Charles F. Lummis Photographs of El Alisal, Family Members, and Other Subjects Photcl 72
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http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8xg9zcn No online items Charles F. Lummis photographs of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects photCL 72 Suzanne Oatey The Huntington Library 2020 1151 Oxford Road San Marino, California 91108 [email protected] URL: http://www.huntington.org Charles F. Lummis photographs photCL 72 1 of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects photCL 72 Contributing Institution: The Huntington Library Photo Archives Title: Charles F. Lummis photographs of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects Identifier/Call Number: photCL 72 Physical Description: 9.1 Linear Feet (16 boxes) Date (inclusive): approximately 1888-1923 Abstract: A collection of photographs by American editor and writer Charles F. Lummis, featuring portraits of himself, family, and friends, and the building of his Los Angeles house, El Alisal. Language of Material: Materials are in English. Conditions Governing Access Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information. RESTRICTED: Boxes 2-16: Due to fragility, glass plate negatives and autochromes available only with curatorial approval. Reference prints of the glass plate negatives are available (Box 1). There are no reference prints for the five autochromes. Conditions Governing Use The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher. Preferred Citation [Identification of item]. Charles F. Lummis photographs of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California. Immediate Source of Acquisition Gift of Don C. Meadows, 1974. Biographical / Historical Charles Fletcher Lummis (1859-1928) was a journalist, editor, author, ethnologist, archaeologist, poet, builder, and photographer. He was editor of the magazine The Land of Sunshine (later titled Out West), founded the Southwest Museum in Los Angeles in 1903, and served as librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library from 1905 to 1910. Lummis took up photography around the mid-1880s, selling and publishing many of his own images, while also taking personal photographs. He continued taking photographs until the end of his life. El Alisal, the name Lummis gave to the stone house he built, is now a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument called the Lummis House. Scope and Contents This collection of photographs by Charles F. Lummis consists of 383 glass plate negatives and 5 autochromes (glass plate color photographs), dating from approximately 1888-1923. A large portion of the images document the construction of Lummis' stone residence, El Alisal, in what is now Highland Park, Los Angeles, which he began building in 1898 and finished in 1913. Exterior and interior progress views show details of construction, such as a window Lummis made of a collage of glass photographic plates. Lummis also photographed the land he bought for his house, which shows a largely untouched Arroyo Seco dotted with oak trees and a few other houses. The collection also contains numerous portraits of Lummis' four children with his second wife, Eve, seen at various ages: Turbesé (born 1892), Amado (born 1894), Jordan "Quimu" (born 1900), and Keith (born 1904). Other portraits include Eve Lummis and several notable Western writers and artists: John Muir, Charles M. Russell, Ed Borein, John T. Doyle, Vicente Blasco Ibañez, Eugene Manlove Rhodes, Julia Bracken Wendt, and Thomas Moran. The five autochrome portraits of art collector and dealer Grace Nicholson show her in different poses, wearing a pink fancy dress and hat, and in a Chinese robe. Based on the different format and professional appearance of the Nicholson images, there is some doubt as to whether Lummis took them or they just came into his possession. Lummis is seen in several self-portraits, at various ages, 1877-1909, and in some family groupings. A few images are photographs of photographs or paintings. Lummis also appears in some scenes at Rancho Camulos, Ventura County, with members of the Del Valle family. Various other subjects include: Lummis' earlier home on Forester Avenue, Los Angeles (1890s); California missions; Eve Lummis and others at Isleta pueblo, New Mexico, where she taught school; Native Americans from Isleta at El Alisal with Lummis' family; and miscellaneous unidentified scenes. The bulk of glass plates are 5 x 7 inches, with some 8 x 10 inches, and many have names or dates written at the bottom in Lummis' hand, with his initials. Processing Information Processed by Huntington Library staff, circa late-20th century. In 2020, Suzanne Oatey created a finding aid derived from a collection file and catalog cards. The Huntington Library made reference prints of all the glass plate negatives in the 1980s; they are in Box 