Oregon South Sister Framed Hand Colored Photograph by Fred Kiser

This stunning photograph of South Sister, the tallest of the Three Sisters volcanoes in Oregon, was taken by famed photographer Fred Kiser ((1878-1955). The photo was hand painted in oils and bears the painted signature "Kiser" lower right. This photo was probably taken during the 1910 outing to the Three Sisters by the Mazamas, a climbing club and mountain conservation organization of which Fred Kiser, a skilled mountaineer, was a member.

Fred Kiser's photographic hobby evolved into a business in 1902. He became famous for his Pacific Northwest scenery photographs; in 1907, he exhibited over 1000 of them at the Portland Hotel, over 200 of them hand colored like this one. Kiser developed this specialized process using oil paints to hand color images of black-and-white photographs early in his career, naming them "Artographs." Kiser was one of the most successful commercial photographers in the country during the first decades of the twentieth century. His photos of Crater Lake in Oregon popularized it for the rest of the world; we've included a photo of his studio there.

This painted photo is mounted in a handsome, carved wooden Arts and Crafts period frame circa 1910 that is original to the artwork. It's painted a matte dark green and antique gold. The dust paper on the back was torn off at some point, revealing the following penciled information:
1967 The South Sister
12 x 15 {the measurements of the photo itself}
#1967 {the negative number for inventory}
119NRC {?}
and the price of $9.00.

While we found other photos copyrighted 1910 in similar original frames that have sold in the past, we have not located this particular photo anywhere online.

The image itself is in excellent condition. The frame measures 15 1/2 inches by 18 inches by 3/4 of an inch deep. It's in good condition with tight corners and no structural damage. There is chipping to the gold that in our opinion does not detract from the beauty of the frame when it's viewed hanging on the wall. The artwork weighs around two pounds and has a hanging wire attached on the back.

Hand painted Fred Kiser photos are not easily found for sale, making this example even more desirable.

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