Spear, Clara Whitney (1873-1954)(2 of 4)

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Lewis Dowe’s Portrait Photograph of Clara, Marcella, and Albion Whitney

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

LEWIS DOWE was born in 1838 in Hanover, New Hampshire and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He arrived in Petaluma in September of 1875 and set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson. Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer until he departed the town in March of 1882. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)


THE SITTERS:

Names: Clara Whitney Spear, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, and Albion “Albie” Whitney (At the time this portrait was taken, Clara and Marcella would have been known by their maiden name, Whitney.)

Description: This is a masterful portrait of three young siblings. Clara, approximately 4 years of age, sits on a fringed studio chair with her feet dangling above the floor. She is attired in a dark dress with a double row of buttons and a white side ruffle which runs the length of her dress and borders the attached matching shawl. Her petticoat is revealed, peaking under the front of her dress’s hem. She wears white leggings and dark, leather, side-snap, boots. Marcella, approximately 10 years of age, stands behind her sister and brother and is attired in a dark dress with a front strip of fabric which is embellished with buttons and a diagonal cross design. She wears a white lace ruff and a necklace which ends in what is most probably a locket. Albion, approximately 7 years of age, stands on the viewer’s right and affectionally rests his right hand on Clara’s left wrist. He is dressed in a formal, cutaway, jacket with decorative side buttons. Beneath, he wears a matching piped vest and knickers.

Biographical Note: Clara Whitney was raised in Petaluma. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California and was married in 1893 at the age of 20 to Lewis Eugene Spear. Clara died at the age of 81 in Santa Barbara, California but was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Family Affiliation: Clara Whitney Spear was the seventh and last child of the prominent Petaluma pioneers Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney, and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Nancy Jane “Jenny” Whitney Morrow, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, and Albion Harvey Whitney. Clara’s husband was Lewis Eugene Spear (1867-1953). He was a California business man who organized the Pacific Steel and Wire Company in San Francisco and later established the Pacific Wire Rope Company in Los Angeles.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: cabinet card

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: This is a masterful portrait of three siblings. The brilliantly harmonious arrangement of the children is strengthened by the arched matte and uncluttered background. The photographer has posed the children in a classic pyramidal composition. He angled Clara and Albion to serve as compositional parenthesis and placed Marcella to serve as the exclamation mark.

Description, back: Handwritten in cursive in pencil is, “Albie”, “Ella” and “Clara”. Handwritten in cursive in black ink in the lower right is, “Clark Family”. This is not a reference to the sitters, but, most probably, to the owners of the cabinet card.

Date: 1876 or 1877

Condition: Both the front and the back of this card are soiled.

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-03

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. 

Spear, Clara Whitney (1873-1954) (1 of 4)

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Lewis Dowe’s Portrait Photograph of Clara Whitney

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

LEWIS DOWE was born in 1838 in Hanover, New Hampshire and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He arrived in Petaluma in September of 1875 and set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson. Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer until he departed the town in March of 1882. (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: Clara Whitney Spear (When this portrait was taken, the sitter would have been known by her maiden name, Whitney.)

Description: In this portrait Clara appears to be 3 or 4 years old. She stands leaning on the armrest of Dowe’s fringed studio chair. She looks directly and calmly at the camera. She is dressed in a luxurious, heavily embroidered, dark, velvet, coat which fastens up the front with large white buttons latched together with braided soutache fasteners. Around her neck is a large white lace collar and what appears to be a white beaded necklace.

Biographical Note: Clara Whitney was raised in Petaluma. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California and was married in 1893 at the age of 20 to Lewis Eugene Spear. Clara died at the age of 81 in Santa Barbara, California but was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Family Affiliation: Clara Whitney Spear was the seventh and last child of the prominent Petaluma pioneers Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney, and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Nancy Jane “Jenny” Whitney Morrow, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, and Albion Harvey Whitney. Clara’s husband was Lewis Eugene Spear (1867-1953). He was a California business man who organized the Pacific Steel and Wire Company in San Francisco and later established the Pacific Wire Rope Company in Los Angeles.



Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size:  carte de visite, approximately 6.25 x 10.5 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front:

Description, back: Handwritten in print in pencil is: “Clara Whitney”. Below in the center of the card appears Lewis Dowe’s imprint printed on a diagonal.

