1953

Half Dome, Yosemite Valley —Ansel Adams

Mirror Lake and Mount Watkins, Morning. By Ansel Adams from "My Camera in Yosemite Valley. " Reproduction by permission of Virginia Adams and Houghton Mifflin Company. Mount Watkins, the massive granite peak strikingly reflected in this well-known scene, perpetuates the name of one of Yosemite 's outstanding early-day photographers—Carleton E. Watkins. Cover : Half Dome, Yosemite Valley, by Ansel Adams.

THE MONTHLY PUBLICATION OF

THE Yosemite NATURALIST division AND

THE YOSEMITE NATURAL HISTORY ASSOCIATION, INC.

John C. Preston, Superintendent D. E. McHenry, Park Naturalist D. H. Hubbard, Assoc. Park Naturalist N. B. Herkenham, Asst. Park Naturalist W. W. Bryant, Junior Park Naturalist

VOL. XXXII APRIL 1953 NO. 4 CARLETON E. WATKINS, PIONEER PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE PACIFIC COAST

By Ralph H. Anderson, Information Specialist, National Park Service Foreword: One of the most admired and photographed features in Yosemite Valley is Mt. Watkins, the peak that is magnificently reflected in beautiful Mirror Lake. Probably few of the many visitors who see this prominent landmark realize that the man for whom it was named was one of Yosemite's earliest and most noteworthy photographers—Carleton E. Watkins. The following article relates only a part of his fascinating history. In the quiet little town of Oneonta, Oswego County, New York, two of California's most famous pioneers got their start. Two boys, Collis P. Huntington and Carleton E. Watkins, practically lived together, played together, went to school together. Watkins was born on November 11, 1829, youngest of a family of five children. His parents were Scotch hotel keepers. There were two sisters, Harriet and Caroline, and two brothers, Charles and George. As news of the gold rush in California reached young Carleton and his friend Collis, they were fired with a desire for adventure. In the spring of 1851 the two young men set out for California with knapsacks loaded with needles, thread, calico, and other household items that would find a ready sale on their long trek on foot across country to the gold fields. Watkins secured a job in a store in San Francisco where he met a daguerreotypist, R. H. Vance, who had studios in San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Jose. When Vance's experienced operator in San Jose left unexpectedly Watkins was called upon to substitute with the understanding that he would be replaced before the heavy week-end trade. But Watkins became so proficient as a daguerreotypist in a remarkably short time that he continued to work for Vance before moving back to San Francisco in 1857 or 1858, where he opened his own business, using the then newly developed wet-plate process. In the summer of 1858 or 1859 Watkins made his first photographic trip into the uncharted wilderness of the Sierra, taking with him an enormous camera constructed for the purpose and capable of making 18 by 22-inch photographic plates. On this trip he visited the Mariposa Grove of giant sequoias and photographed Galen Clark standing at the base of the Grizzly Giant. This is said to be the first actual photograph of a giant sequoia, although engravings of the huge trees had ap-

Galen Clark—discoverer of Mariposa Grove and first State guardian of Yosemite Valley-standing at the base of the Grizzly Giant, 1858 or 1859. Taken by Carleton E. Watkins, this is

probably the first photograph of a giant sequoia. peared earlier in publications and other scenic spots. These photographs on letter sheets. Not until 1861 did Watkins visit Yosemite Valley, using unquestionably had a profound effect in influencing public the same camera. On both of these opinion in the East, which led to trips he carried also a stereo camera, shaping legislation for setting aside since there was a great demand for Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa stereographs at that time. In the January Grove as a California state park, in 1918 issue of News Notes of an act of Congress signed by Abraham California Libraries Charles B. Turrill Lincoln in 1864. aptly stated : The Yosemite Book, published as a In our present day photographic methods, report of the Whitney Survey, contained many of Watkins' finest landscapes. it is almost impossible to understand the difficulties of the task and the indomitable In 1868 he was awarded energy and courage of the man who produced first prize at the Paris International those pictures.... At least twelve mules were required to pack the outfit... It must Exposition by the committee on be borne in mind that large glass plates photographic landscapes, the "only formed a very important part of his equipment. The tent used in coating and developing these plates was a load for one mule. medal for California views." It is interesting to note that a pen-and-ink This young man was compelled to take five drawing of this medal was made by mules in his train carrying camera, tent, etc., around the Valley with him, from point to his old friend, William Keith, San point. As each picture was made the tent had Francisco artist, and this appeared to be set up, the plates coated and then immediately exposed and at once developed. on the backs of Watkins ' old stereo views. At the Philadelphia Centennial celebration in 1876, Watkins ' On the trip to Yosemite Valley in 1861, Watkins included an arduous views of Yosemite were paid high trek along the south rim of the valley, honor. Photographs made at the where he made extraordinary photographs from Old Inspiration Point. centennial show Watkins' large pictures conspicuously.

