Farquar, Frederick Stuart (1879-1962) (1 of 3)
/George Ross’ Portrait Photograph of Frederick Stuart Farquar
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
GEORGE COLVAINE ROSS was born February 12, 1832 in Edinburgh, Scotland and died in 1893 at the age of 60 in Petaluma, California. Unlike the other nineteenth century Petaluma photographers, Ross lived and worked in Petaluma for many years. He arrived in Petaluma in 1855, and in 1862 he began his profession as a photographer, moving his studio within the city several times as noted on his various carte de visite and cabinet card imprints. In 1869 he was also part of a short-lived photographic studio partnership with Elon D. Ormsby on Main Street in Petaluma. It was reported that Ross stopped working as a photographer soon after he developed a disability in 1888. Ross was among the most prolific Petaluma portrait photographers, and his work was of exceptionally high quality. Ross was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Hill Memorial Park. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)
THE SITTER:
Name: Frederick Stuart Farquar
Description: Ten-month-old Frederick Stuart Farquar is portrayed here seated on a fabric-covered studio prop. The curly-haired baby sits holding the hem of his white lace dress. He wears a white lace bib, white stockings and dark leather boots.
Biographical Note: Frederick Stuart Farquar was raised in Petaluma and worked the family ranch in “Penn’s Grove”. Like his brother, Ben, he served in the Spanish-American War. Frederick was a member of Company K, in the Fourteenth Regiment. Ben was a member of Company C in the Eighth Regiment. Frederick lived in Petaluma at 729 Keokuk Street and later at 321 Keller Street, and he worked for the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Electric Railroad. Frederick and his wife, Hester R. Herbert, were both buried in Cypress Hill Memorial Park in Petaluma.
Family Affiliation: Frederick Stuart Farquar was the son of Petaluma pioneers, Mary Irene Clark Farquar (1858-1941), and Calvin Stuart Farquar (1848-1908). Frederick married Hester R. Herbert (1885-1945) of Bloomfield in 1903, and they had two sons, Frederick Stuart Farquar Junior (1906-1970), William Harold Farquar (1907-1956). They also had a daughter, Marion Hester Farquar (1910 - October 1911), who died at the age of 11 due to an accident. There are many additional portraits of Farquar family members in this archive.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: The portrait is set within an arched format, and George Ross’ imprint, in a particularly elegant font, appears along the bottom edge.
Description, back: Handwritten in cursive in pencil is, “Fred S. Farquar 10 months”, “Born 12/23/1879”, “Died 11/30/1962”
Date: Fall 1880. In this archive are two portraits also taken by George Ross of Frederick Stuart Farquar’s mother, Mary Irene Clark Farquar. All three portraits have the same elegant George Ross imprint along the front bottom edge, and may have been taken on the same day.
Condition: Both sides of this card are heavily soiled, and a large stain appears on the card along the center of the front, bottom edge.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1978-80-44-p19-p37, Farquar Family Album
Reproduction rights: The Petaluma Museum Association makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to the digitized images here reproduced. These images are intended for personal or research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Association. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use.