“Little Girl Dressed in a White Smock”
/Petaluma Photo Parlors’ portrait photograph of a
“Little Girl dressed in a white smock”
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
The Petaluma Photo Gallery was advertised between July 7 and July 23, 1898 in the Petaluma Daily Morning Courier. The advertisement was run 16 times and is the only mention of the gallery in the Petaluma papers. The large advertisement for the gallery claimed that photographs were available below cost and were finished by a, “First-Class Workman from San Francisco.” At the bottom of the advertisement was written, “Remember the place is Opp. American Hotel, Joslin’s Old Gallery”. The photographer, Amon James Tuft Joslin, had departed Petaluma for Chico, California in April of 1897, presumably leaving his photographic studio “opposite the American Hotel” empty and available at 850 Main Street.
THE SITTER:
Name: Unidentified
Description: The little girl in this portrait is dressed in a white smock with winged shoulder flounces and a ruffled collar. Her dark hair is parted in the center and adorned on either side with a white ribbon.
Biographical Note:
Family Affiliation: This photo remains, as donated, in the McCleave family and friends photo album.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This portrait was taken in front of a painted backdrop which faintly suggests a garden setting with ornamental objects. The backdrop has been draped to also cover the floor. The child portrayed stands on the backdrop and rests her arm on a fabric covered table. The Gallery’s imprint appears along the bottom edge, and all four sides of the cabinet card are pinked.
Description, back: The back of this cabinet card is blank or contains only an accession number.
Date: July 1898
Condition: This cabinet card is in good condition.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2004-315-02-p15-p8, McCleave Family 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.