February 14, 1996 Greetings to all of you Mt. Lowe enthusiasts. My name is Jake
Brouwer and perhaps you will recall seeing me at the anniversary celebrations of the
Alpine Tavern in December of 1995. I set up a two table display of memorabilia relating to
Mt. Lowe and T. S. C. Lowe.
At the time many of you put your names and addresses on
my mailing list which was also given to Brian Marcroft. Brian wanted the list to keep you
all posted of upcoming events and to get help on volunteer Mt. Lowe related projects. I
wanted the list because I am a collector and researcher of Mt. Lowe and wanted to be able
to contact you directly regarding memorabilia or information you may want to buy, sell, or
trade.
Although this may take some time for me to get off the
ground my intentions are to start sort of a Mt. Lowe Marketplace where you and I can
contact each other through the mail to buy, sell, or trade things.
I have been a collector of many things over the years
including trading cards, records, books, and postcards, but nothing excites me more then
to find a piece of Mt. Lowe history that I have not seen before. Perhaps you are the same?
Some sixty people signed the mailing list that day from
all over So. Cal. In the interests column most of you were interested in memorabilia or
the events to come.
So, where do we go from here? I suppose you will need to
write back to me and let me know what you are interested in. As for me I am especially
interested in old photos. I will also purchase souvenir items like plates, spoons, and the
like. I have heard tales of amazing things out there and would love to hear more. Perhaps
I could write about them so even if you do not want to sell we at least know the item may
be sought for elsewhere.
Perhaps you would like to join the hunt for Mt. Lowe
memorabilia. Postcards are a good place to start. Most are fairly inexpensive running from
$2. to $3.00 each. I am not sure how many different ones there are but I have at least
100. Some cards from the late 1890's to early 1900's may go up as high as $25.00.
Postcard shows occur quite often in our area and most
dealers have a marked category called Mt. Lowe for you convenience. The next show in this
area is at the Masonic Hall in Duarte on the 16th and 17th of March 1996. The address is
50 W. Duarte Rd., Duarte. Old photographs can also be found at these shows like the one on
the first page which was bought for a mere $1.50.
Be sure to also check out PCC swap meet, Rose Bowl, and
other local swaps for your treasures. Finds turn up everywhere so keep your eyes open.
This past weekend I found two treasures. A 1934 Mt. Lowe
News in real nice shape which I may trade as I have another already. The other item found
buried in a box of old papers, books, and just general junk was a book titled THE
CALIFORNIAN ILLUSTRATED MAGAZINE No. 1 Vol. 1 October 1891. This book contains an article
titled The Mount Wilson Railroad By B. S. Eaton. As I looked further through the book I
also discovered advertising for Lowes Gas & Electric Co. and ads for two banks listing
T. S. C. Lowe as President.
So, will you write back? If I get a good response I will
try to get this off the ground. If you have something to sell please include a description
and the price you would like to get for it. If I can not use it maybe another can. If you
are curious about a value perhaps someone out there can help establish a price for you if
I can not.
Maybe you would like to tell others of a Mt. Lowe
experience you have had recently or in the past. Share it! Mt. Lowe is a link that we
share and we should stick together.
Also for the next event that comes up lets see more of
you bring things to share.
Thanks for your time,
Jake Brouwer
Land~Sea Discovery Group
PO Box 401904
Hesperia, Ca. 92340 |