October 19th, 2021
Welcome to Back of Beyond Books' recent acquisitions list. While we specialize in books of the American West, these listings will run the gamut of genres. You're receiving this list because you've either purchased from us or are a friend in the business. If you prefer not to see these postings you may easily unsubscribe using the link at the bottom of the page.

This week's list is a nice selection of western photography. Featured items include a colorful set of Grand Canyon stereoviews and a mounted William Henry Jackson photo print. Several types of photographs are represented, such as Real Photo Postcards, tintypes, and cabinet cards.

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Andy Nettell
Back of Beyond Books
Boxed Set of Grand Canyon Stereoviews in Color
Keystone View Company. A boxed set of brilliantly colored Grand Canyon stereoviews. Set contains 18 stereoviews, as called for, and are housed in original box and slipcase. Does not contain the descriptive book. Published circa 1904; copyrighted by Underwood & Underwood. All stereoviews, except one (number 9 in the set) are beautifully hand-colored. Images are on curved grey Keystone View Company mounts; numbered and titled on the mount; all have printed descriptions on verso except one. Mounts measure about 7 x 3 1/2 inches. Light wear to edges of mounts; views are crisp and color is bright. Very good condition.

Although this boxed set is seen on the market and OCLC, we have not been able to find a set in color. The colors make these iconic images of the Canyon quite striking. 021743. $450
Collection of 22 Grand Canyon Lantern Slides
This is a collection of 22 hand-colored lantern slides circa 1920 depicting Grand Canyon and its vicinity. Two minor cracks noted, otherwise slides in very good to fine condition. This group is apparently a subset of a larger collection, quite possibly put together for lecture purposes. Each slide is numbered adjacent to hand-written label noting location. No date. Two lantern slide companies are represented: Edward H. Kemp in San Francisco and a firm in Chicago whose name is obscured by labels.

Images include Captain John Hance, a Fred Harvey employee in Williams, AZ; the train station at the Grand Canyon; Phantom Ranch along the Colorado River within the Grand Canyon; and several of El Tovar Lodge on the South Rim. Plus we see the requisite views of tourists riding burros on the Bright Angel Trail. There is also one slide of a Rand McNally map likely dated 1915 of the Grand Canyon. Overall an attractive set of early 20th century Grand Canyon views. 022008. $525
1950s Western Road Trip Viewed Through a Kodak Stereo Camera
Set of 171 Kodachrome Stereo Transparencies or stereo slides taken by a 35mm Kodak Stereo Camera. Each stereo slide mount measures 1 ½ x 4 inches, has a red border and "Kodachrome Stereo Transparencies" printed on one side. Each stereo slide is numbered, dated and titled in manuscript. All stereo slides are housed in a 2-clasp black cloth box with a numbered sheet that could be filled out to index the stereo slides. (Viewer is not included). The box has light wear and soiling. The stereo slides have light soiling and wear along the edges of the mounts; the views themselves seem to be in fine condition. Overall very good.

These 171 stereo slides depict a grand trip taken through the western United States with emphasis on some of the country's most beautiful national parks. The views are dated to 1954 and often show two girls in 1950s fashions posing for the camera. Views include those of the Grand Canyon (27 slides), Yosemite (23), Bryce Canyon (20), Glacier Park (18), Carlsbad Caverns (14), Petrified Forest (11), Mount Rainier (9), Zion (6) and the Blue Ridge Parkway (5). Other views include the Oregon Coast (8), Los Angeles (8), the Redwood Highway, Chinatown in San Francisco, the Painted Desert in Arizona, cactus in Texas, an Arkansas swamp, and Juarez, Mexico. The Kodak Stereo Camera had short-lived popularity and was only produced between 1954 and 1959. Similar to the Stereo Realist, the camera employed two lenses to take twin shots of scenes, which could then be viewed in dedicated image viewers. The views in this collection show the uniqueness of the stereo camera. To enable good clarity of the photos the mounts appear much darker than normal. 022719. $350
Elk Park
Jackson, William Henry
Mounted photo print depicting Elk Park along the Animas River in southwestern Colorado. The train is on the tracks of the Silverton Branch of the Denver & Rio Grande Railway (currently called the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad). Title and negative number are in the negative. Photograph taken by William Henry Jackson although no photographer's imprint is present. Circa 1880s. One photograph of Jackson's found at Southern Methodist University's library titled "Elk Park Animas Canon" and another titled "Canyon of the Rio Las Animas and the Needle Mountains" with the same train depicted. Photo measures 9 ¼ x 7 inches; mount has been trimmed and measures 9 ¾ x 7 ½ inches. From the Richard Ronzio collection with "Ronzio" written in pencil on verso. Light yellowing to photograph; light toning to mount. Very good condition.

