bjgreen
A century-old shot of a hummingbird in Santa Barbara photographed by artist Oscar R. Coast (Image: “Bird Lore,” 1918)
By Betsy J. Green
A mention of a Santa Barbara landscape artist named Oscar Reagan Coast in a 1917 art magazine caught my eye. A little noodling around on the Internet revealed that he also enjoyed photography as well as painting.
I found an article in “Bird Lore” magazine in which Coast described his efforts to photograph a young hummingbird in his garden here. “When the mother was away foraging, I covered the camera with green leaves, focused it upon the nest, then drew a thread, which I had attached to the shutter, into a room that looked down upon the nest, and there awaited the mother’s return at dinner-hour. I am sure that she carried a watch, for dinner was always served promptly between 1:30 and 2:00.”
Betsy’s Way Back When book — 1919 — is now available in local bookstores and at Amazon.com. This is the sixth book in her series of the history of Santa Barbara, one year at a time. Learn more at betsyjgreen.com