During the sixties and seventies In 1880 Watkins made his first Watkins made many trips to Yosemite. Lady C. F. Gordon-Cumming, trip to southern California and east as far as Tucson, Arizona, photographing writing in Granite Crags, stated : the progress of railroad construction. It was on this trip that Happily for the Yosemite, it lends itself he wrote a series of letters to Frances admirably to photography, and has found various enthusiastic artists in that line, chief ("Frankie") Sneed who was operating his studio on Montgomery Street among whom still ranks Mr. Watkins, whose beautiful work reached us in England some years ago, and first made me long to visit this in San Francisco. These letters reveal grand region. He has been working here all extreme difficulties encountered by this summer, camping in the valley, and the pioneer photographer in his business carrying his materials in a great covered waggon, which he stations at some accessible Competition was keen and spot, and thence makes his expeditions to all Watkins, despite his fame, was already the finest points. feeling the pinch. In a letter to The trip referred to was in 1878 and "Frankie," his future wife, from Santa it was evident that Watkins by that Monica on June 26, 1880, he wrote, time was famous throughout the "If this business don't give us a living world. we will go and squat on some We have learned from Julia Watkins, government land and raise spuds." daughter of Carleton E. Watkins, Some evidence of the volume of that her father had a studio next to business the studio was conducting that of Isaiah W. Taber, another appears in a letter written April 3 famous early-day photographer. from Los Angeles, which stated, There was even a doorway between Tell Bagnasco to print the Fruit their adjoining studios and they Exhibition (the 200 stereos) just as borrowed from each other frequently fast as he can and send them along

While Watkins was away on a 50 at a time, to Carter or Rice, Los trip one time, Taber is reported to Angeles. have appropriated all of Watkins' Indication of the sad state of business famous 18 by 22-inch glass plates. affairs was revealed in a letter Julia stated that following this experience Watkins wrote to "Frankie" from the Casa Grande ruin on this same trip the doorway between the in the spring of 1880: two studios was completely sealed, and her father started anew using When a customer comes in your place get all smaller camera and announced you can in the way of price but don't let one a go on account of price. Sell all you [can] for his new "Boudoir Series." all you can get. That is the rule of all other In November 1873 Watkins made dealers in my goods and I have stood out I for good prices to my own detriment long a trip to Utah, chartering two rail- enough. This year give 'em h--- with their road cars to carry his wagon, team, own shot. and photographic equipment. As near as we can determine, Through his friend, Collis P. Huntington, Watkins married Frances Sneed on Watkins had a lifetime pass on his 51st birthday, November 11, the railroads, in return for which he 1880. He had met his petite bride at did extensive work for Mr. Huntington Virginia City, Nevada, some time gratis. William Keith accompanied Watkins on this trip to Utah earlier. In our collection of Watkins' material in the Yosemite Museum is and made valuable use of Watkins ' an excellent photograph of the interior of his studio, with his daughter photographs for many of his oil paintings. Julia and son Collis at the doorway.

Beside the doorway is Julia's favorite doll, Araminta Clementina Josephine Watkins. Julia vividly remembers those early days in the top floor of that building on Montgomery Street. The reception room and the studio, with its elaborate props, were downstairs. Her father would sometimes call up the stairway that he would soon bring a distinguished visitor to meet the family, thus giving her mother time to straighten up their living quarters. Julia remembers going to bed in the room adjoining the living room and watching through a crack in the doorway the shadow profile of her jovial father as he chuckled over the cartoons and jokes in his favorite magazine, Puck, or wiped tears from his eyes after reading a sad story in the Overland Monthly, another of his magazines. He was evidently a man of deep feelings, quick to respond to humor or pathos. Julia Watkins possesses her father's lovable personality and his joy in living. Carleton Watkins' profound appreciation of the out-of-doors is reflected in his magnificent photographs. His unyielding enthusiasm and energy led him to rise at daybreak morning after morning on his long treks into Yosemite. One of his favorite spots here was Mirror Lake, reflecting a noble mountain which now bears his name (see frontispiece). Watkins made a second trip to the copper mines at Anaconda and Butte, Montana, in 1890. On this trip he wrote a series of letters to his wife in San Francisco which disclose their continued struggle in the photographic business and a number of physical ailments that plagued Watkins during the later years of his life. All of these letters reveal his unfailing sense of humor despite adversity, and his warmth of feeling toward family and friends. Carleton E. Watkins, from a cameo carved by an Italian artist in San Francisco. This cameo is the best known likeness of the pioneer photographer, and is a prized possession of Julia Watkins, his daughter. During the development of the Kern County Land Company, Watkins visited Bakersfield, California, and made a series of some 700 views of the Haggen and Tevis property on 8 by 10-inch negatives on dry plates. This was probably his last large commercial job. One evening when he returned from a hard day of photography, he found the property owners were having an elaborate dinner party. They invited him to join them. Watkins had only his old work clothes and his one white shirt was dirty. Nevertheless they insisted he join the gay party, and promised that they would dress him up. Whereupon Watkins washed his shirt and his hosts produced a linen duster, nattily cut in the shape of a swallowtail coat. While everyone else at the affair was in full dress, Watkins was the life of the party dressed in the improvised suit.

