Panorama 5: Heath oil painting, 1893

For a table of contents, see History pages.

Before there was aerial photography, a series of Panoramic views of Santa Cruz, 1870-1907 were produced, in various media:

• Panorama 1: Bird’s Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1870
• Panorama 2: Trousset oil painting, 1876
• Panorama 3: Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1877
• Panorama 4: Steinegger Bird's Eye View of Santa Cruz, 1888-89
• Panorama 5: Heath oil painting, 1893
• Panorama 6: 1906 Swanton lithograph
• 1906 Lawrence aerial photo

On the wall above the stairwell inside the downtown SCPL hangs a large oil painting by Santa Cruz artist Frank Heath (detail at right). Painted in 1893, it shows a panoramic view of Santa Cruz from a hill to the north (above Graham Hill Road). In the detail at right, the most recognizable built features are the Water Street bridge and the Soquel Avenue covered bridge. (Hint: if you go to the library to see for yourself, take a zoom lens. The painting’s position over the stairwell prevents a close approach.)