This c.1895-9 image by A.C. Vroman focused
on a pair of ancient palm trees that stood directly south of the Convento building at Mission
San Fernando. Also in the background are two large barns at the western end of the Convento that the Porter Land and Water Company had erected by the end of 1892. It's likely that the origin of this specific flora tracks back to the active Mission period between 1800 and 1820.
Adam Clark Vroman was born in Illinois in
1856, and by 1893 he had settled permanently into the ‘Arroyo Culture’ that was
emanating from Pasadena . In 1895, Vroman started work on a complete
series of the California
missions including a significant collection of Mission San Fernando photographs
that he produced but never formally sold or exhibited. He did, however, share his work in the
fashion of his day as was summarized in a Los
Angeles Times article dated May 5, 1899:
“A.C. Vroman this evening threw open his rooms to the Southern
California Historical Society, and the session was devoted to the consideration
of the old missions. . . . Mr. Vroman,
who has traveled through the State and has taken great pains to secure
photographic views of all the missions in their present condition, threw his
lantern slides on a screen and gave great pleasure to the members of the
society. There was a large atten-dance,
and it was a very successful meeting in all respects. Mr. Vroman’s collection of mission views is
the most complete extant.” The business venture that A.C. initiated in November, 1894, Vroman's Bookstore, is now a vibrant, community landmark located at 695 E. Colorado
Boulevard just east of 'Oldtown' Pasadena. Adam Clark Vroman died at a friend's home in Altadena on July 24, 1916 and was later cremated. His legacy continues to evolve through a great body of his photography that is widely accessible via a large array of online resources.
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