Doc-003: Postcard in Andrew Forbes Own Handwriting

Doc-003: This postcard below was written from Andrew Forbes to Mrs. J. M. Forbes. Right now, I am guessing that Mrs. J. M. Forbes is the wife of his only child, James McLaren Forbes - will have to investigate this further. The postcard was mailed on May 26, 1913. This gives us the first confirmed writing sample of Andrew Forbes. Boy, his handwriting sure was messy, if this post card is any indication! Postcard courtesy of Toureson / Bailly.

Above Text: 

Dear Mother,

Card from Mary

today and both

doing well. Will

start home as soon

as sure that I will

not get the mumps.

Love your son,

Love, Andrew

Mrs. J. M. Forbes

831 3rd

Santa Ana

Cal

May 26, 1913 9pm Cal.

1 cent postage.

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Presentation Outline for 3/18/2014 at HSUMD

PRESENTATION WORK IN PROGRESS!

Above: Upcoming presentation. Click to enlarge.

Welcome to the Life and Times of 
Andrew Alexander Forbes 1862-1921
 HSUMD ~ Tim Waag ~ March 18, 2014 at 7pm

Our Websites
www.AAForbes.blogspot.com
www.AAForbes.com (coming soon)
www.Facebook.com/AAForbes (coming soon)

Good Evening and 
Thanks for Inviting Us!
HSUMD Brings History to Life
Thanks to Andrew Sound and Jim Kenney
Thanks to Liz Babcock
Always an honor to be at the USO Building with HSUMD
Challenging Presentation (Thanks, Forbes Family)
During our presentation, please feel free to ask questions 
Why So Difficult?
Researching pioneer photographers is new to us
Forbes was a prolific photographer…
…He’s everywhere!
Literally!
So many approaches to take…
…Where to Begin? – at HSUMD!
Who are the Waag Bros.? Part 1
Who are the Waag Bros.? (Brian)
Who are the Waag Bros.? 
 (Tim)

Who are the Waag Bros.? 

Adventurers and explorers since little kids
As kids, rarely came back from a hike   before dark
The adventure of the trail kept luring us along
No flashlights, first aid kits, maps or ropes!
Photo: Panamint Pass (Hungry Bill’s)

New Term? Micro-Historians
We hope we are the 1st to coin this term (we’re gonna use it anyways)
Probably not (Heather at ECM said "No"!)
We don't want to do research
The subjects force us to find out more
That's what HSUMD is doing too!
Salt Bucket at Maturango Museum
Micro-Historians
(Maturango Salt Tram Bucket)
Our Micro-History Investigations
Saline Valley Salt Co.

Beveridge Mining District (including the Lonesome Miner Trail)
Goler Wash / Striped Butte Valley
Saga of Louise Grantham and her Warm Springs Mining Adventures
Retracing the route of the 1925 Bob Eichbaum Toll Road
Retracing the route of the 25-mile Skidoo Pipeline
and many more!
Our Micro-History Investigations
Why do we mention this?

We encourage you to do your own investigations
Example: Sandy Rogers "Epsom Salts Monorail" book
We always leave wanting to know more!
Our list gets LONGER with every trip – not SHORTER!
The Waag Bros. Table
The Waag Bros. Table
Say "Hi" to Tracy! (thanks)
We'll be at table before and after the meeting to talk
A few fun researchy things to see
Some free things
Some fun things to buy
Sold either at Cost or $$$ Goes to ECM
Sign-up Sheet (email only)
Forbes shooting Sierras panorama

Time for an A. A. Forbes Photo!
Thanks to the 
Eastern California Museum…
Thanks to the 
Eastern California Museum…

Goal Tonight - Part 1

Honor A. A. Forbes amazing photo work 

Honor the man who was A. A. Forbes
Work not fully understood or examined (as far as we can tell!)
Forbes - the person - not fully appreciated
Main Street – Bishop, Calif.
Time for Another Forbes Photo

Goal Tonight – Part 2
Inspire everyone to find out more

Motivate you to reveal Forbes works
Save his work from your attic...
...before it ends up in the dump – FOREVER
Forbes’ grandmother Lucinda

Your Attic Full of Treasure?
Recent Finds (just last 3 months):
“Salt Tram Suitcase” 1998
1912 Salt Tram “Report to Shareholders” by Goodman
Extensive material on Bakersfield trucker C. W. Hayes
Connected with Forbes family members (they found me!) 

