Farquar, “Uncle Will” (b. & d. dates to be determined)
/David Cobb’s Portrait Photograph of “Uncle Will” Farquar
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
Photographer: David Cobb (born 1841)
Photographic Studio: Dore Gallery, 1144 Market Street, San Francisco, California
THE SITTER:
Name: “Uncle Will” Farquar
Description: In this head-and-shoulders portrait, a young gentleman looks off to his right. He has short-cut, dark, hair which has been carefully oiled and combed. He sports a chevron mustache and a “soul patch”, the tuff of hair directly below a man’s lower lip. He wears a jacket with small, high, piped labels, a white, high-collared shirt and a printed silk necktie.
Biographical Note:
Family Affiliation: The sitter is presumed to be a member of the Petaluma Farquar family. According to the inscription on the front side of this cabinet card, the sitter is “Uncle Will”. The portrait, as donated to the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, was included in the Farquar family portrait album. There are many additional portraits of Farquar family members in this archive.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: The portrait photograph has been poorly aligned on the card and contains unusual, scalloped lines on both top corners. Directly below the sitter on the photographic paper is handwritten in backward-slanting cursive, “Uncle Will”. Along the bottom edge of the card in brown ink is the photographer’s imprint.
Description, back: Handwritten in cursive in black ink at the top of the card is, “Cobbs” and “Doré Gallery”. Below this in brown ink is the photographer’s imprint.
Date: David Cobb operated the Doré Gallery at 1144 Market Street in San Francisco between 1881 and 1889. Peter E. Palmquist and Thomas R. Kailbourn, Pioneer Photographers of the Far West, Stanford University Press, 2000, p. 179, column 1.
Condition: This cabinet card is heavily soiled and stained on both sides.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum1978-80-44-p16-p31, Farquar 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.