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Arnold Genthe

アーノルド・ゲンテ

Arnold Genthe

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1869-01-08 （Berlin, Prussia (present-day Germany)）
Died
1942-08-09 （New York City, U.S.） age 73
Nationality
German, American
Languages
German, English
Residence History
Berlin (birthplace) → San Francisco (immigrated and active) → Carmel-by-the-Sea (residence, short period) → New York City (from 1911)

Career

Occupations
Photographer, Educator
Active Years
1895-1942
Affiliations
Bohemian Club (member), Board of Directors, Art Gallery at Hotel Del Monte
Memberships
Bohemian Club
Influenced By
Adolph Menzel (artist; familial acquaintance), Francis McComas (artist; travel companion and colleague)

Education

University of Jena
Faculty of Philosophy (philology-related) / Philology
Degree: 博士（フィロロジー）
Period: 〜1894
Year of Graduation: 1894
Country: Germany
Received a doctorate in philology in 1894. Later taught himself photography after emigrating to the U.S.

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

Pictures of Old Chinatown

1908 Photographic book / documentary photography

A photographic record of San Francisco's Chinatown, preserving many images of the neighborhood before the 1906 earthquake.

Chinatown communityUrban documentaryRepresentation of cultural otherness

The Book of the Dance

1916 Photographic book / dance

A collection of photographs and plates documenting dancers and dance subjects, featuring prominent performers of the era.

DanceBodily expressionPortraiture

Isadora Duncan: Twenty Four Studies

1929 Photographic studies / dance

A study of Isadora Duncan and other dancers, concentrating on movement and expression through photographic studies.

Portraits of dancersRecording movement

As I Remember

1936 Memoir / photographic essays

Memoirs recounting his life, work, the San Francisco earthquake, and experiences as a photographer.

ReminiscenceHistory of photographyDocumentation of urban disaster

Bibliography

  • Pictures of Old Chinatown (1908) — Text by Will Irwin, images by Arnold Genthe
  • The Book of the Dance (c.1916 / 1920)
  • Impressions of Old New Orleans (foreword by Grace King, c.1926)
  • Isadora Duncan: Twenty Four Studies (1929)
  • As I Remember (c.1936)
  • Highlights and Shadows (c.1937)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
Pictorialist portraitureDocumentary urban photographyEarly autochrome color experimentation
Recurring Motifs
San Francisco Chinatown scenes and residentsDancers and bodily expressionPortraits of celebrities and society figuresHis cat 'Buzzer'

Health

  • Heart attack (fatal)
    1942-08
    Died of a heart attack in 1942, ending his photographic career.

Legacy

Arnold Genthe is known for his photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown, the 1906 earthquake, and portraits of notable figures. He was an early experimenter with autochrome color processes and contributed significantly to regional photographic records and portraiture.

Museums

  • Library of Congress (Genthe Collection) Washington, D.C., U.S.
  • New-York Historical Society (The Arnold Genthe Photograph Collection) New York, U.S.
  • San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (holds works) San Francisco, California, U.S.

Archives

  • The Arnold Genthe Photograph Collection (New-York Historical Society)
  • Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division (Genthe collection)

In Popular Culture

  • Genthe's portraits of Greta Garbo are credited with boosting her film career.
  • His 1906 earthquake photographs are widely referenced as historical records of San Francisco.

Quotes

  • The cypresses and rocks of Point Lobos, the always varying sunsets and the intriguing shadows of the sand dunes offered a rich field for color experiments.
    Source: His own writings about his residence and color experiments (circa 1906) (1906)

Trivia

  • His cat Buzzer often appeared in portrait sittings.
  • About 200 of his photographs of San Francisco's Chinatown survive.
  • His studio was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake and fire; he later rebuilt it.
  • Considered one of the early adopters and experimenters of the autochrome color process.