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Arnold Genthe

November 27, 2023

Arnold Genthe (8 January 1869 – 9 August 1942) was a German-American photographer, best known for his photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, and his portraits of noted people, from politicians and socialites to literary figures and entertainment celebrities.

Arnold Genthe
Self-portrait, 1900
Born(1869-01-08)8 January 1869
Berlin, Prussia (present-day Germany)
Died9 August 1942(1942-08-09) (aged 73)
New York City, US
OccupationPhotographer

Biography edit

 
 
Left: Genthe photographing Jack London and friends in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. Right: The resulting photograph.

Arnold Genthe was born in Berlin, Prussia, to Luise Zober and Hermann Genthe, a professor of Latin and Greek at the Graues Kloster (Grey Monastery) in Berlin. Genthe followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a classically trained scholar; he received a doctorate in philology in 1894 from the University of Jena, where he knew artist Adolph Menzel, his mother's cousin.

After emigrating to San Francisco in 1895 to work as a tutor for the son of Baron and Baroness J. Henrich von Schroeder, he taught himself photography.[1] He was intrigued by the Chinese section of the city and photographed its inhabitants, from children to drug addicts, Due to his subjects' possible fear of his camera or their reluctance to have pictures taken, Genthe sometimes hid his camera. He also sometimes removed evidence of Western culture from these pictures, cropping or erasing as needed. About 200 of his Chinatown pictures survive, and these comprise the only known photographic depictions of the area before the 1906 earthquake.

 
Caricature of Arnold Genthe by Cuban artist Conrado Massaguer

After local magazines published some of his photographs in the late 1890s, he opened a portrait studio. He knew some of the city's wealthy matrons, and as his reputation grew, his clientele included Nance O'Neil, Sarah Bernhardt, Nora May French, and Jack London. In 1904 he traveled to Western Europe and Tangier with the famous watercolorist, Francis McComas.[2]

In 1906, the San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed Genthe's studio, but he rebuilt. His photograph of the earthquake's aftermath, Looking Down Sacramento Street, San Francisco, April 18, 1906, is his most famous photograph.

Within a short time, Genthe joined the art colony in Carmel-by-the-Sea, where he fraternized with the literary elite, including George Sterling, Jack London, Harry Leon Wilson, Ambrose Bierce, and Mary Austin. Here he was able to pursue his work in color photography.[3]

In 1906, Genthe designed the plans for his large Craftsman-style cottage located on Camino Real and 11th Avenue on the east side.[4] Of his new residence, he wrote, "The cypresses and rocks of Point Lobos, the always varying sunsets and the intriguing shadows of the sand dunes offered a rich field for color experiments."[5]

Although his stay in Carmel was relatively short (1905–07), he was appointed in 1907 to the Board of Directors of the Art Gallery in Monterey's luxury Hotel Del Monte, where he insured that the work of important regional art photographers, such as Laura Adams Armer and Anne Brigman, was displayed with his own prints.[6]

By the spring of 1907 he had established his residence and studio at 3209 Clay Street in San Francisco, where he continued to enjoy membership in the celebrated Bohemian Club, attend prominent society functions, display his own work, and pen newspaper reviews of photo and art exhibitions.[3]

 
Arnold Genthe's studio at 41 E. 49th St., New York City

In 1911 he moved to New York City, where he remained until his death of a heart attack in 1942. He worked primarily in portraiture, and Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and John D. Rockefeller all sat for him. His photos of Greta Garbo were credited with boosting her career. He also photographed dancers, including Anna Pavlova, Isadora Duncan, Audrey Munson, Helen Moller and Ruth St. Denis, and his photos were featured in the 1916 book, The Book of the Dance.[7]

Autochromes edit

Genthe was an early adopter of the autochrome color photography process. He began experimenting with the process in 1905 in Carmel, California.[8] He claimed credit for the first exhibition of color photographs in America; later scholars determined this is not accurate, but he was undoubtedly one of the earliest.[9] His subjects included portraits, artistic nudes, and landscapes.[9]

Genthe's cat edit

Genthe owned a cat called Buzzer. Buzzer often appeared in portraitures with Genthe's subjects, most notably Broadway actresses to whom the cat warmed. One such sitting in autochrome was with actress Ann Murdock.

