[Rarebooks] For Sale: Great Lakes, original photo albums

[Bob Petrilla]

Great Lakes, &c. TWO (2) ALBUMS OF VERNACULAR PHOTOGRAPHS AND EPHEMERA,
ASSEMBLED BY AN AMERICAN WOMAN TRAVELER IN THE UNITED STATES, 1925-1930.
Original albums. ALBUM #1. Bound in pictorial rough-out calf, tied with
rawhide, 6.25" x 9.5", containing 49pp of photographs mounted to black
leaves, some captioned by hand. Contents include 65 original b/w snapshots
(various sizes, most ca. 3” x 5”) + many souvenir/brochure pictures and
postcards, most with captions and many in color, some clippings. ~~ This
album records two journeys. The first is by steamer around the Great Lakes,
August 17-25, 1925. The idea of the 7-day cruise originated on the Great
Lakes in 1894-95, and the ship the women travel on is the “Trionesta,”
built in 1903 as one of the Great Lakes Transit ships, and part of the
“Anchor Line” owned by the Erie and Western Transportation Co. There are
original photos of the steamer, including the women in deck chairs and the
ship viewed from the dock, as well as commercial photos of the vessel,
including interiors of the dining room (which seats 250), an “outside
stateroom on Berth Deck”, couples dancing, the ship library, and its “music
room”. Other original photos include views taken on “St. Mary’s River,”
many scenes of Mackinac Island (Shore Drive, Marquette Park, Sugar Loaf,
Arch Rock, etc.), the portage canal, the Quincy Copper Mines in Hancock, MI
(exterior), and views in Duluth (lumber yards, “aerial bridge,” the
railway). There are also many original shots of “Us”--usually 2 or 3 women,
but occasionally 4 (labeled “The Girls”), sometimes a small group (labeled
“The Bunch” and including 6 women and one boy). Professional souvenir
pictures/postcards include “Quincy Hoist” at the copper mine, a “beautiful
home” and the “Glass Block” building in Duluth, and many views of Mackinac
Island. ~~ The second journey in this album is to Watkins Glen, NY in late
May, 1926. “Us” generally labels shots of 2 or 3 women, and the other
original photos show local W.G. sights: the Amphitheatre, Indian Trail,
Minnehaha and Rainbow Falls, Central Cascade, Glen Alpha, Glen Head, Point
Lookout, Stillwater Gorge, etc. The commercial views (many the size of
cigarette cards) mostly depict various Watkins Glen falls and cascades.
 Very Good.
ALBUM #2. Bound in blind-stamped black boards, string ties, 7.25" x 11.25",
containing 100pp of original photographs, along with postcards and souvenir
photos, many in color and most with printed captions. ~~ This album records
several journeys. The first took place in October, 1926, to New York City
and to Rochester. This section starts on October 10, with postcard views of
Pennsylvania Station and “The Black Diamond Daylight Train on the Lehigh
Valley Railroad”. There are postcards and views of NYC (Hotel Astor, etc.),
then souvenir views of Cornell University, Cayuga Lake, Taughanock Falls,
Pennsylvania's Mauch Chunk and the Susquehanna River, Bethlehem Steel
plant, etc. There are 5 original photos of 2 women and a man in NYC, then a
group shot (4 women, 2 men and one boy), and a snap of two women in
Rochester. Also seen are professional views of Rochester’s Eastman Theatre,
Eastman School of Music, etc. ~~ In October, 1927, the travelers are bacl
in NYC, and there are about 20 postcards of City sights including the Hotel
Astor, Statue of Liberty, Aquarium, Grant’s Tomb, etc. On Oct. 14, there
are original photos of “leaving New York harbor” and Hudson River”, as well
as 10 postcards relating to the harbor: S.S. “Leviathan”, the “Berengaria”,
the Palisades, etc. ~~ For August, 1928, a color map shows the St. Lawrence
River and Quebec; a postcard, the S.S. “Kingston”; then there are 7
original photos of Thousand Island Park, NY, including the Singer Home and
Boldt estate. The travelers proceed to Montreal by way of Prescott, Ont.,
and original photos show views “on the way to Mount Royal, Montreal,” then
three views of Mt. Royal. There are also shots of “The Girls” there (2
women) and “Us” (3 girls in a horse-drawn carriage). Postcard views and
souvenir photos of Montreal include McGill University, Canadian Pacific
Railway Office, Mt. Royal Hotel, Bonsecours Market, etc. The voyagers next
sail up the St. Lawrence, and there are original photographs of the village
of Tadoussac, Cape Trinity, Cape Eternity, etc. Their arrival in Quebec is
documented by original photos of “Montmorency Falls” and “St. Anne de
Beaupres under construction.” There are also many small souvenir shots of
city sights, and a number of souvenir photos of interiors on the S.S.
“Tadoussac”: dining room, lounge and ballroom, stateroom, etc. as well as
original photos of the ship and one of “boys scrambling for pennies going
through the canal.” ~~ The trip for 1930 is preceded by a route map of the
Great Lakes voyage, “leaving Buffalo for Chicago”, Aug 13-23. There are
pictures of two ships, the S.S. “North American’ and the “South American”,
and souvenir photos of dining room, grand salon, ladies lounge (with a note
that she “played bridge there August 15”), and photos of the three women on
deck: Mae and yours truly”, “the girls” and “Georgeane and yours truly.”
They visit Detroit (postcards of various sights: Ambassador Bridge, New
Masonic Temple, etc., and an original photo of “Mae: Scotts Fountain, Belle
Isle”) then on to Chicago (again many postcards of the skyline, Drake
Hotel, New Union Station, Stevens Hotel, Edgewater Beach Hotel, Merchandise
Mart, etc). Also original photos of “The Busy Chicago Loop” (a street
scene), “Mae and Yours Truly at the Art Institute, Michigan Blvd.”, and
University of Chicago Chapel. The travelers finish up by viewing Fox Lake,
IL, Geneva Lake, WI (4 originals showing a man and woman, two women),
Georgian Bay and Parry Sound, Ontario (original of bridge, and two shots of
Native Americans in costume on the dock. A short trip a week later, from
Aug. 30-Sept 1, 1930, records their visit to Oriskany, NY, and there are
several originals of 5 women at the Eastern Star Home there, as well as
souvenir pictures of the Home. There are also originals of the Masonic Home
in Utica, NY (“us” showing two women sitting on a car running board, and
three women at the Masonic Home Chapel). Album #2 closes with a number of
postcard views at Auburn Prison.   $200.00

Trade terms, postpaid in US



    *  R & A  Petrilla*



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