McNear, George Plummer Sr. (1857-1947) (4 of 4)

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Oil Painting of George Plummer Mcnear, Sr.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer:

Studio Location:

THE SITTER:

Name: George Plummer McNear, Sr.

Description:

Biographical Note: Following in the footsteps of his famous, Petaluma, pioneer father, John August McNear (1832-1918), George Plummer McNear Sr. was a prominent Petaluma citizen and successful business man. He invested early in the community’s poultry industry, served on the board of Sonoma County National Bank and was Vice President of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad. He was also a generous philanthropist donating sections of his extensive land holdings to accommodate the community post office, fire station, McNear Park and McNear School.

Family Affiliation: George Plummer McNear was the only child of Petaluma pioneers John Augustus McNear (1832-1918) and his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866), to survive to adulthood. George’s first wife was Jennie Otis McNear (1857-1883) who died tragically at the age of 26. Together George and Jennie had one child, Clara McNear Leppo (1881-1979), named in honor of George’s mother. George’s second wife was Ida Belle Denman McNear (1859-1949). Together, they had four children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105717995/george-plummer-mcnear.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:

Medium:

Description, Front:

Description, Back:

Date: undated

Condition:

Owner: 

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. 

McNear, Jennie Otis (1857- May 27, 1883) (1 of 2)

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Hectos W. Vaughan’s PORTRAIT photograph of Jennie Otis Mcnear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer:  Hector W. Vaughan

Photographic Studio: Imperial Photographic Gallery, 724 1/2 Market Street, San Francisco, California

THE SITTER:

Name: Jennie Otis McNear (At the time this portrait was taken, the sitter may not have been married and would have been known as Jennie Otis. Jennie was between 20 and 23 years old when this portrait was taken.)

Description: In this head-and-shoulders portrait, Jennie Otis McNear looks stoically and solemnly into the distance. Her dignified composure exudes calm seriousness tingled with melancholy. Her center-parted hair has been carefully coiffed into soft waves and pulled to the back of her head. She wears a dark jacket which is embellished at the neck with a large bow and a small white lace collar.

Biographical Note: Jennie Otis McNear was born in 1857 in Cannon Falls, Minnesota. At the age of seven, she moved to Petaluma with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Wesley Otis. After graduating from Petaluma High School in 1875, she taught school in Salinas, San Leandro and San Diego. On May 13, 1880, she married prominent Petaluma businessman, George Plummer McNear (1857-1947), and together they had one child, Clara McNear (married name, Leppo). Jennie’s early, tragic death on May 27, 1883 resulted from the disastrous explosion of the steamship, Pilot, and was recounted in this excerpt from the Marin Journal, published May 31, 1883:

“No story could be more sad than that which tells of the early and sudden death of Mrs. George P. McNear. She was the idolized daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Otis—their only child—and great as was their parental pride and love for her, their affection was returned with all the ardor of her strong and affectionate nature. Jennie had been a little more than three years the wife of Mr. George P. McNear, and the day of her burial, last Sunday, was the second anniversary of the birth of their little daughter. She was the very personification of rosy health; in form and feature a model of beauty; the rosy pathway of her life was reflected in her cheerful spirits, and as daughter, wife, and mother, her character seemed perfection. This was the tender daughter, the bride-wife, the clinging mother, her good-bye kiss fresh on the lips of her husband-lover and child, and her feet led by filial affection toward a suffering mother, who was met by the appalling catastrophe to the steamer Pilot last Friday.” Marin Journal, volume 23, number 12, May 31, 1883.

Family Affiliation: Jennie Otis was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs Charles W. Otis. A man named C. W. Otis was an early librarian in Petaluma, and may have been her father. Jennie was the first wife of prominent Petaluma businessman, George Plummer McNear (m. May 13, 1880). Their only child was Clara McNear Leppo (1881-1979). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105784417/jennie-mcnear.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: cabinet card

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, Front: The imprint of the photographer appears in brown ink along the bottom edge of this classic head-and-shoulders cabinet card portrait.

Description, Back: The back of this cabinet card is either blank or contains only an accession number.

