Dan Davis mountain photograph collection, 1903-1940, 2010

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Davis, Daniel R. (Daniel Roy), 1941-2012
Title
Dan Davis mountain photograph collection
Dates
1903-1940, 2010 (inclusive)
Quantity
128 framed photographs: 118 hand colored prints, six orotones, one photogravure, one black and white print, one toned print, and one glass positive; 1 digital print (128 boxes and 1 oversize folder) ; Sizes vary
Collection Number
PH1238
Summary
Framed hand-colored and orotone photographs made by Northwest photographers of Mt. Rainier and other western mountains
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator is required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

The framed photos range in size from 7" x 11" to 23.5" x 46.5" and are framed in a variety of frame styles, as described below.

Request at UW

Additional Reference Guides

Languages
English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Daniel R. Davis was a member of the Mountaineers and one of the Pacific Northwest's most active mountain climbers. He was born in Seattle and raised in California. He received his B.S. and M.S. in mathematics from the University of Washington in Seattle, and worked at Boeing as a mathematician. He was known for numerous high level ascents, including the first winter ascent of the north peak of Mt. Index and the first ascent of Mt. Robson's north face. He climbed Mt. Rainier by twenty-three different routes, and by his death on January 14, 2012, had nearly completed his project of reaching the highest summit in each of the fifty states. Davis was an avid collector of books, maps, and photographs relating to mountains especially Mt. Rainier. A friend said of him, "Dan David had a special relationship with Rainier. Each climb certainly taught him more about this beautiful mountain, perhaps it also taught him about himself, I feel that Dan Davis had become quite a wise person." (Britta Lindgren, 2013)

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

The Davis photograph collection as a whole is important for its value as an iconographic collection of mountain images—particularly of Mt. Rainier. Iconography is the use of images as symbols to portray a subject, movement or ideal--such the Statue of Liberty as an icon of freedom and immigration. Symbols help us to define what is sacred to a group. Mt. Rainier serves as the most important symbol for the Seattle and Northwest region. These photographs which were meant to be seen as art by the photographers (rather than for their documentary value) present interpretations of mountains as northwest icons. Hand colored and orotone photos were generally created to be art pieces, even when the original black and white photos may have been for documentary purposes. The presentation of these photographs in ornate frames emphasizes their role in conveying the beauty and majesty of the scenes and the intent of the photographer to present them as art.

Whereas the Space Needle symbolizes the city of Seattle—energetic, modern and eclectic, Mt. Rainier symbolizes our relationship to the land and spiritual qualities of the region, the stability and power of the land along with the underlying natural power of the volcano. For many, the most symbolic aspect of a mountain is the peak because it is believed that it is closest to heaven or to connections with other realms; the majority of photographs in this collection depict the entire mountain or the mountain peak. The person who amassed this collection was a mountain climber who clearly felt these images spoke to his connection and love of the mountain.

The landscape has a powerful significance in the Pacific Northwest psyche. An identification with nature has shaped the culture of the region and continues to provide a distinct regional ethos and identity. The mountains and forests are not only sources of beauty, inspiration and sanctuary -- they are icons for the region and its inhabitants and they create part of the sense of “home” identify for its people.

Within this landscape, Mt. Rainier is the penultimate symbol of the grandeur and majesty of the area, occupying a unique place in the culture and lore of the Pacific Northwest. Its massive peak rises far above the surrounding Cascade Mountains and is the dominate landform on the horizon for more than a hundred miles in any direction. This imposing active volcano has inspired awe and reverence since Native Americans lived in its foothills thousands of years ago. The various tribes had many names for the sacred mountain, and many legends attached to it.

Throughout the late nineteenth century, many more people explored the areas around the mountain, documenting its unique features and appeal. Famed naturalist John Muir, whose writings inspired popular support in the nationwide conservation movement, climbed Rainier in 1888 and recommended that it be designated as a national park. His recommendation contributed to a growing awareness of the grandeurs of Mt. Rainier and a desire to see the area protected from desecration. By 1890, a campaign began to protect the mountain by establishing it as a national park.

The founding of Mt. Rainier National Park was led by local populace and a loose coalition of diverse interest groups such as mountaineering clubs, newspaper editors and businessmen's associations, and supported by scientific and conservation organizations and the Northern Pacific Railroad. These groups actively campaigned for preservation of and access to the area, and pressured Washington State’s senators and congressmen to push the legislation through Congress. One common theme among the supporters was Mt. Rainier’s inspirational value to individuals.

In 1899, President McKinley established Mt. Rainier as the nation's fifth national park, making it the first park to be established after the creation of the National Forest System in 1891. It was also the first park whose long-term development was guided by a master plan. Local groups continued to actively campaign for preservation of and access to the area with Mt. Rainier National Park becoming the first park to admit cars in 1907. In 1912 the Seattle Tacoma Rainier National Park Committee was formed with the goal of increasing national awareness of the park.

Throughout the years, Mt. Rainier continued to inspire visitors, including a group of Japanese immigrant photographers in Seattle who created the Seattle Camera Club in the 1920s, the era when many of these photographs were made. The group often went on photography trips to the mountain. The president of the club, Kyo Koike, referred to it as “the holy mountain.”

Most of the photographers included felt strongly connected to nature, particularly Asahel Curtis who made a third of the photographs in the collection. Curtis was a founding member of the Mountaineers, the Pacific Northwest climbing group that also promoted preservation of wilderness areas. Curtis loved Mt. Rainier, photographed it thousands of times and climbed it dozens of times. He chaired the Mt. Rainier National Park Advisory Committee from 1911-1936, and was a founder of the Rainier National Park Company. He worked to promote accessibility to the park and to boost tourism by building roads within the park’s boundaries.

The Rainier National Park Company's Ranapar Studios created photos specifically to publicize the beauty and increase tourism to Mt. Rainier National Park. Frank A. Jacobs was the official photographer for Rainier National Park Company in 1920s. Fred H. Kiser's photographic work helped to create and promote other national parks, including Crater Lake in Oregon and Glacier in Montana. J. Boyd Ellis specialized in showcasing the beauty of Washington State with his scenic postcards.

Presentation of photos

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Framed hand-colored and orotone photographs of Mount Rainier, other mountains and mountain locations such as Snoqualmie Falls by Asahel Curtis (including Ranapar Studio photographs), Norman Edson, Darius Kinsey, Clyde Banks, Levi Bradley, Preston Duncan, Fred Spaldling, Fred Ordway, Irving B. Lincoln, Arthur L. Seabury, Clifford B. Ellis, and other photographers. Includes six orotones, one photogravure, one digital print, and one toned photograph; the rest are hand-colored photographs.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

The "golden age" of hand-colored photography in the western hemisphere occurred between 1900 and 1940. Hand-colored photographs were created by applying color to a black and white print. The process variously included the use of dyes, water-colors, oils, and other pigments to create varying effects on the printed image. Regardless of which medium was used, the main tools used to apply color were the brush and fingertip. Often the fingertip was covered to ensure that no fingerprints were left on the image. By the 1950s, the availability of color film all but stopped the production of hand-colored photographs.

