L. W. Currey, Inc.

FAGERSTEEN, GUSTAVUS. [Yosemite Valley] Yo-Semite-Valley California by Gustavus Fagersteen [portfolio title]. Portfolio with 12 albumen prints of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa Big Tree Grove, and one albumen print of the Monterey Peninsula. Yosemite Valley, Cal. Gustav Fagersteen, n.d. All approximately 16 x 10 cm (6 1/4 x 4 1/8 inches). Mounted on stiff cards measuring 16.4x10.6 cm (6 1/2 x 4 1/2 inches). 1) "Sentinel Rock. 3042 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "Gustav Fagersteen, / Yosemite Valley, Cal."2) "Cathedral Rocks 2560 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "G. Fagersteen, / Photographer" [within a ruled box].3) "El Capitan 3300 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount.4) "Yo Semite Fall height 2634 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "Walker & Fagersteen. / Yosemite Valley, / PHOTOGRAPHERS / A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF VIEWS CONSTANTLY ON HAND. / Allso [sic] / Albums of Yosemite ferns / FOR SALE. / Groups Taken With The Yosemite Falls In The Background."5) "Lower Yo Semite Fall 600 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount.6) "North Dome height 3568 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge and stock number 226 in the negative as well. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "Walker & Fagersteen. / Yosemite Valley, / PHOTOGRAPHERS / A LARGE ASSORTMENT OF VIEWS CONSTANTLY ON HAND. / Allso [sic] / Albums of Yosemite ferns / FOR SALE. / Groups Taken With The Yosemite Falls In The Background." Overprinted with: "The Imperial / Photograph Gallery, / 724 Market Street / San Francisco. [within a ribbon].7) "Vernal Fall height 400 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount.8) "Nevada Fall. Height 700 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "S. C. WALKER / AND / G. FAGERSTEEN, / Yosemite Valley / Photographers, / CALIFORNIA."9) "Cap of Liberty; height, 3,100 feet." Title on verso of mount. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount.10) "Union Point height 2700 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "G. Fagersteen, / Photographer" [within a ruled box].11) "Looking down the valley 5000 ft." Title in the negative strip along the bottom edge. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount. The image shows George Anderson, first to climb Half Dome, on top of Half Dome.12) "Grizzly Giant; circumference, 101 feet." Title on verso of mount. No photographer's stamp on the verso of mount.13) "Monterey Peninsula" [title supplied]. Photographer's stamp on the verso of mount: "Gustav Fagersteen, / Yosemite Valley Photographer."The thirteen views enclosed in a brown cloth portfolio, 18.2x13.2 cm, front and rear panels decorated in blind, title stamped in gold on front panel: "Yo-Semite-Valley / CALIFORNIA / by / Gustavus Fagersteen," ribbon ties.Gustavus Fagersteen (c. 1831-c.1890) moved to California in 1871. He was active in the Yosemite region from 1876 through 1890 and, for a time, was associated, in some loose partnership, with S. C. Walker, a photographer based in Stockton, California. Both Fagersteen and Walker "had been assistant photographers for J. J. Reilly; many of their [stereo] cards are Hazeltine mounts and images overprinted 'Successors to M. M. Hazeltine, Photographed by Walker & Fagersteen.' [Hazeltine] operated out of Stockton, 1868-1878, issuing stereoviews alone and in association with J. J. Reilly" (Mautz). Fagersteen operated his own studio in Yosemite Valley from 1886 through 1889. He produced photographic views of Yosemite Valley and the Mariposa big tree grove in 4x6 and 6x9 inch formats, as well as a very small quantity of stereoscopic cards. His main output appears to have consisted of posed photographs of early tourists visiting Yosemite. See Mautz, pp. 123, 179 and 489. Cloth portfolio a bit rubbed, very good; images largely fine with rich tones and good contrast. Provenance: Signature of Mrs. Lizzie Channing on the inside front cover. (#165998).