Date: This portrait was taken sometime between 1877 and 1880, the years in which the Imperial Studio in San Francisco was in operation.

Condition: There is light foxing throughout the front side of this cabinet card.

Owner:  The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, George Plummer Sr. (1857-1947) (3 of 4)

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Charles Lainer, Portrait Photograph of George Plummer Mcnear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Charles Lainer

Studio Location: 31 Third Street, San Francisco, CA

THE SITTER:

Name: George Plummer McNear

Description:

Biographical Note: Following in the footsteps of his famous, Petaluma, pioneer father, John August McNear (1832-1918), George Plummer McNear Sr. was a prominent Petaluma citizen and successful business man. He invested early in the community’s poultry industry, served on the board of Sonoma County National Bank and was Vice President of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad. He was also a generous philanthropist donating sections of his extensive land holdings to accommodate the community post office, fire station, McNear Park and McNear School.

Family Affiliation: George Plummer McNear was the only child of Petaluma pioneers John Augustus McNear (1832-1918) and his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866), to survive to adulthood. George’s first wife was Jennie Otis McNear (1857-1883) who died tragically at the age of 26. Together George and Jennie had one child, Clara McNear Leppo (1881-1979), named in honor of George’s mother. George’s second wife was Ida Belle Denman McNear (1859-1949). Together, they had four children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105717995/george-plummer-mcnear.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: cabinet card

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, Front:

Description, Back: Charles Lainer’s imprint

Date: undated

Condition:

Owner:  The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, Ezekial Denman (1889-1984)

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Unidentified Photographer, portrait of Ezekial Denman McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Unidentified

THE SITTER:

Name: Ezekial Denman McNear

Description:

Biographical Note:

Family Affiliation:

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:

Medium:

Description, front:

Description, back:

Date:

Condition:

Owner:  The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, Clarence Williams (1861-1874)(2 of 2)

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Unidentified Photographer, portrait of Clarence McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Unidentified

THE SITTER:

Name: Clarence McNear

Description:

Biographical Note:

Family Affiliation:

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:

Medium:

Description, front:

Description, back:

Date: According to Peter Palmquist, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, p. 498 column 2, Shew listed his address as 417,421, 423, & 425 Montgomery between November 1866 and early 1869.

Condition:

Owner:  The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, Clarence Williams (1861-1874)(1 of 2)

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William Shew’s Portrait Photograph of Clarence McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: William Shew (1820-1903) was a prominent 19th century photographer famous for his daguerrotypes. He worked in New York and Boston before moving to San Francisco in 1851.

Studio Location: 417, 421, 423 and 425 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California

THE SITTER:

Name: Clarence McNear

Description:

Biographical Note:

Family Affiliation:

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: carte de visite

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front:

Description, back:

Date: According to Peter Palmquist, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, p. 498 column 2, Shew listed his address as 417,421, 423, & 425 Montgomery between November 1866 and early 1869.

Condition:

Owner:  The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, John Augustus (1832-1918) (2 of 2)

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John Quincy Reed’s Portrait Photograph of John Augustus McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: JOHN QUINCY REED was born in 1841 in Abington, Massachusetts and died in 1902 in Petaluma. He worked as a photographer in Petaluma for over 25 years, moving his studio within the community to several different locations. He arrived into Petaluma from Stockton in 1870 and continued to work as a photographer in Petaluma until at least 1898. Many of his portraits of Petaluma’s citizens are of exceptionally fine quality. (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: John Augustus McNear

Description: When this head-and-shoulders portrait was taken, John Augustus McNear was 45 years old. He appears as a handsome, clear-eyed, and, albeit balding, youthful man. His lack of top-of-the-head hair is compensated by his well-groomed Shenandoah beard. The hair of his right temple has been combed directly back creating the appearance of a wing over his ear. He is austerely attired in a conservative jacket, vest, and a simple white shirt. The absence of a neck tie gives him an almost clerical appearance.

