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Finding Aid to Clare Phinney's Snaps of San Francisco Photograph Album 1904 SFP 117
SFP 117  
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Collection Details
 
Table of contents What's This?
  • Conditions Governing Access
  • Publication Rights
  • Preferred Citation
  • Provenance
  • Biography
  • Scope and Content
  • Arrangement

  • Contributing Institution: San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library
    100 Larkin Street
    San Francisco, CA 94102
    (415) 557-4567
    sfhistory@sfpl.org
    Title: Clare Phinney's Snaps of San Francisco Photograph Album
    Creator: Phinney, Clare
    Identifier/Call Number: SFP 117
    Physical Description: 1 photograph album with 30 photographic prints; album 5.5 x 7 inches, prints 3.5 x 4.5 inches (1 album)
    Date: c. 1904
    Abstract: The photograph album assembled by Clare Phinney consists of 25 brown-toned early gelatin silver photographic prints of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco scenes from 1904.
    Physical Location: The collection is stored onsite.
    Languages Represented: Collection materials are in English.

    Conditions Governing Access

    The collection is available for use during Photo Desk hours.

    Publication Rights

    No copyright clearance needed as photographs in the photograph album are in the Public Domain.

    Preferred Citation

    [Identification of item], Clare Phinney's Snaps of San Francisco Photograph Album (SFP 117), San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library.

    Provenance

    Gift of Lissa McKee. 2019.

    Biography

    Clare Phinney was born on April 15, 1888 in Sacramento, California to George and Kate Phinney. Clare was schooled in Sacramento until she attended Miss Heads in Oakland. In 1909 she traveled to Asia, staying primarily in China with friends before continuing to Europe for several months. She married Charles Bradford McKee on September 9, 1912. They had four children during their marriage. Clare died on July 4, 1970 in Sacramento, California at the age of 82. She left a large collection of family photographs and letters dating back to the 1850s from her grandfather, who arrived in California in 1852.
    Clare Phinney assembled the photo album but is not the photographer. Photographer unknown.

    Scope and Content

    The photograph album assembled by Clare Phinney consists of 25 brown-toned early gelatin silver photographic prints of Golden Gate Park and San Francisco scenes from 1904. Most of the photographs are of Golden Gate Park and includes many buildings and sites which no longer exist in the present day, such as the Panorama on Strawberry Hill, original de Young Museum, Deer Park and Japanese Tea Garden. The album also includes other San Francisco scenes; the third Cliff House and Mission Dolores; nautical scenes presumed to be on San Francisco Bay; the Top of Mt. Tamalpais. Additionally, there are three group photographs of Asian-American children with the following captions: "Sam Kees Cherubs," "May," and "Native Sons." The photographs appear to be a combination of amateur pictures and commercial photographs by studios such as the Pillsbury Picture Company, J. B. Moller, and Willard E. Worden. Some of the commercial photographs have titles and/or captions in the print. The remaining photographs are accompanied by hand-written captions. The cover is titled "Snaps." The inscription "Best Wishes / Christmas 1904" is written inside the front cover.

    Arrangement

    This album is arranged one photograph to a page on black album paper, all with captions below.

    Subjects and Indexing Terms

    Golden Gate Park (San Francisco, Calif.) -- Pictorial works.
    Golden Gate Park (San Francisco, Calif.).
    Photographic prints.
    Photograph albums.
    Snapshots
    Amateur works