The 12 excellent photos in this post show a California condor being a California condor (one of the photos shows a pair of condors). These photos deserve to be seen, not hidden away on bookshelves or in boxes.
These black & white photos come from a variety of publications, including general-interest magazines. As such, the photos helped convey the story of the California condor to a large audience during the 20th century.
To my eye, all of the photos portray the dignity of the California condor (even when the bird is a captive).
Photographers: H T Bohlman and W L Finley. Source: Finley, William L. The California condor. Scientific American. 4 July 1908.
Photographer: Uncredited. Source: Wilson, A. V. Condor caught in San Joaquin Valley. Condor. March 1928.
Photographer: Kathleen Dougan (photo dated 1934). Source: Ford, Ray. Saving the condor: Robert E. Easton’s fight to create the Sisquoc Condor Sanctuary. Noticias. Winter 1986.
Photographer: William L Finley. Source: Baker, John H. Better protection for the California condor. Audubon Magazine. November 1950.
Photographer: Carl B Koford. Source: Koford, Carl B. A young California condor. Condor. May 1953.
Photographer: Uncredited. Source: Cant, Gilbert. Condors on the rise. Sports Illustrated. 18 July 1960.
Photographer: Carl B Koford. Source: Last of the shy condors. Life. 27 November 1964.
Photographer: Uncredited. Source: Young, Bob, and Jan Young. Sovereign of California skies. Desert. April 1965.
Photographer: Carl B. Koford. Source: Borneman, John C. The disappearing condors of Sespe. Modern Maturity. August 1966.
Photographer: Ed N Harrison. Source: Orr, Robert T. Will the condor survive? Pacific Discovery. November 1966.
Photographer: Ted Schiffman. Source: Brower, Kenneth. Night of the condor. Omni. August 1979.
Photographer: Uncredited. Source: Crawford, Mark. The last days of the wild condor? Science. 30 August 1985.
Pseudogryps 