“Young Man Wearing a Derby Hat Riding in a Cart Pulled by a Donkey”
/Lewis Dowe’s Pastiche Portrait Photograph of a
“young Man Wearing A DERBY HAT RIDING IN A CART PULLED BY A DONKEY”
THE PHOTOGRAPHER/ PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO:
LEWIS DOWE was born in 1838 in Hanover, New Hampshire and died in 1919 in Portland, Oregon. He arrived in Petaluma in September of 1875 and set up his photography studio in the rooms formerly occupied by photographer Hugh Anderson. Dowe worked in Petaluma as both a “view” and portrait photographer until he departed the town in March of 1882. (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: Only the face and Derby hat of this unidentified young man are included in this pastiche portrait. He looks directly at the camera with a sly grin. He sports a thin chevron mustache, and his dark hair, appearing appropriately wind-blown, waves above his left ear.
Biographical Note:
Family Affiliation:
Bibliography:
THE PHOTOGRAPH:
Format / Size: carte de visite
Medium: albumen photographic print mounted on cardstock
Description, front: This is an unusual carte de visite which has juxtaposed the photographic portrait of an unidentified young man’s face on top of a cartoon image depicting the body of a dapper man with an umbrella tucked under his arm sitting in a donkey drawn cart followed by a small animal. It is a purposefully bizarre image. To determine its meaning and intent requires further research. Handwritten in black ink in the lower right corner is what appears to be either “1877” or “1879”.
Description, back: The photographer’s imprint appears on a diagonal: “L. Dowe”, “Photographer,”, “Petaluma,”, Cal.”.
Date: 1877 or 1879
Condition: This card is soiled on both sides, and the bottom of the back side has puckered, most probably due to exposure to moisture.
Owner: Petaluma Historical Library & Museum, 2017-13-01
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.