The Pioneering Photographs of the Mojave Road

by Rudolph d’Heureuse in 1863

Speaker: Jeff Lapides

Monday, February 25, 7:00 p.m.

On Monday, February 25 at 7:00 p.m., the San Marino Historical Society welcomes Jeff Lapides who will speak on Rudolph d’Heureuse, a photographer of the early American west and its deserts. A German immigrant, d’Heureuse was a surveyor, cartographer, civil engineer, mining engineer, oenologist, and inventor who set out on a momentous journey in 1863. He photographed the Mojave Road in the desert from the waters of the Pacific Ocean to the banks of the Colorado River. His subjects included San Bernardino, Cajon Pass, San Pedro to Fort Mojave on the Colorado River and the mines of Eldorado Canyon in today’s Nevada. He did this many years before anyone else took photos of the desert, its inhabitants and geographical features.

This presentation will reveal d’Heureuse’s world of 1863 and the newly-arrived, hopeful miners, as well as the locals comprised of Californios, Mexican-Americans, Native Americans, Mormons, and Union soldiers. Jeff Lapides is a photographer and a book designer. He designed San Marino: A Centennial History which won several design awards. He is actively involved in the history communities in the San Gabriel Valley. Copies of a companion book, The Mojave Road In 1863: The Pioneering Photographs of Rudolph d’Heureuse, will be available for sale after the lecture.

In its speakers series, the San Marino Historical Society presents quarterly history talks focusing on topics especially selected for San Marino.  No reservations are needed.  For information on the San Marino Historical Society call (626) 304-9375 or email smhistorical@earthlink.net.

Come to Crowell Library at 7:00 p.m. on Monday February 25 for a fascinating look at a groundbreaking photographer.