Wheaton, Marcella “Ella” Whitney (1866-1915)(6 of 6)
/Chas. Lanier’s Studios’ Portrait Photograph of Ella & Clara Whitney
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
Photographer: Charles Lainer
Photography Studio: 715 Market Street, San Francisco, CA
THE SITTERS:
Names: Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton (1866-1915) and Clara Whitney Spear (1873-1954). (At the time this portrait was taken, these two sisters may have been known by their maiden name, Whitney. Marcella married in October 1892 at the age of 26, and Clara married in 1893 at the age of 18.)
Description: This is a lovely portrait of two sisters. Ella, the elder sister, is on the viewer’s left and Clara is on the right. There was 7 years age different between the sisters. Unfortunately, due to the faded quality of the photograph, it is not possible to distinguish the details of their blouses. An element of interest is Ella’s coiffure. Her hair has been arranged into a tight, small, bun on the top of her head which has been garnished with a unique hair ornament giving additional height to the arrangement.
Biographical Note: As a member of a prominent Petaluma family, Ella was well educated. She attended an Episcopal high school, Saint Mary’s Hall in Benicia, and, according to her obituary, a Bay Area seminary which may be a reference to Mill’s Seminary. According to articles in the Petaluma Weekly Argus, Ella toured Europe between July 1887 and December 1888. She later married Charles B. Wheaton and moved with him to Medford, Massachusetts. She died suddenly at the age of 48 of pneumonia in Medford, but was buried in her family’s plot in Petaluma at the Cypress Hill Memorial Park.
Family Affiliation: Marcella “Ella” Whitney was the fifth child of the prominent Petaluma pioneers Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney, and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Nancy Jane “Jenny” Whitney Morrow, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Albion Harvey Whitney and Clara Whitney Spear.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front:
Description, back: Handwritten along the top edge in script, in bold black ink is, “Ella Whitney”, “Clara Whitney”. Below this, is Chas. Lainer’s elaborate imprint which includes an image of San Francisco’s Cliff House and his many award medallions.
Date: circa 1890 - 1895
Condition: Both sides of this card are heavily soiled, stained, and faded. Additionally, a significant strip of the bottom of this card has been trimmed.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-26
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.