W.H. Jackson took thousands of photographs and many stereograph images of the West, particularly in Utah, Wyoming, Montana, and Colorado. After the Hayden Surveys were completed in 1879, Jackson set up a studio in Denver, Colorado and began working for railway companies and hotels (Mautz p. 384). This image is quite stunning. In the background Mt. Garfield and the Grenadier Range loom over a small house with stock pens and outbuildings, the railroad tracks follow the river, and the train, engine 81, is adorned with elk antlers. This was likely Jackson's personal train, furnished by the railroad so he could take promotional photographs of the route. One copy found at the Denver Public Library (larger size), and no copies of this image found in commerce as of October 2021. 020259. $450
Point of Rocks Near Prescott, Arizona
Baer, Erwin
Prescott, AZ: Hamaker. Boudoir card depicting the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway near Prescott, Arizona. Erwin Baer photograph on Hamaker card. “S. F. P. & P. R.R. - No. 12 Point of Rocks, Baer, Prescott, Arizona” is in the negative; handwritten title is on the card and on the photo; “Hamaker, Prescott, Arizona” is embossed on the card. No content on verso. Photo measures 7 ½ x 4 ½ inches; card measures 8 ¼ x 5 inches. No date but likely late 19th/early 20th century. Card has moderate soiling and light wear to edges; photo has light soiling. Very good condition.

A rare shot of where the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway cut through a tall, unique rock formation called “Point of Rocks.” The Railway extended the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from Ash Fork to Phoenix, Arizona. German-born photographer Erwin Baer worked out of Prescott from the early 1880s to 1910s, where he was primarily known for mining and railroad scenes. H. Hamaker, whose name is embossed on the card, often collaborated with Baer (Mautz p. 53). With good composition and clarity this would be a nice acquisition for those collecting railroad or territorial Arizona material. 022295. $450
Warren-Bisbee Railway Photograph
Mounted photographic print depicting a scene in Bisbee, Arizona. Taken in 1908. Photo measures 5 x 7 inches and is mounted; mount was trimmed down to be the same size as the photo. Rubber stamp on verso reads: "Photo from Randolph Brandt, San Francisco, Calif." (likely previous owner). Photographer is unknown. Gelatin silver has minor yellowing and deterioration. Very good condition.

This image depicts a street in Bisbee, Arizona packed with onlookers of the first electric railway into town. Known as the Warren-Bisbee Railway, the interurban railway began service in March 1908 and ran 8 miles, connecting the towns of Warren and Bisbee. In 1908 the area was the largest copper-producing districts in the world with around 250 million pounds of copper mined annually. The image of this bustling city is detailed and shows men, women and children crowding the street, hanging out of windows and climbing street lamps to get a view of the railcars. A great view of an auspicious day in territorial Arizona. 021451. $450
Scene on Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix RR
Prescott, AZ: Hamaker. Boudoir card depicting the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway about 5 miles north of Prescott, Arizona. Handwritten title is on the card; “Hamaker, Prescott, Arizona” is embossed on the card, on verso. Photo measures 7 ½ x 4 ½ inches; card measures 8 ½ x 5 ¼ inches. No date but likely late 19th or early 20th century. Card has moderate soiling and light wear to edges; photo has light soiling. Very good condition.