Orotones were at their pinnacle of popularity from the late 1890s into the early 1920s. The images were often natural landmarks and Native Americans. Asahel Curtis, his brother Edward S. Curtis, and other Pacific Northwest photographers were noted practitioners of this process. Orotones were, in most instances, produced by projecting a negative onto a dry gelatin plate of sensitized glass. The result was a positive image. A gold-colored varnish was then either directly painted onto the dried emulsion side of the glass plate, or the metallic coating was brushed onto to a piece of cardstock or metal and subsequently affixed to the back. In some instances, the wet collodion direct positive process was utilized. Various claims exist over the composition of the gold-colored backing. The photographer associated with refining the orotone process, Edward S. Curtis, applied a viscous liquid concoction of banana oil infused with gold bronzing powder to the dried emulsion. According to other sources, a varnish medium was blended with bronze powders that use copper and zinc in their formation. One source identifies the backing as gold leaves. Alternatively, inexpensive gold radiator paint from the automobile industry was reportedly used. This collection includes one imitation "orotone" photograph, where a glass positive was backed with gold cardboard.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

Restrictions may exist on reproduction, quotation, or publication. Contact Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries for details.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The collection is grouped first by geographic location of subject, and within each location by photographer. In the Mount Rainier series, there is a heading for each photographer, including a short biography, under which his photos are listed. In the other location series, the photographers don't have separate headings but are identified (if known) with each photograph. Several of the photographs are by unidentified photographers, and it is very likely that some of these were taken by Asahel Curtis.

Preservation Note

The framed photos range in size from 7" x 11" to 23.5" x 46.5" and are framed in a variety of frame styles, as described below.

Acquisition Information

Donor: Estate of Daniel R. Davis, 2012

Processing Note

Processed by Brita Johnson, 2013 and Susan Fitch, 2016.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Washington State, 1903-1930sReturn to Top

These photographs are mostly of Mr. Rainier, and include some additional mountains and scenic areas in Washington State.