Date: 1878 or 1879

Condition: This card is soiled on both sides, and the top edge has been trimmed and left with a ragged edge.

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-09

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.

Spear, Clara Whitney (1873-1954) (4 of 4)

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Charles Lainer’s Portrait Photograph of Marcella “Ella” & Clara Whitney

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer: Charles Lainer

Studio Location: 715 Market Street, San Francisco, CA

THE SITTERS:

Names: Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton (1866-1915) and Clara Whitney Spear (1873-1954). (At the time this portrait has taken, these two sisters may have been known by their maiden name, Whitney. Marcella married in October 1892 at the age of 26, and Clara married in 1893 at the age of 20.)

Description: This is a lovely portrait of two sisters. Ella, the elder sister, is on the viewer’s left and Clara is on the right. There was 7 years age different between the sisters. Unfortunately, due to the faded quality of the photograph, it is not possible to distinguish the details of their blouses. An element of interest is Ella’s coiffure. Her hair has been arranged into a tight, small, bun on the top of her head which has been garnished with a unique hair ornament giving additional height to the arrangement.

Biographical Note: Clara Whitney was raised in Petaluma. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California and was married in 1893 at the age of 20 to Lewis Eugene Spear. Clara died at the age of 81 in Santa Barbara, California but was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Family Affiliation: Clara Whitney Spear was the seventh and last child of the prominent Petaluma pioneers Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney, and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Nancy Jane “Jenny” Whitney Morrow, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, and Albion Harvey Whitney. Clara’s husband was Lewis Eugene Spear (1867-1953). He was a California business man who organized the Pacific Steel and Wire Company in San Francisco and later established the Pacific Wire Rope Company in Los Angeles.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: carte de visite, approximately 5 x 6.75 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front:

Description, back: Handwritten along the top edge in script in bold black ink is, “Ella Whitney”, “Clara Whitney”. Below this is Chas. Lainer’s elaborate imprint which includes an image of San Francisco’s Cliff House and his many award medallions.

Date: circa 1890 - 1895

Condition: Both sides of this card are heavily soiled, stained, and faded. Additionally, a significant strip of the bottom of this card has been trimmed.

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-26

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. 

Spear, Clara Whitney (1873-1954) (3 of 4)

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Portrait Photograph of

Ida Kleinhaus, Lucia Kleinhaus, Clara Whitney & Frances Raylis

THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:

Photographer:  unidentified

Photographic Studio: unidentified


THE SITTERS:

Names: Ida Kleinhaus, Lucia Kleinhaus, Clara Whitney Spear, and Frances Raylis. When this portrait was taken, Clara Whitney Spears would have been known by her maiden name, Clara Whitney.

Description: Clara Whitney appears in this group portrait in the lower center. She looks off to her right with a smile on her face. She was 17 when this portrait was taken. Like the other young women in the portrait, she wears her hair pulled to the back of her head with tight, short curls adorning her forehead. This may be a group portrait of Mills College students.

Biographical Note: Clara Whitney was raised in Petaluma. She attended Mills College in Oakland, California and was married in 1893 at the age of 20 to Lewis Eugene Spear. Clara died at the age of 81 in Santa Barbara, California but was buried in Petaluma’s Cypress Lawn Memorial Park.

Family Affiliation: Clara Whitney Spear was the seventh and last child of the prominent Petaluma pioneers Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney, and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Nancy Jane “Jenny” Whitney Morrow, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, and Albion Harvey Whitney. Clara’s husband was Lewis Eugene Spear (1867-1953). He was a California business man who organized the Pacific Steel and Wire Company in San Francisco and later established the Pacific Wire Rope Company in Los Angeles.

Bibliography:

THE PHOTOGRAPH:

Format / Size: This square format is often referred to as a Carré; it is approximately 10.5 x 10.5 cm

Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock

Description, front: This group portrait of four young women appears in a circular window within a square format. The photographic paper was then mounted onto a square card.

Description, back: Handwritten in cursive in black ink is, “Petaluma Sept. 1890.”. Handwritten in cursive in pencil is: “Ida Kleinhaus, Lucia Kleinhaus, Clara Whitney, Frances Raylis”.

Date: September 1890

Condition: Both sides of this card are soiled and stained.

Owner:  Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-28

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.