A rare shot of the Santa Fe, Prescott and Phoenix Railway. The railroad tracks and a small railroad trestle are seen at the right of the image; a “fire barrel” is on one side of the trestle and a wooden post with “79” on it is on the other side of the trestle. Telegraph lines are seen off to the left in the unique rock formations near Prescott, Arizona. The railway extended the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway from Ash Fork to Phoenix, Arizona. H. Hamaker, whose name is embossed on the card, often collaborated with well-known Prescott photographer Erwin Baer (Mautz p. 53). A nice piece of railroadiana.  022296. $450
Cactus - Arizona Specimen

Prescott, AZ: Hamaker. An inaccurately titled boudoir card with a view of a yucca. Handwritten title is on the card; "Hamaker, Prescott, Arizona" is embossed on the card; "B1" is written in the negative; no content on verso. Photo measures 7 ½ x 4 ½ inches; card measures 8 ½ x 5 ¼ inches. No date but likely late 19th or early 20th century. Card has moderate soiling and light wear to edges; photo has moderate soiling. Good condition.

This boudoir card depicts a large soaptree yucca (not a cactus!) without flowers and surrounded by a beautiful wintery landscape. H. Hamaker was a photographer out of Prescott, Arizona who often collaborated with well-known Prescott photographer Erwin Baer (Mautz p. 53).  022309. $125
Mountain Scenery - Arizona  
Prescott, AZ: Hamaker. Boudoir card with a view of an Arizona landscape. Handwritten title is on the card; "Hamaker, Prescott, Arizona" is embossed on the card; no content on verso. Photo measures 7 ¼ x 4 ½ inches; card measures 8 ½ x 5 ½ inches. No date but likely late 19th or early 20th century. Card has moderate soiling and light wear to edges; photo has moderate soiling. Good condition.

This boudoir card depicts a mountain scene near Flagstaff, Arizona. The background of the image depicts a snow-covered mountain and large ponderosa pine; the foreground was somewhat crudely illustrated and depicts a fallen tree. H. Hamaker was a photographer out of Prescott, Arizona who often collaborated with well-known Prescott photographer Erwin Baer (Mautz p. 53). 022312. $100
Hot Springs, Castle Creek
Baer, Erwin
Prescott, AZ: Erwin Baer. Boudoir card has photographer's imprint on verso; title written on verso. No date but likely late 1880s-1890s. Photo measures 7 ¼ x 4 ¼ inches; card measures 8 ½ x 5 ¼ inches. Moderate toning and light foxing to card; moderate yellowing to photo. Good condition.

This shot depicts a secluded hot springs along Castle Creek in Yavapai County, Arizona. There are boards and rocks positioned to help pool the spring. German-born photographer Erwin Baer worked out of Prescott from the early 1880s to 1910s, where he was primarily known as a mine photographer. 022311. $125
Derailing at Washington Spur  
Mounted photographic print of a derailed engine in snowy Colorado. Taken in 1901. Photo measures 4 x 4 ½ inches; mount measures 5 x 5½ inches. Previous owner has written "C & S 2/6/1901 Eng. # 60 and 70 - Washington Spur derailed by ice" on verso in pencil. Mount has light soiling and wear to corners; photograph has light yellowing and moderate soiling. Very good condition.

In the book Summit County's Narrow Gauge Railroads, a comp of this image is pictured and captioned: "On February 6, 1901, a westbound Colorado & Southern freight train descending into Breckenridge derailed at Washington Spur because of ice on the track. Engine 60 lies on its side. To the left of the refrigerator car 24011, just out of sight in this view, engine 70 and flanger plow 08 have also derailed" (Summit County's Narrow Gauge Railroads, Sandra Mather and Bob Schoppe, p. 41). Two engines, upright and on the tracks, sit neatly in the background, with the disarray of track, twisted metal and a throng of men in the foreground. 020179. $55
Lewis & Prosser Pack Train Real Photo Postcard
Real Photo Postcard of an 1898 scene from Skagway, Alaska. The RPPC was printed on AZO paper between 1917 and 1930. RPPC measures 3 ½ x 5 ½ inches. Back is unused. Two titles are in the negative. The alternate title reads "Lewis & Prosser Packers Skagway Alaska." Postcard has light soiling, else very good.

