Dabney family photograph collection

Dabney family photograph collection, approximately 1875-1911

Overview of the Collection

Creator: Dabney (Family : 1825-1915 : Boston, Mass.)
Title: Dabney family photograph collection
Dates: approximately 1875-1911 (inclusive)
18751911
Quantity: 314 photographs ; sizes vary
Collection Number: PH1349
Summary: Photographs relating to the Dabney family who lived in the Azores, California, and Washington State
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: Selections from 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.
Languages: English

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Members of the Dabney family were the first, second, and third consuls for the Azores. They were John Bass Dabney (1766-1826), Charles William Dabney (1794-1871), and Samuel Wyllys Pomerey (1826-1893). John Pomeroy Dabney (1822-1874) was consul to Prussia and acting vice-consul. The family prospered through its foreign trade connections in England, Scotland, Germany, France, Mexico, South America and Russia. It was a large and extended family. The Dabneys had three estates on Fayal in the Azores, Bagatelle, Fredonia, and The Cedars. There were four boys and four girls in the family of John P. and Sarah H. Dabney, including Frank Dabney. The boys were sent to school in Jamaica Plain, Roxbury, Massachusetts, and the girls were tutored at home. Most of the boys attended Harvard but Frank Dabney, and his cousin, Herbert, attended MIT. After the accidental shipboard death of John Pomeroy Dabney in 1874, the fortunes of his wife Sarah and his son Frank seemed to diminish, and most if not all of the Dabneys left Fayal. Frank was required by his uncles to leave MIT and look after family investments in Ohio. Members of the family settled in estates in California near Santa Barbara. Samuel Dabney built a house in California in 1892 which he called the Fayal Ranch. Sarah H. Dabney lived abroad with at least two of her daughters. Frank Dabney settled in Seattle in 1900.

Edith Dabney was born around 1885 to Frank and Mary Dabney. She graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1903 and became the headmistress of a girl's school in Seattle. She married Sherwood Ford and was an aunt to her brother Jack's children Francis and Joan Dabney. In March of 1909, Edith joined her parents and six others for a skiing trip to Mt. Rainier where she and her close friend Milnora Roberts became the first women to make a ski trip on the mountain, and the first to make a trip of any kind to an altitude of 7000 feet in the winter. This achievement is chronicled in an article written on March 27, 1909 in the Seattle Times, as well as an article entitled, "A Wonderland of Glaciers and Snow" written by Minora's husband Milnor Roberts in June of 1909 in the National Geographic Magazine.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs relating to the Dabney family, who were a prominent family that included several members who served as consuls for the Azores. The collection includes a hand-made album of photographs of the family at Fayal Ranch, and the family home built by Samuel Dabney in California in 1892. Also included is an album with pictures of a climbing expedition to Mt. Rainier with Milnor and Milnora Roberts and Carl Gould.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View selections from the collection in digital format

Restrictions on Use

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

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Donors: Nathaniel Harris, 2007; Sally D. Parker, 2011.

Processing Note

Processed by: Sara Cordes, 2017.

47 photographs and 2 postcards accessioned as PH2009-008.

Related Materials

Dabney family papers (Mss Coll 4210) in the repository.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Fayal Ranch Album Return to Top

Photographs of family members, house and scenery, probably at the house in California built by Samuel Dabney called "Fayal Ranch."

