Nineteenth century \"paper negatives\", Nevada Plats, GLO maps (Aurora) For Sale

These are Nevada Plat Surveys, about 39 paper negatives and about 26 positive photographic prints on paper, most from the last quarter of the 19th century. The earliest are mostly from the U.S. General Land Office, Virginia City or Carson City; there are even a couple done by the San Francisco office. They were meant to describe previously unrecorded or under-recorded characteristics of Nevada land for purposes of development - settlement, agriculture, mining, lumbering, and so on. Later plats were produced by the State Land Office, U.S. Mineral Office, or other public agencies. Some of these are done to delineated the boundaries of mining claims. Others were commissioned to private survey companies by mine operators.

Most are about 22 x 18 inches, a minority are smaller because cut down or, for example the mining claim maps, on smaller sheets of paper.

I have listed the plats in two groups (below), negatives and positives, ordered by township and range. They are each described briefly; some features that are named on the maps are listed within quotes, some features from modern maps that help describe the location of the plats are not within quotation marks - modern surveys of each plat in Nevada can be examined at class=\"MsoNormal\"> Paper negatives were useful as a cheap, easy way to quickly reproduce several copies of a photograph or drawing - compare to metal engraving, woodcuts, etc.

Several different types of paper are represented - almost any paper would do but, of course, some types were better than others, and as paper-making technology progressed, new and better papers were produced that were more suited for the process. Many types are represented here. There are a limited number of duplicate plats, some of those are not exactly the same, having slight changes, like the list of claims on the two Aurora maps - mostly the same claims, a couple of exceptions.

Some of the above pictures show the negatives, then a \"mirror\" or \"reverse\" image created by holding the front up to a light and looking through the back.

As for condition, most prints are in good condition, some that are over-used or ill-treated are hard to read of badly worn, especially with edge tears like the one shown in the last picture.

These have been stored flat and the will be shipped flat to the sale winner.

From: \"Topics in Photographic Preservation\" 1995, V.6, Article 1, pp.1-10) by Lee Ann Daffner

One of the original forms of photography was based on thepaper negative process. William Henry Fox Talbot\'s paper negative process,which was used to create his work \"The Pencil of Nature\", used anegative created on paper treated with silver salts, which was exposed in acamera obscura to create the negative and then contact printed on a similarpaper to produce a positive image.

In 1841 Talbot coined the phrase “Calotype” to describe hisphotographic process on paper based on a physically developed-out latent image.As he states to the Royal Society of London in 1841, “I have named the paper thusprepared Calotype paper … the picture is a negative one … the copies arepositive ….” Talbot recommended that the positive proofs be made with the plainsalted paper method, and not the Calotype process. Therefore, suitableterminology for the positive proofs are Calotype Positives or simply, saltprints. Negative images made from Talbot\'s exact formula are CalotypeNegatives.

In Talbot\'s patented Calotype process, highquality writing papers were coated with silver halide solutions of eithersodium chloride or iodine. The sensitizing solution is applied directly to asheet of paper by brushing, and the light-sensitive silver salt solution iscarried into the matrix of the paper fibers. The sensitized paper was ready forexposure in the camera. These papers were best used as soon as possible, astheir sensitivity diminished after 24 hours. Many innovations were made onTalbot\'s Calotype Negative process in the succeeding years, however, the commonfeature in all is the application of sensitizing solutions directly to plainpaper. These negatives are commonly referred to as Plain Paper Negatives in thephotographic literature, and they were often rendered more translucent withwarm wax, or left unwaxed, for contact printing positives.

Locating a dependable supply of high quality papers was aprimary concern for the early photographers. Paper impurities could ruin the imageby reacting with the photographic chemistry. Usually these impurities were bitsof metal particles left over from the initial paper processing. The resultingflaws in the image are in the form of local silver accumulation, or oxidation.Uneven sizing in the paper could result in uneven sensitizing.

Negatives

N1 E321873. “Road to TeelsMarsh” goes through “Mountain Flat Meadow”, with a building - “White’s” and “Spring”- now Truman Meadows. SE corner “WhiteMountains”. “Road to Belleville” currently Hwy 6 over Montgomery Pass.

N2 E301873. “State Line VonSchmidt, July 20, 1872”. “State Land Office”. Now Huntoon Creek right at thestateline.

N2 E311878. Californiastate line, Adobe Flat to the west, Mono Natl Forest in holograph – it’sactually Inyo now, just south of Huntoon Valley, ENE of Cowtrack Mtns. Justnorth is “Jack’s Spring” and creek and canyon.

N2 E321873. “Road to TeelsMarsh” “Trail to Jack’s Spring”

N2 E331882. “NorthExtension White Mtns”, “Road Benton to Belleville”, “Road to Teel’s Marsh”,“Road Benton to Columbus”, “Columbus to Benton to Fish Lake”, White Mtn Co.Water Pipleline”. Now junction hwys 6, 360, Mt. Montgomery, Basalt.

N3 E311881. Huntoon CreekNW corner, (no spring?), Mono Natl Forest in holograph, a few roads shown,“Valuable nut pine, cedar, Mt. Mahagony”, “Mountains with Timber”, “Jack’sCreek” in SE corner.