Gallery edit

Publications edit

  • Text by Will Irwin, images by Arnold Genthe, Pictures of Old Chinatown. New York: Moffat, Yard and Co., 1908 (free download)
    • Arnold Genthe, selection and text by John Tchen, Genthe's Photographs of San Francisco's Old Chinatown, New York: Dover Publications. 1984 ISBN 0-486-24592-6
  • Arnold Genthe, The Book of the Dance, Boston, Mass.: International Publishers, 1920, c. 1916
  • Arnold Genthe, foreword by Grace King, Impressions of Old New Orleans, New York: George H. Doran Co., c. 1926
  • Arnold Genthe, Isadora Duncan: Twenty Four Studies, New York: M. Kennerley 1929; reprinted by Books for Libraries, 1980 ISBN 0-8369-9306-3
  • Arnold Genthe, As I remember, New York: Reynal & Hitchcock, c. 1936
  • Arnold Genthe, Highlights and Shadows, New York: Greenberg, c. 1937
  • William Bronson, "The Earth Shook, The Sky Burned," Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Co., 1959; many images of the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 taken by Arnold Genthe

Notes edit

  • Mel Byars, N. Elizabeth Schlatter, "Genthe, Arnold". American National Biography Online. Feb. 2000. Accessed September 2006 (subscription required).

References edit

  1. ^ Kaneti, Marina. "Arnold Genthe." In Immigrant Entrepreneurship: German-American Business Biographies, 1720 to the Present, vol. 3, edited by Giles R. Hoyt. German Historical Institute. Last modified August 28, 2014.
  2. ^ The Argonaut (San Francisco), 22 August 1904, p. 126.
  3. ^ a b Edwards, Robert W. (2012). Jennie V. Cannon: The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies, Vol. 1. Oakland, Calif.: East Bay Heritage Project. pp. 46, 49–50, 68, 175, 311–312, 324, 378–379, 479, 499, 508, 516, 563, 669, 689. ISBN 9781467545679. An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol. 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website (. Archived from the original on 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2016-06-07.).
  4. ^ Paul, Linda Leigh (2000). "Arnold Genthe House and Studio". Cottages by the Sea, The Handmade Homes of Carmel, America's First Artist Community. Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. p. 34. ISBN 9780789304957. Retrieved 2023-04-07. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  5. ^ Gilliam, Harold; Gilliam, Ann (1992). Creating Carmel: The Enduring Vision. Salt Lake City. pp. 89–9. ISBN 9780879053970. Retrieved 2023-04-06. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  6. ^ Monterey Daily Cypress, 23 April 1907, p. 1.
  7. ^ Bone, James, "The Curse of Beauty: The Scandalous & Tragic Life of Audrey Munson, America's First Supermodel", Regan Arts, New York, 2016 p.44
  8. ^ Shields, Scott. Artists at Continent's End: the Monterey Peninsula Art Colony, 1875-1907. Berkeley: University of California Press. pp. 196ff.
  9. ^ a b Wood, John (1993). The Art of the Autochrome: The Birth of Color Photography. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press. pp. 46–48.

External links edit

 
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arnold Genthe.
  • Photos of Buzzer the Cat
  • Library of Congress: Prints & Photographs Division: Genthe Collection (sample images from collection)
  • "As I Remember" Chapter 10: Earthquake and Fire 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  • autochrome with Ann Murdock and "Buzzer"
  • The Arnold Genthe Photograph Collection at the New-York Historical Society