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/1	1-1	Man sitting on shoreline with fishing rod	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-2a	One woman sitting and one standing on rocks facing the water with fishing rods	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-2b	Four people standing on rocks at edge of water, two with fishing rods	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-3	People sitting at the top of large bolders	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-4	Man gesturing next to woman with fishing rod and people looking out onto water in background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-5-1-6	Views of foliage and landscape	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-7	View of house with striped awning and tree covered path in background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-8	View of house with woman standing on balcony and wire fence with rosebushes in foreground	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-9	Stone sculpture with wooden picket fence in background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-10	View of horse drawn cart on dirt path	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-11	Columns supporting overhang of a house with vine trellis	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-12	Man farming with two horses and mountains in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-13	Woman kneeling on ground in front of a house	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-14	Woman offering fruit to another woman sitting on a rocking chair	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-15	Cacti on rocks	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-16	Woman standing in front of vegetation with house in background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-17	A man and woman in front of wooden structure with overhanging plants in foreground	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-18a	Dirt path leading to house	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-18b	House with large porch area covered with vine trellis	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-19a	Man farming in field with machinery pulled by three horses	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-19b	Five horses in paddock	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-20	Two men and a woman with a dock sitting on large boulders	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-21	A woman in a house looking out of the window, vine trellis on the right-hand side of window	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-22	A house in the background with a tarp overhang	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-23	A trellis on the side of a porch with climbing flowers	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-24	View of trellis along the side of a porch, the rest of the house in the background This is the view of the same trellis as item: -23a from the other side	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-25	A man and a dog sit under the shade of a bush with a house in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-26	A wooden barn and an animal walking on tilled land in the foreground	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-27	A woman and a bird on large rocks with large bushes in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-28	Woman sitting under climbing vines on a porch holding her hat	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-29	A cow and a chicken roam in a paddock with a large tree	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-30	Two women sitting under a large tree with rolling hills in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-31	A man standing on the back of farming equipment pulled by four horses	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-32	Three women and a man among succulent plants with an agricultural grove in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-33	A dirt path leading into the distance with large trees	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-34	A woman walking up a road flanked by cinder block walls	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-35	A woman and man sitting on stairs leading to the porch of a house	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-36	View of the beach from a high vantage point with vegetation	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-37	Three men and three women standing next to a horse	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-38	A grove of trees with brush underneath	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-39	Three women and a man carrying pinecones in their aprons and large bags	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-40	Three men and a woman riding horses	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-41a	View of a body of water	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-41b	People and a dog standing on the shorelines with a boat on the water in the background	between 1891 and 1900
1/1	1-42	A man standing in front of a large tree with a body of water in the background	between 1891 and 1900

