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Los Angeles, ca. 1900–1910. Oblong 4to (10.25” x 12.75”), black cloth over boards. 66 silverprint photographs, 2.25” x 3.25” to 7.5” x 9.25”, on 16 leaves. 9 blank leaves. 39 images captioned in the negative and numbered; 22 images captioned in pencil below the image; 1 image annotated in the image. Purple stamp of “B. D. Jackson, Landscape photographer, 880 Ortega St., Los Angeles, Cal” on the verso of several images. CONDITION: Very good, strong tonality, 1 photo loose, discoloration to 1 image, several photos starting to come loose.

A fine photo album, likely the photographer’s own, comprising sixty-six images picturing southern California’s mountains, seaside views, orange industry, tourist destinations, and more.

The detailed pencil inscriptions below some of the images, such as “Camp Mt. Wilson Aug. 1906” and “Thanksgiving Day in Calif. 1901” (for a shot of a boy standing with his bike near a flowering bush), strongly suggest that this was photographer Bradford D. Jackson’s own album. This appealing cross-section of his work includes shots of orange groves and harvesting; San Gabriel Mission, several views of San Fernando Mission, the bells of Mission San Juan Capistrano; and a number of parks, including Westlake Park, Eastlake Park, and Hollenbeck Park. Seaside views picture the town of Avalon on Catalina Island; Point Fermin and a lighthouse off the coast; Tent City on Coronado Beach; several views of the Bath House at Ocean Park; and several views of Long Beach (some of which show its long pier).

Images of seaside tourist attractions include interior and exterior views of the Bath House at Long Beach; the “tropical court” in the Hotel Coronado; the interior of the auditorium in Long Beach (where the large audience listens to a musical group perform); and shots of Venice Beach around the time of the grand opening in 1905, one of which shows tourists on a camel, while another pictures a gondola and gondolier on the water.

California’s mountains figure here as well, with a shot of “Old Baldy” (Mount San Antonio); a view taken from Mt. Lowe’s peak; a view taken from Wilsons Peak; Mt. San Bernardino; a view of a mountain range embracing Mt. Lowe, Mt. Wilson, and Mt. Howard; Granite Gate on Mt. Lowe; two images of the Mt. Lowe Railway; a camping scene on Mt. Wilson (picturing a woman cooking and a girl reading in a hammock); and the Mt. Lowe Railway (showing the train conductor driving a group of passengers).

The album is rounded out with images of residences in Redlands, Los Angeles, and elsewhere; suburban street views (Marengo Ave in Pasadena, Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles, and Magnolia Ave in Riverside); a view in Smiley Heights, Redlands; a man with an easel or camera gazing upwards in Rubio Canyon in Altadena; California peppers on the vine; a waterfall; a barely visible woman engulfed by a Pasadena rose bush; and “twin” palm trees near Pasadena.

Born in Sullivan, Ohio, Bradford “Dan” Jackson (ca. 1850–1937) was a landscape and scenic view photographer who began his career as a portrait photographer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. In 1891 he married Jennie Bennett Hagan—a spiritualist who went on to lecture under her married name, Jennie Hagan Jackson. Bradford filed for divorce from Jennie in 1899, citing “cruelty and desertion” as the cause. By 1901, he had remarried and moved to Pomona, California, and bought a portrait studio there. In addition to his portrait work, he photographed Southern California’s towns, mountains, suburbs, and beaches. At various times, he was based in Pomona, Los Angeles, Pasadena, Hollywood, La Canada, Glendora, La Crescenta, Glendale, and San Gabriel Valley. Later in his career, Jackson focused on landscape views for stereographs and postcards. 

A lovely compendium of the work of this noted southern California photographer.

REFERENCES: “B.D. Jackson Collection of Negatives and Photographs: Finding Aid” at Online Archive of California.

Item #8941

Price: $2,750.00