For your consideration is a Tombstone, Arizona Territory 1880 Watkins New Series Stereoview. Provenance: Tombstone Western Heritage Museum, Tombstone, Arizona. Tombstone in the Arizona Territory began in 1877 as a silver mining boomtown founded by Ed Schieffelin, who discovered silver and was warned he'd find only his tombstone in the wild territory. The town grew rapidly, becoming a major silver producer by 1883. It was home to a mix of miners, cowboys, and other residents, and was the site of the famous Gunfight at the O. K. Corral in 1881. After the mines flooded and economic prosperity declined in the late 1880s, Tombstone transitioned into a historic tourist destination, its legacy cemented in American folklore and its buildings recognized as a National Historic Landmark. It became a significant symbol of the American Wild West and a focal point of law and disorder on the American frontier. Carleton E. Watkins is considered one of the greatest photographers of the American West. Traveling the western United States, he made thousands of mammoth and imperial plate photographs of the Yosemite Valley, Columbia River, the Sierra Nevada, and the Pacific Coast in Oregon. Watkins’ photographs of the West remain as important historical documents of the landscape, showing a moment before the onslaught of massive development. This stereoview of Tombstone was produced between April 10 and May 18, 1880. The "New Series" stereoviews / stereographs are of inestimatable historic value. Some are the earliest known views of Southern California, Washington Territory, and other areas of the Pacific Coast. His views of Nevada and Arizona are also exceptional in this regard. Subject wise, the "new series" contains invaluable records of all kinds of pioneer industries, the onset of tourist development, and the growth of the rural West generally. All views are on orange mounts with lavender backs. The stereograph is labeled Tombstone, Arizona at the bottom centre, card code "4913" located at bottom right corner. Logo on the left border, "WATKINS' NEW SERIES Of Pacific Coast Views, 427 Montgomery Street, S. F." Right border is labeled, "Photogaphic Views of California, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, Lower Cal., and the Pacific Coast, embracingYosemite, Big Trees, Geysers, Mount Shasta, Mining, City, etc., etc. Views made to order in any part of the State or Coast." Reverse card hand-written label, "23 years Tombstone in Arizona". Tombstone Western Heritage Museum label attached, "RARE 1880 STEREOVIEW OF TOMBSTONE", museum code, "P-125". The stereoview is in well preserved condition in a clear protective plastic sleeve. Very slight scuffing on edges. Measures 3.375"W x 6.875"L, sleeve is 3.75"W x 7.25"L. Combined weight U6.