Collection of Twenty-Eight Rare Early Cyanotypes of the Yosemite National Park & Alaska. Ca. 1900s.

Twenty-eight loose cyanotypes ca. 8,5x11 cm (3 ¼ x 4 ¼ in), printed on paper ca. 12,5x17,5 cm (5x6 in); one leaf trimmed to fit the image. No captions. All leaves with pencil numbers on verso. One cyanotype with an ink stamp “Keuffel & Esse Co., New York, Chicago, St. Louis, San Francisco” on verso. One cyanotype with a minor staining, several slightly faded, but overall a very good collection.

Rare collection of early western American cyanotypes. Most photos apparently show Northern California and the Yosemite National Park (est. 1890). Among them are two photos of the Yosemite Falls and one image of the Yosemite Half Dome rock formation. Ca. fifteen photos show California rivers, lakes, and forests, tourists posing on a boulder or next to their cabin, their pack horses, &c. Nine photos apparently depict Alaska, including three well-executed views of totem poles, one of which is covered with carved bear footprints and has a large bear figure on top. Two photos show small railway stations; one with a clearly visible sign “Dawson,” possibly referring to the Klondike Mines Railway (1905-1913). The railway operated in 1905-1913, serving gold dredging operations and transporting cargo and passengers between Dawson City and Sulphur Springs. Four photos depict Alaskan glaciers.

Overall an unusual collection of early original cyanotypes with the views of California and Alaska. One of photos has the ink stamp of “Keuffel & Esser” – a major American supplier of stationery, drawing materials and mathematical instruments since 1867.