Container(s) Description Dates
Mt. Rainier
Albert Henry Barnes, photographer
Albert Henry Barnes was born in 1876. Well known as both a photographer and a oil painter, he documented images of the landscape, people, and cities and towns of Western Washington around the turn of the 20th century. However, little is known about his life. He apparently operated out of studios both in Parkland and Tacoma. His images appeared in some local newspapers from 1905-1915. He also wrote descriptive articles for photography magazines, railroad publications, and travel books. In 1909, he photographed, wrote and published a work entitled: Sights and scenes from Tacoma to Paradise Park: forty-eight views. In 1911, in collaboration with his friend A.H. Denman, he published his best-known work: "Our Greatest Mountain and Alpine Regions of Wonder". The work contained a number of Barnes landscape photographs, as well as a color reproduction of his painting entitled "Mount Tacoma". In addition to his publication work, he provided services for the Washington State Historical Society such as documenting commemorative services for some of the historical markers erected by the society. He died in Tacoma in 1920.
Box item
1 1
Snow-covered Mt. Rainier reflected in water
A. H. Barnes (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown with gold. Dark scoop face between lighter colored ribs, foldover pie crust corners with multiple bulbs. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 18.75" x 23".
1913
2 2
Mt. Rainier viewed from South Puget Sound area with farms in foreground
A. H. Barnes (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 1.5" x 12.125".
1909
James B. Barton, photographer
James Bert Barton (1881 - 1967) was born in Kansas, and lived and worked in Seattle from approximately 1900 until his death. James and his brother Arthur formed the Barton Brothers photography studio.
Box item
3 3
View of Mt. Rainier in haze across Puget Sound
James B. Barton (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold colored. Vine/chain pattern along outer edge, low relief design carved (?) on scoop face. Frame Profile: Scotia. Photo has double mat with water damage. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 10.375" x 12.25". Label on verso of frame: A.O. McCormick, 4322 University Way.
circa 1910-1940
4 4
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
James B. Barton (photographer)
: Orotone.
: Smooth finish, pie crust-style flares at inner corners and larger fold-over pie crust corners at outer corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 17.25" x 13.5".
circa 1910-1940
5 5
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
James B. Barton (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Pie crust corners, not folded all the way over (corners flare out into rounded disc-shapes). Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.25" x 16". Sticker on verso of frame: Hanson's Fine Arts.
circa 1910-1940
6 6
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: American Impressionist style swirls and leaves on face, raised corner accents (pie crust look). Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 16.125" x 13".
No signature, but possibly a Barton.
circa 1910-1940
Levi Bradley, photographer
Levi Bradley was born in Collingwood, Ontario. He advertised himself as photographer and "traveling artist" in Forest Grove and Dayton, Oregon, and moved to Seattle in 1902. He operated a photo studio 1906-1907, perhaps longer. He became a Seattle Police photographer in 1912 and retired after 25 years with the department. Two of his sons became professional photographers, working for the Hart Studio in Seattle. Bradley died in 1952.
Box item
7 7
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
Levi Bradley (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Egg and dart pattern along inside edge, several narrow ribs with notch patterns, foldover pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11.625" x 15.625".
1925
Asahel Curtis, photographer
Asahel Curtis was the most prominent Seattle photographer of the early twentieth century, as well as a noted outdoorsman and regional booster. Born in Minnesota in 1874, he moved to Washington Territory in 1888. Asahel's brother, Edward, supported the family by opening a photography studio in Seattle, and Asahel went to work for him in 1894. In 1897, the brothers agreed that Asahel should go to the Yukon and document the Klondike Gold Rush. Asahel remained there for two years, alternately taking pictures and working a small and largely unproductive claim. The brothers parted ways after a bitter disagreement over the rights to Asahel's Yukon photos, which Edward had published under his own name. Edward later became nationally recognized for his twenty-volume series of photos of Native Americans. Asahel also enjoyed a successful career as a photographer, although he did not receive the acclaim that Edward did. He married Florence Carney in 1902 and opened his own studio in 1911. He was hired by a number of local companies, organizations, and wealthy individuals to take portraits and promotional photos. Asahel became more widely known for his high-quality images of the Washington landscape that were published nationally. Asahel Curtis had a deep appreciation of Mt. Rainier and for several decades he directed both his appreciation for scenic beauty and efforts at regional boosterism into the development of Mt. Rainier National Park. Curtis was a founding member of the Mountaineers, a mountain-climbing group which also promoted the preservation of wilderness areas. Curtis was active in the affairs of the club for the first several years after its founding in 1906. He led the Mountaineers on climbs of Mt. Rainier and organized a committee within the club on Mt. Rainier National Park. However, his involvement in the Seattle-Tacoma Rainier National Park Committee (later the Rainier National Park Advisory Board) strained his relations with the group. The committee, which Curtis chaired from 1912 to 1936, was formed by community business interests to exploit the park's tourism potential. Curtis, through the committee, sought to promote accessibility to the park and to increase tourism by building roads. His opposition to the expansion of Olympic National Park in the late 1930s led to a further deterioration of relations with the Mountaineers. It also caused a rift between Curtis and his fellow Mt. Rainier boosters and effectively ended his involement in park affairs. Curtis's advocacy was not limited to the development of Mt. Rainier National Park. While serving as the offical photographer for the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, he also chaired its Development Committee and its Highway Committee for many years. His interests reached beyond the Puget Sound region. Curtis owned a small orchard in Ellensburg, and he believed that the landscape of Central Washington could be improved by building irrigation projects to turn the arid region into cropland. The Washington Irrigation Association thus chose Curtis to be its president in the 1920s. He also participated in the affairs of the Washington State Good Roads Association, serving as its president in 1932 and 1933. Asahel Curtis died in 1941.
Box item
8 8
Mt. Rainier viewed from the north
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Several narrow ribs along inside face, outside edge has carved chain/"dragon" pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 16.375" x 20.5".
1911
9 9
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake (Curtis 21795)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Irregular wave texture perpendicular to leg edges. Frame Profile: Scoop. Some damage/loss of finish in corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 21.25" x 25.75". Sticker on verso of frame: Muncy Art Co.
1911
10 10
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake (Curtis 40408)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.125" x 14.25".
1920
11 11
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Orotone.
: Frame Description: Narrow ribs along inside edge, textured S-curve face, pie crust-style embellishments at corners with swirl/leaf shapes reaching to inner corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 19.5" x 16.5".
circa 1910-1940
12 12
Mt. Rainier and tarn (possibly Tipsoo Lake) from the Tatoosh Range
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Ribs along rails meet in scoop/peak at corners. Loss of finish throughout, gaps at corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.625" x 12.875".
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.
1918
13 13
Mt. Rainier behind clouds from the Tatoosh Range (Curtis [illeg.])
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Ribs along inside edge, smooth scoop face, swirl/wave pattern along outside edge. Frame Profile: Scoop. Gaps at corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 14.5" x 16.875.
Curtis number partially illegible.
circa 1917-1919
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with clouds and large tree in foreground (Curtis 40093)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following three Items 14, 15 and 16 are the same image, cropped differently.
circa 1919-1920
Box item
14 14
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with clouds and large tree in foreground (Curtis 40093)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Vine/leaf pattern along face, raised chevron pattern along outer edge. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.75" x 15.75".
