“Alert Little Boy Dressed in a Dark Velvet Suit”
/Hugh S. Anderson’s Portrait Photograph of an “Alert Little Boy Dressed in a Dark Velvet Suit”
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
HUGH S. ANDERSON was born in 1826 in Scotland and died in 1900 in San Francisco, California. He was active in Petaluma as early as January 1872, and he departed Petaluma in December 1873. His Sunbeam Gallery was located, “At the Old Stand, Opposite H. C. Taft & Co.’s”. (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: Unidentified, possibly a member of the Gale family
Description: This alert, precious little boy sits in an elegant pose, exuding a calm and composed demeanor. He looks directly at the viewer, holding the fingers of his right hand in his left. He wears a dark velvet jacket and matching knee-length pants. A stiff, starched collar surrounds his neck. He wears white stockings that accentuate the scalloped details of his buttoned leather boots. The side sections of the child’s hair have been combed straight down, while the top section has been gathering into a single curl at the top of his head. This hairstyle was popular for little boys during this period.
Biographical Note:
Family Affiliation:
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: The boy in this portrait sits on a typical fringed studio chair. His left arm is supported by the chair’s armrest and his feet are supported by a fabric covered stool. The background depicts monumental architectural elements including a large column on the left and multi layered floor molding on the right.
Description, back: Handwritten in cursive in pencil along the left top of edge of this card is, “For Mary Gale”.
Hugh Anderson’s imprint is on the center of the back of this carte de visite. Anderson created several versions of his Petaluma imprint. A simpler, possibly earlier, version appears here. It is printed in black ink and includes only three lines of text, each in a different font. Horizontally flipped, elaborate flourishes surround the text.
Date: January 1872 - December 1873
Condition: Both sides of this carte de visite are slightly soiled, and the front has extensive foxing.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2022-952-01-pg44c, Schwobeda/Bloom/Taylor/DeMartin Family & Friends 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.