St LOUIS NATIVE PHOTO ALBUMS 1908-1920 CORNELL, BOYS CAMP, CANADA, ALASKA etc.
Item #378
Charles Edward Hermann albums
Four photo albums with dates ranging from 1908 to the early 1920s and containing over 2,000 photos, which document the school years and travel of Charles Edward Hermann, who went on to become Chairman of the Board of Reliance Whiting Co., and an inventor of machines for crushing and air classifying rock and whiting. The albums feature photographs from Hermann’s school years at Smith Academy in St. Louis and Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, as well as extensive travel throughout Europe, Canada, and the United States. His career as a Civil Engineer and interest in land surveying can be seen in photographs of mountains, forests, and natural and manmade waterways throughout the photo albums. Photos are annotated and “C.E.H.” describe one man, who I figured out was the author of these albums, from cabinet card portrait of Hermann’s great grandfather, Carl Eduard Tittman, which has a handwritten note that says “Great Grandfather of Charles Edward Hermann.” A talented photographer, these albums show amazing photos from his adventurous young life. Below are descriptions of each of these albums:
1. Canada and Alaska photo album
15.5 x 11.5” album with a dark reddish-brown cover, bound by string. The corners are worn and the material on the cover flakes a bit. The word “Photographs'' is embossed on the cover along with a border frame. Contains a little over 200 black and white photos of travel in Canada and the Yukon Territory undertaken by Hermann and others. Photographs measure between 2.25 x 3” up to 5.5 x 3.5” and are glued onto the page and annotated. The photographs are largely focused on the natural wonders encountered during the trip, including waterfalls, mountains, and glaciers. Locations shown include the Canadian Rockies, Lake Louise, parts of Banff National Park, Bow Valley, Illecillewaet Glacier, and Dawson and Carcross Yukon. There are also photos from Skagway, Alaska, Admiralty Island, and Mendenhall Glacier. Some photographs feature the individuals on the excursion, hunting trophies, and even a forest fire. There are two loose photos and the album is only partially filled. There is a copy of The Daily Alaskan newspaper from August 7, 1920. A small article in the newspaper about C. E. Hermann and W. H. Englemann’s trip to Carcross and Dawson and their plans to take a boat to Juneau and Admiralty Island for bear hunting.
2. Glacier National Park photo album
15.5 x 11.25” burgundy photo album, bound by string. The word “Photographs” is picked out on the cover in gold. Contains nearly 300 black and white photos that mostly feature a trip through Glacier National Park and Canada from around 1918. Photographs measure between 2 x 2.75” up to 5.5 x 3.25” and are glued to the page and are annotated. While most of the photos are of the natural world, there are also photos of individuals on the trip setting up camp and playing around. Some pictures feature people feeding black bears that happened upon their camp in Yellowstone. Locations depicted include Dawson Pass, Red Eagle Lake, Sexton Glacier, Piegan Pass, Cracker Lake, Iceberg Lake, Granite Park, and Yellowstone Park. There are also photographs from Eatons’ Ranch in Wyoming which feature people riding horses. There are several loose pages and photographs at the beginning of the album, including a damaged photograph of the Record Board of Smith Academy from 1916. There are blank pages in the middle of the album and at the end.
3. Travel and summer camp album
15.24 x 11” album with a black textured cover that reads “Photographs” in gold. Both the front and back cover are detached from the album. Contains over 1100 black and white photographs from 1908-1917 that feature travel and photos from a boy’s summer camp. Photographs measure between 1.5 x 1.5” up to 5.5 x 3.5” and are glued to the page with a few held to the page with corner tabs. A few are loose. Each photograph is annotated, though some comments are faded, and a majority of the photographs have been numbered and have a year written beside them. The photographs feature Hermann’s extensive travels as a young man and include locations such as Panama and the Gaten Locks, Miraflores Locks, and Pedro Miguel Locks. There are also photos from travel through Canada, England, France, Italy, and parts of the United States. The travel photographs largely feature buildings and the landscape, as well as family members on ships. There is a section devoted to photographs from “Field Day aboard the Caronia.” The latter half of the album contains photographs from Hermann’s time at Camp Minne-Wonka in Wisconsin, which include images of nature, fellow campers, and animals such as porcupines, bears, and a tame chipmunk. There are also photos of football games at Smith Academy, horse racing, and other sports. A charming series of photos feature a dog named Flyp. Other photographs feature Boy Scout trips to Onondaga Cave. There appear to be around 3 photos missing from the album and 4 loose photographs. At the front of the album is a loose copy of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat from August 6, 1965. There is also a booklet from 1914 describing Camp Minne-Wonka, a boy’s camp at Virgin Lake in Wisconsin.
The album is entirely filled and the photographs are in good condition, but the album itself is flaking.
4. Cornell University photo album
15.5 x 11.25” album documenting Charles Edward Hermann’s time at Cornell University and includes around 450 photos from 1911 to 1920. The cover of the album is textured black with the Cornell University logo in gold. The album is just barely held together and the covers are partially detached. Contains black and white photos lightly glued to the pages at the corners with annotations. These notes identify individuals in photos as well as buildings and activities. Most of the pictures are of Hermann’s friends at Cornell, the university campus, and the surrounding area. Activities depicted include skiing, football games, and the Mud Rush between freshmen and sophomores. There are also images from trips taken to Buttermilk Falls, Six Mile Creek, Boston, Taughannock Falls, and Sheldrake Springs. Hermann is identified in the album with the initials C.E.H. He is a talented photographer with some amazing shots, including night photos. Photographs measure between 2.5 x 1.75” up to 6.75 x 4.75” and there are around 25 loose photos within the album. The album is mostly full, but there are empty pages between the middle and very end of the album.
Price: $4,500.00