circa 1919-1920
15 15
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with clouds and large tree in foreground (Curtis 40093)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, carved patterns along inner and outer edges. Pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.5" x 11.5".
circa 1919-1920
16 16
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with clouds and large tree in foreground (Curtis 40093)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Silver color. Beading along outer edge, textured face, narrow scoop along inside edge. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 7.625" x 10.75". Sticker on verso of frame: Lowman & Hanford Co. Seattle.
Cropped in closer than Items 14 and 15.
circa 1919-1920
Box item
17 17
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range (Curtis 40443)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Beading along inside edge, outside edge has distinctive pattern of rods and cones/tulip shapes. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11.25" x 13.375".
1920
18 18
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with wildflowers (Curtis 55457)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold colored. American Impressionist style corners, scoops in along outside of legs. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.625" x 15.625".
1929
19 19
Mt. Rainier and Eunice Lake surrounded by trails (Curtis 61474)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown color. Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Some damage/loss of finish along outer edges. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.125" x 11.75".
Not signed. A print of this photo, with slightly different hand-coloring, exists as PH Coll 590.3 in the George Curtis Photograph collection.
1935
Mt. Rainier and Eunice Lake from Tolmie Peak
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following two Items 20 and 21 are the same image with differences in cropping and coloration.
circa 1910-1940
Box item
20 20
Mt. Rainier and Eunice Lake from Tolmie Peak
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Notch pattern running perpendicular to leg edges along inside, x-shaped/weave pattern on outside. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 13.5" x 10.125".
circa 1910-1940
21 21
Mt. Rainier and Eunice Lake from Tolmie Peak
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, beading along inside edge. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 25.5" x 19.5"
Signature cut off by frame.
circa 1910-1940
Box item
22 22
Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lake with wildflowers
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame description: Black/brown with bronze accents. Smooth scoop face between high rounded ribs, pie curst corners. Some damage/loss of finish throughout. Frame profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.5" x 12.5".
circa 1910-1940
23 23
Mt. Rainier and Reflection Lake with wildflowers (Curtis 40009)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, wood grain texture (?), narrow dark strip along inside edge. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11.25" x 13.375".
circa 1919-1920
Where Flowers and Glaciers Meet [Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier with wildflowers in foreground] (Curtis 40099)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following three Items 24, 25 and 26 are the same image, with variations in cropping and coloration.
circa 1919-1920
Box item
24 24
Where Flowers and Glaciers Meet [Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier with wildflowers in foreground] (Curtis 40099)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Profile: Scotia. Frame Description: Narrow swirl/leaf pattern along inside edge, larger scale of pattern repeated along outside edge. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 18.5" x 22.375".
circa 1919-1920
25 25
Where Flowers and Glaciers Meet [Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier with wildflowers in foreground] (Curtis 40099)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Bronze with reddish marks. Smooth scoop face, bead detail at inside corners. Pie crust style outer corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.25" x 12".
circa 1919-1920
26 26
Where Flowers and Glaciers Meet [Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier with wildflowers in foreground] (Curtis 40099)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow scoop face between carved patterns on inside and outside edges. Frame Profile: Scoop. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 16.5" x 19".
Handwritten caption on mat: Where Flowers and Glaciers Meet.
circa 1919-1920
Box item
27 27
Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier (Curtis 40102)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Profile: Cassetta/Pie Crust. Frame Description: Raised inner and outer edges, "U" pattern along outer edge, flat face, pie crust corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11" x 13.625".
circa 1919-1920
28 28
Mt. Rainier from Paradise Valley with field of pink wildflowers (Curtis 21634)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Beading along outside edge, chain/guilloche along inside. Frame Profile: Scoop. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 15.5" x 14".
1911
Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier (Curtis 42570)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following two Items 27 and 31 are identical images with slightly differing cropping and coloration.
circa 1921-1922
Box item
29 29
Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier (Curtis 42570)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Visible wood grain, slightly rounded corners. Frame Profile: Flat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 19.75" x 27.5".
Written on verso of frame: Feb 5, 1925.
circa 1921-1922
30 30
Paradise Inn at Mt. Rainier (Curtis 42570)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Two distinct patterns separated by narrow groove: inside edge has geometric/cobblestone pattern, outside edge has interlocking comb pattern. Frame Profile: Slant. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 17" x 18.5".
circa 1921-1922
Mt. Rainier from Spray Peak with leaning tress and white wildflowers in foreground (Curtis 40251)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following two Items 31 and 32 are the same image with slightly different coloration and cropping.
circa 1921-1922
Box item
31 31
Mt. Rainier from Spray Peak with leaning tress and white wildflowers in foreground (Curtis 40251)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, bead detail at inside corners. Pie crust style outer corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11.75" x 9.75". Written on verso of frame: Property of Roma English.
In lower right corner: Mount Rainier [illeg] Seattle [illeg] Club.
1920
32 32
Mt. Rainier from Spray Peak with leaning tress and white wildflowers in foreground (Curtis 40251)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Textured scoop face between inner and outer ribs, floral/leaf embellishments at corners. Bottom corner embellishments broken off. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 22" x 18.375".
1920
Box item
33 33
South side of Mt. Rainier and tarn
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Textured scoop face between inside and outside edges, inside edge has small chain/floral pattern, outside edge has larger, more detailed leaf/swirl pattern. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 20.5" x 16.5". Sticker on verso of frame: Brannon's Art Store.
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.
circa 1910-1940
South side of Mt. Rainier with tree-filled valley in foreground (Curtis 40428)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
The following three Items 34, 35, and 36 are the same image with slightly different coloration and cropping.
1920
Box item
34 34
South side of Mt. Rainier with tree-filled valley in foreground (Curtis 40428)
Asahel Curtis (Photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Silver colored wood. Slight notch pattern along outermost edge. Loss of paint/finish in patches throughout. Frame Profile: Torus. Slight gaps at corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11.25" x 13.25".
1920
35 35
South side of Mt. Rainier with tree-filled valley in foreground (Curtis 40428)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, braid/twist pattern along outer edge. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 18.125" x 13.25".
1920
36 36
South side of Mt. Rainier with tree-filled valley in foreground (Curtis 40428)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Rib along inside edge, double scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12" x 14". Sticker on verso of frame: SV and Co. FP NO. 4388.
1920
Box item
37 37
Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound and bush in left foreground (Curtis 53658)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown color with gold accents. Smooth scoop face with narrow ribs along inside and outside edges, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 19.5" x 23.5".
1928
Norman Edson, photographer