How we got interested in Forbes
How we got interested in Forbes
The Salt Tram, of course! (Good Guess!)
Kept seeing Forbes name on Salt Co. photos
Confirmed Forbes was at tram in 1912
New Salt Tram shirts coming soon!
Pack trail above Zig Zag trail

How we got interested in Forbes:

Salt Wagon

Uncertain date
Unknown location - we're looking!
Likely in the 1903 - 1905 timeframe (L. Borland)
Photos indicate Forbes packed entire tram route
Photo: Salt Wagon / Salt Lake Horses

Salt Lake Operations

Other Salt Tram photographers

 (J. W. Bledsoe)
Bledsoe Photo Co. L. A. Cal.

Active in late 19th and early 20th century
Contract Commercial photographer
Los Angeles DWP Collection - USC library
Great Grandson: Charles F. Delwiche, Professor, Cell Biology and Molecular Geetics, University of Maryland.”
Workers out on Salt Lake / San Francisco

Other Salt Tram photographers
 (Burton Frasher Sr.)
Frasher Fotos (Pomona Library 7,500 postcards of California and Southwest)
Burton Frasher Sr. (1888-1955) 
Frasher came after Forbes - Started in 1916
Moved studio to Pomona in 1921 (year of Forbes' passing)
In 1948, over 3 1/2 million "Frasher Fotos" postcards were sold nationwide
Other Salt Tram Updates
Oldest stock certificate: May 12, 1914
Thanks to "Friends of Salt Tram" who donated (including HSUMD!)
1912 report to the shareholders by    J. A. Goodman (copies now available)
Waag Bros. 2012 and 2013 off - back to work!
Tim and Roberta / Stock Certificate

How We Became Interested in 
Andrew Alexander Forbes
We're out exploring and find something of interest

Hey, let's buy the book!
What? No book?
Well, I guess we've got to make the book!
Photo: Bodie, Calif.

How We Became Interested in 
Andrew Alexander Forbes
Happy to help other Forbes fans

Collaborators - Not Collectors
Investigating cameras Forbes used and sold
Postcard revolution
Annotating negatives
Photo: Forbes / Austin?
Forbes / Austin?
Time for Audience Participation
Let's explore what the audience knows about Forbes?

Honest: who has NEVER heard of Forbes?
Forbes work is mostly hidden in museums, libraries and personal collections
We'd like to change that
Photo Annotations
First thing we noticed "Forbes Studio"

Many variations in text
Many variations in writing
Should give clues to photo dates
An interesting study
Photo: 1916 Indian Baby Show / Captain John – Last of the Pauite Chiefs

Strengths: 1. Subject Matter
Oklahoma land rush and cowboys
Native Americans in natural settings
Owens Valley and surrounding areas
Southern Calif. And Death Valley
Landscapes and portraits
Dogged pursuit of subject matter
Eaton and the Aqueduct
Photo: Captain John / King John

Strengths: 2. Technique
Sharpness and richness of tonality

8 x 10 or larger negatives
Native American photos are primary research sources
Magnifiers yield additional detail
Known to experiment with all techniques (kite)
Photo: Stonewall Jackson –Interpreter

Strengths: 3. Technical Comp.
Artlessness of presentation: the art is in the truth
Not heavily manipulated
Captured the natural character of the subject
Prolific output of photos: no time for staging
We don't see “2. Technique” in many Forbes photos
Photo: TE-HA age 125 years - 1904

