tooled full calf portfolio, approximately 10 x 13" with buckskin ties at spine, initials "E.H" embossed on front cover, circa 1911-1913. Photographs of cattle raising at La Cananea , the Sonora, Mexico ranch of Colonel William Cornell Greene, copper king, cattle rancher and promoter extraordinaire. Includes nine 5 x 7" images, and approximately 522 smaller images tipped onto light brown album pages, virtually all with white inked captions. Most relate to the cattle operations of this immense ranch, though a small number depict scenes in a miner's strike, and 45 small photographs depict scenes taken in the aftermath of the 1912-13 Mexican revolution around Cananea, including Federales, killed and burned bodies and more. By the turn of the 20th century, William Cornell Greene (1851-1911) was a well known figure on Wall Street, having promoted his immense holdings of mineral-laden Mexican real estate into a fortune estimated at nearly $100 million. Born into humble beginnings, Greene emigrated west in 1877, working first as a cowpuncher, and then, around 1880 found his way to the mining boomtown of Tuscon, prospoecting for a while and then buying a small ranch. In the 1890s he became convinced that a huge tract of grasslands in Sonora, Mexico was rich in minerals. Through a series of keen, if unsavory, business deals, Greene gained control of La Cananea and, in 1899 established the Cobre Grande Copper Company. Through brilliant prospectuses, Greene was able to attract the financial support of Wall Street, and for a short time his fortunes prospered. By 1903, he owned much of the grasslands in Sonora, extending his mining operations to include cattle ranching, logging, and the railroads. At the height of his holdings, the mining town of Cananea had a population of 20,000, and Greene's copper interests alone were producing $10 million of ore annually. His cattle ranch around Cananea alone amounted to over 800,000 acres. By all accounts, Greene was a larger-than-life personality who came to Wall Street with an abrasive bluffness and swagger. His bragadaccio did not fare well among the establishment, and when the opportunity came to bring about his fall they pounced. That opportunity came in 1904 in the wake of a financial panic. Greene, heavily invested in his own companies, was caught holding the bag, and he recieved a cold shoulder from Wall Street bankers. He held on for a few years as his stock --and control of his companies -- declined. By 1907 it was all gone, save for his beloved Cananea ranch. The photographs in this album are remarkable. While the photographer is unknown, the album almost certainly belonged to Elsie Holmes (thus the initials "E.H." on the tooled cover), wife of Greene's foreman, Bill. The well composed images reveal a keene familiarity with the cattle business, and the ranch hands. While many of the poses are informal, many are exceptional compositions of cowboys and their daily life. It is by far and away the one of the best compilations of cowboy life that Cowan's has handled in the last 10 years. Some of the photographs are illustrated in Sonnichsen's (1974) fine biography of Greene, Colonel Greene and the Copper Skyrocket, and many of the individuals pictured here are discussed in detail in that book. Condition: Album generally fine, though title page waterstained, a few images missing or loose.
tooled full calf portfolio, approximately 10 x 13" with buckskin ties at spine, initials "E.H" embossed on front cover, circa 1911-1913. Photographs of cattle raising at La Cananea , the Sonora, Mexico ranch of Colonel William Cornell Greene, copper king, cattle rancher and promoter extraordinaire. Includes nine 5 x 7" images, and approximately 522 smaller images tipped onto light brown album pages, virtually all with white inked captions. Most relate to the cattle operations of this immense ranch, though a small number depict scenes in a miner's strike, and 45 small photographs depict scenes taken in the aftermath of the 1912-13 Mexican revolution around Cananea, including Federales, killed and burned bodies and more. By the turn of the 20th century, William Cornell Greene (1851-1911) was a well known figure on Wall Street, having promoted his immense holdings of mineral-laden Mexican real estate into a fortune estimated at nearly $100 million. Born into humble beginnings, Greene emigrated west in 1877, working first as a cowpuncher, and then, around 1880 found his way to the mining boomtown of Tuscon, prospoecting for a while and then buying a small ranch. In the 1890s he became convinced that a huge tract of grasslands in Sonora, Mexico was rich in minerals. Through a series of keen, if unsavory, business deals, Greene gained control of La Cananea and, in 1899 established the Cobre Grande Copper Company. Through brilliant prospectuses, Greene was able to attract the financial support of Wall Street, and for a short time his fortunes prospered. By 1903, he owned much of the grasslands in Sonora, extending his mining operations to include cattle ranching, logging, and the railroads. At the height of his holdings, the mining town of Cananea had a population of 20,000, and Greene's copper interests alone were producing $10 million of ore annually. His cattle ranch around Cananea alone amounted to over 800,000 acres. By all accounts, Greene was a larger-than-life personality who came to Wall Street with an abrasive bluffness and swagger. His bragadaccio did not fare well among the establishment, and when the opportunity came to bring about his fall they pounced. That opportunity came in 1904 in the wake of a financial panic. Greene, heavily invested in his own companies, was caught holding the bag, and he recieved a cold shoulder from Wall Street bankers. He held on for a few years as his stock --and control of his companies -- declined. By 1907 it was all gone, save for his beloved Cananea ranch. The photographs in this album are remarkable. While the photographer is unknown, the album almost certainly belonged to Elsie Holmes (thus the initials "E.H." on the tooled cover), wife of Greene's foreman, Bill. The well composed images reveal a keene familiarity with the cattle business, and the ranch hands. While many of the poses are informal, many are exceptional compositions of cowboys and their daily life. It is by far and away the one of the best compilations of cowboy life that Cowan's has handled in the last 10 years. Some of the photographs are illustrated in Sonnichsen's (1974) fine biography of Greene, Colonel Greene and the Copper Skyrocket, and many of the individuals pictured here are discussed in detail in that book. Condition: Album generally fine, though title page waterstained, a few images missing or loose.
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