Giant Grape Vine, San Gabriel Mission, CA, circa 1905
- Subjects
- ChurchesGardensHistoric Trees
- Card type
- Linen
- Date
- c. 1905 (Early)
About this postcard
A massive old grape vine, its trunk as thick as a tree, spreads a leafy arbor over a shaded courtyard set with tables and chairs for visitors. A man in blue stands at the left, and clusters of grapes hang from the canopy. The caption identifies it as the Giant Grape Vine of San Gabriel Mission, founded in 1771 by Junípero Serra as San Gabriel Arcángel, the fourth of the California missions. The mission kept extensive vineyards and orchards, and the old vine was long shown to tourists as one of the oldest in the state, traditionally said to have been planted by the mission fathers in the 1770s. Its arbor became a regular stop on the mission sightseeing circuit.
Postcard Details
No address detected
Postcard record
| Publisher | Pacific Novelty Co. |
|---|---|
| Series | Z-66 |
| Condition | Very good |
| Publisher | Pacific Novelty Co., San Francisco, CA |
| Notes | White border with a thin red rule around the image; visible halftone/linen screen texture; series number Z—66 printed at upper right. No postmark. Undivided back (printed "POST CARD" / "ADDRESS" only, no message space) with Pacific Novelty Co. imprint in a vertical banner with bear emblem; typical 1901-1907 private-souvenir stock. Light soiling and faint corner wear; a small pencil price mark "50" at top right. |
Cite this card
Giant Grape Vine, San Gabriel Mission, CA, circa 1905, postcard, c. 1905. PostalPast Collection. https://postalpast.com/postcard/giant-grape-vine-san-gabriel-mission-ca-circa-1905. Accessed November 2, 2026.