Norman Stewart Edson (1876 - 1968) was born in Montreal, Canada to oil painter Allan Edson, R.C.A. He studied art in his father's studio and then went to study in Paris. In 1905 he traveled to Everett and became a photographer's apprentice under Bert J. Brush. He then opened his own studio on Hewitt Avenue, photographing Tulalip Indians, logging camps and Northwest scenes. During the economic downturn of 1907, Edson moved back to Quebec. There he continued his work on scenic tinted photography. In 1911, Edson returned to the Northwest, settling in Tacoma. In 1921, he boarded the wrong boat from Tacoma and landed in Burton, Vashon Island by mistake. He moved his studio and residence there and remained until his death in 1968.
Box item
38 38
Mt. Rainier with lake, sparse trees in foreground and cattails at right
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown and gold. Ribs along inside and outside edges, sun/ray design in center of each leg. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12" x 15".
1921
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
The following items 39, 40, 41, 42, and 43 are the same images, with variations in cropping and coloring. They are the same scene but slightly different images from Items 44, 45, and 46.
circa 1911-1940
Box item
39 39
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop along inside edge, middle rib has half-moon pattern, outer edge has chain/V-shaped pattern. Gaps at corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11" x 9".
Written caption: The Sun's Last Glow.
circa 1911-1940
40 40
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Orotone photograph with hand coloring.
: Frame Description: Late 20th century style. Gold color. Three narrow ribs along inside edge, smooth slant face, three wider ribs with waves in between at outside edge. Frame Profile: Scotia. Wallpaper backing. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 16.625" x 13.5".
circa 1911-1940
41 41
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Orotone photograph with hand coloring.
: Frame Description: Late 20th century style. Smooth finish, several ribs of varying widths. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 16.5" x 13.625".
circa 1911-1940
42 42
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold color. Scoop between inner and outer ribs, irregular dimpled texture throughout. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 24" x 20.5".
circa 1911-1940
43 43
The Sun's Last Glow [north side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree with bark details in left foreground]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth finish, lighter colored inner ribs. Damage/loss of finish throughout. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 15.75" x 12.75".
circa 1911-1940
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with large tree in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
The following items 44 and 45 are identical images, with differences in coloring and cropping. They are the same scene but slightly different images from Items 39, 40, 41, 42 and 43 above and Item 46 below.
circa 1911-1940
Box item
44 44
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with large tree in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Orotone photograph with hand coloring.
: Use of modern mat and double-stick tape holding the orotone to the mat indicate re-framing circa 1970 into 1920s frame.
circa 1911-1940
45 45
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with large tree in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Glass positive with gold cardboard backing made to imitate an orotone.
: Frame Description: Textured/weathered throughout, lighter colored slant on inside edge. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11.625 x 9.5".
circa 1911-1940
Box item
46 46
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water and large tree in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Several ribs of varying widths, textured finish throughout. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Foldover pie crust corners. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 12.375" x 10.5".
circa 1911-1940
47 47
Mt. Rainier viewed from south across field and trees
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Flat face, narrow rib along outside edge. Visible wood grain. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.25" x 15.25".
circa 1911-1940
48 48
Mt. Rainier viewed across Puget Sound with rocky shoreline and people rowing boat
Norman Edson (Photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Round rib along inside edge, intricate swirl and leaf pattern along outside edge. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.25" x 16.25".
circa 1911-1940
49 49
Mt. Rainier and Puget Sound with blossoming tree in foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Silver color. Pie crust corners, repeating notch pattern along outer edge. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11.625" x 14.25". Framed in Canada.
circa 1911-1940
50 50
Mt. Rainier with sun on left, dark forest and lake in foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown and gold. Smooth scoop face with narrow ribs along inside and outside edges, pie crust corners not folded all the way over (corners flare out into rounded disc-shapes).Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 16.5" x 32.5".
circa 1911-1940
The Wind-Swept Pines [south side of Mt. Rainier]
Norman Edson (photographer)
The following two Items 51 and 52 are the same image with slightly different coloration and cropping.
circa 1911-1940
Box item
51 51
The Wind-Swept Pines [south side of Mt. Rainier]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Raised beading in center of profile. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.5" x 15.5".
A biography printed from web sources is attached to the back, probably by a dealer. It includes some inaccuracies.
circa 1911-1940
52 52
The Wind-Swept Pines [south side of Mt. Rainier]
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Brown and gold. Dark textured scoop face, outside edge has teardrop/wave pattern with foldover pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.5" x 15.625".
Caption on photo: The Wind-Swept Pines.
circa 1911-1940
Box item
53 53
South side of Mt. Rainier viewed across valley
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Orotone photograph with hand coloring.
: Frame Description: Several ribs of varying widths, smooth finish throughout. Foldover pie crust corners with multiple flared teardrop shapes. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 17.75" x 14.625". Sticker on verso of frame: Holt Art Store.
circa 1911-1940
54 54
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with field of red and white wildflowers in foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Frame Description: Small, blue with bright red. Narrow ribs with geometric pattern along innermost edge. Irregular texture/wood grain on most of face. Gaps at corners. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.75" x 15.75".
Written on verso of frame: Summer in Paradise, Mt. Rainier.
circa 1911-1940
55 55
Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier
Norman Edson (Photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow frame, photo has mat. Frame Profile: Flat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 19" x 15.5".
circa 1911-1940
56 56
Close-range view of Mt. Rainier with stream, road and Paradise Lodge
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Slant frame with visible wood grain, metallic fillet with geometric pattern along inside. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.5" x 15.625".
circa 1911-1940
57 57
Mt. Rainier viewed over choppy Puget Sound
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold color with red accents. Dark scoop face with lighter inside and outside edges. Small swirl and dart details at outer corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.5" x 11.5". Sticker on verso of frame: Seattle Art. Co.
circa 1911-1940
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with grassy hill in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
The following two Items 58 and 59 are the identical image, with slight differences in coloration.
circa 1911-1940
Box item
58 58
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with grassy hill in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow ribs along outside edge, pie crust corners. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 19.5" x 23.5".
Hand written on verso: Sun Rise Mount Rainier, F. W. Carlson 1927.
circa 1911-1940
59 59
North side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with grassy hill in left foreground
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold color. Several ribs of varying widths, smooth finish throughout. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Foldover pie crust corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.5" x 16.375". Sticker on verso of frame: Muncy Art Co., Seattle.
circa 1911-1940
Worthy E. Edwards, photographer
Worthington Edmund Edwards was born in 1882 in West Virginia. He moved to Washington state by 1909, operated a photography business circa 1925-1926, and died in Seattle.
Box item
60 60
Evening Lights [Mt. Rainier near Indian Henry's Hunting Ground]
Worthy E. Edwards (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, lighter accent along inner and outer edges. Photo has mat. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 18.5" x 14.5".
Written on mat, along with Edwards' signature and copyright, Evening Lights.
circa 1925
Frank A. Jacobs, photographer
