Collector's Corner

This early stereo card from the Keystone view company offered people from far away lands the opportunity to see the Great Incline in a three dimensional way. An American pastime way before television was to pass view cards around the room oohing at the wonders of the modern world.

Collecting Mt. Lowe memorabilia can be a fun and rewarding hobby and take it from me, it does not take a rich man to do it. You just need a love of Mt. Lowe and the willingness to hunt for your treasures when ever you can.

Some things can run into some big dollars like glassware and signed documents but some of the neatest finds might run only a few dollars.

The stereocard shown above ran only $12. in an antique store in Ventura. A month ago my wife came up to me after poking around the Cal Poly Swap and handed me an old piece of paper which turned out to be a program for the Ladies Auxiliary of Railway Conductors which included the Echo and Mt. Lowe Divisions! The item was only $2.00!

This ornate Jade green dish features the Great Incline and the surrounding area in white relief. From the Michael Patris collection

Original photos turn up from time to time in old photo albums that can be found at estate and garage sales. These pictures can be bought for a few dollars but are worth much more to the collector. I have found a few neat photos and postcards in those big boxes that people put out for you to rummage through. Quite often they have no idea what is in the box.

The Great Incline which is the subject of this issue can be found on nearly everything imaginable. I’ve heard tell of hand held fans, watch fobs, orange crate labels, lantern slides, playing cards, pewter cups, and much more. How about the little white creamer Michael Patris and I just missed a few weeks back at the Orange Empire Railway Museum Show? You just never know. If you have a computer be sure to check out auctions as items have turned up there also. Just get out there and look.

Collectors souvenir spoons sometimes feature the Great Incline on the stem but most often and most collectable are spoons showing the Incline in the bowl as shown here. There are said to be in the neighborhood of 100 different Mt. Lowe spoons.

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Last modified: February 12, 1999

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Jake Brouwer
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Copyright © 1999