Edith Irvine
Encyclopedia
Lizzie Edith Irvine American photographer
who documented the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
.
to Thomas Hanna Irvine and Mary Irene (Hills) Irvine. Her father was a gold miner.
Edith’s grandfather, William Irvine, was the youngest in a family of nine children, all born in Ireland. In 1846 he immigrated to New York with his older brother, James
. Both William and James went to California
as a part of the 1849 gold rush
and became miners. The brothers did well, especially James, Edith’s great uncle, who became prominent in southern California as the owner of the massive 110000 acres (445.2 km²) Irvine Ranch in Orange County
. He also developed a thriving produce and grocery business in San Francisco
, along with real estate holdings, and after his marriage owned a home in San Francisco at Folsom and Eleventh streets.
When James Irvine died on 15 March 1886, he directed in his will that over US$100,000 should be provided his wife, brothers, sisters, and other relatives through the liquidation of many of his properties. Substantial land gifts, not to exceed the value of $5,000 were also to be given family members from his holdings in southern California. Wilma ("Billy") Plunkett, Photoarchivist
at the Lee Library in 1988, indicates in her master’s project on Irvine, that the “family fortunes increased due to acquisitions of mines and other real estate,” and that the Irvine family became part of the “upper social strata of the area.” Irvine apparently often visited with family members in San Francisco and southern California.
Irvine and her brother Robert lived together most of their lives as she never married and he didn’t marry until he was 60 years old. They continued to live together in the family home now in Mokelumne Hill, California
.
project in California. This project, near her home on the Mokelumne River, California, was completed in 1902. Family tradition says that she was hired as a photographer for this project by Standard Electric of California, the predecessor of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, but no records have been found to substantiate that. Her work at that young age is impressive in documenting a monumental civil engineering
project.
Her next great photographic venture, and certainly the epitome of her brief photography career, came at the age of 22, documenting the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Her photographs draw the viewer into the full range of the earthquake experiences, from devastation to even humor. In 1910 she considered herself a professional photographer as noted on the census, but for reasons unknown, by 1920 her occupation was school teacher.
Anecdotal stories that Plunkett gathered for her master’s project indicate that Edith had long red hair and that she loved to ride her horses and drive her Model T Ford. In her later years no one outside of the family seemed to be aware of her photographs. One of her former students characterized her as fair, but strict, and a good teacher.
She never recovered from the medical and emotional problems that she suffered from in her later years. Not long after her brother, Bob, was granted legal guardianship for her on 8 June 1949, she died at age of 65. It was with the donation of her small collection of photographs to the Brigham Young University Library in 1988 by her nephew, Jim Irvine, Bob’s son, that her photographic talents became known outside of her circle of family and friends.
) and bridges, to everyday life, family portraits, infant deaths and Mokelume Hill townscapes. Her oeuvre includes much from a redwood forest to city buildings, as well as the earthquake and its effect on architecture, street scapes, fires and prevailing activities amidst the destruction.
In 2005, five undiscovered photographs by Edith Irvine were found within a collection in southern California. They were all of San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and fire. Edith had visited the Irvine Ranch more than once during her lifetime and possibly gave them to the Irvine family. Subsequently those photos plus the entire collection of 1906 earthquake photographs from James Irvine were published in a book: Two Weeks in San Francisco by Douglas Westfall and Henry C. Koerper, (The Paragon Agency, Publishers - 2006) and released in the city of San Francisco on April 18, 2006. Up to that time, a vast majority of Irvine's photographs had never been published.
Photography
Photography is the art, science and practice of creating durable images by recording light or other electromagnetic radiation, either electronically by means of an image sensor or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film...
who documented the 1906 San Francisco earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
.
Early life
Irvine was born in Sheep Ranch, Calaveras County, CaliforniaCalaveras County, California
Calaveras County is a county located in the Gold Country of the U.S. state of California. Calaveras is the Spanish word for skulls; the county was reportedly named for the remains of Native Americans discovered by the Spanish explorer Captain Gabriel Moraga. As of the 2010 census, the county had a...
to Thomas Hanna Irvine and Mary Irene (Hills) Irvine. Her father was a gold miner.
Edith’s grandfather, William Irvine, was the youngest in a family of nine children, all born in Ireland. In 1846 he immigrated to New York with his older brother, James
James Irvine (landowner)
The Irvine family were agricultural pioneers and prominent landowners in California who gave their name to the city of Irvine, CA.-James Irvine I:James Irvine was born in County Down, Ireland on December 27, 1827, the second to the youngest of nine children...
. Both William and James went to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
as a part of the 1849 gold rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and became miners. The brothers did well, especially James, Edith’s great uncle, who became prominent in southern California as the owner of the massive 110000 acres (445.2 km²) Irvine Ranch in Orange County
Orange County, California
Orange County is a county in the U.S. state of California. Its county seat is Santa Ana. As of the 2010 census, its population was 3,010,232, up from 2,846,293 at the 2000 census, making it the third most populous county in California, behind Los Angeles County and San Diego County...