Photojournalist Frank A. Jacobs (1881 - 1979) was born in Kansas. He settled in Seattle in 1907 and began work as a photojournalist for the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in 1909. He spent the 1920s as the official photographer for the Rainier National Park Company.
Box item
61 61
Mt. Rainier with the Paradise Lodge (Jacobs 221696)
Frank A. Jacobs (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Geometric pattern along inner edge, slight ribbing/wave texture along scoop face, carved wave pattern along outer edge (similar to #77). Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 8.5" x 20.25".
circa 1920-1930
Darius Kinsey, photographer
Darius Kinsey (1869-1945) was a pioneer artist active as a photographer in the Northwest from 1890 to 1940. He was born in Missouri and arrived in Snoqualmie, Washington in 1889. He is best known for his large-format images of loggers and the region's lumber industry He operated a successful photography studio and gallery in Cle Elum, Washington from 1897 to 1906, then moved his studio to Seattle, where he worked until 1940.
Box item
62 62
Paradise River and the Tatoosh Range (Kinsey 212B)
Darius Kinsey (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Multiple narrow ribs, outside edge has wide braid/x-pattern. Photo has mat. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 18.625" x 15.625".
Written on lower left corner: 212B Paradise R. Mt Rainier Park.
1903
South side of Mt. Rainier (Kinsey 205D)
Darius Kinsey (photographer)
The following two Items 63 and 64 are the same image, with slight differences in coloration and cropping.
1923
Box item
63 63
South side of Mt. Rainier (Kinsey 205D)
Darius Kinsey (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Greenish. Wavy inner ribs, wide x-pattern along outside edge. Photo has mat. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 18.625" x 15.625".
Written on lower left corner: 205D. Mt Rainier 14526 feet high.
1923
64 64
South side of Mt. Rainier (Kinsey 205D)
Darius Kinsey (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, narrow ribs along inside and outside edges. Frame Profile: Scoop. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 22.625" x 18.5".
Written on front: 205-D Mt Rainier, Wash, 14526 Ft. High.
1923
Myron Kreidler, photographer
Myron B. Kreidler (ca. 1905 - 1985) was born in Minnesota, and by 1920 moved with his family to Tacoma, Washington. He lived and worked as a commercial photographer in the Tacoma/Parkland area in the 1930s-1950s, and died in Tacoma in 1985.
Box item
65 65
Top of Mt. Rainier viewed from the north
Myron B. Kreidler (photographer)
: Toned photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow gold-colored frame with black outside edge and narrow inside ribs. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.75" x 13.625".
Toning is a method of changing the color of black-and-white photographs. It is a chemical process carried out on silver-based photographic prints.
circa 1930-1940
Frederick W. Loschenkohl, photographer
Frederick William Loschenkohl was born around 1878 in Nevada. He resided in Washington from at least 1903 to 1929, either living or operating a studio variously in Carbonado, Seattle, and Waterville, and serving as Secretary of the Photographer's Society of Seattle in 1907. He operated a studio in Hood River, Oregon around 1940.
Box item
66 66
Mt. Rainier and the North Mowich and Russell Glaciers
Loschenkohl (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Matted photo, no frame. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11" x 15".
Written on front: Mt. Rainier and Mowich Canyon.
circa 1903-1929
Morgan, photographer
Box item
67 67
View across water to north side of Mt. Rainier
Morgan (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Light-colored scoop face with paint brush/wood grain texture, foldover pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.75" x 16".
circa 1910-1940
Hiram C. Otwell, photographer
Box item
68 68
Mt. Rainier from Paradise Meadows
Hiram C. Otwell (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, carved patterns along inner and outer edges. Pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Upper left corner of pie crust broken off, gap at corner. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.25" x 11.25".
Hiram Cannon Otwell (1876 - 1939) was born in Missouri. He lived in Seattle at least from 1913-1920. He moved to San Francisco by 1930 and lived there until his death.
1919
Ranapar Studio, photographer
Tacoma photography studio Ranapar Studio (very likely an abbreviation for Rainier National Park) was founded by Seattle photographer Asahel Curtis as part of the Rainier National Park Company, which was created by prominent members of Seattle and Tacoma society for the purpose of developing recreational and tourist facilities in the park.
Ranapar Studios used a few different photograph numbering systems, probably varying according to the individual photographers. Without access to Ranapar's photo log books, the Mt. Rainier National Park Archivist surmises that the numbers with 2-digit prefixes indicate a year for the photo number. For example 26-452 and 26-2897 were likely photographed in 1926. The numbers preceded by "T," for example T-80, were possibly made for the tourist market, and many of the postcards have the prefix "P" - for example, P-230.
Box item
69 69
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range Lone Pine Vista (Ranapar T-50)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow chain pattern along inside edge, several ribs along outer edge with irregular texture/pattern throughout. Z-shaped lines across ribs define corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions:17.625" x 20.625".
Official "Mt. Rainier National Park 1957" sticker on verso of frame. Same image as item PH Coll 52.48 in the Rainier National Park Mountain - Glacier Wonderland Album, photographed by the Ranapar Studio.
1923
70 70
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake (Ranapar 26-2412)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Light colored scoop frame, no ribs. Frame Profile: Scoop. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.625" x 11.625".
Not signed, but same image as PH Coll 52.7, UW22133, in Rainier National Park Mountain - Glacier Wonderland Album, photographed by the Ranapar Studio.
1926
71 71
Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier (Ranapar T-80)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Kent-style corners with swirl accents. Center rib of profile raised into darts at corners. Gaps at upper left and lower right corners. Wallpaper with red and black diamond pattern on back of frame. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.75" x 15.75".
.
1926
72 72
Mt. Rainier and the Paradise Meadows covered in snow (Ranapar 26-42)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, slight scoop. Outside edge has half moon/swirl pattern. Frame Profile: Slant. Slight damage on right leg, gaps at upper right and lower left corners. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 19" x 22.5". Sticker on verso of frame: Bell Stationary Co.
Not signed, but same image as Item PH Coll 52.43 in the Rainier National Park Mountain-Glacier Wonderland Album, photographed by the Ranapar Studio, number 26-42.
1926
73 73
Highway entering Paradise Valley
Ranapar Studios
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description; Green. Double dark scoop faces with lighter colored ribs, texture/pattern on inside and outside. Outer ribs raise into flared corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 16.625" x 13.75".
Ranapar Studio embossed on lower left corner.
circa 1917-1930
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh range with distant view of Paradise Lodge (Ranapar 29-2226)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
Items 74 and 75 below are the same image, with differences in coloring.
1929
Box item
74 74
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh range with distant view of Paradise Lodge (Ranapar 29-2226)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face on inside, wide braid/wave pattern on outside. Frame Profile: Scoop. No glass. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.75" x 16.75".
1929
75 75
Mt. Rainier from the Tatoosh Range with distant view of Paradise Lodge (Ranapar 29-2226)
Ranapar Studios (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Silver color with black band. Smooth scoop face, high shine/gloss. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 22.25" x 28.625".
1929
Turner (possibly James A.), photographer
Box item
76 76
Mt. Rainier and Fairy Lake
Turner (possibly James A.) (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Flat face, inside edge has indistinct pattern, outside edge has geometric/chain link pattern, pie crust corners. Loss/damage to high points of ribs throughout. Frame Profile: Cassetta/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11.25" x 9.25".
James A. Turner was born in Indiana and came to Seattle in 1906, where he was a streetcar conductor beginning in 1909. Turner was well known as an amateur photographer.
circa 1910-1940
Waters (possibly Vance S.), photographer
Box item
77 77
Mt. Rainier reflected in Mirror Lake
Waters (possibly Vance S.) (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.375" x 15.5".
Hand written caption on photo: copyright Mirror Lake, Rainier National Park. Lower text cut off.
circa 1910-1940
Tim Gohrke, photographer
folder:oversize item
OS Folder 1 129
Mount Rainier from Summit Lake Trail

