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
Archive.org
Have a beautiful day!
Do you love Arnold Genthe’s work? Check out more of his work here:
old spirituals 
Carmel-by-the-Sea has always been lovely!
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your comment made me wonder whether the loveliness of Carmel-by-sea is due to its beautiful name. What if the early residents had chosen a different name, like Millbrae or Akron or Cramerton? Would we still think it’s quite as lovely a place as we do today?
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When I hear or see anything about Carmel-by-the-Sea I think of Clint Eastwood. He served as the nonpartisan mayor of that city from April 8, 1986, to April 12, 1988. What better person to have as mayor than Dirty Harry?
In his early career, Eastwood referred to himself as “…too individualistic to be either right-wing or left-wing,” and years later described himself as “a political nothing” and “a moderate.” In the late 1990s he said her was a “libertarian.” Whatever he is politically, he is naught but a great actor and movie producer.
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What an interesting fact! he never had a mayoral air about him
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The loveliness is in the eye of the beholder.
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I visited friend living in San Clemente many years ago and they took us to Carmel-by-the-Sea. I only have a vague memory of the place. Suffice it to say I wasn’t drawn to it as a place I wanted to stay beyond my quick walk-around.
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have you noticed that when you return to a place you once visited, it’s always a little different in some way? Maybe one day you’ll come back to Carmel-by-the-Sea and be downright enchanted 😊
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I agree. My childhood small town looks even smaller and much different today.
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Very wise response ✨
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Like most technological advancements, color photographs changed the way photographers approached picture taking. Color provided a greater art for the viewer to appreciate and transformed the way photographers worked. These photos are a good example of that impact.
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yes, very true! It’s funny, isn’t it? now black and white photographs give the impression of gravitas or something profound
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good pairing of music and pictures$
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Thanks Ruby! The music is fun—as long as long as it’s not auto play. What kind of music do you like? maybe i’ll find a great song in a future post
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