Mountain AlbumReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/2	2-1	Mt. Rainier from Paradise Park Same image as item 2-17.	1895
1/2	2-2a	Expedition party, including guide Jules Stampfler, Edith Dabney, Frank Dabney, and others [illeg.] Written on album page: Ascent of Mount Rainier from Paradise Valley. August 9, 1908 (2 a.m. - 9 p.m.).	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-2b	Mountian trail around Gilbraltar	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-2c	View of snowpack above Camp Muir	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-2d	View from Gibraltar Rock	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-3a	Guide ropes up Gilbraltar Rock	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-3b	People laying on the snow with long wooden stakes near the summit signaling to Longmire with mirror	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-3c	View from above Gibraltar	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-3d	Snow mound at Columbia Crest	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-4a	Looking across the crater	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-4b	Expedition party walking in a line above Gilbraltar	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-4c	Party leaving the summit Edith Dabney and Frank Dabney and guide Jules S. identified	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-4d	Two people looking at Camp Muir in the distance	August 9, 1908
1/2	2-5a	Milnora Roberts and Edith Dabney on skis Written on album page: Feburary 22-1909 Longmire's.	February 22, 1909
1/2	2-5b	Snow covered trees and hill	February 22, 1909
1/2	2-6a	Expedition party lined up on skis in front of lodge, left-right Milnora Roberts, Mrs. Worral Wilson, Miss Sally Nieman, Edith Dabney, Frank Dabney, Mary Dabney, Minor Roberts, and Carl Gould	February 22, 1909
1/2	2-6b	Side view of expedition party on skis up a snow covered hill, left-right Milnora Roberts, Mrs. Worral Wilson, Mary Dabney, Frank Dabney, Miss Sally Nieman, Edith Dabney, Milnor Roberts	February 22, 1909
1/2	2-6c	Caretakers- left-right Milnora Robert, Mrs. Worral Wilson, Mary Dabney, Frank Dabney, Miss Sally Nieman, Edith Dabney, Milnor Roberts Carl Gould (photographer)	February 22, 1909
1/2	2-7a	Milnor Roberts and Carl Gould on skis	early 1900s?
1/2	2-7b	Expedition members skiing in the distance with trees in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-7c	Six expedition members on skis	early 1900s?
1/2	2-8a	Milnor Roberts, Frank Dabney, Edith Dabney, Milnora Roberts sitting on the snow Caption: Afterward-.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-8b	Milnora Roberts, Milnor Roberts, Frank Dabney, and Edith Dabney from the back sitting on the snow having lunch Caption: Lunch on the way	early 1900s?
1/2	2-8c	Four expedition members standing their skis up vertically	early 1900s?
1/2	2-9a	Snow covered bridge over Paradise River	early 1900s?
1/2	2-9b	Snow covered waterfall	early 1900s?
1/2	2-9c	Frank Dabney putting on a sweater with Milnor Roberts' help	early 1900s?
1/2	2-10a	Milnora Roberts with her arms around a snowman named "the last Rainomer"	early 1900s?
1/2	2-10b	A horse sitting on the ground with a woman standing next to it Caption: He didn't want to take C.G. [Carl Gould] back to Ashford for the train.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-11a	Two men tending to a horse with another man riding it (possibly Carl Gould) Caption: But he had to.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-11b	Carl Gould? holding skis while riding a horse	early 1900s?
1/2	2-12a	View of two mountain peaks in the distance with forest in the foreground Caption: From the Ramparts? Or Shuskin [sp: Shuksan] ridge?	early 1900s?
1/2	2-12b	View of mountain peaks on far left and far right of photo with forest in the foreground	early 1900s?
1/2	2-12c-2-14a	View of cloud-covered mountain peak in background, and snow-covered ridge of foreground on right items 2-13a-b, 2-14a taken by Milnor Roberts and included in his National Geographic Magazine article, Vol. 20, March 1909, pgs 532-533.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-14b	Left-right Frank Dabney, Sally Nieman, Mary Dabney and Mrs. Worral Wilson at the Ashford train station Caption: At Ashford- waiting for the train home.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-15	Lake Louise and Chalet, Rocky Mountains R.H. Truman & Co, Vancouver B.C (photographer)	early 1900s?
1/2	2-16	Mount Macdonald [McDonald] Notman & Son Photo, G. Horne Russell, Montreal, B.C (photographer)	1892
1/2	2-17	Mt. Rainier from Paradise Park Same image as 2-1.	1895
1/2	2-18	Mt. Rainier from Paradise Park	1895
1/2	2-19a	View of crew team on water close to shore with docks behind them Caption: From launch B. Wilson's party for Amelia + Ruth.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-19b	View of crew team on open water with boat behind them	early 1900s?
1/2	2-20a	View of crew team on open water with three boats behind them, taken from another boat	early 1900s?
1/2	2-20b-c	Group of men and women sitting on boat with flag out the window Caption: Dickinson, Babcock, Ruth E., Amelia F.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-20d-2-21b	Group of men and women sitting on the ground having a picnic Caption: Robert's picnic on Foster Island.	June, July 1909
1/2	2-22a-2-23c	Francis Dabney with family (including John Pomeroy Dabney Jr. and Frank Dabney)	early 1900s?
1/2	2-24a	Dr. Willis' cottage in Squawk Slough near Redmond, WA	early 1900s?
1/2	2-24b	Left-right, John Pomeroy Dabney Jr., Francis Dabney, and Frank Dabney	early 1900s?
1/2	2-24c	People on a boat next to shoreline Caption: Their Boat house.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-25a	View of sailboats on the water	early 1900s?
1/2	2-25b-c	Milnor Roberts wearing a costume Frank Dabney is standing on the left in item -25b. Caption: M.R. [Milnor Roberts] at B. Wilson's house party. F.D. [Frank Dabney] July 3-4- 1909- at Clubhouse! Sunday a.m.	July 3-4, 1909
1/2	2-26a	Waldenar Nieman and John Walsh skiing down hill Page caption: Scenic Hot Springs Feb. 1910. Rainoma Ski Club.	February 1910
1/2	2-26b	Large tree with ladder balanced against it and mountains in the background Caption: Aunt May wrote saga.	February 1910
