Early Family Photo Album Dating From the late 1800s to Early 1900s…
[O'Hara, Lillian; and Grace C. Livermore]: EARLY FAMILY PHOTO ALBUM DATING FROM THE LATE 1800S TO EARLY 1900S AND CONTAINING MORE THAN 240 PHOTOGRAPHS, BOUND WITHIN ORIGINAL O'HARA & LIVERMORE BURNT LEATHER ARTIST BOARDS. [California: 1890s-1910?].
[60] pages, heavy gray paper, containing about 246 mounted photographs, some 2.5" x 4.5", others 2.25" x 6.75", and 4.5" x 6.5".
Bound in original burnt leather artist boards with tooled leather decorative scene set into front board [rubbed, some cracks and wear to corners and edges], overall quite attractive. The leather boards are in the style of artistic leather bookbindings from the Arts and Crafts movement of the early 1900s. Paper stamp of "O'Hara & Livermore Studio Applied Arts, San Francisco, Cal." glued to rear pastedown. O'Hara & Livermore exhibited their carved leather goods at the Lewis & Clark Exposition held in Portland, Oregon, in 1905. Good+ to Very Good.
The unidentified family depicted in this photo album was quite well off, considering the vacation destinations and the quality of the photographs. Several vacation pictures from the Hotel del Coronado show different views of the hotel and grounds, the golf course and tennis courts. Others are from the Hotel Del Monte of Monterey, California, with views of its Cypress Maze and grounds, and scenic views of nearby Pebble Beach with its famous "Lone Cypress" growing on a nearby cliff overlooking the shoreline. Two pictures of an Asian woman and her baby in an ornamental garden, likely one of the Del Monte's many Chinese workers on staff. The woman's hair is set beautifully upon her head and she is wearing a traditional robe. One picture shows the woman holding her baby up for the camera; the other with the baby slung onto her back; a small ornamental bridge appears in the background. Each of these elegant resorts was a destination for elite vacationers, including royalty, diplomats, actors and actresses.
Many pictures are from western-themed guest ranches and other rustic vacation spots, some possibly from the Del Monte Forest, with men and women holding guns, riding horses, taking their ease in front of buildings and tents, and displaying hunting and fishing trophies. There are also a few pictures of locals or ranch hands of Mexican descent. A few scenes show an early western town with old buildings, a hotel, and military troops parading through the town center. Scenic shots, beautifully taken, include panoramic views of mountains and seascapes, as well as two wildlife close-ups with one depicting a bird in its nest.
The famous interior decorating firm of O'Hara & Livermore was established in San Francisco in 1892 by Lillian O'Hara [1864-1959] and Grace G. Livermore [1867-1927]. Their business included applied arts and the manufacture of burnt leather goods, bronze lamps and curios. O'Hara was born in Canada, moved to California in the 1880s with her mother, settled on the Wildasin Ranch in Independence, and later moved to San Francisco. Livermore, born in Wisconsin, moved to San Francisco with her widowed mother and siblings after her father died in 1874. The two women had studied art. They became involved in the San Francisco art scene, befriending many local artists and architects. Their business flourished. Lillian has been credited as the first to use redwood for interior
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