Central Pacific Railroad Photographic History Museum

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Choose a photographer/publisher:

• J. Carbutt Catalog (UPRR)
• Alfred A. Hart Catalog (CPRR)
• William Henry Jackson Catalog (UPRR)
• Lawrence & Houseworth; Thomas Houseworth & Co. Catalog (CPRR)
• Eadweard Muybridge Catalog (CPRR & UPRR)
• J. J. Reilly Catalog (CPRR & UPRR)
• Andrew J. Russell Catalog (UPRR & CPRR)
• Charles R. Savage Catalog (UPRR & CPRR)
• Carleton E. Watkins Catalog (CPRR & UPRR)
• Charles Weitfle (UPRR)
• Other

 
Only the Hart/Watkins, Houseworth, Muybridge, Carbutt, and Russell catalogs contain fairly complete listings.  Have not found comprehensive 19th century catalogs and need more complete listings for C. R. Savage, W. H. Jackson, E. & H.T. Anthony,  Pond, J. J. Reilly, Carter, J. B. Silvis, Taber, Hart views numbered above 362, and other photographers/publishers.
Please help complete these catalogs if you have additional information!

1870's Graphoscope (Stereograph Viewer and Magnifier)

Notes:

• Prior to the first decade of the 20th century, photographic materials were only sensitive to blue and ultraviolet ("orthochromatic"), and did not record green or red. This is why skies are always washed-out and without clouds in 19th century photographs.
• The Muybridge, Russell, and Watkins Catalogs are linked to off-site image collections, not affiliated with CPRR.org.
• See the discussion of Photographer Patrons.
• Alfred Hart, the Sacramento, California photographer sent negatives of his first 32 CPRR construction images to Central Pacific President Collis P. Huntington, who had them printed by Whitney and Paradise in New York in early 1866.  They were probably for distribution to potential investors  and consequently are rare, preceding Hart's later publication.  Hart kept the numbers the same, but changed many of the titles.  [Some of these views do] not have the Whitney & Paradise label [verso], but [these yellow mount views with less cropped prints almost filling the cardboard mount and having a] manuscript description might be earlier.  Comments by Philip Nathanson.
• Frank Durgan also published Hart's negatives with credit to himself, first in Sacramento, and later in Maine.  Some of Hart's images and variants were also published by Houseworth.
• Alfred A. Hart was the official photographer for the Central Pacific Railroad (1865-1869).  Hart's negatatives were purchased by Carleton Emmons Watkins in 1869 and were published into the early 1880's without credit to Hart.  Although Watkins (b. 1829 d. 1916) suffered numerous setbacks, he produced some of the best stereo views of the far west.  Watkins added to the negative file, but in 1871 his negatives were seized for nonpayment of debts by I. W. Taber of San Francisco.  Taber issued the series without credit to Hart or Watkins.  The economic slump caused Watkins to lose his gallery in 1876 to I. W. Taber, who issued Watkins views without credit.  Watkins rephotographed California and produced the "New Series" beginning in 1875 which includes a few railroad views.  Comment by John Waldsmith, Stereo Views:  An Illustrated History and Price Guide, 1991, p. 39, 55, 138.
• " ... stereoview halves [were] produced by Lawrence & Houseworth and Thomas Houseworth & Co. These gold-toned unmounted prints were used ... to illustrate their albums; Gems of California Scenery (1866) and the later Pacific Coast Scenery. For more information on these images see the catolog Points of Interest published by the Society of California Pioneers (2003)." —Poor Warren's Antiques


 
Anthony's Photographic Establishment
Stereoscopes and Stereographs for Sale by E.&H.T. Anthony, Broadway, New York, 1860's.
Courtesy Jeffrey Kraus Collection.

"Albumen prints were introduced around 1850 by the French photographer Louis-Désiré Blanquart-Evrard.  The albumen paper was prepared by first floating a sheet of fine quality paper on a solution of albumen (egg white) mixed with a salt.  When dried, the paper was floated on a silver nitrate solution.  The silver nitrate combined with the salt to produce the light-sensitive silver chloride.  Exposure was usually done in sunlight.  Albumen prints are known for their subtly graded tones and fine-grained resolution." —William Husson


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