Dowe, Lewis
/LEWIS DOWE was born in 1837 in Hanover, Grafton County, New Hampshire, and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He was both a portrait and view photographer and in his later years a manufacturer of cameras and camera equipment. He was also an accomplished musician, serving as a bandmaster in the Fifty-Second Illinois Volunteer Infantry.
lewis dowe’s photographic studio, Sycamore, Illinois, C. 1862-1875
Petaluma Weekly Argus, Sept. 17, 1875, p.2.
In 1862, he established a photographic studio in Sycamore, Illinois. In February 1871, the city’s True Republican reported that Dowe had created a collection of stereoscopic views of Sycamore’s public and private buildings, and in June, 1871 it reported that he had created stereoscopic views of the White Mountains in his native New Hampshire.
Dowe departed Sycamore, Illinois, and in 1875 arrived in Petaluma. In September 1875, he set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson (b. 1826; d.1900; active in Petaluma Jan. 1872 - Dec. 1873) located at 649 Main Street. Dowe lived with his wife on D Street, and they were socially active in Petaluma throughout their seven-year residency. Dowe was the leader of the Petaluma Brass Band and Petaluma’s Coronet Band, and his wife taught piano lessons. In October 1879, the Petaluma Weekly Argus noted that the Dowes had installed a telephone line between their home and photography studio.
Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer. December 22, 1876, the Petaluma Weekly Argus-Courier reported that Dowe had taken many exquisite “views” of the Petaluma landscape and pictures of the town, “….just the thing to send East to your friends. On the back of the cards upon which these views are mounted is a short description of the city of Petaluma, its population, resources, etc.”.
Lewis dowe, “Petaluma High School Building”, Stereograph, 1876. Scanned image courtesy of Dan Brown
Lewis dowe, “Petaluma High School Building”, Stereograph, Reverse, 1876. Scanned image courtesy of Dan Brown
“Elocutionist Jessie Shirley,” From the collection of the Petaluma Historical Library & Museum
In 1879 Dowe created a stereoscopic image of Jessie Ernestine Shirley (Smith) the precocious elocutionist and daughter of Petaluma’s Baptist Church, Reverend Philemon Perin Shirley. The were most probably sold to members of the community to raise funds for the church.
The Petaluma Courier reported on November 17, 1880 that Dowe created a “life-size” portrait of General Vallejo, stating, “It is as perfect as can be, and shows the old soldier to the best advantage.” Unfortunately, no copy of this portrait has been found.
In March 1882 Dowe departed Petaluma, and as early as March 15, George Ross (1832-1893), a fellow Petaluma photographer, purchased Dowe’s negatives. Ross advertised in Petaluma newspapers between March 15, 1882, and October 1887 that he would make copies from Dowe’s negatives “on the most advantageous terms”. Dowe continued his profession in San Francisco, and it was reported in his obituary that his work was destroyed in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Dowe’s obituary, published in the The Oregon Daily Journal, stated, “He was reputed to be the first man on the coast to manufacture dry plates and portable cameras.”
Petaluma Photography Studio: 649 Main Street, Petaluma, California
Active in Petaluma: September 1875 to March 1882
Bibliography: Carl Mautz, Biographies of Western Photographers, A Reference Guide to Photographers Working in the 19th Century American West, Expanded and Revised Edition, 2018, p. 119; https://digital.sonomalibrary.org/about/photographers. https://luminous-lint.com/app/photographer/L__Dowe/A/. The Oregon Daily Journal, Nov. 30, 1919, p.18. The Petaluma Courier, Nov. 13, 1878, p. 3; Jan. 24, 1878, p. 3; Oct. 22, 1879, p. 3; October 29, 1879, p. 3; Nov. 17, 1880, p. 3; March 8, 1882, p. 3; March 15, 1882, p. 3; Aug. 9, 1882, p. 3. Petaluma Weekly Argus, Sept. 17, 1875, p.3; Sept. 24, 1875, p. 3; Dec. 24, 1875, p. 3; May 26, 1876, p. 2; Dec. 22, 1876, p. 2; April 19, 1878, p. 3; Oct. 25, 1878, p. 3; May 16, 1879, p. 3. The Sycamore True Republican, Feb. 01, 1871, p.1; June 17, 1871, p.1; March 21, 1877, p.1. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109664028/lewis-dowe
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