Part of a series of views showing the ravines, waterfalls, rock caverns and formations at Watkins Glen, a popular New York tourist site at the southern end of Seneca Lake along the Northern Central Railway. The railroad, consolidiated and named the Northern Central Railway in 1855, was purchased by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1863 and provided service from Baltimore to central New York. Watkins Glen, a gorge formed from glaciers, served as a privately operated tourist attraction from circa 1864 -1906 when the site was converted into a state park., Views depict: the Entrance Gorge; Entrance Cascade; Entrance Amphitheatre; the waterfalls and ravine of Glen Alpha; the waterfalls, ravine, and creek near Glen Cathedral; the waterfalls at Minnehaha; Mammoth Gorge; Rainbow Falls; an erosion-sculpted pool at Frowning Cliff; Shadow Gorge; the Artists's Dream Gorge; the Giant's Gorge; and the chalet-style hotel, the Swiss Cottage. Many of the views include the wooden stairways and bridges used to traverse the gorge. Several of the views also include tourists visiting the site., Series title printed on mount., Photographer's imprint printed on mount., Series numbered. Collection contains: 1200; 1202; 1203; 1205-8; 1215; 1218-20; 1222; 1250; 1258; 1261; 1263-64; and 1279., View #1279 contains distributor's label on verso: From James Cremer's Stereoscopic Emporium, 19 South Eighth St., Philadelphia. Family groups taken for the stereoscope, and photographs in all its branches., Gift of Anna S., James H., Anthony M., Cynthia C. Maier and Marianna M. Thomas., Digitization funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Purviance was commissioned as an official photographer of the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1867.
Creator
Purviance, W. T. (William T.)
Date
[ca. 1870]
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department stereo - Purviance - Views [P.9844.1-17; P.9734.5]