Biographical Note: John Augustus McNear is arguably the most famous and respected of all Petaluma pioneers. He was a man of vision with astonishing energy, brilliance and ambition. Under his influence Petaluma grew from a small riverside frontier town to a thriving center of industry and commerce. With encouragement from his father-in-law, George Bailey Williams (1809-1899), McNear moved to Petaluma in 1856 with his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866). He saw that the little town had a bright future, and he immediately invested in a livery stable and hay yard. Trained as a master mariner in his youth, McNear used his profits to create a shipping business on the Petaluma River. He built riverside warehouses where produce, especially wheat and potatoes, could easily be transported via the river’s scowl schooners, invested to straighten the river’s impeding bends, financed a fleet of schooners, built the freight steamer, Josie McNear, and constructed a canal to enable steamships to dock in Petaluma independent of the tides. Wisely diversifying his interests, McNear founded Petaluma’s Bank of Sonoma County and was a backer of local railroad lines. He invested in the Sonoma County & Petaluma Water Company and established a very profitable brick manufacturing facility on Point San Pedro. Praising John McNear in his 1911 History of Sonoma County, Tom Gregory wrote: “Of all the prominent pioneers of the state there is none more deserving of esteem and good will of the people than John A. McNear, for wherever his name is known it means that he has stamped some indelible action in that locality… He is typically a Californian by adoption, always of the most loyal kind, honorable, upright and a man who has forged his way to the front through the exercise of talents given him by nature, and while doing this there has never been a time that he has neglected the duties of a citizen.”

Family Affiliation: John Augustus McNear’s first wife was Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866). His Petaluma pioneer in-laws were George Bailey Williams (1809-1899) and Mehitable Lilly Williams (1807-1899). John had several children with Clarinda, but only one, George Plummer McNear (1857-1947), lived to adulthood. John Augustus McNear’s second wife was Hattie S. Miller McNear (1847-1922) with whom he had two children, John A. McNear (1869-1927) and Erskine B. McNear (1872-1956).

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: carte de visite

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front:

Description, back: Handwritten along the top edge of this card is “1877”. On the back is this card is an early imprint used by the photographer when his studio was located, “Over Morris’ Cigar Store”.

Date: 1877

Condition: This carte de visite is in very good condition.

Owner:  Private collector, 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. 

McNear, Clarinda “Clara” Damsen Williams (1837-1866)

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William Shew’s Portrait Photograph of Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: William Shew (1820-1903) was a prominent 19th century photographer famous for his daguerrotypes. He worked in New York and Boston before moving to San Francisco in 1851.

Studio Location: 423 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California

THE SITTER:

Name: Clarinda “Clara” Damsen Williams McNear

Description: In this full-length portrait, Clarinda is wearing a dark, belted dress with a large hoop petticoat beneath, a style typical of the 1860s. Her bell sleeves are hemmed in dark lace, and at her neck and wrist appear white lace. Her tightly cinched belt has a vertical oval buckle. The edges of her snood which was a traditional, fabric, ornamental hairnet can be seen surrounding the perimeter of her head.

Biographical Note: Responding to a letter from her father, George Bailey Williams (1803-1899), to join him in Petaluma, Clarinda Williams McNear at the young age of nineteen, traveled with her husband, John Augustus McNear, from Mississippi to Petaluma in November of 1856. John became one of the most famous and respected of Petaluma citizens, but Clara, after giving birth to five sons, died at the young age of 29. Clara’s brother, George Roscoe Williams, recorded his thoughts about his sister’s death in his memoirs, My First Fifty Years: “The death of my sister, Clara McNear, on January 17, 1866, a few months after my return to California, caused the first break in our immediate family in twenty-five years, since the passing in infancy of our brother, Almeda. It was a great source of grief to my parents and to all of us who loved her for her many endearing qualities. She was not only beautiful in appearance but in character and had an unusually sweet, refined, and sensitive nature.” The Petaluma historian and “Petaluman of Yesteryear,” Bill Hammerman, beautifully wrote of the story of Clara’s interment: “The crown of the McNear legacy is Cypress Hill Cemetery. That legacy directly relates to Clara and the love her husband had for her. She died in the cold, rainy January of 1866 at the age of 29. The soil in the community burial grounds, Oak Hill Cemetery, was saturated. Water kept filling in the gravesite. So, John went looking for a high, dry place for Clara. He found it on the highest hill in what is now Cypress Hill Cemetery, where Clara and other members of the family and the community are buried.” Hammerman also clearly stated Clara’s Petaluma legacy when he wrote, “Without Clara Williams McNear, there would be no McNear legacy. Three men, her closest kin, are all remembered as having done much for the advancement of Petaluma. George Bailey Williams, her father, John Augustus McNear, her husband, and George Plummer McNear, her only surviving son.”

