A grouping of five (5) stereoviews of missions and churches in San Antonio, Texas, ca. 1885-90. Frank Hardesty, photographer. All from the series "Stereoscopic Views of San Antonio, Texas" and on yellow or orange mounts with imprint to recto and a full list of images in the series to verso. 

These views include: 

1. Mission San Jose. A view of the Mission San José, known as the "Queen of the Missions." It was founded in 1720, with the building shown in the photograph and still standing today being completed in 1768. It was restored by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and now serves as a National Park. 

2. San Fernando Cathedral (Front). An angled view of the San Fernando Cathedral, with horse-drawn carts parked in front and with only one bell tower complete. One of the oldest active cathedrals in the country, its cornerstone was laid in 1738 and was completed in 1755. Part of the reason there is only one bell tower is perhaps a result from renovations that began in 1868, where the original bell tower and nave were razed to make room for the current twin bell towers and a gable roof. 

3. Alamo. A nearly centered view of the front of the Alamo in its eponymous plaza. Two men stand off to the side looking up at the structure. 

4. Mission Concepcion. A shot of Mission Concepción through the trees. It is the oldest unrestored stone church in America, having been built in 1731 and even surviving a battle during the Texas Revolution in 1835. It also remains active, hosting Sunday mass every week. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1970 and became a World Heritage Site, along with the Alamo, in 2015. 

5. San Fernando Cathedral. A closer view of the second stereoview featured in this lot. 

[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]

Conditions vary. Some soiling to first image but does not affect visibility. First mount appears to have suffered some water damage in the lower left corner.