THE AUCTION IS CLOSED

Outstanding albumen photograph of the Florence Hotel, Missoula MT. This version of the hotel was destroyed in a fire in 1913 and a subsequent version also fell prey to the same disaster in 1936. The third example of the Florence Hotel is still in the same location today. The original hotel, illustrated here, was opened in 1888, the date visible on the right side of the building directly below the name. According to the website, http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~ilogle/harrychaneyobit.htm, Harry Elmer Chaney, a pioneer from Ogle County, Illinois, came to Montana in 1887 where he became involved in the hotel business in Billings.A year later he came to Missoula and opened the Florence Hotel in 1888. During the same year he also established the Florence Laundry. He continued as manager of the Florence until January 13, 1913 when the hotel burned down. After supervising the rebuilding of the structure he severed his connection with the hotel in order to devote his whole time to the laundry business. The hotel is enormous even by today’s standards and, according to another source, even housed a number of Irish miners during one period. This wonderful photograph illustrates the hotel as well as a large portion of the city itself (in addition to homes we see a church and two city hall-type buildings) and the mountains in the far background. A number of men stroll on the wooden sidewalk and a cigar and tobacco store is noticeable on the lower level of the hotel. The image is in very good condition with a few very small spots and some light discoloration on the mount. There is no photographer identification, but on the back Howard L Ross is written in ink. The photo measures approximately 6 ¼” x 8 1/4” with the mount being 8” x 10”. This is an historic photograph of a wonderful building that is no longer standing.

Artistic, warm-toned silver print of a regal looking dog posed on his porch. He seems interested in something in the distance, but appears to be non-threatening as his ears are down. His silky smooth coat suggests his owner takes great pride in his appearance. The image is in very good condition with two small spots in the upper right background. The photograph measures 4 5/8“ x 7 3/4” with the thin mount measuring 6” x 9”. There is a light crease in the mount on the top left corner.

Sweet, warm-toned photograph sent as a Christmas greeting to a priest. We see a cute girl sitting on her front porch feeding her three adorable kittens. Accompanying her is her faithful companion, her large black dog. She seems quite happy with this chore as illustrated by her big smile. The period note on the back reads Fr. Sullivan, Wishing you a Merry Christmas, Your loving sister Ethel. The photo has a corner missing on the bottom left side, a very small tear on the right side, and some light surface wear. There are three small pin holes also in the mount. The image measures 3 5/8” x 4 ¾,” with the mount being 5 ¼” x 6 ½.”

Nice, warm-toned occupational photograph of a equestrian tack shop showing a variety of supplies including harnesses, collars, bridles, headstalls, bits, and blankets. The owner is posed with his son and appears somewhat apprehensive of the photographic process. A stove is seen in the back along with a workbench. Strong sunlight is shines through the front of the building in the foreground. There is a pencil note on the back which seems to read Mr. Hayden’s shop & Paul. The image is in very good condition with some small spots seen in the upper right of the background. The mount has some wear especially on the top and bottom corner on the left side. The image measures 5” x 7”with the mount being 8” x 10.”

Great silver print photograph of what appears to be a group of orchard workers, as evidenced by the large baskets and fruit being eaten by a few of the men and boys. While we assume this was an apple orchard we are not positive on the type of fruit and will let the new owner be the judge. There is a large amount of other content is this image, beginning with the wonderful hand made baskets. A few unidentifiable tools are also visible. The man on the top right has a catcher’s mitt and the man in front of him holds a large pile of photographs! Plus a man in the back row has a small flag attached to his suspenders. It was likely a slightly windy day as there is movement in the trees. The image is very sharp and in excellent condition. While the mount has a break in the top right corner it is only visible in the back. From the front it appears as a light looking crease line. The image measures approximately 4 ½” x 7” with the mount being 7 ¾” x 9 ¾”.

Fantastic large albumen photograph of a business owned by Thos. Goodsir. Mr. Goodsir was a cabinetmaker, upholsterer, and undertaker. He appears in the doorway with his six workers prominently in front. We assume it is Mrs. Goodsir posed in profile in the central second story window. While it is hard to be definitive she appears hard at work possibly sewing. On the first floor we see a number of examples of upholstered chairs along with some large urns and a few cabinets. Some type of fringe drapery or decoration is seen at the top of the windows in the background. A most curious addition is a large oval photograph of what seems to be Thomas Goodsir at a younger age placed in front of the second-floor windows to the right and above the woman and surrounded by small flags. Coats of arms are also visible for the Royal Arms of Scotland, the English Royal Arms of King Richard I, and the Green Ensign of Ireland. The flags appear to represent these countries. The image, with board, measures approximately 8” x 10” with the photograph being slightly smaller. The board has some chipping on the right side. There is a stain visible on the top left corner and some small nicks on the bottom right. These imperfections could easily be disguised by a mat.

Cool warm toned photographs of a solar eclipse. This is actually four small separate images of various stages of the eclipse which have been fixed in a circular format on the mount. A hand printed note on the back reads Eclipse of the Sun, May 28 th, 1900 by E.W. & F.R. Lyon.

opening bid: $10

current bid $230