SERIES I. STEREOGRAPHS – GEORGE E. STONE (1920s)
Series Scope and Content Summary:
This series contains stereographs published by George E. Stone, producer of Educational Motion Pictures and Stereographs in Carmel, CA. These stereographs feature images of wildflowers of California, tide pools and sea creatures of Carmel and Monterey, CA as well as a few with images of historic Monterey sites. One (1) box also contains stereographs published in Carmel featuring images of wildflowers and sites such a Mirror Lake in Yosemite Valley, CA. The Series also includes one (1) box of George E. Stone’s Trees of California stereographs, published by George E. Stone Laboratories in San Francisco, CA. Also in this Series are two (2) boxes of The Visual Education Service Inc.’s Study Series of Western Birds published in Los Angeles, CA of which George E. Stone was Director.Images are in good condition, most are in black and white but a few are in color primarily in the subseries of Wildflowers and Tidepools, and the Study Series of Western Birds.
Background Information on George E. Stone:
George E. Stone was a photographer and filmmaker prolific in early 1900’s to mid-1920’s. Born around 1889 (Ancestry.com entry for :George Eathl Stone), Stone wed May Gray Robinson of Berkeley, CA in 1914 (Thompson, Daniella. “Weltevreden 1755 Roy Avenue, Berkeley, CA”. Berkeley Landmarks Northside, BAHA Berkley Architectural Heritage Association, Link). There a studio was built at Le Conte Avenue which may have served as both a studio for photography and for the creation of films (Thompson, Daniella. “Weltevreden 1755 Roy Avenue, Berkeley, CA”. Berkeley Landmarks Northside, BAHA Berkley Architectural Heritage Association, Link). In 1916 George Stone served as a producer on the film “How Life Begins” and for a 1920 film entitled “The Living World” (Thompson, Daniella. “Weltevreden 1755 Roy Avenue, Berkeley, CA”. Berkeley Landmarks Northside, BAHA Berkley Architectural Heritage Association, Link)(“The Living World”, AFI Catalog of Feature Films, Authority on American Film, 2013 American Film Institute. Link). Both these films focused on the development of organisms and plant life (“The Living World”, AFI Catalog of Feature Films, Authority on American Film, 2013 American Film Institute (Link). A theme which became prevalent in Stone’s later stereographs represented here. After serving in World War I (Ancestry. Com World War I Draft for George Eathl Stone, 1917-18 and Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 14) and working as a cameraman for a motion picture studio in Hollywood, Stone and Gray eventually relocated to the Carmel, Monterey area (Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 12-13). As of 1929 Stone and Grey built a house they called “Seagirt” after a poem (Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 13-14). This house, featured in the 1929 October issue of Sunset Magazine became renowned for its style (Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 12). Shortly after the relocation to the Carmel area, Stone was given an on-location assignment with Monterey (Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 13) which may have been when he produced his Carmel series of stereographs, some of which are represented in this collection although this is uncertain. Stone was also active in Los Angeles and San Francisco according to the publication stamps of stereographs also in this collection. Later in Stone’s life he worked as an instructor in the Journalism Department at San Jose State University, and earned the title of Associate Professor of Photography, Emeritus (Personal letter from George E. Stone dated 15 Aug.1958 to Mr. Adrian Terlouw, letter courtesy of Ashlee Wright with the Local History Department of Harrison Memorial Library in Carmel). After forty or more years as a professional photographer and a teacher of the subject, Stone retired in 1956 to live in a cottage by the Pacific Ocean, a letter stamped “address in retirement” written by Stone in 1959 identifies his retirement location as in or near Capitola, California (Personal letter from George E. Stone to Dr. C.E. Kenneth Mees, address in retirement El Salto Resort, Capitola, California, 4 March 1959).
This series is divided into six (6) subseries:
Subseries I.A. Trees of California
Subseries I.B. Wildflowers
Subseries I.C. Tidepools
Subseries I.D. Monterey
Subseries I.E. Unknown
Subseries I.F. Western Birds
Subseries I.G. Yosemite
Subseries I.A. Trees of California
One box
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries contains stereographs published by George E. Stone Laboratories, Producers of Educational Motion Pictures, Stereographs and Lantern Slides in San Francisco, CA. Stereographs are in black and white with images of types of trees found in California with some close-up images of leaves and bark. The Stereographs are of trees found in Monterey, Palo Alto, Sequoia National Park, and Sebastopol as well as other areas of California. The trees were photographed by George E. Stone and contain no date of publication, yet may date from 1927 or later considering Stone’s period of activity.