Family Affiliation: Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear was the daughter of early Petaluma pioneers George Bailey Williams (1809-1899) and Mehitable (also spelled Mehetabel) Lilly Williams (1807-1899). She was the first wife of John August McNear (1832-1918), and the mother of George Plummer McNear (1857-1947). https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105773270/clarinda-damsen-mcnear.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: carte de visite

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: In this full-length portrait, Clarinda Damsen William McNear rests her right hand on a balustrade and behind her is a painted backdrop depicting a lush landscape.

Description, back: Two gold lines border the back side of this card, and in the center is William Shew’s imprint.

Date: 1861-1866 According to Peter Palmquist, William Shew operated his studio at 423 Montgomery between 1861 and 1869, and Clarinda died in 1866.

Condition: With the exception of the discoloration in the sky of the painted backdrop, this card is in good condition.

Owner: The James Allen Family 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. 

McNear, John Augustus (1832-1918) (1 of 2)

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William Shew’s Portrait Photograph of John Augustus McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: William Shew (1820-1903) was a prominent 19th century photographer famous for his daguerrotypes. He worked in New York and Boston before moving to San Francisco in 1851.

Studio Location: 417, 421, 423 and 425 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California

THE SITTER:

Name: John Augustus McNear

Description: In this head-and-shoulders portrait, John Augustus McNear appears as a handsome, clear-eyed, and, albeit balding, youthful man. His lack of top-of-the-head hair is compensated by his well-groomed Shenandoah beard. In a curious coiffure, the hair from both of his temples has been gathered and twisted into curls protruding above both of his ears. He is conventionally dressed in a jacket with large, pointed lapels, a matching vest, and a white shirt with a black neck tie.

Biographical Note: John Augustus McNear is arguably the most famous and respected of all Petaluma pioneers. He was a man of vision with astonishing energy, brilliance and ambition. Under his influence, Petaluma grew from a small riverside frontier town to a thriving center of industry and commerce. With encouragement from his father-in-law, George Bailey Williams (1809-1899), McNear moved to Petaluma in 1856 with his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866). He saw that the little town had a bright future, and he immediately invested in a livery stable and hay yard. Trained as a master mariner in his youth, McNear used his profits to create a shipping business on the Petaluma River. He built riverside warehouses where produce, especially wheat and potatoes, could easily be transported via the river’s scowl schooners, invested to straighten the river’s impeding bends, financed a fleet of schooners, built the freight steamer, Josie McNear, and constructed a canal to enable steamships to dock in Petaluma independent of the tides. Wisely diversifying his interests, McNear founded Petaluma’s Bank of Sonoma County and was a backer of local railroad lines. He invested in the Sonoma County & Petaluma Water Company and established a very profitable brick manufacturing facility on Point San Pedro. Praising John McNear in his 1911 History of Sonoma County, Tom Gregory wrote: “Of all the prominent pioneers of the state there is none more deserving of esteem and good will of the people than John A. McNear, for wherever his name is known it means that he has stamped some indelible action in that locality… He is typically a Californian by adoption, always of the most loyal kind, honorable, upright and a man who has forged his way to the front through the exercise of talents given him by nature, and while doing this there has never been a time that he has neglected the duties of a citizen.”

Family Affiliation: John Augustus McNear’s first wife was Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866). His Petaluma pioneer in-laws were George Bailey Williams (1809-1899) and Mehitable Lilly Williams (1807-1899). John had several children with Clarinda, but only one, George Plummer McNear (1857-1947), lived to adulthood. John Augustus McNear’s second wife was Hattie S. Miller McNear (1847-1922) with whom he had two children, John A. McNear (1869-1927) and Erskine B. McNear (1872-1956).

