Winter of 1884-5. Columbia River, Or."
30 photographs in 1 volume and 1 folder.
Arranged numerically by Watkins number.
This album was originally owned in 1886 by Charles H. Prescott (b. 1839), manager of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Co. from 1881-1887, and is inscribed with his signature and the date. Five of the photographic plates have been removed from this album and matted; these loose plates are stored apart from the album in Box 7 (noted below).
1884-1885
Box/Folder
Box 6
D. 101-D. 107: "Clearing the Track of the O. R. & N. R. R. from Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls."
7/2
D. 108: "Clearing the Track of the O. R. & N. R. R. from Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls."
Matted plate.
Box 6
D. 109-D. 111: Clearing the Track of the O. R. & N. R. R. from Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls."
7/2
D. 112: "Clearing the Track of the O. R. & N. R. R. from Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls."
Matted plate.
Box 6
D. 113: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Relief Train at Bridal Veil."
Box 6
D. 114: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. The Needles. View West."
Box 6
D. 115: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Cape Horn, from Bridal Veil."
Box 6
D. 117: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Bridal Veil Bluff, looking West."
7/2
D. 118: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Relief Train Passing the Needles."
Matted plate.
Box 6
D. 119-D. 120: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. The Needles."
Box 6
D. 121: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Bridal Veil Bluffs."
7/2
D. 122: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Crystal veil of the Cascades."
Matted plate.
Box 6
D. 123: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Crystal Veil of the Cascades."
Box 6
D. 124-D. 125: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Multnomah Falls."
Box 6
D. 126-D. 127: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Lower Multnomah Fall."
7/2
D. 128: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Upper Multnomah Fall."
Matted plate.
Box 6
D. 129: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Upper Multnomah Fall, after the Chinook."
Box 6
D. 130: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Oneonta Fall."
Box 6
D. 131: "From Rooster Rock to Oneonta Falls. Bridge at the Oneonta Fall."

Series E:  Other loose prints, circa 1882-1885Return to Top

9 items.
Arranged alphabetically by title.

This series contains loose prints that are not mammoth plates and that were not assembled into albums. Includes one panoramic photograph.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box
5/8
"Castle Rock."
circa 1882-1883
5/8
"Castle Rock from Lower Cascades Landing."
circa 1882-1883
5/8
"Distant View of the Locks, Upper Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
5/9
"Islands in the Columbia River, Upper Cascades."
circa 1882-1883
5/9
"Rooster Rock."
circa 1882-1883
5/9
"View down the River from Lower Cascades Landing."
circa 1882-1883
5/10
"Winter View from Bridal Veil."
circa 1884-1885
5/10
"Winter View of Cape Horn from Bridal Veil."
circa 1884-1885
5/10
"Winter View of the Needles."
circa 1884-1885
3/15
Panorama in three parts of Portland, Or.
circa 1882-1883

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Railroads--Utah--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Beekman, Cornelius C., 1828-1915--Photographs
  • Reed, Simeon Gannett, 1830-1895--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Columbia River Gorge (Or. and Wash.)--Photographs
  • Columbia River--Photographs
  • Farallon Islands (Calif.)--Photographs
  • Portland (Or.)--Photographs
  • Puget Sound (Wash.)--Photographs
  • San Francisco (Calif.)--Photographs
  • Shasta, Mount (Calif.)--Photographs
  • Utah--Photographs
  • Victoria (B.C.)--Photographs
  • Yosemite National Park (Calif.)--Photographs

Form or Genre Terms

  • Boudoir card photographs
  • Cabinet photographs
  • Cartes de visite
  • Photograph albums
  • Photographic prints
  • Stereographs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Taber, I. W. (Isaiah West), 1830-1912--Photographs (creator)