Brown, Anna “Annie” Alexis Ferguson (1841-1920) (3 of 4)

Unidentified Photographer’s Portrait Photograph of Anna “Annie” alexis Ferguson Brown

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

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Photographer: Unidentified

THE SITTER:

Name: Anna “Annie” Alexis Ferguson Brown

Description: In this head-and-shoulder portrait, the middle-aged matron gazes confidently out at the viewer. Her serious demeanor is reinforced by her decision to wear her pince-nez, a style of spectacles fashionable in the United States between 1880 and 1910. Her hair is center-parted and pulled to the back of her head into a tight bun visual at the top of her head. Her bun is adorned with a beaded barrette. She wears small round earrings and a circular brooch on her collar. Her blouse is made of ornate black lace, and her jacket, which features large gigot sleeves, is made of dark satin.

Biographical Note: Anna Alexis Ferguson was born in 1841 in County Galway, Ireland. By age 5, she and her family had immigrated to the United States and lived in Boston, Massachusetts. Annie sailed around Cape Horn and came to California in 1856 to live in Petaluma with her sister and brother-in-law, Sabina and Thomas Rochford. On May 18, 1858, Annie and Daniel Brown were married at the Rochford’s house by Father Louis Auger. Annie and Daniel had twelve children, seven of whom survived until adulthood. Besides raising their children, Annie was active in St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church and participated in local fairs, entering tapestries and other works of art she had created.  Annie lived in Petaluma until a few years after the 1902 death of her husband.  She moved to San Francisco with her son, Vincent and three of her unmarried daughters, Josephine, Emma, and Kathleen Elise. Annie died in San Francisco on March 13, 1920.  She was buried next to Daniel in Calvary Cemetery in Petaluma, and eventually most of their twelve children were interred with them in the Brown Family Plot. 

*This biographical note was written by Anna Alexis Ferguson Brown’s descendant, Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini.

Family Affiliation: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/41848304/annie-alexis-brown Search this archive and the Sonoma County Library photograph archive for additional portraits of the Brown family.

Bibliography: Primary Sources: Petaluma Argus-Courier: March 28, 1900, p. 1; March 13, 1916, p. 2; March 13, 1920, p. 4 (obit); March 15, 1920, p. 5.. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier: October 12, 1904, p. 1; March 20, 1922, p.3; September 13, 1911, p. 5; March 14, 1920, p. 8 (obit). Petaluma Weekly Argus: September 1, 1888, p. 2. For additional information and artifacts pertaining to the Brown family, see the Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini Collection at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum.

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:  approximately 5” x 7”

Medium: gelatin or collodion photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: This crisp, sharply focused, head-and-shoulder portrait is set in front of a background of soft, out-of-focus drapery.

Description, back: The green sticker identifies the stationer company, H. S. Gutermute, as the framer of this portrait. Along the bottom, hand printed in pencil is: “Annie Alexis Ferguson”, “b. May 1841 Ireland”, “d. May 1920 San Francisco CA”, “m. Daniel Brown”, “18 May 1858”, and “Petaluma, CA”.

Date: The gigot sleeves and pince-nez suggest this portrait was taken late in the 19th or early in the 20th century.

Condition: This portrait is in good condition.

Owner: From the collection of Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini,

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.