1/2	2-26c	Edith Dabney on skis under a fallen tree Caption: E.D. [Edith Dabney] the strong woman.	February 1910
1/2	2-27a	Carl Gould, Milnora Roberts, Waldenar Nieman, Edith Dabney, Frank Dabney on skis under a tree	February 1910
1/2	2-27b	Snow covered lanscape flanked by two trees	February 1910
1/2	2-27c	River running through snow covered landscape	February 1910
1/2	2-28a-e	Views of Snoqualmie Pass Page caption: Snoqualmie Pass with Mr. & Mrs. Herman Field in Milwaukee cars 1910? 1911.	1910-1911
1/2	2-29a	Traveling party including: Milnor Roberts, Mr. Field, Milnora Roberts, J. Haller, Mary Dabney, Frank Dabney, Carl Gould, Edith Dabney, John Rogers, Waldenar Nieman, and Mrs. Field standing on the back of a train car	1910-1911
1/2	2-29b-d, f	Views of train cars stuck in the snow and rotary snow plow train Caption: The Storm	1910-1911
1/2	2-29e	Members of traveling party on snowshoes including: Edith Dabney, J. Haller, Mrs. Field, Milnor Roberts, Mrs. Field	1910-1911
1/2	2-30a	Edith Dabney, John Roberts, Milnora Roberts, and J. Haller in front of log cabin, with Milnor Roberts standing on top of the cabin on skis Caption: After the storm.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30b	Carl Gould skiing down a hill	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30c	Milnora Roberts on skis, with people behind the hill in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30d	Man covered in snow	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30e	Frank Dabney skiing down a hill	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30f	Carl Gould and Milnora Roberts on skis	early 1900s?
1/2	2-30g	Edith Dabney skiing down a hill	early 1900s?
1/2	2-31a	Edith Dabney laying on the ground in the snow after falling	early 1900s?
1/2	2-31b	Edith Dabney, a woman, Mary Dabney, Jessie Walsh, Milnora Roberts, Frank Dabney, Milnor Roberts, (bottom row, left-right) J. Haller, Carl Gould, Mrs. Field, John Rodgers, Mr. Field Caption: The Troupe.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-31c	Edith Dabney buried in snow after falling	early 1900s?
1/2	2-31d	Double exposure of people standing on skis in the snow Caption: Two in one.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-31e	View of snow-covered trees	early 1900s?
1/2	2-32a	A snow sculpture of a seal (?) on top of a snow bank	early 1900s?
1/2	2-32b	John Roberts, Frank Dabney, John Walsh, Carl Gould, Milnora Roberts, J. Haller, and Milnor Roberts on skis eating	early 1900s?
1/2	2-32c	A man and woman standing in a dugout in a snowbank	early 1900s?
1/2	2-32d	Three people in the distance in snowy landscape	early 1900s?
1/2	2-32e	Frank Dabney and Milnor Roberts in the snow with large trees in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-33a,b,d	Trees covered in snow with mountains in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-33c,e,f	Blurry shots of people in the air after taking a jump on skis Caption: The jump.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-34a	Mrs. Field standing next to the engine of a train	early 1900s?
1/2	2-34b	(Left-right) Mary Dabney, Milnora Roberts, Mrs. Field, and Edith Dabney posing in the snow	early 1900s?
1/2	2-34c-e,h	Figures on skis	early 1900s?
1/2	2-34f-g	Mr. Field and Mrs. Field learning to ski Caption: Their initiation.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-35a	People standing in the snow	early 1900s?
1/2	2-35b	A man standing on top of a cabin shoveling snow	early 1900s?
1/2	2-35c	J. Haller, Mr. Field, John Rodgers, Mrs. Field, Milnor Roberts standing next to skis leaned against the caboose of the train, with Frank Dabney and Edith Dabney at the top of the hill	early 1900s?
1/2	2-35d	Six people standing on skis in the middle of the snow	early 1900s?
1/2	2-35e	Figures in the distance standing next to a train with steam blowing	early 1900s?
1/2	2-36a-e	Rainoma Ski Club enjoying a picnic and playing games Caption: Rodgers and Walshes entertain Rainoma Ski Club. Admiral's Navy tug to Seabeck. Item c is identified: (left-right) Mrs. Field, Mrs. Worral Wilson, Mr. Field, Edith Dabeny, Worral Wilson, Mary Dabney, Jessie Walsh, Frank Dabney, John Rodgers, Waldenar Nieman, John Walsh.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-36f, 37a	View of mountains and water possibly from Rainoma Ski Club picnic event	early 1900s?
1/2	2-37b,d,f,g	Views of plane with large crowd gathered	early 1900s?
1/2	2-37c	Crowd gathered at shoreline with canoe in water	early 1900s?
1/2	2-37e,h	View of Denny Regrade	Possibly 1908-1911?
1/2	2-38a-2-39a,c,e,f	Francis Dabney with family members Man in items 38d,e,f identified as Frank Dabney, woman in item 38d identified as B.M.D.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-39b	Group of three men, two women, and two children sitting on a porch Caption: At Donworth's.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-39d	A house on the shoreline taken from the water	early 1900s?
1/2	2-40a	Frank Dabney with grandson Francis Dabney	1910
1/2	2-40b,d	Jack Dabney with son Francis Dabney	1910
1/2	2-40c,e	Francis Dabney	1910
1/2	2-40f-g, 2-41a-b	University of Washington Faculty Baseball game	early 1900s?
1/2	2-41c-d	Jessie Walsh standing next to machinery	early 1900s?
1/2	2-42a-2-43d, f-i	Views from a cabin in Bremerton Caption: With Walshes at Bremerton Cabin.	early 1900s?
1/2	2-43e	Bremerton drydock	early 1900s?
1/2	2-44a	View of shoreline and birds in Crystal Springs, Bainbridge, WA	early 1900s?
1/2	2-44b-g	Francis Dabney playing near water in Crystal Springs, Bainbridge, WA	early 1900s?
1/2	2-45a-i	Views of seagulls and water in Port Gamble, WA	early 1900s?
1/2	2-46a,c,e	Views of water and surrounding landscape	early 1900s?
1/2	2-46b	Man standing next to fence with dogs with water in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-46d	Person amidst tree stumps next to wood cabins with water in the background	early 1900s?
1/2	2-47a	Ice over a flowing stream	early 1900s?
1/2	2-47b,c,d	Milnora Roberts skiing Item b captioned: "Une ski-esta. Impressé et gravé par M. de B.R..	early 1900s?
1/2	2-48a	Man standing in a large depression dug in the dirt	early 1900s?
1/2	2-48b	An explosion of large dirt clods in the air with machinery on left side in the background	early 1900s?

