Kimberly owns OldSpirituals.com. She's very grateful for the wonderful community and two outstanding contributors to help fulfill the site's mission of rescuing fascinating stories from obscurity.
Kimberly is the cofounder of Pivot Talent Development LLC, headquartered in the San Francisco Bay Area. PIVOT offers workshops, training, consulting, and coaching to help professionals improve performance, drive business impact, and transcend limitations.
- Rhythm, Art, and Labradorite - 8 November 2026
- Personal and Goodwill Evolutions - 27 October 2026
- Supernatural in Blue - 25 October 2026
Musical Accompaniment: I Don’t Want to Set the World on Fire by the Ink Spots
It’s been a while since we checked in with Arnold Genthe, so I went looking for something new. I found some pictures that were assembled into an Arnold Genthe calendar for the year 1946, a few years after the photographer’s death. The photos were actually taken decades earlier in San Francisco’s Chinatown, probably in the months or year before the Great Quake of 1906.
I read that, during this time, Genthe had some way of concealing his camera. I’m curious how he managed to do it but I believe that must be right. These pictures don’t look like he posed the subjects. Well, maybe the shoemaker does. Let me know what you think!
Mother and child
Archive.org
Aristocrats of Chinatown
Archive.org
The Shoemaker Does anyone know what he’s holding?
Archive.org
The New Toy
Archive.org
Baskets for sale
Archive.org
I love try he tune! my favorite of these is the new toy. you can see how excited the little boy is
He reminded me of a little second cousin I have (more like a nephew). He’s such a cute little boy and he has a similar kind of posture when he’s really excited about something.
Wow! These are amazing pictures. I have no idea what the shoemaker is holding but I liked his pose.
Thank you! I agree about the shoemaker. Some people have a demeanor or a vibe that says I’m important or significant, and they look impressive even when they’re just standing around.
The children in all of the photos are so precious! Could the camera have been hidden in a basket such as the ones in the last photo? I don’t know what the long stemmed item is.
Ah! That’s a good theory!
Pingback: 4 Pictures from Old Chinatown, San Francisco | old spirituals