This image depicts a scene from the mining town of Skagway, Alaska during its peak. A pack train of mules or horses are laden with goods; "Allen Bros Hardware" store is in the background along with other clapboard and log buildings, and large trees are felled in the foreground. 022978. $30
Set of Three Colorado Views on the D. & R. G. Railway
[with association to O. W. Lucas] 
Dennis, A. W.
Set of three boudoir cards depicting Canon City (2) and Leadville, Colorado (1) with the signature of "O. W. Lucas" written on verso. All measure 8 x 5 inches with A. W. Dennis imprint on verso reading "Colorado Views on the D. & R. G. Railway. Reading Room Gallery, Canon City, Colo. A.W. Dennis." Titles are written in contemporary manuscript underneath photographer's imprint. Overall very good with light soiling and wear to mounts and photos; the photo of Leadville has 1 ½ inch tear near top right corner, affecting image. These are A.W. Dennis photos likely owned by Oramel W. Lucas, a Colorado schoolteacher-turned-amateur-paleontologist whose fossil discovery helped to incite the "bone wars." All images have the name "O. W. Lucas" written on verso. Although we could not find any comps of O. W. Lucas' signature, it would make sense that he might have owned these photos.

The Lucases were a prominent pioneer family in Canon City, with Oramel W. Lucas joining his family around 1872 after attending university. In 1877 he discovered the dinosaur fossil bones that would spark the "bone wars" between paleontology professors O. C. March and Edward Drinker Cope. Since O. W. Lucas was living in Canon City at the time these photos were taken it seems likely that they could have been his. Even excluding this association, the photos are great. Photos are titled "Main Street, Canon City" depicting the photographer's studio and reading room, and other businesses such as Adams Express Co., a laundry, tin shop and bank; "Stanley Bridge, Canon City" depicts a boy fishing off of a foot bridge; and "Leadville" depicts an overview of the famous mining town with a few boys standing in the foreground (one looks like he is about to get punched). The photographer A. W. Dennis was active in Canon City from 1881-1884 (Mautz p. 193). 021764. $500
Brigham Young Cabinet Card  
Savage, C. R.
Cabinet card measuring 4 ¼ x 6 ½ inches. Buff mount with photographer’s imprint and manuscript annotations (contemporary) on verso. Imprint reads, "C. R. Savage, Art Bazar, Salt Lake City, Utah." Chipping to one corner of mount. Overall very good condition.

Portrait of Brigham Young, the second president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and first governor of the Utah Territory. In this image he is sitting at a desk with a cane in hand. The photographer Charles Roscoe Savage was an English-born Mormon convert who was famous for his western photography, particularly of the Union Pacific transcontinental railroad. The photograph of Young was likely taken in the 1870s but printed in the 1880s when Savage opened his “Art Bazar” gallery (Mautz p. 604-605). 020966. $425
May-Joe Cabinet Card
Side-Show Buffalo Bill's Great Wildwest Show 1909
Mifflin, Ohio 1909. Photo-mechanical cabinet card (6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches) of May-Joe from Buffalo Bill's Great Wildwest Show of 1909. Slight soiling to card; small scratch across May-Joe's chest. Very good condition.

May-Joe was born in 1905 near Hayesville, Ohio. Within a year May-Joe was introduced as the "Wonder of the World", a hermaphroditic child with three legs, fifteen toes, two stomachs and two sets of kidneys. May-Joe is pronounced by her doctor to posses the intelligence of two ordinary children. Verso has a biographical sketch of May-Joe. Not found in commerce nor in OCLC records. 022405. $250
Quarter Plate Tintype of Horse Drawn Wagon and Five Gents 
Quarter plate tintype (3 1/4 x 4 1/4 inches) of horse drawn wagon with driver and four additional men in photo. Great clarity except for slight movement in horses head. Each corner has very slight crease otherwise emulsion is clean and plate is without bends or cracks. Back has remnants of tape. Very good condition. Location unknown.