. He also developed a thriving produce and grocery business in San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, along with real estate holdings, and after his marriage owned a home in San Francisco at Folsom and Eleventh streets.
When James Irvine died on 15 March 1886, he directed in his will that over US$100,000 should be provided his wife, brothers, sisters, and other relatives through the liquidation of many of his properties. Substantial land gifts, not to exceed the value of $5,000 were also to be given family members from his holdings in southern California. Wilma ("Billy") Plunkett, Photoarchivist
Photo archive
Photo archive, short for photographs archive or photographic archive, can refer to*any archive of stock photography*any of various photograph collections, including** Bettmann Archive, owned by Corbis...
at the Lee Library in 1988, indicates in her master’s project on Irvine, that the “family fortunes increased due to acquisitions of mines and other real estate,” and that the Irvine family became part of the “upper social strata of the area.” Irvine apparently often visited with family members in San Francisco and southern California.
Irvine and her brother Robert lived together most of their lives as she never married and he didn’t marry until he was 60 years old. They continued to live together in the family home now in Mokelumne Hill, California
Mokelumne Hill, California
Mokelumne Hill is a census-designated place in Calaveras County, California, United States. The population was 646 at the 2010 census, down from 774 at the 2000 census. It is commonly referred to as "Moke Hill" by locals...
.
Photography
By her early teens Irvine had created a darkroom in a rear corner of the house in Mokelumne Hill, or Moke Hill as the natives call it. At 14, in 1898, she was already photographing the extensive Electra Power Project – an early hydroelectric powerHydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity is the term referring to electricity generated by hydropower; the production of electrical power through the use of the gravitational force of falling or flowing water. It is the most widely used form of renewable energy...
project in California. This project, near her home on the Mokelumne River, California, was completed in 1902. Family tradition says that she was hired as a photographer for this project by Standard Electric of California, the predecessor of Pacific Gas & Electric Company, but no records have been found to substantiate that. Her work at that young age is impressive in documenting a monumental civil engineering
Civil engineering
Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including works like roads, bridges, canals, dams, and buildings...
project.
Her next great photographic venture, and certainly the epitome of her brief photography career, came at the age of 22, documenting the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. Her photographs draw the viewer into the full range of the earthquake experiences, from devastation to even humor. In 1910 she considered herself a professional photographer as noted on the census, but for reasons unknown, by 1920 her occupation was school teacher.
Anecdotal stories that Plunkett gathered for her master’s project indicate that Edith had long red hair and that she loved to ride her horses and drive her Model T Ford. In her later years no one outside of the family seemed to be aware of her photographs. One of her former students characterized her as fair, but strict, and a good teacher.
Health and later years
Edith’s life was difficult both physically and emotionally. She apparently suffered from severe joint pains of unknown origin, which were treated by her doctor with painkillers. Later she lapsed into alcoholism – all of which caused severe mental deterioration as well as the expected physical deterioration. In addition she began to lose her hearing at an early age, until by 45 years old, she had become severely hearing impaired.She never recovered from the medical and emotional problems that she suffered from in her later years. Not long after her brother, Bob, was granted legal guardianship for her on 8 June 1949, she died at age of 65. It was with the donation of her small collection of photographs to the Brigham Young University Library in 1988 by her nephew, Jim Irvine, Bob’s son, that her photographic talents became known outside of her circle of family and friends.
Subject matter
Her black and white photograph Dead Horses attests to her photographic vision. At least four dead horses which were pulling carriages lie in their traces among broken carriages and brick rubble from the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. The gelatin dry plate negative, 12.7 x 17.78 cm (5 x 7 inches) exists in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections at Brigham Young University's Harold B. Lee Library. The library holds 293 images in the Irvine Collection. They range in subject matter from landscapes (such as the Bridal Veil FallsBridal Veil Falls
Bridal Veil Falls, Bridalveil Falls or Bridalveil Fall is a frequently-used name for waterfalls that observers fancy resemble a bride's veil:-Australia:*Bridal Veil Falls , Blue Mountains National Park, New South Wales-Canada:...
) and bridges, to everyday life, family portraits, infant deaths and Mokelume Hill townscapes. Her oeuvre includes much from a redwood forest to city buildings, as well as the earthquake and its effect on architecture, street scapes, fires and prevailing activities amidst the destruction.
In 2005, five undiscovered photographs by Edith Irvine were found within a collection in southern California. They were all of San Francisco's 1906 earthquake and fire. Edith had visited the Irvine Ranch more than once during her lifetime and possibly gave them to the Irvine family. Subsequently those photos plus the entire collection of 1906 earthquake photographs from James Irvine were published in a book: Two Weeks in San Francisco by Douglas Westfall and Henry C. Koerper, (The Paragon Agency, Publishers - 2006) and released in the city of San Francisco on April 18, 2006. Up to that time, a vast majority of Irvine's photographs had never been published.
External links
- The Edith Irvine Collection and its History Digital Collections, Historical Photographs, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University.