Sheppard, Lafayette F.

LAFAYETTE F. SHEPPARD was born in 1852 in Ohio and died in Inglewood, California in 1940. He arrived in California sometime before 1880 and was employed in various occupations in several cities throughout the state. In 1879 he married Maggie M. Sheppard whose family resided in Rollerville, Mendocino county. According to Carl Mautz, Sheppard had photographic galleries in Point Arena and San Jose in the 1880s. Sometime between 1884 and 1885 Sheppard was partnering with James K. Piggott at their jointly owned photographic gallery in Santa Rosa. In February of 1886, however, Sheppard advertised in the Petaluma Courier the opening of his own gallery in the space formerly occupied by Petaluma photographer, Lewis Dowe. The ad proclaimed, “The gentleman uses the newest instantaneous process in his art, and is prepared to do first-class work. A speciality will be made of babies’ photos, and good work will be guaranteed.” Sheppard continued to work as a photographer in Petaluma at least through June of 1891.

Petaluma Studio: Sheppard’s studio occupied the former rooms of the Petaluma photographer, Louis Dowe, one door above the First National Bank. On September 23, 1891 the Petaluma Courier reported Sheppard’s gallery had been taken over by Easterly & Company.

Active in Petaluma: February 1886 -1891

Bibliography: Carl Mautz, “Sheppard, Lafayette T. [sic],” Biographies of Western Photographers, A Reference Guide to Photographers Working in the 19th Century American West, Expanded and Revised Edition, 2018, p. 168; https://digital.sonomalibrary.org/about/photographer; Petaluma Courier, Feb. 24, 1886, p.3; Aug. 4, 1886, p.2; August 13, 1890, p.5; September 23, 1891, p.2.

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Sutterley & Rendall

JAMES KIMBALL SUTTERLEY (b. c. 1834, New Jersey) & STEVEN ARNOLD RENDALL (dates unknown)Sutterley & Rendall (active in Petaluma September 24, 1870 – 1871) Sutterley worked as a daguerreian with his brother, Clement Sutterley, in Chicago from 1857 to 1860. By 1862 they had moved West working as itinerant photographers throughout Nevada, Idaho, Utah and California. Taking over the Petaluma studio of Bryan R. Johnson on September 24, 1870, J. K. Sutterley partnered with Stephen A. Rendall to establish, “Sutterley & Rendall, Photographers, Main Street, Petaluma, Cal.” They worked together until 1871 when the studio was sold to Richard Reece Percival. Palmquist, pgs. 454, 533-537; Mautz, pgs. 135 & 146.

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.173.

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Swart, John Simeon

JOHN SIMEON SWART (Active in Petaluma by June 1880) Swart was a partner in the “Miltz & Swart’s San Francisco Gallery,” 180 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa between 1877 and 1880. It is known he was working in Petaluma by June 1880 and by 1886 opened a studio on Broad Street in Nevada City, California. In 1895 he worked as a photojournalist for The San Francisco Call and the Pacific Coast News. Mautz, pg. 146.

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. 173.

Unfortunately, the PHL&M owns no portraits by this important, early photographer.