Research ongoing on photographer
Sunbeam Gallery
31 Third Street
San Franscisco, CA
There were several photographers who named their studio or gallery
“Sunbeam” all across the US. So far Sunbeam Galleries have been found
in Dubuque, IA, York, PA, Pipestone, MN, Grand Island, NE, and Peoria,
IL. In New York state Sunbeam Galleries were in New York City,
Dansville and Elmira.
Another was the Sunbeam Gallery operated by George W Godfrey at 81
Main in Rochester, NY. (See example below on this page) This studio
seems to have operated earlier than the usual cabinet card era
producing mostly wet plate process tintypes and daguerreotypes,
working in the 1860’s and 1870’s.
In California, one Sunbeam Gallery found was the Sunbeam Art Parlor
at 236-238 s Main, Los Angeles, CA, operated by Charles J. Coules. No
positive connection has been made to 31 Third Street, San Francisco,
CA.
There was also a Sunbeam Gallery in San Bernardino, CA, operated by
one William Godfrey (1835- ). He was born in New York but so far no
connection has been made to the aforementioned George W. Godfrey of
Rochester, NY. And no connections have been made to the address 31
Third, San Francisco.
And there was no shortage of G W Godfrey's during that time. There are
records of at least four on the east coast including a prize fighter
in 1883 and a man injured in the New York Saint Patrick day riots in
1867. There was also a George Godfrey in Oakland, CA, with his wife
Jane, but he was not a photographer.
So, no positive identification has been made for the photographer who
was at 31 Third Street in San Francisco, CA.
photographer: Sunbeam Art Gallery
236-238 South Main, Los Angeles, CA
example from contributor Foltz
The cabinet card on the left was contributed by a reader wishing to
identify the subjects.
"I believe the photograph is from circa 1900. It belonged to Vivian
(Foltz) Silva, who likely inherited it from her mother, Myrtle May
(Mills) Foltz, who was born in 1883 in Athens Co., Ohio, but grew up
in Kansas, and later moved to Oregon and Washington. Most of the
photos in the collection from this time period were of family and
friends from around Manhattan, Vliets, and Marysville, Kansas, so it's
possible this couple in the photograph also had ties there."
Note that this is the same backdrop as in the photograph in the row
just above.
cor Main and 6th st, Dubuque, IA
example from contributor by A Brewer
(this is a CDV)
Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's
INDEX by name.
All the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th
century found in LOST GALLERY are listed there.
This is a work always in progress.
Aditional information and New examples are always welcome. Any
additional information will help narrow the time that these precious
antiques were made.
All submissions should be free of glare and
shadows.
Do not crop.
Leave a border around each card. The edges are
sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.
Email to the address found in the profile at the bottom of this page.
Some examples on this page have been enhanced or restored for clarity
and presentation here.
This page is free for educational and research purposes only but, as
always, if the original owner of any of these examples objects to the
use on this page, just let me know and they will be immediately
removed.
I found a lot of old pictures & some have your name on the back . if they are yours , & you would like to have I will send them ……….. thanks .. steve
ReplyDeleteI have a lot of old pictures , some with your name on the back . please let me know if you would like to have them ……………. steve
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine any old pictures with my name on them. An easy way to review them would be to scan them and put them on Flickr as a set.
Deletel own a CDV with the mention of a Sunbeam Gallery in New Haven Ct. on the verso.
ReplyDeleteI would love to add it to this page. Send a scan or photograph, including edges, no glare, no shadows to the address found in the profile. Perhaps I can find who the actual photographer was.
DeleteI came across this page because I have been trying to research who my great, great grandmother was. I have a picture of her with my great grandmother, which has an identical "Sunbeam Art Gallery Finest Enamel Finish 236-238 South Maine St, Los Angeles, Ca" printed at the bottom of it. Someone wrote on the back of it "Dorothy Call Sherman & Mother" The picture was in my great grandmother's photo album. I inherited this from my mother, who was going to throw it all away because she didn't recognize any of the old pictures, some which even included her when she was three years old.
ReplyDeleteIf you would like to contact me my email address is pastormerrill@sbcglobal.net
Thanks for posting my picture of my great, great, and my great grandmother on this site. Greg Merrill
ReplyDeleteI have found a cabinet card of a possible National Guard officer taken at the Sunbeam Photo in San Francisco. The name Duhem is embossed on the bottom opposite the information of Sunbeam Photo. In checking San Francisco city directories in the 1890, we found a lsiting for a photographer named Victor Duhem. If you want a copy of the image, please email me at daniel.sebby@cmd.ca.gov.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment! New examples are always welcome! See the scanning recommendations just above the comment section and email to the address found in the profile at the bottom of the page. Thanks again!
Delete