“Forlorn Woman”
/Hugh S. Anderson’s Portrait Photograph of a “Forlorn Woman”
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
HUGH S. ANDERSON was born in 1826 in Scotland and died in 1900 in San Francisco, California. He was active in Petaluma as early as January 1872, and he departed Petaluma in December 1873. His Sunbeam Gallery was located, “At the Old Stand, Opposite H. C. Taft & Co.’s”. (For additional information on this photographer and to view all portraits by him in the collection, click on his name in blue above.)
THE SITTER:
Name: Unidentified
Description: The woman in this head-and-shoulders portrait turns slightly to her right, and her gaze appears empty and forlorn. She is simply and modestly adorned. A small, white, crocheted collar decorates her form-fitting, front-buttoned jacket, and a thin ribbon serves as a headband. Her hair has been center parted and tightly combed back, and what is either a braided switch or her own braided hair encircles the back of her head. She may be wearing a hairnet over her braid, and the end of her headband ribbon may be what appears over her right temple.
Biographical Note:
Family Affiliation:
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This carte de visite portrait has been framed within a vertical oval.
Description, back: Hugh Anderson’s imprint is on the center of the back of this carte de visite. Anderson created several versions of his Petaluma imprint. An expanded, possibly later, version appears here. It is printed in red ink and includes four lines of text, each in a different font. The text is embellished above and below with a horizontally flipped, elaborate flourish.
Date: January 1872 - December 1873
Condition: With the exception of a slight tear in the photographic paper in the upper right corner, this carte de visite is in good condition.
Owner: Pete Vilmur Collection, digital copy by permission
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.