Morrow, Nancy Jane "Jennie" Whitney (1855-1938)(5 of 5)
/John Quincy Reed’s Portrait Photograph of Jennie Whitney & Etta Attenbury
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
JOHN QUINCY REED was born in 1841 in Abington, Massachusetts and died in 1902 in Petaluma. He worked as a photographer in Petaluma for over 25 years, moving his studio within the community to several different locations. He arrived into Petaluma from Stockton in 1870 and continued to work as a photographer in Petaluma until at least 1898. Many of his portraits of Petaluma’s citizens are of exceptionally fine quality. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)
The Sitters:
Names: Nancy Jane “Jennie” Whitney Morrow and Etta Attenbury (At the time this portrait was taken, Nancy Jane would have been known by her maiden name, Whitney.)
Description: This cabinet card is a double portrait of Nancy Jane “Jennie” Whitney (on the viewer’s left), and Etta Attenbury (on the viewer’s right). This is an intimate portrait of friends; the girls tilt their heads to touch each other. They are dressed and groomed similarly. Short, straight bangs frame their faces, and large, flat, bows adorn the top of their heads. Both girls also wear plaid blouses, high white collars with metal pins at the throat and large lacy jabots. A large dark bead hangs prominently from the left ear of Nancy Jane Whitney. To view an earlier portrait of these two girls together see: Nancy Jane Whitney, Etta Attenbury and Millie.
Biographical Note: As a member of a prominent Petaluma family, Nancy Jane “Jennie” Whitney attended “Professor Lippitt’s Scientific & Classical Institute” on D Street in Petaluma, and served as a Sunday school teacher at Petaluma’s St. John’s Episcopal Church under Reverend George Barbour Allen (1833-1918). On April 20, 1881, at the age of 26, in her parent’s home at 6th and F Streets in Petaluma, she married George Pilson Morrow of Temescal, Alameda County, California (1858 -1904). George Morrow was connected with the grain industry and president of George P. Morrow & Company, 303 California Street, San Francisco. On June 7, 1897 the Petaluma Daily Courier reported that Nancy Jane had been elected to the School Board of Temescal, a neighborhood of Oakland, California. In 1904, George died at the age of 45. In 1938, Nancy Jane died at age 81. Both were buried in Mountain View Cemetery in Oakland.
Family Affiliation: Nancy Jane “Jennie” Whitney was the second daughter of the prominent Petaluma pioneers, Albion Paris Whitney (1825-1884) and Susan Durgin Eastman Whitney (1832-1917). Her father was a California State Senator and wealthy businessman. Her mother managed the family business after his death and was an active participant in the women’s suffrage movement. Her paternal grandmother was Olive Parlin Whitney (1791-1874), and her siblings were Cleora Melissa Whitney Hewlett, Arthur Leslie Whitney, Leona Merrill Whitney, Marcella “Ella” Whitney Wheaton, Albion Harvey Whitney and Clara Whitney Spears. With her husband, George Pilson Morrow (1858-1904) Nancy Jane had two children, Rachel Morrow and George Whitney Morrow. Following in his maternal grandfather’s footsteps, George Whitney Morrow worked in the grocery industry.
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: cabinet card, approximately 10.75 x 16.5 cm
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This cabinet card is a double, head-and-shoulders, portrait of two girls with their heads touching. The photographer’s imprint appears at the bottom in printed cursive, and the names of the sitters are handwritten in cursive above the imprint.
Description, back: The back of this cabinet card is blank or contains only an accession number.
Date: 1872-1874
Condition: This card is soiled and there is a black spot on the center left of the front side.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 1981-835-35
Reproduction rights: The Petaluma Museum Association makes no assertions as to ownership of any original copyrights to the digitized images here reproduced. These images are intended for personal or research use only. Any other kind of use, including, but not limited to commercial or scholarly publication in any medium or format, public exhibition, or use online or in a web site, may be subject to additional restrictions including but not limited to the copyrights held by parties other than the Association. USERS ARE SOLELY RESPONSIBLE for determining the existence of such rights and for obtaining any permissions and/or paying associated fees necessary for the proposed use.