Tree in full leaf. Wonderful image.
022893. $200
Two Boys and a Bicycle on Ocean Beach, San Francisco
Late 19th to early 20th century mounted silver gel photo. Mount measures 8 ¼ x 6 inches and photo measures 6 ½ x 4 ½ inches. Captioned by previous owner on the mount; a name is written along the top edge possibly reading "Kranes". Photo was unevenly trimmed on the top edge and has minor creasing to the right corner; mount has moderate soiling and light wear. Very good condition.

Two young boys hold onto their bicycle while on Ocean Beach in San Francisco. Behind them one can see Cliff House and Seal Rocks. This was the second Cliff House which was built in 1896 and burned in 1907 (providing a date range for this image). The photographer of this image is unknown but it looks like he or she made their subjects weary; the boys' faces are rather serious. The location, the bicycle, the boys' faces and the late 19th century clothing make for a great shot. 022698. $95
Redwood Highway Real Photo Postcards  
Patterson, Frank
Set of 90 Real Photo Postcards depicting scenes along the Redwood Highway in Southern Oregon and Northern California. All RPPCs measure 5 ½ x 3 ½ inches and have a slight curl. About half of the RPPCs have been used and are datestamped to the 1920s and 30s; almost all are copyrighted to "Patterson". In very good condition overall.

Frank Patterson was a prolific photographer who worked in studios in Medford, Oregon and Santa Rosa and San Francisco, California during the 1920s-1950s (Oregon State University). Images depict scenes along the Redwood Highway including the Smith River, Grants Pass, Mill Creek State Park, the California-Oregon line, Russ Memorial Grove, Crescent City, Patrick's Point, Redwood Creek State Park and more. 020364. $325
Hutchinson Ranch Real Photo Postcard Collection
Set of 21 Real Photo Postcards depicting Hutchinson Ranch in Salida, Colorado dated to 1910. The RPPCs measure 3 1/2 x 5 1/2 inches. Almost all of the postcards have been nicely hand-tinted. Most postcards are dated (with month or season, and the year) and have short descriptions in purple pencil on verso; 9 of the descriptions in purple have been crossed out or covered in red. Overall very good with light soiling and minor wear to edges.

A beautiful set of real photo postcard depicting Colorado's historic Hutchinson Ranch. The photos show the life of the rancher in early 20th century Colorado including working cowboys, cattle drives, haying, fields of grain, and the scenery of the surrounding mountains. Hutchinson Ranch was established in 1868 by Joseph Sykes Hutchinson and Annabel McPherson Hutchinson, and by the 1870s the Ranch had more than 5,000 head of cattle ranging throughout Colorado. It is one of the oldest ranches in the Arkansas Valley and has been continuously run by the Hutchinson family since its establishment, the family still raising cattle around the original homestead today. This collection is near and dear to this cataloguer's heart, as her family lives across the road from the Hutchinson homestead and has spent fun times there. 021593. $650
Santa Clara Indians Albumen Print
Mounted albumen print depicting seven members of the Pueblo of Santa Clara. No photographer or publisher information present. Title is handwritten on the photo. Photo print measures 4 x 3 ¼ inches; mount measures 5 ¾ x 5 inches. No content on verso. Mount has light wear; photo has light silvering and yellowing. Very good condition.

This photograph depicts four men, two women, and one toddler of the Pueblo of Santa Clara. One man is smiling and the others look serious (including the toddler), and they stand in front of an adobe building. The woman on the left looks to be holding an umbrella (?) along with the child, and of the men wears an intricate belt and a medal on his vest. A nice late 19th-early 20th century image of a group of Santa Clara people. 021958. $125
Real Photo Postcard--Navajo Indian Circa 1926
Real Photo Postcard circa 1926. Light crease to two corners and longer subtle crease in lower left. Image itself is sharp, verso moderately soiled with pencil annotation "Navajo NM". Good condition. Photographer and location unknown however the card came from a New Mexico based collection and annotation leads us to believe it is indeed from New Mexico.

Wonderful image of Navajo man in typical clothing and adornments including a beaded necklace, earrings, headband, bracelets and concho belt with pouch. Posed against a rough wall. The AZO postcard stamp box dates the physical card to no earlier than 1926; however, we believe the photo to have been taken earlier 022994. $20

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May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds.

Edward Abbey