November 27, 2023
arnold, genthe, january, 1869, august, 1942, german, american, photographer, best, known, photographs, francisco, chinatown, 1906, francisco, earthquake, portraits, noted, people, from, politicians, socialites, literary, figures, entertainment, celebrities, se. Arnold Genthe 8 January 1869 9 August 1942 was a German American photographer best known for his photographs of San Francisco s Chinatown the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and his portraits of noted people from politicians and socialites to literary figures and entertainment celebrities Arnold GentheSelf portrait 1900Born 1869 01 08 8 January 1869Berlin Prussia present day Germany Died9 August 1942 1942 08 09 aged 73 New York City USOccupationPhotographer Contents 1 Biography 2 Autochromes 3 Genthe s cat 4 Gallery 5 Publications 6 Notes 7 References 8 External linksBiography edit nbsp nbsp Left Genthe photographing Jack London and friends in Carmel by the Sea California Right The resulting photograph Arnold Genthe was born in Berlin Prussia to Luise Zober and Hermann Genthe a professor of Latin and Greek at the Graues Kloster Grey Monastery in Berlin Genthe followed in his father s footsteps becoming a classically trained scholar he received a doctorate in philology in 1894 from the University of Jena where he knew artist Adolph Menzel his mother s cousin After emigrating to San Francisco in 1895 to work as a tutor for the son of Baron and Baroness J Henrich von Schroeder he taught himself photography 1 He was intrigued by the Chinese section of the city and photographed its inhabitants from children to drug addicts Due to his subjects possible fear of his camera or their reluctance to have pictures taken Genthe sometimes hid his camera He also sometimes removed evidence of Western culture from these pictures cropping or erasing as needed About 200 of his Chinatown pictures survive and these comprise the only known photographic depictions of the area before the 1906 earthquake nbsp Caricature of Arnold Genthe by Cuban artist Conrado MassaguerAfter local magazines published some of his photographs in the late 1890s he opened a portrait studio He knew some of the city s wealthy matrons and as his reputation grew his clientele included Nance O Neil Sarah Bernhardt Nora May French and Jack London In 1904 he traveled to Western Europe and Tangier with the famous watercolorist Francis McComas 2 In 1906 the San Francisco earthquake and fire destroyed Genthe s studio but he rebuilt His photograph of the earthquake s aftermath Looking Down Sacramento Street San Francisco April 18 1906 is his most famous photograph Within a short time Genthe joined the art colony in Carmel by the Sea where he fraternized with the literary elite including George Sterling Jack London Harry Leon Wilson Ambrose Bierce and Mary Austin Here he was able to pursue his work in color photography 3 In 1906 Genthe designed the plans for his large Craftsman style cottage located on Camino Real and 11th Avenue on the east side 4 Of his new residence he wrote The cypresses and rocks of Point Lobos the always varying sunsets and the intriguing shadows of the sand dunes offered a rich field for color experiments 5 Although his stay in Carmel was relatively short 1905 07 he was appointed in 1907 to the Board of Directors of the Art Gallery in Monterey s luxury Hotel Del Monte where he insured that the work of important regional art photographers such as Laura Adams Armer and Anne Brigman was displayed with his own prints 6 By the spring of 1907 he had established his residence and studio at 3209 Clay Street in San Francisco where he continued to enjoy membership in the celebrated Bohemian Club attend prominent society functions display his own work and pen newspaper reviews of photo and art exhibitions 3 nbsp Arnold Genthe s studio at 41 E 49th St New York CityIn 1911 he moved to New York City where he remained until his death of a heart attack in 1942 He worked primarily in portraiture and Theodore Roosevelt Woodrow Wilson and John D Rockefeller all sat for him His photos of Greta Garbo were credited with boosting her career He also photographed dancers including Anna Pavlova Isadora Duncan Audrey Munson Helen Moller and Ruth St Denis and his photos were featured in the 1916 book The Book of the Dance 7 Autochromes editGenthe was an early adopter of the autochrome color photography process He began experimenting with the process in 1905 in Carmel California 8 He claimed credit for the first exhibition of color photographs in America later scholars determined this is not accurate