Two Panoramas of the Los Angeles Harbor at San Pedro, 1908-1926

Summary

Creators:

W.E. Brooks, D.E. Hughes (1908 panorama); Sunset Photo Supply Company (1926 panorama)

Extent:

Two panorama photographs, connected with cheesecloth backing, each comprising 8 photographic prints (27 x 35 cm. each); compiled in one album, 31 x 42 cm. 16 digital objects

Language:

Collection materials are in English

Background

Scope and content:

The Two Panoramas of the Los Angeles Harbor at San Pedro album contains two 8-plate panorama photographs of the Los Angeles Harbor, one taken in 1908, the other in 1926. Both panoramas picture the same section of the harbor, and were taken from the same Wilmington location. Regarded together, the panoramas illustrate the considerable overall urban expansion which took place during the early decades of the twentieth century in a location which would become one of the largest port areas in the nation. The 1908 panorama shows a practically undeveloped expanse of water, marshland, and distant hills, traversed by a single railroad line, with a few unidentified buildings scattered throughout. The 1926 panorama shows a thriving harbor area, replete with industrial and commercial activity and, in the distance, much residential development. Businesses pictured in the 1926 panorama include the Los Angeles Yacht Club, Union Oil, Southern Pacific Creosoteing Plant, Wilmington Boat Works, Panama Mail Steamship Company, Fellows & Stewart Boat Builders, Santa Catalina Island Steamer Terminal, Pacific Coast Borax Company, and General Petroleum Corporation. Pictured in the distance of the same panorama is the community of San Pedro and the Signal Hill oil fields.

The cover of the album is embossed: "Geo. [i.e. George] E. Cryer / Mayor / City of Los Angeles."

The title caption on the first plate of the 1908 panorama reads: "Inner Bay of San Pedro, from railroad tank, Wilmington, Nov. 5th 08, 7.45 to 8.42 a.m. 8 plates, by W.E. Brooks, Photo. Assisted by D.E. Hughes." Each plate is numbered and lists the time that the plate was photographed and the concurrent tide measurement.

The title caption of the 1926 panorama reads: "March 6, 1926 --Tide +2 feet. Photos by Sunset Photo Supply, San Pedro, Cal." Each plate is numbered and captioned.

The two panoramas are connected with a cheesecloth backing, allowing them to be folded together to fit into the album.

Acquisition information:

Unknown

Rules or conventions:

Finding Aid prepared using Describing Archives: a Content Standard

Location of this collection:

UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library

University of California, Berkeley, The Bancroft Library

Berkeley, CA 94720-6000, US

Contact:

510-642-6481

bancref-library@berkeley.edu

Website