Box ID#
Box 1
Subseries I.B. Wildflowers
Fifteen (15) Stereographs in Box 2
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries contains fifteen (15) stereographs of California wildflowers published in Carmel, California by George E. Stone Producer of Educational Motion Pictures and Stereographs. Photos on the stereographs are in color and in excellent condition and include captions with both scientific and common names. There are also two (2) black and white proofs in the subseries. These stereographs contain no date of publication, but may date to 1927 or earlier.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
2:1
Subseries I.C. Tidepools
Twenty-six (26) stereographs filed in Box 2 after the second divider tab.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs with images of tide pools from the Carmel Coast by George E. Stone. Images include views of tide pools close up and from afar. There are also many images of wildlife found in tide pools with captions identifying the subject with scientific or common names. Images are in color and are in excellent condition, dates of publication are uncertain, but likely date to around 1927 or earlier when Stone lived and worked in Monterey (citation Sunset Magazine, pg.12-13).
Box ID#: Tab ID #
2:2
Subseries I.D. Monterey
Four (4) Stereographs contained behind the third divider tab in Box 2.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs published by George E. Stone of Carmel, California. Images on the stereographs are of sites in Monterey, California. One of these sites is the Robert Louis Stevenson House. The second stereograph is identified as Colton Hall. The third is of the Old Customs House. The fourth is identified as “Midway Point on the seventeen Mile Drive in Monterey, CA”. All four (4) of the stereographs in this subseries are in color and are in excellent condition, each card (except for the Stevenson House) bears a caption and an informative description of the site or landmark on the back of the card. The dates of publication are uncertain, but likely date to c.1927 or later when George Stone was active in Carmel (Taylor, Frank J. “A Boy’s Dream Come True”. Sunset Magazine (Oct. 1929), 12-13).
Box ID#: Tab ID #
2:3
Subseries I.E. Unknown
One stereograph behind the fourth divider tab in Box 2.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries contains one (1) stereograph bearing the copyright of George E. Stone, Carmel, California. The image is of an unidentified lake with mountains of cliffs visible in the background and in the reflection of the lake. The caption below the images bears the stamp “Sample Print not for sale”. Date of publication unknown.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
2:4
Subseries I.F. Western Birds
Two (2) Boxes
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This Subseries consists of one box containing stereographs from the Study Series of Western Birds published by the Visual Education Service, Inc. at 7024 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, of whom George E. Stone was Director. Images are in black and white and in color. Captions include both scientific and common names identifying the birds. Text on the back of each card provides information about each birds’ habitat and lifestyle. The text was reprinted from “Birds of the Pacific States” copyright 1927, by Ralph Hoffman and Houghton-Mifflin Co, Publishers. The presence of the text as well as George Stone’s periods of activity, suggest the stereographs were published 1927 or later.
Box ID#
Box 3 and Box 4
Subseries I.G. Yosemite
One (1) Box
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of one box containing stereographs published by George E. Stone in Carmel, California. The images on the stereographs are in black and white and are of sites in Yosemite Valley, California such as Mirror Lake.
Box ID#
Box 5
Series II. STEREOGRAPHS – UNDERWOOD AND AMERICAN STEREOSCOPIC CO. (1897 – 1907)
One (1) Box. This box is a dark brown box that looks like a book with “Stereographs-Underwood and Underwood” in gold lettering on the spine.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of stereographs published by Underwood and Underwood dating from 1897-1907. Images include scenes from places in the United States such as Wyoming and also international scenes in Rome or Denmark. Images are black and white or sepia toned and are mainly recreation scenes of people in the outdoors. Some are scenes of architecture or of famous cities such as one of the Eternal City, Rome. There is also one interior image of Hall of the Knights in Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark. This series also includes some stereographs published by Underwood and Underwood of President Roosevelt and five (5) stereographs also of Roosevelt published by the American Stereoscopic Company. Also in the series are five (5) stereographs of people posing with explanatory captions underneath and on the reverse.