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: carte de visite

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front:

Description, back: The photographer’s imprint appears in the upper center of this card listing his address as, “Nos. 417, 421, 423, & 425, Montgomery St. San Francisco.”. Below this is, “No. 18906” (number handwritten in pencil), and “N.B. Duplicates of this card can be obtained by sending name and number, and an order from the party for whom it was taken.”.

Date: According to Peter Palmquist, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, p. 498 column 2, Shew listed his address as 417,421, 423, & 425 Montgomery between November 1866 and early 1869.

Condition: This card has slight foxing throughout on both sides, and the front has a large orange stain on the bottom left.

Owner:  Private collector, 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. 

McNear, Clara (see Leppo) (1881-1979)→

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Lewis Dowe’s Portrait Photograph of Elizabeth “Betsy” Bailey Williams and Clara McNear (Leppo)

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Lewis Dowe (b. 1838, New Hampshire)

Active in Petaluma: 1877-1881

Biographical Note: Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer. After leaving Petaluma he worked in San Francisco, operated as a traveling photographer and by 1904, was working to repair musical instruments.

Bibliography: Mautz, pg. 95. 

THE SITTER(s):

Name(s): Elizabeth “Betsy” Bailey Williams & Clara McNear (Leppo)

Description: The elderly Williams, dressed in black and seated on the viewer’s left, holds baby Clara who is dressed in a white lace gown. Williams’s left hand supports Clara’s back and the enlarged middle or index finger of her right hand is clasped by the fingers of the baby’s right hand. Williams wears glasses and gazes directly at the viewer while the square-faced baby looks off to the viewer’s right. Williams’s cuff and drop waist is edged in dark satin. A stiff, white, ruffled collar surrounds her neck, and a white, lace jabot falls almost to her waist. This great-great-grandmother appears to have very dark hair which is parted in the middle. Her ruffled bonnet is decorated with white flowers and is fastened at the neck with a lighter colored ribbon.

Biographical Note: Elizabeth Bailey Williams was born in Woolwich, Maine in 1792 and was buried in 1882 in Petaluma’s Cypress Hill Memorial Park. She was the mother of Petaluma pioneer, George Bailey Williams (1809-1899). Clara McNear was born in 1881 to Petaluma pioneers, George Plummer McNear (1857-1947) and Jennie Otis McNear (1857-1883). She married David Harrison Leppo (1876-1928) in 1902, and was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Hill Memorial Park in 1979.

Portraits of Sitters’ Family Members in This Archive: Williams Family, McNear Family

Bibliography: Elizabeth Bailey Williams & Clara McNear Leppo PDF

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16.5 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: The double portrait is framed within an arched, ecru, mat which is edged in light blue. The photographer’s imprint runs along the bottom blue strip; on the right is the photographer’s signature presented in cursive letters, “L Dowe”, and on the right in block print is “PETALUMA, CAL”. Hand written in blue ink cursive along the bottom ecru strip is written, “Mrs Betsy Williams 90 years, Clara McNear 5 mos. Great great grd”.

Description, back: Hand written in black ink cursive along on the top: “Mrs Betsy Williams 90 years. Clara McNear 5 months. Great-Great-Grand Mother”. Written in black ink cursive along the bottom: “for Mrs. Maria Wright from Mrs. Eliza Garrett”. (Eliza Jane Williams Garrett (1813-1884) was the daughter of Elizabeth Bailey Williams.)

Date: 1881

Condition: slight foxing throughout

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2006-1-78

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.

McNear, George Plummer Sr. (1857 - 1947)(1 of 4)

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George Daniels Morse’s Portrait Photograph of George Plummer McNear

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer:  George Daniels Morse (born c. 1835)

Photographic Studio: Palace of Art, Phelan Building, 826 Market Street, San Francisco, California

THE SITTER:

Name: George Plummer McNear Sr.

