Tag Archives: Photographers

FGS Photographer—O.O. Winn

June 12, 2024 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Fruit Growers Susanville mill under construction, 1921–Ed Standard

In 1920, Fruit Growers Supply Company hired photographer O.O. Winn for a two year period to capture on film the construction of its Susanville plant. Interesting, when I examined Fruit Growers’ archives in Studio City back in 1997, they only had a handful of these photographs. It should be noted, Frances Johnson, was meticulous with company’s paper files, but alas the photograph collection was in shambles.

A Fruit Growers log cabin under construction at Eagle Lake, 1920—Ed Standard

A strange development occurred in 1998 when I was away to visit my grandfather John Tanner’s only living first cousin in Cornwall, England. When I returned home there was a small package containing some 700 negatives of Winn’s negatives. It turns out, that Ed Standard, who worked for Fruit Growers, was delegated of task of cleaning the Susanville office in 1963 prior to the sale. He was instructed to take the negatives to the burner to be destroyed, but took them home instead. My dear friend, the late Hank Martinez, made prints of selective negatives that I chose, the collection was to overwhelming. Fast forward to 2024, a volunteer is scanning many of the negatives into positives. So over the next few months you know why an abundance of Fruit Growers photographs.

Tim

History

Robert Stinson, Early Day Photographer

June 15, 2023 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Crystal Lake, Plumas County, 1914, is a Stinson photograph—-C.R. Caudle Collection

Robert Stinson was born in Quincy, Plumas County in 1882, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a commercial photographer. It was a tough trade to operate a business in a rural region. So like many others it became necessary to be itinerate traveling from community to community for business. In 1913, Red River hired Stinson as their company photographer, who at the time was located in Red Bluff. Stinson’s main job was to make a complete photographic inventory of all the buildings being constructed in the town, as well as the sawmill plant. A portion of this collection exists in the T.B. Walker papers housed with the Minnesota Historical Society. Stinson just happened to be at the right place at the right time, when Lassen Peak set off a series of volcanic eruptions beginning in 1914. Unfortunately, for Stinson and other photographers such as P.J. Thompson, were overshadowed by that B.F. Loomis, but that is another story, for another time. Stinson stay at Westwood was brief and left Red River in 1915 to be replaced Otto Kratzer. On a final note, Red River always had an in-house photographer, though they also hired others for commercial work.

For reasons not known when Stinson passed away in 1932, he was buried in the Westwood Cemetery.

Support by subscribing.

History

Alexander Howell, Photographer

May 15, 2023 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Golden Eagle Mine,Hayden Hill circa 1891. Courtesy of Donna Howell

Photographers, of course, is a favorite topic of mine. After all, thanks to their work we have a visual record of our past. It has been important to document the photographers of the late 1800s, so as to know the time frames when they chronicled the events. Due to a small population many photographers only remained a year or two, and even then they rode the “circuit” traveling, and in Howell’s case meant trips to Modoc and Plumas counties to drum up business.

Alexander Howell came to Susanville from Oregon where he learned the photography trade. On April 15, 1891 he opened his Susanville studio. The following year he was lured to Amedee, with the prospects afforded by this boomtown. After a two-year stint, he traveled throughout Northern California and finally settled permanently at Auburn, California. Very few of his Lassen County works remain, but there is one of the Golden Eagle Mine at Hayden Hill, which his granddaughter Donna Howell provided me with a print.

Support by subscribing.

History

Herman Brince, Photographer

January 23, 2021 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Herman Brince was a photographer in Lassen, Modoc and Plumas counties during 1878-79. I have always been impressed with his photographs, though only dozen or so are known to be existence. Whatever, became of his negatives is unknown, but we do know that he died in New Zealand in 1882.

Fortunately, the Nevada Historical Society in their collections had these two Brince photographs of Adin and Cedarville. There are newspaper references of photographs that Brince took. In 1878, Brince did a portfolio of 25 scenes of what would become Lassen Volcanic National Park. One of these was Malgin’s Sheep Camp, known today as Drakesbad. However, known of these photographs have been found.

This 1879 photograph of the Susanville Masonic Hall is another Brince photograph. This I found on Ebay and which I purchased for a tidy sum. I inquired with the seller how he acquired the photograph, which he informed at a yard sale in San Francisco. One never knows, where something might surface. On a final note, the above photograph is the only known one in existence of Susanville’s original Masonic Lodge.

History

Crystal Lake, Plumas County

December 26, 2020 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Crystal Lake is located just southwest of Taylorsville. It is on my list of places to check out in 2021.

While I do not know much about the lake, I do know about the photographer, R.E. Stinson. Robert Stinson was born in Quincy in 1882, and followed in his father’s footsteps as a commercial photographer. It was a tough trade to operate a business in a rural region. So like many others it became necessary to be itinerate traveling from community to community for business. In 1913, Red River hired Stinson as their company photographer, who at the time was located in Red Bluff. Stinson’s main job was to make a complete photographic inventory of all the buildings being constructed in the town, as well as the sawmill plant. A portion of this collection exists in the T.B. Walker papers housed with the Minnesota Historical Society. Stinson just happened to be at the right place at the right time, when Lassen Peak set off a series of volcanic eruptions beginning in 1914. Unfortunately, for Stinson and other photographers such as P.J. Thompson, are overshadowed by that B.F. Loomis, but that is another story, for another time. Stinson stay at Westwood was brief and left Red River in 1915. He later returned back to the region and when he died in 1932, he was buried in the Westwood Cemetery.

