http://oac.cdlib.org/findaid/ark:/13030/c8m332c1 No online items Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Jaime Henderson California Historical Society November 2018 678 Mission Street San Francisco, CA 94105 [email protected] URL: http://californiahistoricalsociety.org/ Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 1 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Language of Material: English Contributing Institution: California Historical Society Title: Arnold Genthe photograph collection Creator: Genthe, Arnold, 1869-1942 Identifier/Call Number: PC RM Genthe Physical Description: 2.67 Linear feet Date (inclusive): 1895-1925 Abstract: Collection of portraits of prominent San Franciscans taken by Arnold Genthe between 1899 and 1920; photographs of the aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake and Fire; and photographs Chinese American inhabitants of San Francisco's Chinatown between 1895 and 1906. Collection contains film and glass negatives; original photographic prints created by Genthe and copy prints presumably made from the negatives in this collection. Language of Material: Materials primarily in English. Biographical / Historical Arnold Genthe was born in Berlin, Germany on January 8, 1869. He emigrated to San Francisco in 1895 where he taught himself photography. He photographed the Chinese Americans living and working in San Francisco's Chinatown. Genthe opened a studio in San Francisco sometime between 1890 and 1900 where he made portraits of prominent San Francisco citizens, artists, authors, dancers, and actors. The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire destroyed his studio, but provided him with the opportunity to document much of the destruction in the city. Genthe rebuilt his studio in San Francisco in 1907 and published his Chinatown photographs in 1908. He moved to New York in 1911, continuing to work in photography, primarily in portraiture, until his death in 1942. Conditions Governing Access Collection is open for research. Conditions Governing Use Materials in this collection, which were created between 1895 and 1906, are in the public domain in the United States. Permission to publish is not required. Immediate Source of Acquisition Negatives transferred from Library of Congress to the California Historical Society in 1954. Preferred Citation [Identification of item, date]; Arnold Genthe photograph collection, PC RM Genthe; [box number, folder number]; California Historical Society. Scope and Content Comprises film and glass negatives; and original photographic prints created by Arnold Genthe between 1895 and 1925. Most of the photographic prints are signed by Genthe. Also contains copy prints, presumably created from the negatives in this collection. Collection contains a sub-series of original portraits of artists, authors, dancers, actors, and other prominent San Franciscans who were contemporaries of Genthe, including Jack London. Another sub-series contains 16 original and many copy prints of photographs of the aftermath of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire. Bulk of collection is in the Chinatown sub-series which contains a few original prints and many copy prints of San Francisco's Chinatown. Known as Tangrenbu, this 10 block area was inhabited by most of San Francisco's Chinese American population. Photographs depict Chinese American children and families; tradespeople; and street scenes showing details of Chinatown's architecture, store fronts, and inhabitants. Many of the titles Genthe chose for his images contain language and descriptions considered offensive. Please see John Kuo Wei Tchen's introduction in Genthe's Photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown for a contemporary analysis of Genthe's photographs of Chinatown. Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements Many glass plate negatives are cracked or broken and should not be handled. Subjects and Indexing Terms Chinese Americans -- California -- San Francisco -- Pictorial works Chinatown (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Pictorial works San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, Calif., 1906 -- Pictorial works Chinese American children -- Pictorial works Portraits Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 2 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Photographic prints Glass plate negatives Negatives General Most negatives measure 5 x 7", some include a 4 x 5" duplicate negative. Box 01 Portrait, Mr. Templeton Crocker May 30, 1925 General FN-01861; Neg. no. 1861; part of the C. Templeton Crocker collection. Box 01 On the Ruins April 1906 General FN-01859; 4 x 5" negtive. Box 01 On the Ruins April 1906 General FN-01859; 5 x 7" negative. Box 01 After the Fire April 1906 General FN-01860 Box 01 