William Shew’s Portrait Photograph of Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
Photographer: William Shew (1820-1903) was a prominent 19th century photographer famous for his daguerrotypes. He worked in New York and Boston before moving to San Francisco in 1851.
Studio Location: 423 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, California
THE SITTER:
Name: Clarinda “Clara” Damsen Williams McNear
Description: In this full-length portrait, Clarinda is wearing a dark, belted dress with a large hoop petticoat beneath, a style typical of the 1860s. Her bell sleeves are hemmed in dark lace, and at her neck and wrist appear white lace. Her tightly cinched belt has a vertical oval buckle. The edges of her snood which was a traditional, fabric, ornamental, hairnet can be seen surrounding the perimeter of her head.
Biographical Note: Responding to a letter from her father, George Bailey Williams, to join him in Petaluma, Clarinda Williams McNear at the young age of nineteen, traveled with her husband, John Augustus McNear, from Mississippi to Petaluma in November of 1856. John became one of the most famous and respected of Petaluma citizens, but Clara, after giving birth to five sons, died at the young age of 29. Clara’s brother, George Roscoe Williams, recorded his thoughts about his sister’s death in his memoirs, My First Fifty Years: “The death of my sister, Clara McNear, on January 17, 1866, a few months after my return to California, caused the first break in our immediate family in twenty-five years, since the passing in infancy of our brother, Almeda. It was a great source of grief to my parents and to all of us who loved her for her many endearing qualities. She was not only beautiful in appearance but in character and had an unusually sweet, refined, and sensitive nature.” The Petaluma historian and “Petaluman of Yesteryear,” Bill Hammerman, beautifully wrote of the story of Clara’s interment: “The crown of the McNear legacy is Cypress Hill Cemetery. That legacy directly relates to Clara and the love her husband had for her. She died in the cold, rainy January of 1866 at the age of 29. The soil in the community burial grounds, Oak Hill Cemetery, was saturated. Water kept filling in the gravesite. So, John went looking for a high, dry place for Clara. He found it on the highest hill in what is now Cypress Hill Cemetery, where Clara and other members of the family and the community are buried.” Hammerman also clearly stated Clara’s Petaluma legacy when he wrote, “Without Clara Williams McNear, there would be no McNear legacy. Three men, her closest kin, are all remembered as having done much for the advancement of Petaluma. George Bailey Williams, her father, John Augustus McNear, her husband, and George Plummer McNear, her only surviving son.”
Family Affiliation: Clarinda Damsen Williams McNear was the daughter of early Petaluma pioneers George Bailey Williams (1809-1899) and Mehitable (also spelled Mehetabel) Lilly Williams (1807-1899). She was the first wife of John August McNear (1832-1918), and the mother of George Plummer McNear (1857-1947).
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: In this full-length portrait, Clarinda Damsen William McNear rests her right hand on a balustrade and behind her is a painted backdrop depicting a lush landscape.
Description, back: Two gold lines border the back side of this card, and in the center is William Shew’s imprint.
Date: 1861-1866 According to Peter Palmquist, William Shew operated his studio at 423 Montgomery between 1861 and 1869, and Clarinda died in 1866.
Condition: With the exception of the discoloration in the sky of the painted backdrop, this card is in good condition.
Owner: Private collector, 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.