The Loft on Main art gallery, located at 112 E. Main Street, Morrison, IL, is pleased to announce the addition of a unique collection of historically significant photographs, to further compliment the diverse range of items available at the gallery. These photographs are made from original, historic, glass plate negatives, dating from the early 1900’s. They are the featured work of Howard Clinton Tibbitts (1863 – 1937), who was a prominent photographer based in San Francisco, CA. He traveled extensively throughout the American West, Canada, and Mexico, documenting life and landscapes around the turn of the 20th Century. Tibbitts’s work preceded photographer Ansel Adams by 35 to 40 years.
“Much of [Tibbitts’s] work has been published over the years in books, magazines, and periodicals. However, many of the images which will be on display (and available for purchase), have only been recently seen by the general public. They come from a long-time privately held collection, some of which were Tibbitts’s own personal images,” said Patrick Moore, of Morrison. His interest in collecting and preserving the Tibbitts glass plate negatives has grown. from a “definite interest” to an outright obsession. Just ask my wife!” he lovingly added.
H. C. Tibbitts photographed Native Americans, Yosemite Valley, Redwood forests, early Missions, agriculture, railroads, and early American life during his travels throughout the West, during and prior to the early 1900’s. He used large format, view-type cameras producing roughly 7 x 9-inch glass plate negatives. The artist’s work is in the collections of the California State Railroad Museum, University of California’s Bancroft Library, California Historical Society, and many other museums and institutions.
In order to produce a photograph, each glass plate is digitally scanned and thoroughly scrutinized for signs of deterioration and any damage, caused by improper handling over the years.
Sometimes extensive and painstaking restoration corrections are required to the digital versions of the files, which were made from these 100+ year-old images. Moore thinks about how much effort went into making each original negative.
“Just transporting a sufficient quantity of these heavy glass plates, a camera and tripod, chemicals, distilled water, and other pertinent supplies and equipment alone, required a dedicated pack horse or mule,” commented Moore. “The fact that these plates are still in existence and can be printed years later is an absolute miracle.”
While digitally mastering and restoring the images from these plates, Moore is humbled and honored to have the opportunity to preserve their images for current and future generations. He ponders what Tibbitts would say about the amazing leap in technology employed today, compared to when he created these images over 100 years ago.
“The technology available today really makes successful near-original, quality restoration efforts possible and gives unprecedented life (and audience) to these original images.”
To further this effort, Moore and his wife Sharon, recently founded Historic Shades of Gray, an enterprise dedicated to the preservation, protection, and promotion of the work of pioneering Western photographers, including Tibbitts.
The Loft on Main hours are Thursdays 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.