I came across these beautiful lantern slides in UC Davis archive. They’re another clue in my quest to find Hidden California!
Musical Accompaniment: Sweet Dreams of You by Patsy Cline
The photographs are credited to Frona Eunice Wait. She is usually credited as Frona Eunice Wait Colburn, but these images were taken before her second marriage. Frona was born in Yolo County, California in 1859. Sometime after 1880, she got her first job as a journalist in Santa Rosa. It was during this period that she took the pictures you’ll see here.
Frona Wait, 1897
By 1887, she was working for the San Francisco Examiner, as one of their two female reporters. In 1900, she married Frederick Henry Colburn. Eventually she became an associate editor for Overland Monthly. Apart from journalism, Frona is known primarily as a science fiction writer.
I’ll include her titles for each slide.
The first one is Livermore Valley- Cresta Blanca, Aerial View of Vineyards Among Hills.
UC Davis
Naglee Brandy- Tree-Lined Path between Vineyards
UC Davis
Inglenook Vineyard, Rutherford, Napa County- Interior of Distillery
UC Davis
Fresno County- Charles Krug Vineyard, Grape Picking
UC Davis
Inglenook Vineyard, Rutherford, Napa County – Schramsberg Mansion
How lovely this one is!
UC Davis
Fresno County- St. George Vineyards, Pond with Weeping Willow and Four Swimmers
UC Davis
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Beautiful photographs! Looking at the tree lined path, I can just feel the coolness and peacefulness of a walk along that path. California was such a beautiful place many years ago with the vineyards and orange groves. There’s nothing that compares with the fragrance of an orange grove. Too many have been taken out for “progress”.
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I have a Meyer Lemon Tree in the yard. Standing near it during blossom season is ephemeral but an olfactory delight.
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I have a Meyer lemon tree too! They are lovely, aren’t they? That tree is actually why I decided to move to this place!
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We squeeze the lemons and freeze the juice. It is great for making lemonade and margaritas.
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That’s a great idea! I mostly use the lemons for cooking and baking.
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How did I miss these comments? I know just what you mean about California. Destroying natural beauty in the name of progress should be a crime. I hope we see California renew herself one day soon!
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