digital print
Frame Description: Printed on board with embedded white mat and photographer signature. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 25" x 20"
approximately 2000-2010
Unknown photographers
It is likely that a number of these photographs are by Asahel Curtis.
Box item
78 78
Mt. Rainier and Paradise Lodge buildings
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Raised geometric pattern at corners, American Impressionist style. Slight gaps at corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.25" x 22.14".
circa 1910-1940
79 79
Mt. Rainier and Mirror Lake
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Carved wave pattern along outer edge, lighter (gilded?) fillet along inside edge. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 7" x 11.125".
circa 1910-1940
80 80
Mt. Rainier reflected in Mirror Lake
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow ribs along inside edge, S-curve scoop face with pie crust folded corners, outermost edge forms straight corners. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Some loss of finish along bottom leg. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 23" x 16".
Writing shows from negative reverse: 900 to 905.
circa 1910-1940
81 81
Man climbing mountain with Mt. Rainier and the Nisqually Glacier in background
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face between narrow ribs, inside with bead/notch pattern, outside with swirls/leaves. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 17.25" x 10.5".
circa 1910-1940
82 82
Mt. Rainier and road going through Paradise Meadows
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Dark face with wave texture, light raised edges. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 7.375" x 11.125".
circa 1910-1940
83 83
Mt. Rainier and Steamboat Prow
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Three ribs with notch pattern, outside edge has alternating half moon pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 17.625" x 21.625".
circa 1910-1940
84 84
South side of Mt. Rainier, reflected in lake
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Cross-hatch/woven pattern along face between raised edges. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Photo has mat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 22.5" x 19.375".
circa 1910-1940
85 85
South side of Mt. Rainier with tree stumps in foreground
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, narrow fillet accent on inner edge. Frame Profile: Torus. Photo has mat/print border. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.5" x 14.5".
circa 1910-1940
86 86
Southwest side of Mt. Rainier viewed across water with buildings along shore and reeds in foreground
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Flat face with aHand colored photograph. moeba-looking texture, outside edge has checkerboard pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 11.5" x 15.625".
circa 1910-1940
87 87
Mt. Rainier from Spray Peak
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Twist pattern along inner edge, smooth face, outer edge smooth along lengths, raised into carved leaf pattern at corners and center of horizontal legs. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.25" x 15.375".
circa 1910-1940
88 88
Northwest side of Mt. Rainier with lake and gray clouds
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Very large black and bronze color. Smooth scoop face, dart-shaped accents at inner corners. Pie crust-style flared corners on second-outermost edge, outermost edge forms straight pointed corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 23.5" x 46.5".
circa 1910-1940
Tatoosh Range
Box item
89 89
Part of the Tatoosh Range reflected in lake
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Double ribs along inside edge, raised outer edge with floral/swirl embellishments at corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Gaps at corners. Flowered wallpaper backing. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.5" x 15.25".
From left to right: The Castle, Pinnacle Peak, Plummer Peak.
circa 1910-1940
90 90
Tatoosh Range
Preston Duncan (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Dark face slanting toward inside edge, lighter narrow face slanting toward outside edge. Some loss/damage to corners and ribs. Frame Profile: Slant. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 8" x 1.625".
Preston Duncan (1899-1958) moved with his family to Seattle about 1910. In the early or mid 1920s, he moved to Hollywood, CA, where he gained fame with his experimental portraits of movie stars.
From left to right: The Castle, Pinnacle Peak.
circa 1920
91 91
Part of the Tatoosh Range, framed left and right by evergreens, with red, blue and purple wildflowers in foreground (Ranapar T-57)
Ranapar Studio (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners with darts. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.25" x 16.25". Sticker on verso of frame: Pacific Picture Frame Co.
1924
92 92
Tatoosh Range viewed from Paradise, with tents and cars in foreground
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face, narrow fillet accent on inner edge. Frame Profile: Torus. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.125" x 16".
From left to right: The Castle, Pinnacle Peak, Plummer Peak, Denman Peak.
circa 1915-1935
93 93
Tatoosh Range, with field of white wildflowers and large twisted stump in foreground.
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow ribs along inside edge, S-curve scoop face with large V-shaped notch pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 23.625" x 19.325". Sticker on verso of frame: Seattle RT Co.
Left to right: The Castle, Pinnacle Peak, Denman Peak, Lane Peak.
circa 1910-1940
Glacier Peak
Box item
94 94
Three people reflected in lake near Glacier Peak
J. Boyd Ellis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face with narrow ribs along inside and outside edges, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 24" x 34".
J. Boyd Ellis (1894 - 1983) was a former principal of Marysville High School. His interests turned toward photography, and in 1921 Boyd purchased a photo studio in Arlington, Washington. He published thousands of scenic postcards of Washington State as Ellis Post Card Co. until he retired in 1959.
circa 1921 - 1940
95 95
Glacier Peak and Image Lake
Arthur L. Seabury (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Ribs along inside edge, wood grain/marbled effect on face. Frame Profile: Scotia. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 15.5" x 18.625".
Arthur L. Seabury (1910 - 1990) was born in Seattle, Washington. He attended West Seattle High School and the University of Washington, where he was a star marksman. He is listed as a commercial photographer in the 1940 census. He died in Poulsbo, Washington.
1935
Mt. Baker
Box item
96 96
Mt. Baker from Artist's Point
Jackson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow frame, either flat or slant with ribs. Frame Profile: Slant. Photo has mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 15.75" x 20.75".
circa 1910-1940
97 97
View across Puget Sound to Mt. Baker
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Chrome, notch pattern along inside edge, leaf/wave pattern along outside edge. Frame Profile: Cassetta. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 15.625" x 18.75".
circa 1910-1940
Mt. St. Helens
Box item
98 98
Mt. St. Helens and Spirit Lake with madrona trees in left foreground
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold colored with blue band around picture. Geometric pattern along inner edge, scoop face, carved wave pattern along outer edge. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.75" x 19.75".
circa 1910-1940
99 99
Mt. St. Helens viewed across Spirit Lake
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Chain pattern along outside edge, textured ogee scoop. Gaps at corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 15.25" x 11".
circa 1910-1940
Snoqualmie Falls
Box item
100 100
Top of Snoqualmie Falls with buildings
James B. Barton (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow rib with beading/geometric pattern, dark textured scoop face, floral/leaf pattern along outside, foldover pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.75" x 9".
Unsigned; matches a signed Barton image.
circa 1920
101 101
Snoqualmie Falls (Curtis 32712)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Vine/leaf pattern along outside edge, smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scotia/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 15" x 12.125".
A black and white version of this photo exists in the Asahel Curtis Photographs Collection PH Coll 0482.
1915
102 102
Snoqualmie Falls
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Black and white photogravure.
: Frame Description: Piecrust. Profile: Piecrust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.5" x 12.25"
Caption printed below: The wonder of Snoqualmie Falls. Photogravure printing was invented in 1879 and the basic process is to photographically transfer an image to a metal plate, etch the image on the plate then print from it. Photogravure and gravure prints have warm blacks and a range of subtle shades of gray.
1910
103 103
Snoqualmie Falls with buildings above
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Black and white photograph.
: Frame Description: Swirl/leaf pattern along inside edge, indistinct texture/pattern elsewhere. Frame Profile: Scoop/Slant. Loss of finish/damage throughout. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 8.75" x 6.75".
circa 1920
Mt. Shuksan
Box item
104 104
View from road of Mt. Shuksan and Picture Lake
Clyde Banks (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow ribs along inner face, dart-shaped caps on corners. Top right corner is cracked. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.5" x 15.625".
Clyde Banks (d. 1977) was a pioneer photographer in Whatcom County. He took the first aerial photos of Mt. Baker and Twin Sisters, and owned Clyde Banks Camera & Art Shop in Bellingham from the early 1900s until circa 1960.
Sticker on verso of frame: Camera Studies by Clyde Banks.
circa 1910-1940
105 105
Mt. Shuksan and Picture Lake
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: S-curve/swirl design embellishment at corners. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.625" x 15.5".
1936
106 106
Mt. Shuksan and Picture Lake
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Darker scoop in between lighter edges, outer edge as wide as scoop. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 8.25" x 12".
circa 1910-1940
Other Washington locations
Evening in the Cascades [Possibly Skykomish River with Mt. Index in the background] (Curtis 44424)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
Items 107 and 108 below are the same image, with different coloring.
This image (in black and white, not hand-colored) is identified as Curtis 44424 in the George Curtis Photograph Collection, Item PH Coll 590.6 (Folder 4). Hand written on verso of frame is "River in Montana."
1923
Box item
107 107
Evening in the Cascades [Possibly Skykomish River with Mt. Index in the background] (Curtis 44424)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop face, beading along inside edge (same as #86). Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 25.625" x 19.5".
1923
108 108
Evening in the Cascades Possibly Skykomish River with Mt. Index in the background (Curtis 44424)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Visible wood grain, repair/fill at upper right corner. Frame Profile: Flat. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 27" x 21".
1923
Box item
109 109
Sunset over body of water with reeds (Curtis 38534)
Asahel Curtis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Dark scoop face with lighter inside and outside edges. Frame Profile: Scotia. Photo has small mat/border. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 12.25" x 9.625".
This location is probably in Washington state.
1919
110 110
Boat off Vashon Island shore at sunset
Norman Edson (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Textured scoop face and ribs, S-shaped embellishments at corners. Loss/damage of S's at top. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 11.5" x 9.5".
circa 1911-1940
111 111
Cabin and Lake
J. Boyd Ellis (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Pie Crust Corners with double flared edges, loss of finish in patches. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.875" x 15.875".
J. Boyd Ellis (1894 - 1983), a former school principle, opened a photo studio in Arlington, Washington in 1921. He roamed the state of Washington is search of scenic views and published scenic postcards through his company, Ellis Post Card Co.
Written in pencil on verso of frame: M.E. Bauer. Stamp on verso of frame: Copyright 1923, J. Boyd Ellis, Arlington, Wash.
1923
112 112
East side of Mt. Adams
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold. Smooth ogee scoop face with vine/leaf pattern along outer edge. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 12.25" x 15.125".
circa 1910-1940
113 113
Colonial and Pyramid peaks viewed from east of Diablo and Ross Lakes
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Narrow frame with raised ribs along edges. Frame Profile: Slant. Photo has white mat. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 27.5" x 33.5". Stamped on verso of frame: Presley Gill, Attorney at law, June 1, 1944.
circa 1910-1940
114 114
Rolling hills across Lake Quinault or Lake Crescent on the Olympic Peninsula
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Dark scoop face between ribs with geometric pattern, foldover pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 7.25" x 17".
circa 1910-1940
115 115
Sunset on (probably) Puget Sound with land masses in background and bushes in foreground
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Burnished gold color. "U" pattern along inner edge, textured face, ribbed face leading to outer edge, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Cassetta/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.5" x 14.5".
circa 1910-1940
Container(s) Description Dates
Mt. Hood
Box item
116 116
From Every Mountainside Let Freedom Ring [Mt. Hood and river]
Irving B. Lincoln (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: No Frame. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 22.25" x 18".
Irving Bowen Lincoln (1890 - 1980) was an amateur photographer based in Portland, Oregon. He was known for his images of Northwest mountains.
circa 1910-1940
117 117
Mt. Hood, Oregon with stream and leaning tree in foreground (Martels 705)
Harry Martels (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold color. Rounded outside corners, narrow ribs/layers along outside edge. Inside corners have smooth caps with feather-like notch pattern. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 17" x 13".
circa 1910-1940
118 118
Mt. Hood and Trillium Lake, Oregon
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Large gold and green. Wide cassetta face with narrow ribs along outside, outermost edge has notch/stripe pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. 16.625" x 20.5".
circa 1910-1940
Container(s) Description Dates
Mendenhall Glacier
Box item
119 119
Mendenhall Glacier viewed across Auke Lake, Juneau, Alaska
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold color. Smooth scoop face, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 5.75" x 7.75". Sticker on verso of frame: The Nugget Shop, Juneau, Alaska.
Auke Lake is currently named Mendenhall Lake.
circa 1910-1940
Mt. McKinley
Box item
120 120
Mt. McKinley and McKinley River, Alaska
Fred Ordway (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Beading along inside edge, geometric/wave pattern along outside edge. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 13.75" x 21.25".
Frederick K. Ordway (d. 1938), "Alaska's Flying Photographer," and his wife, Laura P. Ordway, settled in Juneau around 1926 and opened Ordway's Photo Service (or Photo Shop) on Front Street about 1927. The Ordways traveled throughout Alaska in the 1930s, photographing Alaskan subjects. In 1934, Fred Ordway moved his expanding business into the Shattuck Building in Juneau and renamed it Ordway's Uptown Photo Shop. Fred Ordway died at the age of 35 on Feb. 17, 1938, from injuries he received when his rented monoplane crashed south of Oregon City, Oregon. He was photographing at the time.
1936
121 121
Wonder Lake and Mt. McKinley surrounded by clouds, Alaska
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold colored. Narrow rib along inner edge, smooth ogee scoop faces with flared pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Scoop. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 14.25" x 17.25".
circa 1910-1940