Loose Album PagesReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/3	3-1a-c	Group of hikers on glaciers	early 1900s?
1/3	3-2a	Frank Dabney and Sarinha Dabney in front of tents at Reese's Camp in Paradise Valley, WA	early 1900s?
1/3	3-2b	A man and a woman near tents at Reese's Camp in Paradise Valley, WA	early 1900s?
1/3	3-2c	(left-right) Frank Dabney, Edith Dabney, Maude Parsons, Miss Anderson, Sarinha Dabney, and Mary Dabney hiking next to a large rock face	early 1900s?
1/3	3-3a	A woman walking on snow behind Reese's Camp	early 1900s?
1/3	3-3b	Dining room on log cabins that have canvas tents on top	early 1900s?
1/3	3-3c	View of snow in a valley with trees flanking each side	early 1900s?
1/3	3-4a	Sarinha and Edith Dabney from the back sitting on a rock next to each other	early 1900s?
1/3	3-4b	Sarinha Dabney sitting in a rock pile	early 1900s?
1/3	3-4c	Maude Parsons and a woman sitting on rocks, with Frank Dabney lying next to them	early 1900s?
1/3	3-5a	(left-right) Frank Dabney, Sarinha Dabney, and a woman in front of a large rock face	early 1900s?
1/3	3-5b	Mary Dabney in left corner of image, trees in the distance	early 1900s?
1/3	3-6a	A waterfall through a valley	early 1900s?
1/3	3-6b	Sluiskin Falls, Pierce County, WA	early 1900s?

Miscellaneous PhotosReturn to Top

Container(s)		Description	Dates
Box/Folder	item
1/4	4	Sarah Webster Dabney in cloak, holding hat	1860s?
1/4	5	Postcard of a landing stage at Azores from Sarah Hickling Dabney (?) to M.W. Webster	1905?-1915?
1/4	6	Italian postcard of view of city from Sarah Hickling Dabney (?) to C.P.L.	1890s?-1900s?
1/4	7	Six people harvesting a crop	1890s?-1900s?
1/4	8	Minor Roberts, Edith Dabney, and Milnora Roberts with University of Washington College of Mines students sitting on felled tree Written on verso: U. of W. College of Mines Spring field trip to mine above Index- Milnora Roberts (6th from right end), Edith Dabney (5th from right end), Milnor Roberts (1st from right end).	1909
1/4	9	Milnora Roberts and Edith Dabney with University of Washington College of Mines students sitting on felled tree Written on verso: U. of W. College of Mines Spring field trip to mine above Index- near mine. M. de B. Roberts (4th from right end), Edith Dabney (3rd from right end).	1909

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