Buy this book on-line

Parker, F.? : Original Stereocard Photograph - "Los Angeles, California."

Original stereocard on pale orange board. Black and white photograph with sepia tones. No date, circa 1871. Board measures 6 3/4" x 3 1/2"; photograph measures 5 3/8" x 3." Minimal age wear. Stereocard is very clean and intact. Upper-left corner of the left image is slightly loose. Photograph shows Main Street in Los Angeles lined with buildings curving back toward the upper-left. Several horse-drawn carts and carriages are in the foreground near a storefront at 32 Main Street with "Levy & Coblentz" painted on the side of its portico. People are shown underneath the portico and in the street. Title printed at the lower-left corner of the right image. "American Views." printed at the left and right edges of the board. Michel Levy (1834-1905) was born in France and immigrated to the U.S. in 1850 or 1851. He did business in several California towns including Benicia, Placerville, Diamond Springs, and Cloverdale. Levy also traveled to Humboldt County and Nevada until he settled in Los Angeles in 1868. That same year, he and Joe Coblentz opened Levy & Coblentz, a wholesale dealer of imported and domestic wines and liquors, in Downey block on Main Street. Coblentz retired after eleven years, but Levy continued business and worked with Louis Lewin and Lesser Hirshfeld under the same business name. Levy & Coblentz was open until 1910. Also of note is advertising on the left edge for Ponet pictures and picture frames (more visible on the right image of the stereocard but is clipped; "et" of "Ponet" is visible). Victor Ponet (1836-1914) was born in Belgium and was a jack of all trades. He immigrated to the U.S. in 1864 and settled in Los Angeles in 1869. His many professions included cabinetmaker, coffinmaker, picture framer, salesman of sewing machines, landlord, and founder and director of the German-American Savings Bank. In 1869, he opened a coffin- and cabinetmaking business at 66 Main Street in LA. The stereocard highlights Ponet's venture in making and selling picture frames. Information on Levy & Coblentz cited from the Huntington Library, pre-pro[dot]com, and rootsweb[dot]com. Information on Victor Ponet cited from frenchtownconfidential[dot]blogspot[dot]com.. Photographic Image. Book Condition: Collectible-Very Good. Binding: No Binding

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.