San Gabriel Valley History Talk at Arcadia Public Library
February 28, 2023 – Local historian Ed Andersen, President of the Arcadia Historical Society, is presenting a talk on “The San Gabriel Valley in 1877: Through the Lens of Carleton Watkins” at the Arcadia Public Library on Saturday, March 11, at 2 p.m. in the Cay Mortenson Auditorium. This engaging and informative talk will feature rare images of the historic Old Mill, the San Gabriel Mission, “Lucky” Baldwin’s Rancho Santa Anita, and more. Carleton E. Watkins was born in New York and came west in 1849 with his friend Collis P. Huntington, hoping to make his fortune in the California Gold Rush. Instead of mining, Watkins took photographs, and found employment at the famed Vance studio in San Francisco. He was a clever innovator and by the time he made his first visit to southern California in 1877, Watkins was widely regarded as one of America’s finest photographers. He was taken by the stunning beauty of the San Gabriel Valley and took a series of invaluable photographs documenting life in the valley in the nineteenth century. In addition to the photographs featured in Andersen’s lecture, there will some of Watkins’ photographs on display in the library.
The event is free and open to all. No registration is required.
Visit the Arcadia Public Library’s website at www.ArcadiaCA.gov/library or call the Adult Services desk at 626.821.5569 for more information. The Arcadia Public Library is located at 20 W. Duarte Rd., Arcadia. The Library is open Monday through Thursday, 10:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m. and Friday and Saturday, 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. You can also follow the Library on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