This series is divided into three (3) subseries:
Subseries II.A. Places Around the World
Subseries II.B. People
Subseries II.C. Roosevelt
Box ID#
Box 6
Subseries II.A. Places around the World
Twenty four (24) stereographs in Box 6.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs by Underwood and Underwood with images of places in the United States such as Wyoming and also international scenes in Rome or Denmark. Images are black and white or sepia and are mainly recreation scenes of people in the outdoors. Some are scenes of architecture or of famous cities such as one of the Eternal City, Rome. There is also one interior image of the Hall of the Knights in Rosenborg Castle, Copenhagen, Denmark. These stereographs date from 1897-1907.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
6:1
Subseries II.B. People
Five (5) Stereographs in Box 6
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of five (5) stereographs published by Underwood and Underwood with images of people posing in interiors or outdoors with explanatory captions underneath. Four (4) of these stereographs represent a series focusing on a “Happy Home” following what occurs when a man’s mother-in-law visits. These images are sepia-toned and in excellent condition, dated to 1899. The first in the sequence is entitled “A Happy Home”, the second “His Wife’s Mother”, the third “His Mother in Law-The Dispute” and the fourth “The Old Woman”. The other stereograph in this subseries is of young African children on a fence with the caption “Who Said Watermelon”.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
6:2
Subseries II.C. Theodore Roosevelt
Eleven (11) stereographs in Box 7
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of eleven (11) Stereographs of President Roosevelt visiting sites in and outside of California. Images are black and white or sepia toned and are in fair to good condition. Six (6) of the stereographs were published by Underwood and Underwood and one (1) by Underwood is of Governor Pardie of California and is dated 1903. There are also five (5) stereographs of President Roosevelt’s Western Tour published by the American Stereoscopic Company dated 1903. These are in good condition with some ware; one of Roosevelt visiting Yellowstone National Park is damaged. Images are black and white.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
Box 7:1
Series III. STEREOGRAPHS – WAGSTAFF (1880s)
Nineteen (19) stereographs.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series contains stereographs by Wagstaff publishers. Images are of various places in California such as San Francisco and Camp Taylorville. Some have captions, some do not. Photos are black and white. These stereographs are in fair condition.
This series is divided into three (3) subseries:
Subseries III.A. Scenes of San Francisco
Subseries III.B. Taylorville
Subseries III.C. Various Scenes
Box ID#:
Box 7
Subseries III.A. Scenes of San Francisco
Six (6) stereographs.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs with images of places in and around San Francisco. Captions underneath the image identify the location. There is also one (1) stereograph of the Baptist Church in Santa Rosa, CA. The Stereographs date primarily from 1887 and are published by Wagstaff.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
7:2
Subseries III.B. Taylorville
Three (3) stereographs.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs with captions identifying the scenes portrayed as at or near Camp Taylor in Taylorville, California. Black and white photos, good to fair condition. Published by Wagstaff.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
7:3
Subseries III.C. Various Scenes
Ten (10) stereographs.
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs with no identifying captions. Images on the stereographs are of various city scenes, scenes of labor, houses and people at work or at leisure. Stereographs are in poor to fair quality and are published by Wagstaff.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
7:4
Series IV. STEREOGRAPHS – IMAGES OF PEOPLE AND PLACES (1891 – 1903)
Twenty-seven (27) stereographs
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of stereographs by Littleton View Company Publishers of Littleton, N.H. which were sold by Underwood and Underwood. The stereographs are in good to excellent condition with copyright dates identifying them as having been published c.1889-3. Also in this series are stereographs by Strohmeyer and Wyman Publishers dating from 1891-3. The stereographs in this series are in black and white or sepia tone images and feature images of people posed in various situations with explanatory captions beneath. Some have captions with dialogue. The third subseries contains the stereograph card from J.E.D. Baldwin of Yrachis (Justiano Roxas)
This series is divided into two (3) subseries:
Subseries IV.A. Littleton View Co. Publishers
Subseries IV.B. Strohmeyer and Wyman and World Wide View
Subseries IV.C. J. E. D. Baldwin, Artist
Box ID#:
Box 7
Subseries IV.A. Littleton View Co. Publishers
Twelve (12) stereographs
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs by Littleton View Company Publishers of Littleton, New Hampshire. They date from 1891-2 are in black and white. Images are in good-excellent condition and are primarily of people and children in various poses with humorous captions underneath. There are two stereographs in this subseries of places—one of Yosemite Valley and one of a New Hampshire Farm Yard.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
7:5
Subseries IV.B. Strohmeyer and Wyman and World Wide View
Fifteen (15) Stereographs
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs published by Strohmeyer and Wyman Publishers of New York, N.Y. These stereographs were sold by Underwood and Underwood and are in sepia tones, in good-excellent condition. Images are mainly of people and children posed in various situations with captions of dialogue. There is also one (1) stereograph that is identified via a caption as the Gallery of Fine Arts, Paris, and one (1) stereograph of New York Harbor. This subseries also contains two (2) stereographs by The World Wide View Co. of Chicago, one is of a hunter and the other is of an angler. These two (2) stereographs are in color.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
7:6
Subseries IV.C. J.E.D. Baldwin
Fifteen (1) Stereograph
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of one stereograph published by J.E.D. Baldwin Artist in the Views of Santa Cruz California series. The images is of Yrachis (Justiano Roxas) an indigenous person who was at the center of a media story the identified him as being 121 years old. Even though Yrachis dies at age 79 in 1875, this incorrect story was perpetuated in the media for years.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
7:7
Series V. STEREOGRAPHS – UNKNOWN AND VARIOUS PUBLISHERS, LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHERS (1880s – 1910s)
Sixteen (16) Stereographs
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of three (3) stereographs published by amateur and or professional photographers from Santa Cruz and Scotts Valley. Ten (10) stereographs in this series are by unknown publishers and feature images of people in nature or scenes of trains and boats. There is also one (1) stereograph published by B.W. Kilburn and two (2) by the Kilburn Brothers.
