Boyle, Helen Milliken (Mileken) Clark (1840-1912)

/

Unidentified Photographer, Portrait Photograph of Helen milliken Clark Boyle

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: unidentified

THE SITTER:

Name: Helen Milliken Clark Boyle

Description: This early carte de visite is a head-and-shoulders portrait of the teacher, Helen Milliken Clark Boyle. Her center-parted hair is encircled with a braid and crowned with an ornamental hair comb. She wears a heavily embroidered, black jacket and a very stiff, white, high, honeycombed collar. Around her neck is what appears to be a locket.

Biographical Note: Helen Milliken Clark Boyle was born in Markham, Ontario. At the age of 22 she departed Canada to teach in California. According to her descendent, Robert Boyle, “Helen Milliken Clark is indicated by San Jose Normal School history to be the very first teacher hired in the California State Education system in 1862.  In May of 1863 they held the first California Teachers Association meeting and Helen is often referenced demonstrating class exercises.  The reason she and her mother were recruited was to bring Objective Teaching Methods to California which use the model school as a predominant teaching platform. She also taught at the San Jose Normal School.” Although not affiliated with Petaluma, Helen’s mother, Dorcas Haley Clark, was among Petluma’s first educators.

Family Affiliation: Helen Milliken Clark Boyle was the daughter of Petaluma educator, Dorcas Haley Clark (1815-1902) and Benjamin Milliken Clark (1809-1867). Helen’s sister, Emily Maria Clark Pritchard Jeffery (1836-1910) worked as a music teacher in Petaluma. Helen married John Boyle(1831-1922) in 1869, and together they had at least 10 children. Helen was the mother of Gertrude Farquharson Boyle Kanna (1878-1937), a noted sculptor who worked in San Francisco. Her many portrait busts include such famous individuals as Isadora Duncan, Teddy and Franklin Roosevelt, John Muir, Joaquin Miller, Luther Burbank, and Albert Einstein. Helen’s great-granddaughter donated this carte de visite. Dorcas Haley Clark PDF

Bibliography: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/107888232/helen-mileken-boyle, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gertrude_Boyle_Kanno

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:  carte de visite, approximately 10 x 6 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: Handwritten in very bold, black, print along the bottom is: “Helen Clark Boyle”.

Description, back: Handwritten in pencil in cursive along the top is: “Helen Clark (Boyle”.

Date: 1860s

Condition: This early carte de visit has slight overall foxing and has faded significantly.

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1994-658-05

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.