Musical accompaniment: My Blue Heaven by Gene Austin

I’ve been lousy about posting this summer! I co-own a business and we’ve been quite busy lately —which I’m very grateful for!—but I hate to neglect Old Spirituals.  Today I vowed to post something and what could be better than Arnold Genthe autochromes?

Genthe’s pictures never fail to move me. His gift for photography is wonderful. His photographs are the closest thing we have to a portal to the turn of the century.

I believe the first picture was taken in Carmel-by-the-sea, after the great earthquake.  It wasn’t Genthe’s home, but it does look very picturesque!

Side view of a two-story house with white planking and black shutters and a porch

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This picture of Genthe’s studio was taken between 1903 and 1906. I wonder what people did there while they were waiting for great photographer to come in?  Maybe he had someone who played the piano for his customers as they sipped absinthe and chattered about a thousand trivialities.

Interior of Arnold Genthe’s studio on Clay Street in San Francisco

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Lastly, we have a woman examining the flowers growing on the wall. This could have been behind his studio in San Francisco, but it’s more likely it was taken at Carmel-by-the-sea. Look at how beautifully her hair is done. Her braids look like a crown. Her outfit must have been lovely too though it’s hard to see it clearly. It looks like she’s wearing a filmy jacket with a dark trim over a kimono.

Woman looking at flowers growing next to a wall

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Have a beautiful day!