Description
This collection contains photographs (albums and
separates), ephemera, and inscribed books documenting the friendship between
Anna Ryder Dickey and celebrated naturalist and wilderness conservationist, John
Muir. The albums document two Sierra Club nature trips that Muir, Mrs. Dickey,
her adolescent son, Donald R. Dickey, and others took to Yosemite National Park,
and Sequoia and King's Canyon National Parks, in 1896 and 1902 respectively. Of
special note are six pictorialist style presentation photographs of John Muir
alone or with Mrs. Dickey, taken by the Pasadena photographer Kraig. The book
inscriptions, letters, and notes provide further proof of the Muir-Dickey
friendship, while the books themselves, newspaper clippings, and magazine
extracts highlight aspects of Muir's work, philosophy, and life
story.
Background
ANNA RYDER DICKEY was born December 23, 1863 in Dubuque Iowa and died May 4,
1928 in Pasadena, California. She was the mother of Donald Ryder Dickey, Sr. and
the grandmother of Donald Ryder Dickey, Jr. (from whom the collection was
obtained). Prior to moving to Pasadena, she lived in Dubuque, marrying Ernest M.
Dickey in 1885. The scrapbooks, photographs of John Muir, and related ephemera,
were accumulated while residing in Pasadena (specifically, the area known as San
Rafael Heights). As evidenced by the photographic material and several personal
notes in the ephemera, she maintained a close friendship with Muir during this
time.
Extent
2 photo albums,
1 document box,
10 books
Restrictions
Property rights in the physical objects belong to the UCLA Biomedical
Library. Literary rights, including copyright, are retained by the creators and
their heirs. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds
the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or his or her heir for permission
to publish if the Biomedical Library does not hold the copyright.