JW Bledsoe, California Photographer

Late 19th and Early 20th Century Photography of the California Wilderness

Category: People

Another Yucca

Yucca in bloom, with a man with glasses and hat to left, holding a leaf of the Yucca.

Yucca in bloom, with a man with glasses and hat to left, holding a leaf of the Yucca.

Yucca in bloom, with a man in glasses and a hat to left, holding a leaf of the Yucca. Location unknown, date unknown.

Photograph by J. W. Bledsoe.

Thanks to Keith Moore.

Homestead Cabin

BledsoePhoto

A homestead cabin in a wooded area, possibly a lumber camp. Year unknown.

Photograph by J.W. Bledsoe when located in Traver, CA, which dates the photo to roughly ~1885-1888.

Views of Independence, CA

Exterior view of the Nathan Rhine Store, Independence, CA. Ca. 1886/1887.

Exterior view of the Nathan Rhine Store, Independence, CA. Ca. 1886/1887.

View of a dirt street in Independence, CA, ca 1886/1887. The Nathan Rhine Store is to the right.

View of a dirt street in Independence, CA, ca 1886/1887. The Nathan Rhine Store is to the right.

Two views of Independence, CA, dating from when Bledsoe had a studio in Traver, CA. These are from the collection of the California Historical Society at USC. The Nathan Rhine store is to the right in the lower image. The notes in the USC database suggest that Nathan Rhine himself is in the upper image. I’m betting on the guy with his hands on his hips.

Images by J. W. Bledsoe.

LA Aqueduct Cascades, 1913

Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascade Opening Ceremony, Nov. 5, 1913

Los Angeles Aqueduct Cascade Opening Ceremony, Nov. 5, 1913

Panoramic photo of the opening ceremony (November 5, 1913) for the Los Angeles Aqueduct, held at the Cascades. This is where the modern Interstate 5 crosses Balboa Blvd, around here: Google Map Location

Photograph taken by J.W. Bledsoe. Label on lower left corner reads “Cascades L.A.A. Nov. 5 1913 (c) 1913 by Bledsoe Photo Co.”

Part of the collection of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, this image was stitched together from four photographs of a print.

Photographs of J.W. Bledsoe

J.W. Bledsoe ca. 1890

J.W. Bledsoe ca. 1890

Photograph of J.W. Bledsoe

Photograph of J.W. Bledsoe ca. 1940

Most of the photographs presented here are by J. W. Bledsoe or are inspired by his work, but here are a couple where he is on the other end of the camera.

Construction of Los Angeles Aqueduct, ca. 1915

View of construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, ca. 1910-1920.

View of construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, ca. 1910-1920.

This is part of the collection of the Los Angeles Department of Water and  Power, which has the single largest collection of Bledsoe’s work that I have seen. Their collection is now held by the California Historical Society, and is archived, curated, and conserved by the University of Southern California library. It shows the construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct. The original images were on 6×8 glass plates, but these are rarely handled, and most images (including this one) have been scanned from internegatives or prints and have lost image quality along the way.

This is the library’s description of the image: Photograph of a view of construction of the Los Angeles Aqueduct, showing a wooden track, ca.1910-1920. A large, riveted pipe, supported by concrete blocks, runs from the left foreground to the hill that sits at the center background. A wooden track runs along the ground, parallel to the pipe. In the center of the image, two men lean on a cart that rests on the track. A metal apparatus with cables extending from the top, apparently used to hoist beams, sits to the right of the track. Hills are visible in the distance.

Photograph by J.W. Bledsoe

From the California Historical Society Collection at the University of Southern California

http://digitallibrary.usc.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/p15799coll65/id/3551/rec/6

Mule Team Pulling Haywagon

Mule Team

Mule Team in the San Fernando Valley. Year Unknown.

Mule teams pulling hay wagons in the San Fernando Valley.

Year unknown.

Photograph by J. W. Bledsoe

Image courtesy Jim Smart at CSUSB, from an 8×10 glass plate negative.

Gerrard Country Club, Dec. 4 1925

scan636 Bledsoe Gerrard County Club Dec 4 1925

Gerrard County Club, Dec 4 1925, by J.W. Bledsoe. Identities of the individuals in the photo are unknown, as is the precise location of the Gerrard Country Club. Any additional information would be welcome.

Image courtesy Jim Smart at CSUSB, from an 8×10 negative.

Sequoiadendron giganteum in 1890

Men on Sequoiadendron

This is the Boole Tree in Converse Basin Grove, photographed in 1890. To my astonishment, the tree is still alive (in the photo it looks like they are preparing to cut it down). Image in the holdings of the San Joaquin Valley Library.

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