Harvesting crew and machinery at the Van Nuys ranch, southwest part of San Fernando Valley, ca.1886

Photograph of harvesting crew and machinery at the Van Nuys ranch, southwest part of San Fernando Valley, ca.1886. Several early-model vehicles, train-like contraptions, sit idle in the fields. Around are other machinery, horse-drawn carriages, horsemen, and piles of sacks (harvested goods?). Picture file card reads: "Home (or Horne?) ranch and West ranch combined outfits, harvest crew". Photoprint reads: "This is a picture of a harvest crew. The machine (header) in the center of picture was pushed by six horses out the grain and transferred the grain heads by a chute to the header barges which moved along side of the header. When the barge was full, it was then hauled to the thrasher shown at left. The thrasher was powered by the steam engine at right of film. The engine was fueled by wood or coal. In this picture it would appear that they are baking the straw possibly in pelits[sic] to be used for fuel." -- C. W. Smith of Northridge.