1. Identifications and dates primarily taken from writing on negatives. The photographs were arranged and Charles F. Lummis photographs photCL 72 2 of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects photCL 72 numbered by Library staff in the late-20th century and this arrangement has been retained. Related Materials Historical Society of Southern California Collection: El Alisal Museo Windows Photographs, 1888-1899, photCL 400, vol. 5. Photograph Album from Charles F. Lummis to Susanita del Valle, 1888, photCL 504. Arrangement Arranged loosely by subject. Subjects and Indexing Terms Rancho Camulos (Calif.) -- History Architecture, Domestic -- California -- Los Angeles Indians of North America -- Southwest, New Isleta Indians Missions, Spanish -- California -- History Missions -- California -- Photographs Highland Park (Los Angeles, Calif.) Glass plate negatives Portraits Photographs Autochromes Blasco Ibáñez, Vicente, 1867-1928 Borein, Edward, 1872-1945 Doyle, John T. (John Thomas), 1819-1906 Frémont, Lily, 1842- Hittell, Theodore Henry, 1830-1917 Jordan, Jessie Knight, 1866-1952 Moran, Thomas, 1837-1926 Muir, John, 1838-1914 Nicholson, Grace, -1948 Rhodes, Eugene Manlove, 1869-1934 Russell, Charles M. (Charles Marion), 1864-1926 Box 1 Reference prints of glass plate negatives Scope and Contents Contact prints of the glass plate negatives, made by the Huntington Library in the 1980s for reference use. Numbers on prints correspond to glass plate negative numbers in Boxes 3-16. Box 1, Folder 1 Charles F. Lummis (1-22) 1877-1909 Scope and Contents Self-portraits at various ages, and a few images possibly by others. Box 1, Folder 1 Amado and Turbese Lummis, as children (23-40) Scope and Contents Eve Lummis and an unidentified Native American boy in some images. Box 1, Folder 1 Amado, Turbese, and Jordan (Quimu) Lummis, as children (41-60) 1894-1905 Scope and Contents Henry Lummis (father of C. F.) and Eve Lummis in some images. Charles F. Lummis photographs photCL 72 3 of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects photCL 72 Reference prints of glass plate negatives Box 1, Folder 2 Jordan (Quimu) Lummis, as a child (61-80) 1900-1904 Scope and Contents Turbese Lummis and an unidentified Native American girl appear in some images. Box 1, Folder 2 Jordan (Quimu) and Keith Lummis, as children (81-98) Scope and Contents An unidentified woman appears in some images. Box 1, Folder 8 C. F. Lummis; Amado and Turbese Lummis (372-380) Box 1, Folder 3 Lummis family group at the sycamore tree in the Arroyo Seco (99-107) 1899-1902 Scope and Contents Includes Eve Lummis, Lummis children, and Native Americans from Isleta. Two views of a turtle and kitten. Box 1, Folder 3 Jessie Knight Jordan (108-109) 1900 July 15 Scope and Contents Wife of David Starr Jordan. Box 1, Folder 3 Knight Jordan (110-113) 1901 March 12 Scope and Contents Adolescent son of David Starr Jordan and Jessie Knight Jordan. Box 1, Folder 3 John T. Doyle (114-115) 1901 March 14 Scope and Contents Doyle was a founder of the California Historical Society. Box 1, Folder 8 John T. Doyle residence, Menlo Park, California (358-359) 1901 March 14 Box 1, Folder 3 John Muir (116-119) 1901 March 24 Scope and Contents One image with his daughter Helen Funk Muir. Box 1, Folder 3 Elizabeth Benton Fremont (120) 1905 March 21 Scope and Contents Daughter of General John C. Fremont. Box 1, Folder 3 Thomas Moran seated in front of his easel (121) Box 1, Folder 3 Photograph of a painting of historian Theodore H. Hittell (122) 1898 February 8 Box 1, Folder 3 Charles Russell (123-128) 1923 April 30 Scope and Contents Two portraits with Ed Borein. Box 1, Folder 3 Ed Borein and his art studio, Santa Barbara (129-130) 1923 March 7 Box 1, Folder 3 Eugene Manlove Rhodes, Tesuque, New Mexico (131-132) 1926 December 3 Box 1, Folder 3 Vicente Blasco Ibañez (133-136) 1920 February Scope and Contents Lummis in one image. Box 1, Folder 3 Group at Mission San Juan Capistrano: C. F. Lummis, Vicente Blasco Ibañez, Will Rogers, Eugene Manlove Rhodes, and others (137-143) 1920 February Scope and Contents Group includes several unidentified women. Box 1, Folder 4 Jordan (Quimu) Lummis, as a child, and unidentified woman (sometimes shown with violin) in courtyard of El Alisal (144-151) 1909 Charles F. Lummis photographs photCL 72 4 of El Alisal, family members, and other subjects photCL 72 Reference prints of glass plate negatives Box 1, Folder 4 Rancho Camulos (152-160) 1887-1902 Scope and Contents Views outside house and in garden and grape arbor. Includes scenes of dancing, guitar playing. Pictured are: C.F. Lummis; Don Antonio Coronel; Felicidad Abadie; Turbesé Lummis; group portrait of a young Lummis with Nena Del Valle, Ysabel Del Valle, Susanita Del Valle, and (Enedenia or Natalia) Del Valle. Box 1, Folder 4 Lummis in group portrait at Rancho Camulos (161) 1923 Scope and Contents C.F.