Ayers, William (1829-1899)
/Hugh S. Anderson’s Portrait Photograph of William Ayers
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: William Ayers
Description: In this head-and-shoulders portrait, William Ayers is between 43 and 44 years old. He is attired in a sack jacket with pipped lapels. Attached to the second button of his dark vest is a chain, which most probably leads to a watch stored in the vest’s pocket. His dark, wavy hair is receeding, and he sports a wiry, graying, chin beard.
Biographical Note: William Ayers was born in Ireland in 1829 and traveled with his parents to America, where they settled in Warsaw, Illinois. In 1849 he married Martha Wade, and in 1851 or 1857, they traveled to California and settled on a ranch reported to be at Stony Point. The 1860 census documents them living in Annally, Sonoma County, and the 1870 census documents them living in Petaluma, where William lived until he died in 1899. William served on the Petaluma City Council and as Street Superintendent. William was buried in his family plot at the Petaluma Cypress Hill Cemetery.
Family Affiliation: William married Martha Wade in 1849. Together, they had at least six children: Miss Gussie Ayers, Mrs. Eugene Wilson, Mrs. Amelia Vestal, Mrs. Edith Chapman, William David Ayer, and Rosalie “Rosa” Ayers Blakely. William Ayer’s brother, Robert Ayers (d. Ventura, California, December 1899), built the Washoe House at Stony Point in 1855. There are numerous portraits of additional Ayers family members on this website.
Bibliography: Petaluma Argus-Courier, Oct. 15, 1899, p.1. Petaluma Daily Morning Courier, Oct. 14, 1899, p. 1; Oct. 16, 1899, p. 1; Oct. 24, 1899, p. 2; Dec. 14, 1899, p. 1;
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite, approximately 6.25 x 10.5 cm
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: Handwritten in script in pencil along the bottom edge is: “William Ayers”.
Description, back: Hugh Anderson’s imprint appears in red ink, and along the bottom edge in bold black marker appears: “Wiliam Ayers”.
Date: January 1872-December 1873
Condition: The front of this CDV has considerable foxing and the back is slightly soiled.
Owner: The Cyndi Logan Collection, digital copy by permission.
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.