Portrait, Charles Templeton Crocker May 30, 1925 General FN-01862 Box 01 The Wild Cat 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-2252 c. 1 and FN-2252 c. 2 Box 01 The Children's Hour, No. 116 1895-1906 General Duplicate 5 x 7" negatives; FN-2353 c. 1 and FN-2353 c. 2. Also includs 4 x 5" negative; FN-02253 Box 01 A Family from the Consulate, No. 115 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-02254 c. 1 and FN-02254 c. 2. Box 01 Cute Kid Turning 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-02255 c. 1 and FN-02255 c. 2. Box 01 The Fish Peddler, No. 109 1895-1906 General FN-02257 Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 3 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Negatives Box 01 The Fish Peddler, No. 108 1895-1906 General FN-02258 Box 01 Untitled, No. 110 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-02256 c. 1 and FN-02256 c. 2. Box 01 Cellar Door, No. 107 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-2259 c. 1 and FN-2259 c. 2 Box 01 Paying New Years Calls, No. 105 1895-1906 General Triplicate negatives; all numbered 2261. Box 01 Little Mandarin, No. 104 1895-1906 General Duplicate negative; FN-02262 Box 01 Street Crowd, No. 103 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; all numbered 2263. Box 01 A Corner on the Hillside, No. 102 1895-1906 General FN-02264 c. 1; 4 x 5" negative. Box 01 A Corner on the Hillside, No. 102 1895-1906 General Duplicate negatives; FN-2264 c. 1 and FN-2264 c. 2. Box 01 Chinese Ming Lion, No. 101 1895-1906 General FN-02265 Box 01 Crossing Mother with Child, No. 100 1895-1906 General FN-02266 Box 01 Young Aristocrats, No. 99 1895-1906 General FN-02267; negative number 2267. Box 01 Little Princess, No. 98 1895-1906 General Triplicate negatives; FN-2268 c. 1, FN-2268 c. 2, FN-2268 c. 3. Box 01 An Afternoon Airing, No. 97 1895-1906 General FN-02269 Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 4 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Negatives Box 01 Fleeing from the Camera, No. 96 before 1910 General Triplicate negatives; negative numbers 2270 c. 1, 2270 c. 2, and 2270 c. 3. Box 01 Story Group (?), No. 95 1895-1906 General FN-02271 Box 01 Pipe Dreams, No. 94 before 1910 General FN-02272 Box 01 2 Girls with Chaperone, No. 93 1895-1906 General FN-2273 Box 01 The Tinkers, No. 92 1895-1906 General Two negatives; one is 4x5" (FN-02274), the other is 5x7" (2274). Box 01 On Dupont Street, No. 90 1895-1906 General FN-2275 Box 01 The Morning Market, No. 85 1895-1906 General FN-2276; Negative number 2276. Box 01 Doorways in Dim Shadows, No. 75 1895-1906 General FN-2277 Box 01 Entrance to Old Chinatown, No. 73 1895-1906 General FN-2279; FS-2062 Box 01 Vegetable Shop, No. 72 1895-1906 General Negative number 2280 Box 01 Little Plum Blossom, No. 70 1895-1906 General FN-2281 Box 01 Forsaken Kid, No. 69 1895-1906 General FN-02282 Box 01 Boys Playing Shuttlecock, No. 68 1895-1906 General FN-2283 Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 5 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Negatives Box 01 Untitled (Young man with dog), No. 62 1895-1906 General FN-2284 Box 01 Smiling Walking Woman, No. 38 1895-1906 General FN-2285 Box 01 Smiling Father with White Kid, No. 37 1895-1906 General FN-2286 Box 01 Toy Stand, No. 36 1895-1906 General FN-2287 Box 01 New Years Day in Chinatown, No. 35 1895-1906 General Negative number 2288; FS-172 Box 01 The Balloon Man, No. 34 1895-1906 General FN-2289 Box 01 Two Little Maids from School, No. 33 1895-1906 General FN-2290 Box 01 The New Toy, No. 32 1895-1906 General FN-2291 Box 01 Dressed for Formal Visit, No. 30 1895-1906 General FN-2292 Box 01 At the Corner of Dupont and Jackson Streets, No. 29 1895-1906 General FN-2293; neg. Dec. 1938 Box 01 New Years Day before the Theatre, No. 27 1895-1906 General FN-02294 Box 01 Untitled, No. 26 1895-1906 General FN-2295 Box 01 Waiting for the Car 1895-1906 General FN-2296. Not a negative; original negative is missing. Print in file was made from the original negative. Finding Aid to Arnold Genthe PC RM Genthe 6 Photograph Collection PC RM Genthe Negatives Box 01 The Smoking Father, No. 23 1895-1906 General FN-2297 Box 01 Small Cap Boy, No. 14 1895-1906 General FN-2298 Box 01 The Street of Painted Balconies, No. 52 1895-1906 General FN-2300 Box 01 A Holiday (Same Children - Another Rose), No. 13 1895-1906 General FN-2301 Box 01 Laughing White Cap Boy, No. 9 1895-1906 General FN-2302 Box 01 Untitled, No. 8 1895-1906 General FN-2303 Box 01 2 backs. Father and Girl (new neighbors(?)) 1895-1906 General FN-2304 Box 01 Father with Two Kids, No. 18 1895-1906 General FN-2305 Box 01 Fish Alley, woman, back man, No. 61 1895-1906 General FN-2306 Box 01 Signboard Boy, No. 58 1895-1906 General FN-2307 Box 01 Untitled, No. 60 1895-1906 General FN-2308; 4x5" negative.