Watkins continued to suffer ill health, poverty, and misfortune through the early 1900's. He had many friends among the prominent citizens of California, including Governor Pardee, who helped him in his later years. His friend, Collis P. Huntington, gave him an 81-acre ranch at Capay in Yolo County. Some of his relatives were living at the ranch at the time of the San Francisco earthquake and fire of April 18, 1906. This accounts for the preservation of a number of photographs and letters which are vital to our knowledge of Watkins' life. Practically all of his photographic plates and fine collection of daguerreotypes were destroyed in the fire. Almost blind, ill, and bitterly disappointed, Watkins was led from his burning studio on that date by his son Collis to the home of his photographer friend, Charles B. Turrill. He never recovered from this tragic experience which blotted out for all time any possibility of his again being self-supporting and independent.

In 1910 Watkins had failed in health to such an extent that he was committed to the State institution at Napa. He died there in 1916 at the age of 87. Historic photograph of Carleton E. Watkins, almost blind and failing in health, being forcefully led from his San Francisco studio by his son Collis (on right) and a friend, on the morning of April 18, 1906, following the earthquake. Watkins' studio was on the top floor of the corner building on the right. Photo copied from the original at the Society of California Pioneers, San Francisco.

EXOTIC TORTOISE DISCOVERED IN YOSEMITE VALLEY

By Orthello L. Wallis, Park Ranger A desert tortoise (Gopherus agassizii) Indeed, the danger would more was discovered plodding its way readily apply to the survival of the across the road near Camp 7 in tortoise. Yosemite Valley, elevation 4,000 In its proper habitat the desert feet, on September 29 last year by tortoise lives entirely upon the land Bill Nuttley, an employee of the Yosemite Park and Curry Company. and feeds upon vegetation. In Yosemite National Park, only one This find was extraordinary because species of turtle, the western pond it was made so far from the turtle's turtle (Clemmys marmorata), occurs native home in the arid deserts of natively. It is found in some of the southeastern California, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and Sonora, Mexico. ponds and lakes in the Mather District of the park, and is carnivorous The reptile was given to another in its food habits. It has flipper-like, employee who took it home to his webbed feet, whereas the desert tortoise son, age 12, and daughter, age 5. has stumpy legs like those of The next morning, of course, they an elephant. Although it is equally took the tortoise to school. The teacher, correct to call these reptiles "turtles, " Mr. L. D. Moore, who is a summer the ones which live on the land are member of the ranger-naturalist staff usually referred to as tortoises. in Yosemite, explained that this particular turtle was not native. The bottom shell, or plastron, of the tortoise consists of bony plates park and had not been reported called scutes. As the animal grows, previously from this location. new layers are annually added to The strange occurrence of this the scutes. Mr. Moore counted 20 turtle in Yosemite Valley probably "rings" on the scutes of the desert was the result of its release by some tortoise which indicated an age of 20 visitor who had picked the turtle up years. In older individuals the plates on the distant desert. When this person may become worn with wear, making had grown tired of it as a pet, it more difficult to estimate the he had let the tortoise go in these age by this method. surroundings which are so poorly In its native habitat the tortoise suited to its requirements. Actually, will draw its head and hind feet into the introduction of exotic animals its shell and will fold its front feet into a national park is prohibited in ahead of its head when disturbed. by Federal law, for such an action These feet are covered by horny might eventually cause serious disturbance of the natural conditions. scales which provide protection against enemies. The individual With respect to the desert tortoise, found in Yosemite Valley did not however, this danger would be slight readily respond to disturbances in because the environment in Yosemite is so unlike that of the desert land. this manner, indicating that it previously had become used to man.

