Alfred A. Hart Stereographs of the Central Pacific Railroad

Collection — Box: 01

Identifier: PC-RM-Hart

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Contains seventy stereographs depicting views of the construction and surrounding landscape of the Central Pacific Railroad in northern California and Nevada. Includes a downtown San Francisco view, a photo of the interior hallway of E.B. Crocker's Sacramento residence, and a group portrait of Paiute people. Images in this collection were photographed and published for the Central Pacific Railroad Company.

Backs of stereographs are labeled with advertising for various photographic series taken and published by Alfred A. Hart including: Scenes in the Sierra Nevada Mountains; Scenes in the Washoe Range; Scenes in the Valley of the Sacramento; Scenes on the Humboldt River. Most stereographs labeled on back: Alfred A. Hart, Golden State Photographic Gallery, No. 65 J Street, corner of Third, Sacramento, California.

Dates

circa 1865-1869

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Materials in this collection, which were created in 1865-1869, are in the public domain in the United States. Permission to publish or reproduce is not required.

Biographical / Historical

Alfred A. Hart was born in Connecticut in 1816. In 1865 he was commissioned to photograph the construction of the Central Pacific Railroad (CPRR) and was promoted to the CPRR's official photographer in 1866. Hart would photograph along the CPRR line in the summers between 1865 and 1868. Hart was terminiated from the CPRR in 1869. He died in 1908 in Alameda County, California.

Extent

0.5 box

Additional Description

Abstract

Stereographs of the Central Pacific Railroad taken by Alfred A. Hart depicting the construction and surrounding landscape of the Central Pacific Railroad in northern California and Nevada between 1862-1869.

Arrangement

Collection is arranged into two series. The first series, California, Central Pacific Railroad, circa 1865-1867, contains stereographs showing construction and locations of the Central Pacific Railroad. Each card is labeled "California" along the right edge of the stereograph, and photographs depict locations in California, except for three stereographs which depict Nevada. The second series, Nevada, Central Pacific Railroad, circa 1865-1867, contains stereographs labeled "Nevada" along the right edge of the stereograph. These images all depict locations in Nevada County, California.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Provenance unknown for many of the stereographs in this collection. Other stereographs from this collection are identified as being donated by Luke Fay; George D. Lyman; and Alexander Thomas Leonard M.D.