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Estate sale find, vintage original snapshot photo of the Los Angeles Ostrich Farm in Southern California, circa 1920-30\'s.
Ostriches arrived in Southern California in 1883 when English naturalist Charles Sketchley opened a farm devoted to the tall, flightless birds near Anaheim, in what is today Buena Park. Sketchley\'s investors, who included developer Gaylord Wilshire (of Wilshire Boulevard fame), organized as the California Ostrich Farming Company and contributed $80,000 to the enterprise.
The farm – the first of its kind in the U.S. – capitalized on a trend in women\'s fashion that favored ostrich feathers for muffs, hats, and boas. Until 1883, only ostrich feathers shipped at great cost from the birds\' native continent of Africa were available for these luxury accessories. Sketchley, who had previous experience managing ostrich farms in South Africa, envisioned fortunes built upon locally sourced ostrich feathers.
In 1885, Sketchley partnered with landowner Griffith J. Griffith and moved his operations to Griffith\'s Rancho Los Feliz, building a new farm on an oak-dotted ledge above the Los Angeles River at what is now Griffith Park\'s Crystal Springs picnic area.
The Rancho Los Feliz farm also spawned imitators across Southern California, aided by region\'s climate and booming tourism trade. By 1910, Southern California boasted ten ostrich farms.
The item measures approximately 3.5\" X 5\", approximate shipping weight 2 ounces.
PLEASE SEE DESCRIPTION AND PHOTOS FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS - The item is in overall Fair to Good Minus used condition, signs of wear, creases, fading, tears, chipping, sunning and age toning, soiling, stains, writing, please see images.
(C1C19-111)