N3 E331882. NE of theprevious 2-31, unlabeled road, probably currently Marietta Rd. “To Teels Marsh,to Belleville”. Also currently Hwy 360

N3 E33Another copy of the above

N4 E28No date, turn of century? “Showing Errors of ConnectionAlong California-Nevada State Line”. A few unidentified roads, one is likelyMono Lake to Aurora road.

N5 E281875. “Aurora” Manyclaims delineated, some named. Lots of roads, most unidentified but “Road toCarson” and “Road to Mono Lake”. “State Land Office”. Chart, with columns: No.,Claim (16 are listed), Lode, Acres, Approved (the date).

N5 E28Date illegible. Different but similar to the above, perhapsolder, legibility poor. Chart is nearly identical but one or two differentclaims at the bottom of that column. Drawn by a different hand from the samefield notes?

N5 E301881. “House” neartop, 4-5 numbered lots - near mouth of (Powell Canyon). Now Hwy 359, WhiskyFlat, Anchorite Hills, Sweetwater Ranch Rd, just above the top edge startsPowell Canyon.

N5 E311881. “Road toColumbia” near the top, now Sweetwater Ranch Rd, Rattlesnake Flat, Whisky Flat.

N5 E31Another copy of the above, deep edge tears.

N6 E311880. “Road to WalkerLake” upper left. Now Hwy 359, and Whisky Flat at the bottom end.

Another copy, same date.

N6 E331881. “ExcelsiorFlat”, now Garfield Flat. “Road to Belleville” (Garfield Flat Road). Otherun-named roads.

N6 E341881. Just West of Mina.“Road to New Boston”, “Mouth of tunnel”, “Road to spring”, lots of un-namedroads.

N7 E311880. Long unmarkedroad, “House” and “Top of conical hill, mouth of tunnel, Johnson Mine” at rightedge. Now Hawthorne Army Depot and“Never Sweat Mine” about where Johnson mine is located.

N7 E321880. “Road toBelleville” running along “Rhodes Canyon”. “State Land Office”. Now GarfieldFlat Rd and Powerline Rd, W of hwy 95 and S of Hawthorne.

N7 E351881. “Road to NewBoston”, other roads, unmarked. Mining claim?, near “Supply spring for NewBoston”.

N7 E35Partial, mining claim drawn by L B Spencer, 1917. “NevadaStandard Copper Mill Site”. “Green Mystery” mill. Just E of U.S. 95, betweenLuning and Mina.

N8 E291880. SW of WalkerLake, border line w/ Walker River Indian Reservation to the northeast., nowHawthorne Army Depot. Includes Mt. Grant.

N8 E291887. Another copy (see above) with a different date.

N8 E301880. South end ofWalker Lake, lots of un-named roads, segment of railroad “C&C RR). “WalkerRiver Indian Reservation” at SW end of lake, “Hawthorne”.

N8 E34-35Undated, by L B Spencer. “Part of the Santa Fe MiningDistrict, Showing Groups of Mining Claims”. Luning and just E of Luning: “WallSt.”, “Never Sweat” (1 and 2), “Copper Reef” (1 and 2), “Mayflower” (4), “Turk”,all adjoining.

N8 35E1891. Just E ofLuning. “Plat of the Guardian Mine No.1” Bordered by the “Silver Guardian” andthe “Tip-Top”.

N8 E351891. Just E. of Luning. “Plat of the Silver Guardian” mine,bordered by the “Guardian No.1” and the “Tip-Top.

N8 E351891. “Plat of theTip-Top Galena” mine, bordered by the “Tip-Top No. 2” and the “Guardian No. 1”

N10 E351883. SE of thepresent town of Gabbs, “Road to Downeyville”, “Road from Luning to Grantsville”.

N12 E281905 NW of WalkerLake, SW of Schurz, Hwy 95. Lake level much higher then.

N12 E361883. “Gabbs Valley”,“Downyville”, “Rafael’s Store”, “Road from Luning to Downyville”, shows lots ofactivity in Downyville (north of the current town of Gabbs).

N13 E241869. “Copper BearingMts” “Mineral Land”,Just W of Yerington. “Copper mine shaft”, “Indications ofrich copper”, “Road to Dayton”.

N13 E271903. East ofYerington, in the Wassuk Range. “Road to Mountain View”.

N13-14-15 E33-34-35N end Monte Christo Range, north of that Churchill, Mineral,Nye corner

N15 E421873. “Toi-Ya-BeMts”. “Mateo’s House” “Washington” (on that creek). SE of Austin in the ReeseRiver Valley.

N15 E441873? J Whatman watermark 1872. \"Big Smokey (sic) Valley\", \"Spaulding’s House\", \"Spaulding’s Salt Marsh\", \"Minimun’s? House\"

N15 E471875. “The Monitor”.“Stoneberger’s House”, “Stoneberger Cr”., NW corner. 2-3 roads, “Anderson’sEmpire Ranch” SE corner.

N22 E59 1881 E of Ruby Mtns, east edge of Long Valley, Hwy 3

Positives

N1 E321879.California/Nevada border, the triangular California section. “Road”, nowHwy 6. Surveyor General California.