Box ID#
Box 8
This series is divided into five (5) subseries:
Subseries V.A. Local Places
Subseries V.B. Kilburn Brothers
Subseries V.C. People in Nature
Subseries V.D. Houses, Interiors, Transportation and Nature
Subseries V.E. Keystone and Viking View
Subseries V.A. Local Places
Three (3) Stereographs
Series Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of three (3) stereographs. One is identified as a Girl’s Bicycle Brigade taken on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz, CA and is dated July 4th 1889. The stereograph bears a stamp of “C.R Bushnell, amateur, Santa Cruz, California”. The second stereograph is of a man, three dogs, and a horse drawn cart amongst a landscape photographed by Morris of 156 Pacific Avenue and published by California Views. The third stereograph in this subseries is identified via an inscription on the reverse as a wagon team on a road near Parson Ranch, Scotts Valley in 1912.
Background on Morris:
Ella Morris was a photographer who worked with her husband in a gallery in Santa Cruz around 1883-1887. Eventually the duo formed a partnership with a studio on Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz. Their photographs expanded from portraits to include local views as well (Source: Palmquist, Peter E. Shadowcatchers : a directory of women in California photography. v.1. Before 1901 1st ed. Arcata, CA : P.E. Palmquist, c1990- p. 157).
Box ID#: Tab ID #
8:1
Subseries IV.B. Kilburn Brothers
Three (3) Stereographs
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs published by B.W Kilburn and B.W. Kilburn Brothers. One single stereograph bears the stamp “Photographed and Published by B.W. Kilburn, Littleton, NH” and is of The Great Natural Bridge in Santa Cruz, California. This image is in sepia tone, the photograph is in good condition but with some damage on the edges partially obscuring the copyright information. Copyright information dates this image to 1887. The other two (2) stereographs in this subseries bear a stamp on the reverse stating “photographed and published by Kilburn Brothers, Littleton, N.H.” One stereograph is of a florist’s wreath in black and white or sepia tone and is in good condition. The other stereograph is of black and white frost covered rocks and is in fair condition.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
8:2
Subseries V.C. People in Nature
Three (3) Stereographs
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of stereographs with images of people in the outdoors. One (1) stereograph has a photograph of a man and women reclining on a hillside, and is in fair-to poor condition with some spots on the photograph. Two stereographs are of young women in nature. One is in sepia tone of women in a forest and is in good condition, the other is of two women seated on a sandbar in a river, in black and white, and is in good condition.
Box ID#: Tab ID#
8:3
Subseries V.D. Houses, Interiors, Transportation and Nature
Seven (7) stereographs
Subseries Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of two (2) stereographs featuring photographs of houses or interiors of houses. One (1) stereograph has an image of an adobe house, the other of an indoor sitting room. One (1) stereograph is of cows or possibly bison. One (1) stereograph in this subseries has an image of Russian River, CA and is the only stereograph in this subseries to have an identified publisher. The publisher of this stereograph is Continent Stereoscopic Company Publishers and is in fair condition with the sepia photograph intact, but the corner of the card partially damaged. Also in this subseries are three (3) stereographs of transportation—one is of a boat, one of a train and one of train tracks. These are all of unknown publication and uncertain date.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
8:4
Subseries V.E. Keystone and Viking View
Three (3) Stereographs.
Series Scope and Content Summary
This subseries consists of three (3) stereographs. One stereograph is by Keystone View Company Publishers and features an image of “Beautiful Private Gardens in Japan” with information on the garden on the reverse. This stereograph bears a copyright date of 1909. The other two stereographs are published by Viking View Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota. One is of Store Langgaden, Tonsberg and dates to 1906 and the other is of Bandakskanalen med Vrangsfossen, Telemarkan, Norge. These stereographs are in black and white and are in good condition.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
8:5
Series VI. STEREOGRAPHS – J.F. JARVIS (1890 – 1894)
Sixteen (16) Stereographs
Series Scope and Content Summary
This series consists of stereographs published by J.F. Jarvis, Publisher of Washington, D.C. and were sold by Underwood and Underwood. These stereographs are in black and white or sepia tone and feature pictures of people in places within the United States and outside the United States such as Rome and Copenhagen, Denmark. Some stereographs also focus on views of historic monuments or interiors such as the Great East Room of the President’s Mansion in Washington, D.C. Two stereographs are of children with no identified location. One depicts five children on a beach, the other a young girl with a camera. These stereographs date from 1890-1894.
Box ID#: Tab ID #
8:6
