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

Postal address:
Land~Sea Discovery Group
PO Box 401904
Hesperia, Ca. 92340

Electronic Mail:
Sales: jakelsdg@earthlink.net
General Information: jakelsdg@earthlink.net
Webmaster: Echowebmaster@aaaim.com