Original large-format mounted photograph showing approximately forty California schoolchildren posed with three adult women, presumably teachers, outside a wood-frame school or institutional building.
The children range considerably in age and are arranged in several rows across the building’s steps. Their clothing presents an outstanding visual record of early-20th-century childhood and education, including button-front jackets, knee trousers, broad-brimmed hats, patterned dresses, pinafores, sailor-style garments, hair ribbons and necklaces. The varied expressions and relatively informal arrangement give the image unusual character.
The photograph was produced by William N. “W.N.” Collom, a San Francisco photographer specializing in location and group work. His elaborate mount advertises:
W. N. Collom, Photographer
69 Flood Building, San Francisco
General Viewing of Residences, Buildings, Live Stock, Farms, Orchards, Landscapes, Portraits and Groups
Negatives Preserved
Duplicate Pictures Furnished to Order
The Flood Building address creates an important connection to San Francisco’s disaster history and provides the best evidence for dating the photograph.
The Baldwin Hotel and Theatre formerly occupied the site but was destroyed in a major San Francisco fire in 1898. The Flood Building was subsequently erected on the property and completed in 1904. Therefore, this particular photographer’s mount could not have been produced during the commonly reported 1895–1899 period sometimes assigned to Collom’s Flood Building studio.
On April 18, 1906, the great San Francisco earthquake struck at approximately 5:12 a.m. The resulting fires devastated much of the city. The newly constructed Flood Building was one of the relatively few major downtown structures to survive, although it suffered interior damage. It was restored and reopened in 1907.
This photograph consequently dates from the period immediately surrounding the disaster—most plausibly circa 1904–1907. It may have been produced shortly before the earthquake, during the brief interval between the building’s 1904 completion and the April 1906 disaster, or soon after the building reopened in 1907.
The dating applies to Collom’s studio mount rather than the school’s location. Collom advertised “general viewing” of farms, orchards, residences, buildings and groups, indicating that he traveled beyond his San Francisco studio. Institutional collections preserve Collom photographs made in other California communities, including ranch and family views. The school itself should therefore be described as California, exact location unidentified, rather than positively identified as San Francisco.
A faint period pencil inscription on the reverse appears to include the word “Children” and possibly “Cal.,” but the complete inscription cannot be confidently deciphered.
The original photographer’s mount measures approximately 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches. The photographic image measures approximately 7 1/2 x 4 3/4 inches.
An evocative California educational-history photograph with an uncommon documented San Francisco photographer’s imprint and a compelling connection to the narrow period surrounding the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and fire.Original photograph remains permanently affixed to its period W.N. Collom photographer’s mount.
The photographic image exhibits substantial overall fading, reduced contrast, scattered spotting, small surface marks, scratches and age-related discoloration. The composition, clothing and most faces remain visible, with additional details apparent under close examination.
The mount has considerable age and handling wear, including toning, staining, surface soiling, edge wear, softened and rounded corners, corner losses, creasing and cracking. The upper-right portion has a large irregular edge loss and tear extending inward toward the photograph, but the photographic image itself is substantially complete.
There are pencil and ink notations on the front and reverse, including a faint period inscription that is difficult to decipher and later dealer or inventory markings.
Please examine all photographs carefully for the most accurate assessment. This is an original historical photograph and mount, sold exactly as shown.
Type: Original Mounted Photograph
Subject: Schoolchildren and Teachers
Theme: Education / Childhood / California History
Photographer: William N. “W.N.” Collom
Studio: W.N. Collom, Photographer
Studio Address: 69 Flood Building, San Francisco
Date: Circa 1904–1907
Era: Early 20th Century
Location: California
Exact School Location: Unidentified
Historical Context: Period Surrounding the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake
Image Size: Approximately 7 1/2 x 4 3/4 Inches
Overall Size: Approximately 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 Inches
Format: Mounted Photograph
Number of People: Approximately 40 Children and 3 Adult Women
Color: Sepia / Black and White
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Inscribed: Faint Pencil Inscription on Reverse
Related Items:
c1904-07 California School Children Photo W.N. Collom San Francisco Flood Bldg
$94.95
