Asahel Curtis (1874-1941), attr. photographer. [Mount Rainier Reflected.] Orotone in original frame. Marked "0639 b" in negative to lower right. Visible 10 1/2 x 13 1/4 in., framed to 16 x 19 1/2 in. 

A beatuiful view of Mt. Ranier framed by giant sequoias and elegantly reflected in a pristine lake. The work is almost certainly by Asahel Curtis (1874-1941),  the younger brother of famed ethnographic portraitist Edward Sheriff Curtis (1868-1952), who was a photographer in his own right and is best remembered for his views of Mount Ranier. 

In 1894, Asahel relocated to Seattle to work under his brother. They mutually agreed to send Asahel to the Yukon in 1897 to document the Klondike Gold Rush, which he dutifuly executed over the next two years. Upon his return, the brothers acrimoniously parted after Edward published Asahel's Yukon photos under his own name. 

The image here, printed as an orotone and presented in a decorative frame that is associated with Edward's studio could be indicative of several different scenarios. Perhaps the orotone was issued in the earliest phase of Curtis's experimentation of the orotone medium in 1896, though know verified prints from this era are known to exist. And most of Asahel's Ranier views are attributed to the early 20th century. Or Edward could have issued the view from his own gallery, continuing his early practice. Or perhaps, Asahel also had access to the same frames and issued it under his own gallery. A dedicated researcher may be able to untangle the Gordian knot of attribution. 

A rare and beautiful view, we found no other examples of this exact framing of Mount Rainier. 

[Photography, Early Photography, Historic Photography, Daguerreotypes, Ambrotypes, Tintypes, Cased Images, Union Cases, Albumen Photographs, CDVs, Carte de Visites, Cartes de Visite, Carte-de-visite, Cartes-de-visite, CDV, Cabinet Cards, Stereoviews, Stereocards, Stereographs] [Western Americana, Western History, Western Expansion, Wild West]