This is one of those special type of photographs that collectors come across on an infrequent basis. The young girl in this portrait is pretty, beautifully dressed, and charming. She is wearing a lace trimmed coat over a lace trimmed dress and is wearing an adorable wide brimmed hat. The 5″ x 7″ image was photographed by the Monaco Studio at 205 Montgomery Avenue in San Francisco, California. J.B. Monaco (1856-1938) was a noted photographer in San Francisco. In fact, a collection of his photographs can be found at the San Francisco History Center at the San Francisco Public Library. In 1875 Monaco arrived in the United States as an immigrant from Switzerland. His name was originally Giovanni Battista. He joined his brother in Eureka, Nevada. Louis Monaco operated a photo studio there and J.B. joined him in the business, thus launching a career as a photographer that would span 62 years. In 1887 J. B. moved to San Francisco where he was soon joined by his brother who died in 1897. During J. B.’s career, he distinguished himself with his earthquake and fire photographs. These images have been described as dramatic and journalistic. He documented much of early Nevada and Northern California history. His portraiture work of prominent San Francisco individuals and their families is considered to be exceptional. During his career, Monaco was described as the “Dean of North Beach photographers”. A photograph of Monaco’s photo studio, as well as a portrait of J. B. Monaco, can be seen below. (SOLD)
Monaco’s Studio (photo by JB Monaco)
J. B. Monaco
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 