Selections from the Gertrude Southworth Archive

In the late 1990s Amy Edwards Jordan donated a box of 500 negatives by Gertrude Southworth (1862-1946) that had been lovingly preserved by her brother and artist Parker Edwards. Recognizing their historic value, generous museum supporters made contributions for their care and research. This treasure trove of images are an invaluable window into local history.

From the late 1890s through the 1930s, Gertrude Southworth used her artistic eye and Kodak camera to capture images of the events and details of life in Bolinas, from picnics to shipwrecks. She did her own printing and many local families displayed her photographs in their homes. Gertrude Rice Coles, born in 1862, immigrated at age 34 from England to the United States. She came to Bolinas as a trained home health nurse with Dr. Stephen Southworth, and his ailing wife Mary Jane, who died in 1900. The Southworths owned one of the first houses on Terrace Avenue in Bolinas. In 1902 Dr. Southworth and Gertrude entered into a happy 34 year marriage. They are seen here at the left digging for clams in Bolinas c. 1912.

In 2006, Bolinas Museum began offering limited edition prints of selected negatives from the Gertrude Southworth Archive for sale as a benefit for the museum. These stunning prints are available in our online store.