Video
Stephen T. Mather Film Collection: Mt. McKinley National Park (1926) and Sequoia and Zion (1927)
Descriptive Transcript
Although not identified, the first scenes are at Mount McKinley National Park (now Denali National Park) in 1926. A man, probably Stephen T. Mather, is chopping small logs with an axe. He wipes his brow with a handkerchief.
Three cowboys ride along a flat valley. Each leads another horse with them. As they move past the camera, each takes off his hat to wave goodbye. A park ranger in uniform is seen briefly as they ride off.
The scene changes to a tent on top of a tall wooden platform. This is an Alaskan food cache. Although not identified in the film, this platform is at a camp on Igloo Creek. A man stands at the bottom of the ladder that goes up to the platform, communicating with a woman inside the tent who then comes out of it and down the ladder. The man tips his hat to her. Although not identified in the film, the woman is probably Mrs. Bobby Sheldon. Close-up of the woman walking over to and entering a tent. She waves at the camera as she goes inside.
The scene changes to a sweeping view of mountains, including Denali (Mount McKinley) covered in low clouds. The camera comes to rest on a several men about to mount horses. Mather’s motion picture film camera bag can be seen on one of the saddles. Seven men and a woman, believed to be Mrs. D. W. Roper, women ride single file through light snow. Low clouds cover much of the mountains behind them. The scene changes to show seven men and Mrs. Roper riding abreast in the light snow. At least one person is wearing a park ranger uniform.
A ranger stands on a peak pointing at the snow-covered mountains in the distance. Low clouds limit the distance that can be seen. Horses tied to a hitching post. This is believed to be the last Alaska scene on this reel.
Unidentified scene of about 14 park rangers in uniform riding out of an arched entry to a building, perhaps a mews; most ride two abreast. If the film label is correct, this was part of the superintendents’ conference held in Washington, DC in 1926.
The scene shifts to a man dressed in a park ranger uniform. He kneels, nuzzling and feeding a small deer. As he stands to pet the deer it is apparent that they are within a caged enclosure and the other rangers are outside the cage watching them. Close-up of the man hand feeding the deer.
Bears in cages are fed by hand through the bars by a man. Although not identified in the film, the man is Stephen Mather. Scenes of the bears eating. Mather feeds the bears as they stand up and reach through the bars. A ranger in uniform feeds the bears as other rangers look on. At least 18 rangers in uniform on horseback cross a river. Three men on horses in a field practice jumping over a hedge in front of a rail fence. Two men pose on their horses. Stephen Mather walks up and shakes one of the man’s hands.
The scene shifts to a redwood grove. Stephen Mather stands next to a rock with a bronze plaque embedded in it. The plaque reads, “The acquisition of this grove was made possible through the Liberality of Stephen T. Mather.” Although not identified in the film, this redwood grove is in Sequoia National Park.
Scene shifts to a tree-lined river. Two men stand on the bank. Camera pans up through the trees. Scenes of the river. At least four unidentified men sit around talking.
Scene shifts to swimmers on a lakeside beach with amusements. People swim and paddle canoes in the water. The beach has numerous umbrellas. Someone rides a roller coaster water slide (patented as a “water toboggan slide” in 1923) down into the water. Another person dives from a diving board into the lake. People swim and ride the roller coaster slide. The location of this amusement park is unknown.
Scene changes to a man helping two women down from a train car. They walk off.
Although not identified in the film, it is believed these next scenes are at Zion National Park. Scene changes to a park ranger and a man smoking a pipe standing next to a horse. The man mounts the horse, pipe still in his mouth, as a cowboy holds the horse for him. He, a man in a suit, and the ranger ride off.
Two men come down a rocky trail. Although not identified in the film, the lead man is Stephen Mather. They hold a rope handrail embedded into the side of the rock. Close-up views of Mather. Several more park rangers come down the trail, holding the rope.
View of a stone building. Two men walk up to the front of it. One man stands next to it, pointing to a stone in the wall above his head. A sign on the side of the building reads, “Stop,” suggesting an entrance station, but the rest of the sign can’t be made out.
Three men ride horses up a trail with several hairpin turns. Two men on horses stop. One is wearing cowboy chaps; the other is dressed as a park ranger. The cowboy points into the distance as he stands up in his stirrups. Three men sit on a rock outcrop. The scene shifts to a small, ruined stone building on the side of a rocky hill.
The scene changes to a redwood grove and plaque embedded in a large rock. Although not mentioned in the film, this is probably Humbolt Redwoods State Park. Two women walk at the base of a redwood tree. Although not identified in the film, one is probably Mrs. Jane Mather. The other could be Miss Jessie Foster. The women walk towards a man standing under a large wooden log entrance with a hanging sign that reads, “Stephens Grove”. The camera pans up through the trees. The camera pans down through the redwood trees to a river. Although not specified in the film, Stephens Grove was named after a California governor, not Stephen T. Mather.
Three women stand in a flower garden. A telephone pole can be seen in the background. They walk among the rose bushes. A large, shingled building with a stone chimney on one end is seen.
Another view of the plaque by the redwood tree. Scene shifts to the two women walking along a dirt road lined with telephone poles. The camera pans up to the top of the tall trees.
Description
Silent black-and-white home movies. Mount McKinley (Denali) scenes include traveling on horseback in the mountains and camp scenes. Other scenes may be the 1926 superintendents' conference, an unidentified lakeside amusement park, and possibly Yosemite Zoo. The unveiling of a dedication plaque for Stephen T. Mather’s gift of a redwood grove at Sequoia National Park is filmed. Stephen Mather at Zion. Mrs. Jane Mather is seen at Stephens Grove in Humbolt Redwoods State Park. Copyright transferred to the NPS.
Duration
15 minutes, 16 seconds
Credit
NPS History Collection (HFCA 1883)
Date Created
12/04/2024
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