Support

History

Time Capsules

October 19, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Thompson Studio. Courtesy of Frances Wier

On this date, 100 years ago, a discreet cornerstone ceremony was held to commemorate the Thompson Studio building, located at 60 South Lassen Street, Susanville. P.J. Thompson, a photographer was a creative person and his dream come true building was not to be ignored. To mark the special occasion, a time capsule was placed in the cornerstone. It had been twenty plus years since the last time a time capsule was placed with the OddFellows Building, known today as the offices of Susanville Real Estate at the corner of Main and North Lassen Streets. One of the more unusual ones, was the installation of a time capsule in 1939, in the Cone residence in the Fruit Growers District. The last time capsule that I am aware of, was installed in 1973 as part of the cornerstone laying ceremony at Lassen College. To date, as far as I am aware, none have ever been opened.

Support

History

B.F. Loomis and a story of jury duty

July 30, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

One of the many photographs Loomis took in June 1914

We are fortunate to have a bounty of museums in our region. Each one unique in their own special way. Equally important, all of them are worthy of a visit. Since this is July, there is no better time like the present to check them out.

One of the oldest museums is Loomis, located near the northern entrance of Lassen Volcanic National Park. Its founder, B.F. Loomis had an interesting association with the region. Actually, how the museum came to be is as intriguing as Loomis.

Initially, Loomis’ origins were rather typical of the era. He was born in Illinois and came to California as a child with his parents who settled in Tehama County. In 1874, Loomis had his first exposure in the area later to be destined Lassen Park. It was a camping trip to Manzanita Lake. The region suited him well and took up residence in nearby Viola. He made a living making wooden shakes, commonly used as roofing material. As he prospered he established a hotel at Viola.

In 1897, an event dramatically transformed his life—jury duty. Off to Redding Loomis went and there he met fellow jurist Leander V. Loomis. While the two men were not related, they both shared an interest in phrenology and astronomy. During a trial recess, Leander invited B.F. to his home. During his stay met Leander’s daughter, Estella. A romance ensued and they were married that fall. Leander had another child that influenced B.F.—Arthur who was a commercial photographer. Arthur introduced B.F. to the world of photography and years later B.F.’s photographs became widely known.

The next life changing event for B.F. Loomis came on June 14, 1914 after one of the volcanic eruptions of Lassen Peak. With camera in tow Loomis, as did other photographers captured the event on film. It should be noted the initial eruption occurred on May 30 and word spread like wildfire. Multiple news organizations were dispatched to report on the first active volcano in the continental United States. Loomis’ timing was impeccable and various news outlets used his images and Loomis gained a certain notoriety.

History

John A. Hanson, Photographer

May 4, 2019 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Main Street, Susanville, 1885. Courtesy of Betty Barry Deal

Today’s feature photograph was taken by John Hanson, who operated a photography studio in Lassen County during the early 1880s. An interesting footnote one could purchase this print for $2.00.

Hanson, a native of Denmark, first came to Lassen County in 1881, where he set up shop at Bieber. Previous to that he was in San Francisco. His brother, whose first name remains unknown came to Bieber and set up a photography studio there, while John moved to Susanville. Like so many photographers in the rural west, they rode the circuit to surrounding communities in search of business. Hanson, like his colleagues, never remained in one place long enough, that we know very little personal information about them. Hanson did find romance in Susanville and married Miss Fannie F. Streshly there on October 31, 1883. Thankfully due to newspaper excerpts we know that Hanson took photographs of the Juniper Mine at Hayden Hill, as well as an assorted views of the many other places in the region. Most of that type of work has never surfaced. In 1885, he departed to Inyo County and never returned back to Lassen.

One of the lingering questions is whatever became Hanson’s negatives? This also applies to others in his profession, such as Herman Brince who did exceptional work here in the late 1870s. Brince died in 1882 in New Zealand, and it would have been rather doubtful that he would have hauled his work there, considering it would have been glass plate negatives.

Support

History

Old Cameras

January 20, 2019 Tim Purdy 1 Comment

Alexander Howell, a professional photographer who operated a studio in Susanville during the early 1890s.courtesy of Donna Howell

There have been so many changes that have occurred in this digital age. This, of course, brings us today’s topic. Awhile back a friend and I were discussing cameras—the ancient kind that use film. We both have 35mm cameras. The question the both of us have, what do you do with these old cameras? As the readers of this site are a knowledgable lot, we look forward to anyone’s feed back.

History

Life in the fast lane

March 5, 2018 Tim Purdy Leave a comment

Susanville photographer Jervie Eastman was certainly in the slow lane the day this photograph was taken. Courtesy of Eleanor Vandeburgh.

As the old saying goes, “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” While doing some research, I came across this short, but interesting tidbit in 1930, that many people had hectic lifestyle.

“And you think we live in fast times. Its not the high speed of present day civilization that is causing many persons to die of heart disease. Such is the belief of Dr. George E. Bright of San Francisco, member of the state board of health. More persons die of this ailment he says because people are living longer than they formally did and heart disease an affliction usually associated with old age, carries them off.”

Subscribe!