Arnold Genthe (1869-1942) was a photographer, most well known for his photos of San Francisco's Chinatown and the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake.

Sacramento Street, 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Arnold Genthe was born in Germany to Hermann Genthe , a professor of Latin and Greek at the Graues Kloster (Gray Monastery ) in Berlin. Arnold followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a classicly trained scholar. After emmigrating to San Francisco in 1895 to work as a tutor, he taught himself photography. Some of his photographs were published in local magazines, prompting him to open a portrait studio.

In 1906 Genthe's studio was destroyed by the earthquake and fire, but he rebuilt afterwards. In 1911 he moved to New York City. He was an early experimenter with the Autochrome color photography process.

The Street of Gamblers (Ross Alley) 1898

Publications

• Pictures of old Chinatown – text by Will Irwin, illus. Arnold Genthe; New York: Moffat, Yard and co. 1908
• The book of the dance – by Arnold Genthe; Boston, Mass.: International Publishers, 1920, c. 1916
• Impressions of Old New Orleans – by Arnold Genthe, fwd by Grace King; New York: George H. Doran co., c. 1926
• Isadora Duncan: twenty four studies – by Arnold Genthe; New York: M. Kennerley 1929; reprinted by Books for Libraries 1980 ISBN 0836993063
• As I remember – by Arnold Genthe; New York: Reynal & Hitchcock c. 1936
• Highlights and shadows – ed. by Arnold Genthe; New York: Greenberg, c. 1937
• Genthe's Photographs of San Francisco's Old Chinatown – by Arnold Genthe, selection and text by John Tchen; New York: Dover Publications 1984 ISBN 0486245926

External links

• Arnold Genthe Collection at the Library of Congress
• "As I Remember" Chapter 10: Earthquake and Fire
• California Historical Society collection
• SF MOMA collection