Aurelius O. Carpenter
Aurelius O. Carpenter | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1836 |
| Died | 1919 (aged 82–83) United States |
| Resting place | Ukiah Cemetery,Ukiah, California |
| Known for | Photography of early Mendocino County, California |
| Spouse | Helen McCowan |
Aurelius Ormando Carpenter(1836–1919[2]) was an American photographer, writer and abolitionist. He was one of the earliest photographers in early American California, photographingMendocino County, California.He was the son ofClarina I. H. Nicholsand the father ofGrace Carpenter HudsonandGrant Carpenter.Prior to moving to California, he was active in theabolitionistmovement, fighting withJohn Brownin theBattle of Black Jack.
Life
[edit]Aurelius Carpenter was born in 1836 inVermont.His mother wasClarina I. H. Nichols.As a teenager, he had an apprenticeship at theWindham County Democrat,the newspaper owned by his stepfather, George Nichols.[1]
In 1854 (or 1855[3]), Carpenter, his mother, and his brother, Chapin, left Vermont toKansasto supportabolitionistactivities.[1]Carpenter joined abolitionistJohn Brownon June 2, 1856, fighting in theBattle of Black Jack.[1]
Carpenter married writer and photographer Helen McCowan in late 1856.[1]He had met McCowan while he was recovering from injuries sustained during the battle and she had served as Carpenter's nurse. He headed further west with Helen, to California. Helen's family had moved to California, where her brother joined the mining industry.[3]The couple settled inPotter ValleyinMendocino Countyin 1859.[1][3]It was in Potter Valley where Carpenter started the first newspaper in Mendocino County, theMendocino Herald.He also wrote for theSan Francisco Fair Dailyand theUkiah City Press.[3]
Eventually, the couple relocated toUkiah.[3]They started a commercial photography studio, which they operated for 40 years.[3]They had a daughter,Graceand a son,Grant.[1]
In September 1856, the Carpenter's hostedSusan B. Anthonyat their home in Ukiah when Anthony visited the city to speak at a rally.[4]
Carpenter died in 1919 inUkiah, California.
Work
[edit]Carpenter's work focused on the early development of 19th and 20th centuryMendocino County, California.Carpenter photographed panoramas of the coast, forests, and early industry, including logging and shipping. He documented thePomopeople and early white settlers, includingCharmian London.[5]
In the 1960s, 700 glass plate negatives of Carpenter's photographers were found in the basement of the Sun House in Ukiah, the home where Carpenter's daughter Grace Hudson and her husband, John Hudson, lived. Local Ukiah photographer Robert Lee gathered the negatives and researched and created prints of the negatives, documenting the subjects seen in the images. It took forty years for Lee to complete the project. As a result, the first exhibition of Carpenter's work was held in 2006 at theGrace Hudson Museum,also celebrating the museums 20th anniversary.[1]
His works are held in the collection of theSonoma County Library,SFMOMAand the Grace Hudson Museum.[1][5][6]
Further reading
[edit]- Publications by A. O. Carpenter
- Carpenter, Aurelius O.History of Mendocino and Lake Counties, California, with Biographical Sketches of the Leading, Men and Women of the Counties Who Have Been.Los Angeles (1914).ISBN115338468X
- Publications about A. O. Carpenter
- Schenck, Marvin A., Karen Holmes, and Sherri Smith-Ferri.Aurelius O. Carpenter: Photographer of the Mendocino Frontier.Ukiah: Grace Hudson Museum (2006).ISBN0974030023
References
[edit]- ^abcdefghiGeniella, Mike (October 5, 2006)."Ukiah".Santa Rosa Press Democrat.Archived fromthe originalon September 29, 2018.
- ^"The Family".Grace Hudson Museum.Retrieved10 December2023.
- ^abcdefDarline Bergere (16 March 2015).Legendary Locals of Ukiah.Arcadia Publishing Incorporated. p. 11.ISBN978-1-4396-5037-0.
- ^Ann D. Gordon (10 January 2013).The Selected Papers of Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony: An Awful Hush, 1895 to 1906.Rutgers University Press. p. 97.ISBN978-0-8135-5345-0.
- ^ab"Crew working on right-of-way of the California Northwestern Railroad between Cloverdale and Hopland, California, ca. 1896".Sonoma Library.Archived fromthe originalon 29 September 2018.Retrieved29 September2018.
- ^"A. O. Carpenter, Untitled [Fence chute, Mendocino], ca. 1880".SFMOMA.Retrieved29 September2018.
External links
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