G. Rayson Brown (1898-1974) was fascinated by the wonders of nature. He combined that love of the outdoors with his photography hobby in the early 1920s after moving to Los Angeles, California. Rayson was my husband's Great Uncle. Warren, Rayson's only child, inherited the collection. Warren didn't have children and when he passed, my husband and I became the keepers of the collection.
Rayson photographed people, always outdoors, as well as majestic scenery, plants, animals and insects. Some of his close-up plant, animal and insect photos were sold to magazines and published. He took great pride in carefully documenting and cataloging his collection. Out of the hundreds of photos, I chose a few of my favorites to share.
Rayson married Edythe Grace Sisson in 1923, soon after arriving in Los Angeles. Edythe and her family are in many of Rayson's photographs.
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| Edythe and Mrs. Holden at Camp Baldy, 1924 |
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| Edythe and her mother in Stoddard Canyon, 1924 |
In the photo below, from left to right, are Edythe's father Charles Sisson, Edythe, her Uncle Herbert Bragg and Aunt Mae (Duffield) Bragg, her mother Edith (Duffield) Sisson, her sister Vera (Sisson) Armstrong and brother-in-law Bill Armstrong.
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| Sissons, Braggs, Armstrongs & Brown picnic, Stoddard Canyon, 1924 |
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| "Yours truly" [Rayson] & wife, 1926 |
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| Edythe and Aunt Nellie Nettleingham at Seal Beach, 1927 |
Edythe's Aunt Mae and Uncle Herb lived in Long Beach. The family took many trips there to visit and enjoy the beach.
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| Long Beach Pier, 1923 |
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| Long Beach Waterfront, 1923 |
Rayson and Edythe, usually with her sister Vera and brother-in-law Bill Armstrong, explored as much of the state as they could when not working. Rayson always had his camera and tripod on hand to document their travels.
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| Lighthouse at end of San Pedro Calif. breakwater, 1923 |
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| Road around Catalina Island looking East, 1923 |
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| Glass Bottom Boat Catalina, 1923 |
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| Scene from Busch Gardens, 1924 |
There are dozens of photos of the aftermath of a 1925 earthquake in Santa Barbara.
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| Santa Barbara Earthquake ruins, 1925 |
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| Yachts in Race to Honolulu, 1926 |
Rayson must have truly loved photographing and documenting the plants, animals, and insects found in nature. There are hundreds of photos and boxes and boxes of slides. Getting clear, close-up photos is a challenge for photographers today but was even more so in the 1920s.
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| Tarantula and it's abode, 1923 |
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| Carpenter bees, 1925 |
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| Butterfly, 1925 |
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| Sow Bug, 1925 |
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| Spotted Anthomya fly (Gray), 1925 |
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| Elderbug, Black, white and red, 1925 |
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| Buffalo tree hopper (Green), 1925 |
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| Milliped (Brown), 1925 |
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| 1925 |
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| Crane fly, 1927 |
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| Alligator in Los Angeles alligator farm, 1923 |
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| Lizzard, 1924 |
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| Burrowing owl, 1925 |
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| Geranium seed (magnified), 1926 |
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