N2 E321878. “High BrokenMountains”, “Trail to Jack’s Spring”, “Road to Teels Marsh”. Currently TrumanMeadows Ranch Road and Truman Meadows Ranch.

N3 E251909 copy of 1873 plat of the “Dunderberg Quartz Mine andMill Site”, by “J.D. Dart”, “8 73/100 acres. “Mono Co.”, “Castle Park MiningDist.”, California, now U.S. 395 goes through, just north of Mono Lake –Dunderberg Creek, Meadow, Road, Virginia Lakes Road.

N3 E331882. “Road toBelleville”, now Hwy 360. Unidentifiedroad, probably Marietta Road.

N4 E28No date, Cal/NV stateline, Unidentified road, Hwy 167 in CAand 359 in NV, from Mono Lk. to Hawthorne. “Showing Errors of Connection AlongNevada-California State Line.” On the back in holograph: “Mono Lumber Co. NutPine Lands”.

N6 E261878. Stateline through the middle, Nevada half only. “MonoNatl. Forest” in holograph. Masonic Mtn in the California half.

N6 E381880. Just east ofMonte Christo Valley, even with Mina. Unnamed “Road” in upper left corner.“Mountains with sage brush and bunch grass”.

N7 E351903 “re-survey of 1881 survey”, “Sodaville to Belmont” (aroad), “Sunrise Flat”, “Malapie Hill”.

N7 E511875. Hot CreekValley, se of Little Fish Lake, E of Monitor Valley. “Road to Salt Marsh”

N8 E301923. Southern end ofWalker Lake, “Supplemental Plat showing segregation of claims in sections8,9,16,17,19,20…In three sheets (sheets 2 and 3 only, two copies of each, thecopies very slightly different, sheet 3 covers sections 3. 10, and 15.

N8 E351923. Survey of various mines, “Survey No. 4571”,“Vacation”, “Turk”. Just east of Luning, Sunrise Flat.“U.S. Mineral Surveyor”.

N8 E351925. Map of variousmining properties, east of Luning in Gabbs Valley Range., “Santa Fe MiningDist.”, “By C.A. Liddell, 1 in = 300 ft. “Hecla”, “Copper Butte”, “Copper Bar”,“Goodenough”, etc. Currently Sunrise Flat, mine properties sw corner.

N10 E301935. “Walker Lake”(east shore), “Fish House”, “Gillis Range” (“railroad tracks”, unidentified).Now Agaipan Range, U.S. Govt. Rd. following old track route.

N10 E351883. (Contains GabbsMountain). “Road to Downeyville”, “Road from Luning to Grantsville”. “Level androlling land containing sage and grass”.

N11 E291931. “Walker Lake”(west shore), “Main Walker Highway”, “Pelican Pt.”, “House” (2), “Garage”,“Service Station”.

N11 E361883. Cut down. Justsouth of town of Gabbs. Upper left corner: “Soda Deposit” “House”, “Well”,unnamed road. Another unnamed road. “Mineral Land Gold and Silver” lower rightquadrant.

N12 E321936. “Road Luning toRawhide”, “Road to Schurz”, “Deadhorse Well”, now Poleline Road 31.

N12 E361951. L.B. Spencer,in the town of Gabbs, “Map Showin (sic) Arieas in Sec’s 27 and 28….to accompanydescriptions of tracts A through F.” State Hwy through the middle, tracts named(“Gabbs Valley Placer” “Valory Jean #2”, “Quebrada Seca”, “Charmain Mill Site,G.S.A. Owner”, etc).

N13 E241869. Smith Valley,“Copper Bearing Mts.”, “Grazing Land”, “Copper Mine Shaft”, “Indications ofRich Copper”, unidentified “Road”.Currently Mason Pass, Mason Valley Road, Singatse Range.

N13,14,15 E33,34No date, 2 copies. Parts of Mineral and Nye counties. Givingdetail along the township lines, only.

N15 E47No date (cut down), but style is 1880’s. In Monitor Valley,the north end. “Stoneberger’s House”, “Barley Field”, several unnamed roads,“White Sage Flat”.

N12-13 E32-33Northern Gabbs Valley, cut down, no date, “Key Map showingpositions of Survey Nos …, “Blanco Mill site” “Nevada Randall Mill Site”,“Corners set but survey unapproved for this township”.

N13 E271909. Just east of Yerington, showing NE area only – NWassuk Range, east of the crest only, “Mountain View Road”, and a right fork“Road to Mountain View”, “Road to Granite”, “Wood Road”.

N15 E42No date, cutdown, 1870’s?Reese River Velley. “Toi-Ya-BeMtns.”, “Washington”, lots of activity there. “Washington Creek”. “Mateo’sHouse”.

N27 E20 (partial)1887. “Pyramid LakeIndian Reservation”, NW corner of Lake, “Road to Surprise Valley” upper leftcorner.

N27 E20 (partial)1911 or 1913, “PyramidLake“ on the east, “Reservation Boundary” on the west, unnamed road justoutside the reservation boundary “Astor Pass” indicated; Unnamed road along thewest shore of the Lake.