American Historical Ephemera & Photography

10 albumen photographs, 3 1/8 x 3 1/2 in., each mounted on a 5 x 7 in. disbound leaf (each trimmed along left edge), with printed title in lower margin (light, even toning to prints, otherwise very good condition overall). The leaves were removed from the book, The Wonders of the Yosemite Valley, and of California, written in 1872 by Dr. Samuel Kneeland, a Boston physician, founding member, and later professor of zoology at MIT. This book documents two trips that Dr. Kneeland took to California between 1869 and 1871. The photographs were purportedly taken by John P. Soule, although it is unclear if he actually took them in California or acquired the negatives. (Information obtained from Yosemite Online Library, 20 March 2023.)

The lot includes the following titles: Yosemite Fall, 2634 feet high. -- Mirror Lake and Mt. Watkins. -- Nevada Fall, 700 feet high. -- Vernal Fall (350 ft. high) and Cap of Liberty (4600 ft. above Valley). -- The Sentinels, 315 feet high, diam. 20 feet. -- The Yosemite Valley, 4060 feet above the Sea. -- North Dome - Wash'n Column - Royal Arches. From Merced River. -- Half, or South Dome (1 1/8 Mile high,) from head of Valley. -- El Capitan (3100 ft. above Valley,) from Merced River. -- Bridal Veil Fall. 940 feet high.