It all began because of postcards.

One of the most valuable resources of 20th century regional history is a collection of photographs taken and compiled by Jervie Henry Eastman.  And not just a few photographs, but 13,000 images.

Born in 1881, Eastman was a professional photographer based in Susanville.  For the major part of the 20th century, Eastman roamed the back roads and byways of Northern California snapping photos. His collection spans the years from 1890 to 1960. His primary goal was to develop a repository of images for his postcard business.  Eastman’s firm focused on the printing, developing, and distribution of postcards.  In 1907, he created a machine that would increase the production of postcards to 200 per hour.

Eastman’s territory covered roughly the northeast quadrant of California, along with parts of Oregon and the Mendocino coast.  His photographs feature Native Americans; the eruption of Mount Lassen; the building of Shasta Dam; the ancestor of today’s Sierra College, Placer Junior College; and many, many scenic shots of local communities.  Along with his partners -- Mirl Simmons, John Reisen, and P.J. “Jack” Thompson -- Eastman was also a pioneer in aerial photography.   All of Eastman’s collection was donated to the Shields Library of the University of California, Davis, in 1994. Among his many subjects was Nevada County in the mid-20th century.  Some of his photographs are reproduced here.

Jervie Henry Eastman brought an artist’s sensibility to his commercial concerns.  John Skarstad, Special Collections Coordinator at the University of California, Davis, states that since Eastman was a professional photographer, his images “have a uniformity of tone, size, and format.”  Often, though, Eastman added a homey touch – his photographs would sometimes include, usually stuck in the corner, an image of his panel truck adorned “Eastman’s Studio, Susanville, California.”

Eastman’s collection has more than sentimental value, however.  His collection is frequently used by historians, biologists, lawyers, those preparing environmental impact reports, and conservationists to document the changes in the landscape over time.

The Eastman Collection broke new ground in the information age as well. When the massive photo assortment was donated to UC Davis by Anne Fisher in 1994, the university undertook the daunting task of scanning, digitizing, and cataloging the images for use on the internet.  Eastman’s work became the first of the campus’ extensive online museum collections.

In addition to his postcard business, Jervie Henry Eastman operated a photography and portrait shop in Susanville from 1920 to 1959. His customers in Susanville remembered him fondly.  As one of his clients once stated: “His relaxed manner and winning smile made it easy to feel comfortable as one sat before this man’s camera and had your picture taken.”  This relaxed style and respect for the subject matter is reflected in his postcard images as well.

Eastman died in 1969 at the age of 88.  He is the subject of a downtown historic mural in Susanville.  He is depicted with a bi-plane and with his company car stuck in the mud. 

And to think it all was set in motion by penny postcards.