Visit to an Oil Field in Purissima Hills, USA by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler

Visit to an Oil Field in Purissima Hills, USA Possibly 1908

photo of handprinted image

aged paper

toned paper

photo restoration

natural tone

unrealistic statue

golden font

natural palette

watercolor

historical font

"Visit to an Oil Field in Purissima Hills, USA" is a photograph by Geldolph Adriaan Kessler, dating back to possibly 1908. The image depicts a wooden oil derrick with a ladder leading up to a platform where a group of men stand. The photo captures a moment in the history of American oil extraction, showcasing the industry's early infrastructure and the workers who powered it. The composition is simple yet effective, focusing on the stark beauty of the industrial structure against the backdrop of the natural environment. This photograph, now part of the Rijksmuseum collection, serves as a powerful testament to the industrial landscape of the early 20th century.

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In 1908 Kessler accompanied the director of Koninklijke Olie (Royal Dutch Petroleum Company, later Shell), Henri Deterding, as secretary on a world tour. He travelled to Canada and the United States via the Dutch East Indies, Singapore, China, and Japan. Dolph’s photo album contains pictures of an oil field in California, as well as San Francisco’s town hall which had collapsed during an earthquake.