DEAD BEAR, BURNED HOUSE

By Homer W. Robinson, Assistant Chief Ranger

On Friday, April 3, a resident of Merced who owns a summer home in the private Foresta area within the park telephoned the Ranger Office during the noon hour to report that the home of a Mr. Patterson at Foresta had burned. The man making the report said he had just arrived at Foresta from Merced, had discovered the house had burned very recently, as it was still smoking, and there was a dead bear in a tree nearby. An investigation a short time later revealed the dead bear weighing 150 to 200 pounds on top of a power transformer in the tree near the site of the burned house. The bear plainly met death by electrocution as he was in close proximity to the high voltage transmission line, and had been severely burned. When linemen of the power company removed the dead bear they also found a dead gray squirrel nearby. Possibly the bear climbed in doing so he had to pass by the tree in search of the squirrel, and wires which served two houses in the vicinity. It appears that bruin hooked a paw over one or more of these wires to pull himself up the tree, electrocuting himself and making a short circuit at the entrance box on the end of the Patterson home, and so caused the fire. To our knowledge there were no witnesses to the burning of the house. There were still live coals at the site when the investigation was made about 2 o'clock Friday afternoon, and the condition of trees and shrubs surrounding the house indicated the fire had started about daylight that morning when there was no wind. Also, the condition of the bear indicated he had been dead only a matter of hours. Linking the electrocuted bear with the burned house is pure conjecture, but it does seem probable. This is the first instance we know of where a bear might be suspected of arson, and suggests a somewhat different kind of fire danger, which has not heretofore been anticipated in our forest protection measures! _ _ John Mallery Electrocuted bear on top of power transformer in tree at Foresta.

CONFUSING PARTNERS

By Sam W. Elkins, Ranger Naturalist In early July last year I found myself standing on the shores of Harden Lake. This is a readily accessible spot, perched on the south rim of the Tuolumne River Canyon, a little less than a mile north of the old Tioga Road near White Wolf. The lake itself is about 7,600 feet in elevation and is surrounded by a dense stand of lodgepole pines, aspens, and red firs. I paused by the lake to admire the view and catch my breath when I heard a loud chorus of calls, obviously made by young birds in the near vicinity. With just a little searching I found the sound coming from a hole containing a nest about 20 feet up in the side of a dead lodgepole pine. The sound was occasioned by the visit of one of the parent birds, whose tail could be seen sticking out of the hole at the time. In a few moments it emerged and showed itself to be a male Williamson sapsucker. His colors were dominantly black and white, with a black crown and back, and white rump, face stripes, and wing patches. He also has a distinctive red throat patch and yellow belly. He rested on the side of the tree for a few moments and then flew away. In a very short time the tree was again visited by an adult bird. This bird looked like it had no business there whatsoever because its plumage had not the vaguest resemblance to that of the one who had so recently left. The young birds recognized the newcomer, however, and put up their familiar chatter demanding food and attention. This stranger entered the hole and from the sounds that were emitted there was no doubt that the young birds not only recognized it, but appreciated its presence. Shortly the stranger appeared and showed itself to be a female of the Williamson sapsucker. She has an entirely different color pattern from the male, her colors being predominantly in browns. She showed a "flicker-like" barred back, brown head, white rump, and yellow belly. In checking through the literature on these interesting partners I found the confusion was deep-seated. When observers first discovered these birds the male and female were actually assigned to separate genera. In 1852 the female was called the black-breasted woodpecker, Melanerpes thyroideus, by John Cassin. In 1860 Cassin described the male and called it the Williamson woodpecker, Sphyrapicus williamsoni. In each case the immature bird of the same sex was assumed to be the opposite-sexed partner. It wasn 't until 1875 that this ornithological muddle was straightened out by Henry Henshaw who came upon a nest similar to the one at Harden Lake where he found male, female, and immature all living together. It was then that the name Williamson sapsucker, Sphyrapicus thyroideus, was first correctly assigned to both sexes.

BOOK REVIEW

By Richard G. Lillard, Ranger Naturalist A NATURAL HISTORY OF WESTERN TREES, by Donald Culross Peattie, illustrated by Paul Landacre. Houghton Mifflin Co., Boston, 1953. 751 + xiv pp. $6.00. In this handsome volume, dedicated to Mary Tresidder, the author takes up more than two hundred species of native trees to be found in the vast area between the Pacific Ocean and the 100th meridian, and the Arctic Ocean and the Mexican boundary. For each species he supplies a summary of alternate names, geographical range, and botanical characteristics, and then he goes on to provide an essay that charmingly places the tree in its total ecological setting, both natural and human. The essays, many of which have already appeared in popular and semipopular magazines, are models of the kind of information and the technique of presentation that are encouraged by the Yosemite Field School as it teaches student naturalists how to give talks and lead nature walks. For the essays work into the discussion of a tree all relevant details of ornithology, entomology, lumbering, social history, and ethnology, while also quietly campaigning for conservation and showing an appreciation for the beauty and wonder of Nature. All the trees of Yosemite National Park appear in due course, with especially rich essays on giant sequoia, western white pine, sugar pine, Sierra juniper, and quaking aspen. The wood engravings by Mr. Landacre are useful for identification of trees by such details as trunks, leaves, fruits, cones, or flowers, though they are less helpful when they show the distant appearance of whole trees such as whitebark pine and California buckeye. The book provides hours of good reading for anyone who is interested in the trees of Yosemite, the flora of the West, and the world of Nature.