but he was undoubtedly one of the earliest 9 His subjects included portraits artistic nudes and landscapes 9 Genthe s cat editGenthe owned a cat called Buzzer Buzzer often appeared in portraitures with Genthe s subjects most notably Broadway actresses to whom the cat warmed One such sitting in autochrome was with actress Ann Murdock Gallery edit nbsp Autochrome nude study nbsp Alice DeLamar 1927 nbsp Audrey Munson with Genthe s cat Buzzer 1915 nbsp Diana Barrymore 1941 nbsp Miss Dorothy Arzner and Marion Morgan 1927 nbsp Edna St Vincent Millay 1914 nbsp Eva Le Gallienne not before 1916 nbsp Eva Le Gallienne not before 1916 nbsp Eva Le Gallienne and unidentified woman Marion with dogs 1937 nbsp Eva Le Gallienne with cat 1937 nbsp Greta Garbo 1925 nbsp Greta Garbo 1925 nbsp Miss I A R Wylie 1928 nbsp Miss Isabel Pell 1930 nbsp Miss Marion Joe Carstairs 1928 or 1929 nbsp Miss Katharine Cornell with dog 1917 nbsp Margarett Sargent 1915 nbsp Marion Morgan dancers between 1914 and 1927 Marion Morgan Josephine H McLean Dulce Bramley Moore Taisy Darling nbsp Helen Moller nude dancers 1900s nbsp Mercedes de Acosta after 1919 nbsp Mercedes de Acosta 1919 or 1920 nbsp Thelma Given 1919 Publications editText by Will Irwin images by Arnold Genthe Pictures of Old Chinatown New York Moffat Yard and Co 1908 free download Arnold Genthe selection and text by John Tchen Genthe s Photographs of San Francisco s Old Chinatown New York Dover Publications 1984 ISBN 0 486 24592 6 Arnold Genthe The Book of the Dance Boston Mass International Publishers 1920 c 1916 Arnold Genthe foreword by Grace King Impressions of Old New Orleans New York George H Doran Co c 1926 Arnold Genthe Isadora Duncan Twenty Four Studies New York M Kennerley 1929 reprinted by Books for Libraries 1980 ISBN 0 8369 9306 3 Arnold Genthe As I remember New York Reynal amp Hitchcock c 1936 Arnold Genthe Highlights and Shadows New York Greenberg c 1937 William Bronson The Earth Shook The Sky Burned Garden City NY Doubleday amp Co 1959 many images of the San Francisco earthquake and fire of 1906 taken by Arnold GentheNotes editMel Byars N Elizabeth Schlatter Genthe Arnold American National Biography Online Feb 2000 Accessed September 2006 subscription required References edit Kaneti Marina Arnold Genthe In Immigrant Entrepreneurship German American Business Biographies 1720 to the Present vol 3 edited by Giles R Hoyt German Historical Institute Last modified August 28 2014 The Argonaut San Francisco 22 August 1904 p 126 a b Edwards Robert W 2012 Jennie V Cannon The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies Vol 1 Oakland Calif East Bay Heritage Project pp 46 49 50 68 175 311 312 324 378 379 479 499 508 516 563 669 689 ISBN 9781467545679 An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website Jennie V Cannon The Untold History of the Carmel and Berkeley Art Colonies vol One East Bay Heritage Project Oakland 2012 by Robert W Edwards Archived from the original on 2016 04 29 Retrieved 2016 06 07 Paul Linda Leigh 2000 Arnold Genthe House and Studio Cottages by the Sea The Handmade Homes of Carmel America s First Artist Community Carmel by the Sea California p 34 ISBN 9780789304957 Retrieved 2023 04 07 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Gilliam Harold Gilliam Ann 1992 Creating Carmel The Enduring Vision Salt Lake City pp 89 9 ISBN 9780879053970 Retrieved 2023 04 06 a href Template Cite book html title Template Cite book cite book a work ignored help CS1 maint location missing publisher link Monterey Daily Cypress 23 April 1907 p 1 Bone James The Curse of Beauty The Scandalous amp Tragic Life of Audrey Munson America s First Supermodel Regan Arts New York 2016 p 44 Shields Scott Artists at Continent s End the Monterey Peninsula Art Colony 1875 1907 Berkeley University of California Press pp 196ff a b Wood John 1993 The Art of the Autochrome The Birth of Color Photography Iowa City University of Iowa Press pp 46 48 External links edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Arnold Genthe Photos of Buzzer the Cat Library of Congress Prints amp Photographs Division Genthe Collection sample images from collection As I Remember Chapter 10 Earthquake and Fire Archived 2016 03 03 at the Wayback Machine California Historical Society collection SF MOMA collection autochrome with Ann Murdock and Buzzer The Arnold Genthe Photograph Collection at the New York Historical Society Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arnold Genthe amp oldid 1177512222, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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