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San Francisco,CA - c1886 - U.S.R.C. "Richard Rush" Photograph :

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Photographic Images Start Price:100.00 USD Estimated At:200.00 - 400.00 USD
San Francisco,CA - c1886 - U.S.R.C.  Richard Rush  Photograph :
Cabinet card of a topsail schooner heading out to sea. Image measures 8" x 5", mounted on dark brown cardstock with narrow border measuring 8 1/2 x 5 1/2".The contrast is medium, with some yellowing noted, while the focus is good. There are several very small spots and indentations noted in the upper right, otherwise very fine. The matte shows slight wear along the edges and in the corners, otherwise also very fine. Printed along the bottom border is "1374, U.S.R.C. "Richard Rush," on her departure Jan. 2d, 1886, in search of the "Amethyst." Next to the caption is the photographers name, Taber. Isaiah Taber was born in New Bedford, MA, in 1830 and died in 1912. A miner and dentist before turning to photography as a vocation, he worked for Bradley & Rulafson (1864-73), George Daniels Morse, opened I.W. Taber & Company (1875), and worked alone (1877-1906). He produced a variety of large format images as well as portraits of prominent people and stereoviews. Included is an article describing the vessel, a United States Revenue Cutter commissioned in 1874. After sailing to San Francisco via Cape Horn, she cruised the waters off CA, OR, WA, and made several trips to Alaska. After being rebuilt in 1885, she gained a new, longer hull, but retained the same boiler and engine. In this photo she is embarking for the Bering Sea to search for the crew of the whaling vessel Amethyst, but returned unsuccessfully in early 1886. Very nice piece and informative background article.