Western United StatesReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
California and Montana
Box item
122 122
Half Dome, Yosemite valley and the Merced River, California
Fred H. Kiser (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Egg and dart pattern along inside edge, swirl/leaf pattern along outside edge. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.25" x 11.25".
Fred H. Kiser (1878-1955) was a mountaineer, promoter, and a successful landscape and commercial photographer in the American West during the first two decades of the early 20th century. He entered the photographic business around 1902 with his brother, Oscar, as Kiser Brothers Scenic Photographers. With studios both in Portland and at Warrendale, Oregon, they established themselves as significant landscape photographers. By 1905, Fred was working independently of his brother and continued to focus on Pacific Northwest scenic landscapes. Color photography helped make Kiser’s work nationally known and helped to create and promote national parks in the Northwest, including Crater Lake and Glacier. Kiser developed the art of hand coloring into a mass-production line that allowed him to market his Artographs widely.
circa 1905-1921
123 123
Sinopah Mountain and Two Medicine Lake with two men and canoes at dock, Glacier National Park, Montana
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth scoop faces, outer face rises into raised corners with slight wavy texture/pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 10.5" x 13.5".
circa 1910-1940
Unidentified locations
Box item
124 124
Possibly Pilot Peak (Yellowstone National Park) from Beartooth Pass, Montana. Craggy pointed peak with forest and hills, wooden fence in foreground, bare tree on right.
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Small brown and gold self-standing frame. Bottom corners form feet for tabletop display. Frame Profile: Pie Crust. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 12" x 8".
circa 1910-1940
125 125
Craggy mountain ridge with small tarn in foreground
unknown (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: "U" pattern along inner edge, textured face, ribbed face leading to outer edge, pie crust corners. Frame Profile: Cassetta/Pie Crust. Orientation: Horizontal. Dimensions: 9.375" x 15.5".
A tarn is a mountain lake or pool, formed in a cirque excavated by a glacier.
circa 1910-1940
Container(s) Description Dates
Alberta
Box item
126 126
Mt. Rundle and Vermillion Lakes, Banff National Park, Alberta
J. Fred Spalding
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Gold colored. Smooth scoop face, outer edge has overlapping scales/leaves pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 12.125" x 10.125".
Born in London in 1877, Joseph Frederick Spalding immigrated to Canada in 1898. He arrived in Fernie, British Columbia in March of 1904, bringing with him a small photography enterprise he had founded in 1902. In 1908, Spalding invested over $1000 to modernize his studio. He left the Elk Valley in 1924, and re-established his photography career in Vancouver, BC, in 1925, initially as a partner in the Gowen Sutton Postcard Company and then with his own business The Camera Products Co. He died in Vancouver in 1958.
Stamped on verso of frame: This is a real photo hand colored in oils from the studio of The Camera Products Co. 1731 Dunbar St, Vancouver, B.C. Photo copyright J. Fred Spalding.
circa 1925-1935
127 127
Lake Louise with Mt. Lefroy, Banff National Park, Alberta
unknown (possibly J. Fred Spalding) (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Several ribs of varying widths, smooth finish throughout. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 16.75" x 13.5".
circa 1910-1940
British Columbia
Box item
128 128
Mt. Robson, Rear Guard Mt., Berg Lake, British Columbia
unknown (possibly J. Fred Spalding) (photographer)
: Hand colored photograph.
: Frame Description: Smooth face between ribs, inside has notch pattern, outside has braid/weave pattern. Frame Profile: Scotia. Orientation: Vertical. Dimensions: 14.75" x 11.25".
circa 1910-1940

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Photographs--Specimens
  • Picture frames and framing--Specimens
  • Trees--Washington (State)--Photographs
  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)
  • Wild flowers--Washington (State)--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Davis, Daniel R. (Daniel Roy), 1941-2012 (collector)

Geographical Names

  • Alaska--Photographs
  • Baker, Mount (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Banff National Park (Alta.)--Photographs
  • California--Photographs
  • Denali, Mount (Alaska)--Photographs
  • Glacier Peak (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Hood, Mount (Or.)--Photographs
  • Mirror Lakes (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Montana--Photographs
  • Puget Sound (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Rainier, Mount (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Robson, Mount (B.C.)--Photographs
  • Saint Helens, Mount (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Shuksan, Mount (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Snoqualmie Falls (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Tatoosh Range (Wash.)--Photographs
  • Washington (State)--Photographs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Barnes, A. H. (Albert Henry), 1876- (photographer)
    • Barton, James B. 1881-1967, (photographer)
    • Bradley, Levi (Photographer), (photographer)
    • Curtis, Asahel, 1874-1941, (photographer)
    • Edson, Norman, -1968, (photographer)
    • Kinsey, Darius, 1869-1945, (photographer)
    Corporate Names
    • Ranapar Studio, (photographer)