2500 MILES IN A FORD CAR IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. H.L.C. & F.N.C. - NOVEMBER 1930
(Arizona and New Mexico Photo Album) 2500 MILES IN A FORD CAR IN ARIZONA AND NEW MEXICO. H.L.C. & F.N.C. - NOVEMBER 1930
200 gelatin silver photos, mounted in windows; all photos are 2 ½ x 3 ½ in. With a loosely inserted gelatin silver panorama 3 ¾ x 9 ½ in. Most mounted photos with period pencil captions on the mounts (some captions relate to several photos). The panorama with a studio ink stamp “San Xavier Mission, Ariz. Putnam Studios, 417 E. 8th St. Los Angeles, Calif.” on verso. Period black patterned sheep “Harburne” album fastened with a string; front board with a gilt-lettered generic title “Photographs.” A few of the photos mildly faded or with mild silvering, but overall a very good album of interesting photos.
An attractive collection of lively Vernacular photographs, illustrating a road trip, taken by an American couple across New Mexico and Arizona in November 1930. The travellers visited several major natural and archaeological sites and Native American settlements in both states, from Cimarron Canyon and Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico to Grand Canyon, Oraibi and Petrified Forest in Arizona, as well as the cities of Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Phoenix. Several photos portray Hopi and Navajo Native Americans.
About ninety photos of New Mexico include views of Santa Fe (the Cathedral Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi, Camel Rock, the patio of La Fonda restaurant, street scenes with Native Americans), Ranchos de Taos (Francisco de Asis Mission Church), Taos (general and street scenes, “cottonwoods,” “Indian Pueblo,” “Hopi Indians,” “kiva [underground ceremonial chamber]”), Cimarron Canyon, Rito de los Frijoles creek (“cliff dwellings,” “great communal house,” “kiva,” “great ceremonial cave”), Cordova, “Islotta” [Isleta] (“Indian fence,” “cottonwoods,” “old church,” “kiva,” buches of drying chilli peppers, “tamarisk tree,” “Laquna Hotel,” “Hopi Indian”), Acoma Pueblo (the Enchanted Mesa, “water hole,” the Sky City, “at entrance,” “the stairs,” “houses,” &c.), Albuquerque (“Madonna of the Trail” monument), &c.
Over a hundred views of Arizona show Fort Defiance, Canyon de Chelly (“Navajo shepherd”, “Chin Lee,” “the White House,” “Navajo Indians,” “hogan [house],” “coral”), Winslow, Grand Canyon, Echo Canyon, Oraibi village (“Navajo Indians,” “Hopi Indians,” “Hopi Indian school”), Cameron (“Navajo rug making,” “dinosaur tracks”), Chimopovi village, Petrified Forest, Walpi, Flagstaff (“Lowell’s tomb”), Montezuma Well sinkhole, Oak Creek Canyon, Apache Trail, grounds of the Arizona Biltmore Hotel in Phoenix, Casa Grande, Chandler (San Marcos Hotel), and Mission St. Xavier del Bac. One of the photos portrays the female traveller having lunch outside the car. Overall a nice extensive collection of original photos of New Mexico and Arizona and portraits of Hopi and Navajo Native Americans, from the first years of the Great Depression.
