Baker, Aletha Hall O'Brien (1883-1966)(3 of 4)
/Robert Peterson Dammand’s Portrait Photograph of Aletha Hall O’brien baker
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
ROBERT PETERSON DAMMAND (Dammond) was born on September 6, 1855, in Horsens, Denmark, and died on January 27, 1936, in Glendale, California. He worked as a photographer in Iowa and Southern California before arriving in Petaluma in November 1901. He resided on Petaluma’s D Street and located his photographic studio opposite the American Hotel over the Steiger Building on Main Street. In late July 1905, Dammand departed Petaluma to set up a studio in Richmond, California. (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: Aletha Hall O’Brien Baker
Description: In this portrait, a beguiling Aletha Hall O’Brien Baker stands in a languid, alluring pose while gazing straight out at the viewer. She tilts her head to the left and raises her right hand to touch the fringes of her billowy, white, fleece collar. Her thigh-length cape is trimmed in the same sensuous fleece above which is an elaborate border of white embroidery. Her cape is secured with a long ribbon which flows down the front of her body. Under her cape she wears a simple linen dress that appears to be cinched at the waist. Around her neck is a black choker with a circular white ornament in the center. Her dark hair is mounded on top of her head and adorned with a large, round bow made of ribbon.
Biographical Note: Aletha Hall was born in Petaluma in 1883, the eldest child of Gilbert and Mary Louise Brown Hall. She was educated at Petaluma schools and the Ursuline Academy in Santa Rosa and for a while ran her own millinery store in Petaluma. In 1907 she married local physician Dr. John Thomas O’Brien and the couple was blessed with three children, Margaret in 1908, Kathleen in 1911, and John T., Jr., in 1913. During the First World War, Dr. O’Brien received a commission to the Army Medical Corps and was stationed in San Diego. Aletha drove south with her children to be near him and when he was honorably discharged they all returned to Petaluma to their beautiful home on several acres near Oak Hill Park. In 1920 the O’Briens sold their home and moved to San Francisco. In 1926 Dr. O’Brien died there at the age of 63. Several years later Aletha married Walter Baker, an officer with the Metropolitan Insurance Company. Walter died in 1933 and Aletha, at the age of 50, was again a widow.
Aletha led a busy life as a widow. She settled in Palo Alto and was highly involved with her family which included twelve grandchildren. She never moved back to Petaluma but always kept her connection, often visiting relatives and friends there, and frequently sending notices of family events to the Argus Courier. She was frequently involved in local events, acting as a guest speaker at AAUW meetings and as a frequent chairperson at political conferences. She was a staunch Democrat and after Eisenhower’s win expressed herself with one of the first bumper stickers: Don’t Blame Me! I voted Democrat! Aletha Hall O’Brien Baker died in 1966 and was buried in the O’Brien Plot in the Catholic Calvary Cemetery in Petaluma.
*This biographical note was written by Aletha Hall O’Brien Baker’s descendant, Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini.
Family Affiliation: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/42033731/aletha-o'brien_baker. There are many portraits of other members of the Hall, O’Brien, and Baker families in this archive.
Bibliography: Petaluma Argus-Courier, September, 20, 1966, p. 5 (obituary); The Peninsula Times Tribune (Palo Alto, CA), September 20, 1966, p. 4 (obituary). For additional information and artifacts pertaining to the Hall and O’Brien families, see the Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini Collection at the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum.
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: 7 1/2 x 9 1/2
Medium: gelatin or collodion photographic print
Description, front: The backdrop of this portrait depicts a large framed mirror behind which is a misty garden of palm fronds.
Description, back: On the right corner is the photograph’s imprint.
Date: 1901 - 1905
Condition: This portrait is in good condition.
Owner: From the collection of Kathleen O’Brien Balestrini, 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.