Haskins, Edna Eleanor (1874-1886)
/Lewis Dowe’s Portrait Photograph of Edna Eleanor Haskins
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
LEWIS DOWE was born in 1838 in Hanover, New Hampshire and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He arrived in Petaluma in September of 1875 and set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson. Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer until he departed the town in March of 1882. (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: Edna Eleanor Haskins
Description: This is a cabinet card portrait of Edna Eleanor Haskins as a child of 3 or 4 years of age. Haskins stands on a fringed studio chair and looks directly at the camera. The arm rest of the studio chair has been raised to serve to stabilize her as she stands on the seat cushion. Her hands are placed together on the arm-rest creating an image of a very composed toddler. She is wearing a light-colored, long-sleeved dress with soutache braiding on the bottom of the front panel. A white ruff circles her neck and wrists. She wears front-lace boots, and around her neck is a long chain which ends in a locket.
Biographical Note: Edna Eleanor Haskins was born in Petaluma and buried at the age of 12 in the Cypress Hill Memorial Park Cemetery in Petaluma.
Family Affiliation: Edna Eleanor Haskins was the daughter of Petaluma pioneers, Thomas J. Haskins (1842-1908) and Elizabeth E. Sterling Haskins (1852-1936). See the portrait of her brothers, Elmond Sterling Haskins (1877-1959) and Thomas Ranson Haskins (1880-1905) in this archive. According to an article written by Ed Mannion published in the Petaluma Argus-Courier, December 9, 1961, page 8, Elmond Sterling Haskins’ maternal grandfather was Charles B. Sterling, a crew member of the Treble, one of the earliest ships to venture to California.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16 cm
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This portrait is set within a top-arched format.
Description, back: Handwritten in black ink in cursive at the top of the back of this cabinet card is, “Edna Eleanor Haskins Sister of Uncle Elmond Sterling Haskins”. Beneath this is the photographer’s imprint aligned on a vertical diagonal.
Date: September 1875 - March 1882
Condition: This cabinet card is heavily soiled and stained.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1986-IDI-02
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.