Description: This cabinet card portrays a young and fashionable George Plummer McNear, a scion of Petaluma’s most prominent pioneer family. He gazes confidently at the camera, his fresh young face adorned with a walrus mustache and bushy muttonchops. He wears a dark notched-collar jacket, white shirt with an English cutaway collar and a large dark necktie.

Biographical Note: Following in the footsteps of his famous, Petaluma, pioneer father, John August McNear (1832-1918), George Plummer McNear Sr. was a prominent Petaluma citizen and successful business man. He invested early in the community’s poultry industry, served on the board of Sonoma County National Bank and was Vice President of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad. He was also a generous philanthropist donating sections of his extensive land holdings to accommodate the community post office, fire station, McNear Park and McNear School.

Family Affiliation: George Plummer McNear was the only child of Petaluma pioneers John Augustus McNear (1832-1918) and his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866), to survive to adulthood. George’s first wife was Jennie Otis McNear (1857-1883) who died tragically at the age of 26. Together George and Jennie had one child, Clara McNear Leppo (1881-1979), named in honor of George’s mother. George’s second wife was Ida Belle Denman McNear (1859-1949). Together, they had four children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105717995/george-plummer-mcnear.


Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16.5 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: The imprint of this fashionable San Francisco photographer appears along the bottom of the card. The paper on which this portrait is printed is mounted on a high-quality card which has beveled edges.

Description, back: The back of this card is either blank or contains only an accession number.

Date: According to Peter Palmquist, George Daniels Morse operated his Palace of Art studio in the Phelan’s Building at 826 Market, San Francisco location between September 1881 and 1889. Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, p. 408.

Condition: Excellent

Owner:  Private collector, 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.

 

McNear, George Plummer Sr. (1857 - 1947)(2 of 4)

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Frederick H. Bushnell’s Portrait Photograph of George Plummer McNear sr.

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Frederick H. Bushnell

Photography Studio: Bushnell Photography Studio, 1508 and 1510 Market Street, San Francisco

THE SITTER:

Name: George Plummer McNear Sr.

Description: This cabinet card was taken of George Plummer McNear Sr. when he was forty-eight years of age. He sits in a regal, hand-carved chair fit for a member of the aristocracy, and he is dressed in full, formal dinner jacket attire typical of the American upper class at the turn of the century. His left hand, which is adorned with a large pinkie ring, sustains a stiff, peculiar gesture, and, in an unusual pose, George, with crossed legs, turns his body to his right, but his gaze and head turn to his left. This adds a twist to the composition which heightens George’s presence and lends an air of energy and dynamism to the portrait.

Biographical Note: Following in the footsteps of his famous, Petaluma, pioneer father, John August McNear (1832-1918), George Plummer McNear Sr. was a prominent Petaluma citizen and successful businessman. He invested early in the community’s poultry industry, served on the Sonoma County National Bank board and was Vice President of the Petaluma and Santa Rosa Railroad. He was also a generous philanthropist, donating sections of his extensive land holdings to accommodate the community post office, fire station, McNear Park and McNear School.

Family Affiliation: George Plummer McNear was the only child of Petaluma pioneers John Augustus McNear (1832-1918) and his first wife, Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear (1837-1866), to survive to adulthood. George’s first wife was Jennie Otis McNear (1857-1883) who died tragically at the age of 26. Together George and Jennie had one child, Clara McNear Leppo (1881-1979), named in honor of George’s mother. George’s second wire was Ida Belle Denman McNear (1859-1949). Together they had four children. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/105717995/george-plummer-mcnear.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16.5 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: Within a dark matte frame with a cream border, this cabinet card features the subject seated on an ornately carved, wooden chair. In the background appears to be a backdrop which depicts a drape falling from the top right corner and on the right boarder appears the edge of a table and wall mantel. An oil painting portrait of George Plummer McNear Sr. by S. Seymour Thomas (1868-1956), with a format very similar to this photographic portrait of George, is on loan from the McNear Foundation to the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum. It is prominently displayed in the Petaluma Pioneer Parlor.

Description, back: The back of this cabinet card is either empty or contains only an accession number.

Date: 1905

Condition: This cabinet card is in good condition.

Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2006-273-1010

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.