A. A. Forbes Photo Collections

Western History Collections

University of Oklahoma Libraries
LA County Museum of Natural History
Private collections
Museums and libraries throughout the west
Too many to count
University of Oklahoma 
1885-1889 Forbes Collection
Cowboys around the chuck wagon, c. 1885.
Outfit gathered around chuck wagon at meal time, c. 1885.
Group of K men around the chuck wagon
Group of cowboys watching one of their companions ride a bronc, c. 1885.
Three women and two children in front of their sod house, c. 1889.
Gilaloo Post Office, Texas panhandle 

The “Forbes Catalog”
LA County Museum of Natural History

The keys to the Forbes kingdom
What's in it? What format?
What does it look like?
How can we get in to see it?
ECM knows someone who has seen it – we want to see it!
Forbes Studio 1902? - 1916
Bishop, California
Had a son (J. McLaren Forbes) with Mary during this time
Advertised Regularly in the Inyo Register
Continued to “travel” with his “photographic kit” and wagon
Random IR Advertisements

Share or Donate Forbes Stuff
We're just getting started...

...But its worth it
We bought a Forbes postcard of the Salt Tram on eBay
Donated to the Eastern California Museum
Forbes remains largely unknown 
Andrew’s mobile “photographic kit”

Much Work to be Done
Main catalog of Forbes work
Location and content
The story of his life (all of it)
Biographical information scarce
Photographic references are nonexistent
Journal of Calif. Anthropology
Summer 1975 - Page 38 - 59
Only known biographical info. – Where did Jon Bosak (author) get it? 
“The unmannered style of Forbes photographs are closer to…Indian photographers [that pre-dated him] … Soule and Hillers
Photo: Forbes Family Portrait

Little Credit to Forbes
Numerous examples exist of Forbes work not credited to him

Images of America series
Smithsonian Institution
National Geographic
Postcard Sent to Mrs. J. M. Forbes 
Dear Mother, Card from Mary today and both doing well. Will start home as soon as sure that I will not get the mumps. Love your son, Love, Andrew
Mrs. J. M. Forbes, 831 3rd, Santa Ana, Cal
May 26, 1913 9pm Cal.
1 cent postage.

1. The Life and Times of
Pioneer Photographer “Andy”
Why is this last?
Andrew Alexander Forbes was born April 21, 1862, in Ottowa Township, Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States of America.
Son of James McLaren Forbes (from Scotland) and Lucinda Parmelia Sanders (from New York); 5th of 8 children.
Photo: Linda at ECM

2. The Life and Times of
Pioneer Photographer “Andy”
Late 1880s: Forbes started his professional career as an itinerant photographer, working with other skilled cameramen such as William Pretty-man, Cornish and Croft
Forbes and one of his brothers took a series of excellent photographs of the "Opening Run"  at the "Cherokee Strip" in Oklahoma in 1889 or 1893.

3. The Life and Times of
Pioneer Photographer “Andy”
1889: After the ”Oklahoma Land Rush" at in 1889, Forbes waved good-bye to his cowboy life, and turned to the life of a itinerant photographer until his end of days.
1898-1902: Forbes arrived in California. He made his photo studio headquarters in Santa Ana with his parents and siblings.

4. The Life and Times of
Pioneer Photographer “Andy”
1902-1916: Forbes established a photography studio in Bishop California on West Line Street, known strangely enough as "Forbes Studio"!
Prior to 1902. Forbes developed a fondness for Native Americans and their plight, and thus during his "Forbes Studio" era, he was frequently called upon to photograph portraits of them.

Upcoming Owens Valley Project

Conclusion:
What Have We Left Out?
Answer: a whole bunch – we just don’t know how much
Forbes was an amazing cowboy, and tough as nails
He was a good friend and neighbor, and member of church and service group
He earned a place in history, and he was too humble to claim it (so we have to)
Until we meet again…

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