Lawson, Thorsten

THORSTEN LAWSON purchased the “Healy Ground Floor Gallery” located in downtown Petaluma at 818 Main Street in June 1905. In an article discussing the transaction, the Petaluma Daily Morning Courier reported the following information: Lawson had recently arrived from Europe; Mr. Pollock, “an expert operator of San Francisco,” would be assisting in the business; a massage parlor would be connected to the new gallery; the hours of business would be from five to ten each evening; and the proprietor and his wife were both experts and “…will, no doubt, receive their share of the patronage”. The Lawson photography gallery operated in Petaluma for only eight months. Lawson and his wife sold their gallery to Charles S. Brown of Modesto in February 1906 and unfortunately departed for San Francisco where Lawson was robbed in March, and the couple lost all their possessions on April 18 in the Great San Francisco earthquake.

Petaluma Argus-Courier, October 23, 1905, p. 3

Active in Petaluma: June 1905 - February 1906

Bibliography: Petaluma Argus Courier, June 28, 1905, p. 6; October 23, 1905, p. 3. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, June 17, 1905, p. 4; February 26, 1906, p. 4; March 3, 1906, p. 1; May 31, 1906, p. 1; August 28, 1906, p. 4. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, July 1, 1905, p. 1; March 3, 1906, p. 1.

Unfortunately, the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum owns no portraits attributed to Thorsten Lawson, his wife, or Mr. Pollock.

La Motte Studio

LA MOTTE STUDIO In October 1907, Wesley La Motte Shattuck (b. 1873 Iowa, d. 1935 Los Angeles, California) purchased the Brown Studio at 818 Main Street and renamed it La Motte Studio. Both Shattuck’s place of business and residence are listed as 818 Main Street in the 1908 Petaluma City Directory. Beginning in 1896, this location served as the Healy Ground Floor Gallery and subsequently as a studio for Thorsten Lawson and Charles S. Brown. Shattuck owned the studio for less than a year. On July 3, 1908, the Petaluma Daily Morning Courier reported that Mr. Shattuck sold his photography gallery to E. D. Weston; however, only three months later, Weston sold the gallery to William M. Gray of Telluride, Colorado. In December 1908, an advertisement for La Motte Studio claimed that Gray’s motto was “prompt delivery and satisfactory work” and that he provided “Platinums in Sepia or Black and White, also Platinas”. On October 4, 1909, the Petaluma Argus-Courier reported that William M. Gray had sold the La Motte Studio to George L. Brady of Watsonville, who renamed the business “The Brady Studio”. By July 1910, Gray had opened a photography studio in Albuquerque, New Mexico at 215 West Central Avenue.

Petaluma Argus-Courier, December 25, 1908, p. 6

The La Motte Studio remained in the same location on Petaluma’s Main Street throughout its years of operation. However, the City of Petaluma changed the Main Street address numbers, consequently, the studio’s address was recorded as 818 and later as 164.

Active in Petaluma: Shattuck managed the studio between October 1907 and July 1908., Weston between July 1908 and October 1908, and Gray between October 1908 and October 1909.

Bibliography: Petaluma Argus-Courier, October 4, 1907, p. 1; July 6, 1908, p. 6; August 8, 1908, p. 4; October 26, 1908, p. 5; December 25, 1908, p. 6; Jan. 30, 1909, p. 8; October 4, 1909, p. 3; January 2, 1909, p. 3; June 2, 1909, p. 1; Aug. 10, 1910, p. 5. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, Oct. 5, 1907, p. 1; Oct. 15, 1907, p.4; January 9, 1908, p. 1; July 3, 1908, p. 1; Oct 24, 1908, p.1; June 14, 1909, p. 1; Oct. 1, 1909, p. 1; Oct.2, 1909, p. 1; September 7, 1912, p. 4. Albuquerque Journal (New Mexico), July 19, 1910, p.3.

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Lentz, William Henry

WILLIAM HENRY LENTZ was born in 1847 in Baltimore, Maryland. The date and place of his death have not been identified.

Before arriving in Petaluma in October 1866, Lentz worked in San Francisco for Carleton Eugene Watkins, a famous photographer known for his views of Yosemite.

Petaluma Weekly Argus, November 29, 1866, p. 2

Lentz began working as a photographer in Petaluma when he took over Bryan R. Johnson’s Petaluma studio. Taking advantage of the reputation Johnson had built in Petaluma, Lentz’s imprint stated, “From W. H. Lentz’s (Late Johnson’s) Photographic Gallery, Main St. Petaluma.” On October 4 the Petaluma Weekly Argus reported that Lentz had purchased Bryan R. Johnson’s “Pioneer, Premium Photograph Gallery, so long and favorably known as ‘Johnson’s Gallery.’”

Lentz quickly began advertising his ability to produce sun pearls, ambrotypes, melancotypes and patent enameled carte de visite. Lentz repeatedly advertised his services in the Petaluma papers using a clever, eye-catching technique of repeating his text on alternating spaces.

On October 25, 1866, the Petaluma Weekly Argus reported that the City was indebted to Lentz for, “…a fine, large photographic view of Main Street. It is taken from the lower end of the street, and presents a life-like view of our business mart, with its fleet of ‘prairie schooners,’ heavily laden with Ceres and Pomona’s liberal gifts; its vehicles of every sort and description; its busy bustling masculine pedestrians, and fair daughters.”

On October 10, 1867, Richard Percival advertised in the Petaluma Weekly Argus that he had purchased Lentz’s photographic rooms and was open for business. After this date, it appears Lentz no longer worked as a photographer in Petaluma, and in October 1868, the Petaluma Weekly Argus announced that Lentz was to replace the deceased James Hunter (1824-1868) as the city’s Postmaster. Although praised for overseeing improvements to the post office in April 1869, by 1872 Lentz was on trial for defaulting as Postmaster. The Petaluma Weekly Argus reported that Lentz had been admitted on bail, failed to appear and was arrested in Virginia City.

Petaluma Photographic Studio: On October 4, 1866, Lentz purchased Bryan R. Johnson’s “Pioneer, Premium Photograph Gallery” which was located in the Doyle Building on Main Street and renamed it the “W. H. Lentz Photographic Gallery”. Lentz sold the gallery to Richard Percival in October, 1867.

Active in Petaluma: October 4, 1866 - October, 1867

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. 146; Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, pp. 364; Petaluma Weekly Argus, October 4, 1866, p.2; Petaluma Weekly Argus, October 18, 1866, p. 2; Petaluma Weekly Argus, October 25, 1866, p.2; Petaluma Weekly Argus, November 29, 1866, p. 2; Petaluma Weekly Argus, Oct. 10, 1867, p. 3; Petaluma Weekly Argus, May 21, 1868, p.4; Petaluma Weekly Argus, October 22, 1868, p.3; Petaluma Weekly Argus, April 22, 1869, p. 3; Petaluma Weekly Argus, August 24, 1872, p. 3.

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