Panorama 6: Swanton Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, ~1907
One of the Panoramic views of Santa Cruz, 1870-1907
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In 1906-1907, soon after completion of the second Casino, the last panoramic "bird's eye view" lithograph of Santa Cruz was produced (Bancroft Library, online here). It appears that entrepreneur Fred Swanton commissioned the work by San Francisco lithographers Britton & Rey to promote his Santa Cruz development projects - some of which were never completed (e.g. "Swanton Beach Park"). So this Santa Cruz view is as much aspirational as actual.
The date range for the composition can be deduced from two of the actual historical structures shown. The early end date is indicated by the presence of the second Casino, which was completed in late 1906-early 1907. The later end date is indicated by the presence of the Cowell wharf, which was fatally damaged by winter storms in 1907.
The early Santa Cruz panoramic pictorial views:
- Panorama 1: Bird’s Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1870, by Charles B. Gifford, hand-colored lithograph (Bancroft Library - screen shot of the online viewer shown at right)
- Panorama 2: Trousset oil painting, 1876, looking west from bluff on east side of San Lorenzo River mouth (on display at MAH History Gallery)
- Panorama 3: Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1877, a lithograph made from a woodcut by artist unknown, (Bancroft Library, online here).
- Panorama 4: Steinegger Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1888-89, looking NNE from West Cliff Drive: "Santa Cruz, Cal.” This hand-colored lithograph was published in 1889 by lithographer Henry Steinegger (1831-1917) (Bancroft Library, online here). Stan Stevens researched the history of this work and deduced that the artist was probably E. F. Cook.
- Panorama 5: Heath oil painting, 1893, an 1893 panoramic oil painting by Frank Heath, looking south from south end of the Pasatiempo hills. The large original framed canvas is on display at the downtown library.
- Panorama 6: Swanton Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, ~1907, published by Fred Swanton - probably as a promotion for his development ventures. Some of the structures and streets shown were never built. (Bancroft Library, online here)
- Panorama 7: 1906 Lawrence aerial photo