Noble, Skelton Stanford

SKELTON STANFORD NOBLE was born in Missouri c. 1833. He worked as a photographer in many California cities before arriving in Petaluma. He worked in Petaluma with Albert Webster Fell in the Noble & Fell partnership beginning in December 1873. In May 1874 the partership was dissolved and Noble continued to operate the studio by himself until 1875. Noble’s sole ownership is evident in the Sunbeam Gallery imprint which changed from “Noble & Fell’s Sunbeam Gallery” to “S. S. Noble, Sunbeam Gallery”. Evidently in possession of an enlarger, Noble advertised between July and December 1874 his ability to produce “full-sized” portraits, announcing, “For life-sized pictures go to S. S. Noble, of the Sunbeam Gallery". After departing Petaluma, Noble operated photo studios in Sierra City, Nevada City, and Cambria.

Bibliography: Carl Mautz, Biographies of Western Photographers, A Reference Guide to Photographers Working in the 19th Century American West, Expanded and Revised Edition, 2018, p.154. Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, pp. 420-421. Petaluma Weekly Argus, December 5, 1873, p.2; December 12, 1873, p. 2; Dec. 19, 1873, p. 2; January 30, 1874, p.2 and 3; March 13, 1874, p.3; May 15, 1874, p.2; May 22,1874, p. 4; July 3, 1874, p. 3; December 18, 1874, p. 3. https://digital.sonomalibrary.org/about/photographers

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