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IMPERIAL SIZE CABINET CARD
OF LOS PUEBLOS DE TAOS – ca. 1878 IMAGE BY BYRON H.
GURNSEY RECORDED BY THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: A
very collectable cabinet card in the desirable
“Imperial” size, this ca. 1878 view of the Taos Pueblo
in New Mexico captures the dwellings before they were
altered by increased traffic and later additions.
Featuring the beehive ovens, cedar pole ladders and some
of the occupants in their native finery, this image
captured one of the most iconic views of the Navajo
pueblos.
The image bears a imprinted call
out which describes the image, and states that the image
was entered by an Act of Congress in 1878 in the Office
of the Librarian of Congress. This information would
suggest that Congress and the Library were making a
concerted effort to capture images of notable historic
sites such as the pueblo, before they were over taken by
change and the ever increasingly rapid expansion of the
western frontier.
Byron H. Gurnsey (1833-1880) is
known to have been in Sioux City, Iowa from 1863-1873,
is listed as having been in Pueblo, Colorado 1872-1875,
and in Colorado Springs from 1872-1880. The overlaps
are obvious in this time line, possibly due to
establishing the dates of his location on the dating of
his images. He was partnered with Bill Illingsworth in
the 1860’s and then worked with Eugene Brandt in 1875.
Gurnsey is known for his views of key locations within
the Rocky Mountains such as Pike’s Peak, the Garden of
the Gods, and Monument Park, capturing for eternity the
unspoiled vistas of the intermountain west.
This cabinet card, measuring 9 3/8” by 7 ˝” is in
excellent condition with no damage or fading to the
image and the card is in full form with no damage to the
edges. A very special view of the Taos Pueblo, it would
be interesting to obtain a current photograph taken from
the same angle to compare the differences of almost 140
years. (0208) $750
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