Who First Marketed and Sold Eadweard Muybridge's Photograph of Emperor Norton on a Velocipede?
Norton-Historical Finding No. 1 from Newly Online Editions of the San Francisco Daily Morning Call
LAST MONTH saw the debut, at Newspapers dot com, of 26 years’ worth of early editions of the San Francisco Call — the Daily Morning Call (1863–78) and The Morning Call (1878–1889) — that previously have been accessible only via microfiche or the original deadwood.
This is the culmination of a major digitization project that began a year ago with a request from The Emperor Norton Trust to the California Digital Newspaper Collection in September 2024.
The Trust has been scouring the 1863–1880 editions for new intelligence about Emperor Norton.
We’re delighted to be able to present an initial finding here.
More to come!
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IN EARLY 1869, the photographer Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904) and Emperor Norton found their way, on the same day and time, to the scene of a “Velocipedestrian School” that was being conducted at the Mechanics’ Pavilion, at the northwest corner of Stockton and Geary Streets, in San Francisco.
By persuasion or by his own curiosity, the Emperor mounted one of the new contraptions, and Muybridge — nom de photog “Helios” — took a photograph that now is well-known to all who follow the Emperor’s story closely:
Emperor Norton astride a velocipede, 1869. By Eadweard Muybridge (1830–1904) a.k.a. Helios. Lone Mountain College Collection of Stereographs by Eadweard Muybridge, 1867-1880), Bancroft Library, University of California Berkeley. Source: Bancroft Library
The Daily Alta California picked up the story “a few days” later:
Item about photograph of Emperor Norton by Helios (Eadweard Muybridge), Daily Alta California, 8 March 1869, p. 1. Source: California Digital Newspaper Collection
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ACCORDING to the Alta:
Norton considers it disrespectful to him to exhibit him in a position that is not up to his ideas of official dignity, so we understand that he has issued a decree prohibiting the sale of the photographs.
Certainly, a proclamation of this sort sounds like something Emperor Norton might have issued. But, if so, we’ve never come across it here at The Emperor Norton Trust — so it’s hard to know whether the Alta is reporting on authority or just taking its usual liberties with the Emp.
What we do know is that Muybridge’s photograph WAS in fact circulated and sold.
A question that always has lingered though, is: By whom?
On 12 June 1869 — a little more than three months after Muybridge took the photo — the Daily Morning Call newspaper reported:
We have received copies from Ewing, 138 Montgomery street.
Item about photograph of Emperor Norton by Helios (Eadweard Muybridge), Daily Morning Call, 12 June 1869, p. 2. Source: Newspapers.com
“Ewing” is Charles Gray Ewing (1834–1904), a Scottish-born optician and importer of “scientific instruments” (like microscopes and barometers) who also was serving as the “sole agent” for Muybridge’s photographs during this period.
Here is a pocket barometer / altimeter with Ewing’s brand:
Here is a lens case and lens base for an English binocular microscope that Ewing imported and sold under his name around 1870:
Lens case (l) and lens base for English binocular microscope imported by Charles G. Ewing, San Francisco, c. 1870. Source: Allan Wissner
Apparently, Ewing was selling “views” by the time the following ad appeared in the Daily Evening Bulletin in mid October 1868:
Ad for Charles G. Ewing, Direct Importer of Optical and Mathematical Instruments, Daily Evening Bulletin, 14 October 1868, p. 2. Source: Genealogy Bank
A little less than two months later in the Bulletin, on 3 December 1868 — in what appears to be Ewing’s first ad announcing his business connection to Muybridge — Ewing promoted his shop as “Agents for Helios”:
Ad for Ewing’s, Optician, Daily Evening Bulletin, 3 December 1868, p. 2. Source: Genealogy Bank
In the Daily Morning Call a two days later, Ewing — this time using his full name — ran his first ad promoting himself as “Sole Agent for the Helios Stereoscopic Views of Alaska, Yosemite, and Pacific Coast”:
Ad for Charles G. Ewing, Optician, Daily Morning Call, 5 December 1868, p. 2. Source: Newspapers.com
A graphically enhanced version of this ad was running in the Call four months later, in mid February 1869 — around the time Muybridge / Helios took his photo of Emperor Norton.
Ad for Charles G. Ewing, Optician, Daily Morning Call, 16 February 1869, p. 1. Source: Newspapers.com
It’s not clear whether Ewing ever was the “sole agent” for any photographer other than Muybridge. In any case, Ewing wasn’t in the photography game for long. After first advertising “stereoscopes and views” in October 1868, he last advertised “stereoscopic views” just seven months later, in the Daily Morning Call of 30 May 1869.
In the next and subsequent editions of the Call, Ewing’s ads make no mention of “views.” Rather, he appears to have returned to his previous scientific focus — now promoting himself as a “Direct Importer of Surveyor’s Compasses and Transits, Mathematical Instruments, Galvanic and Electric Machines, etc.”
Ad for Charles G. Ewing, Optician, Daily Morning Call, 1 June 1869, p. 2. Source: Newspapers.com
But, the proximity of…
Charles Ewing’s Daily Morning Call ads of December 1868 to February 1869 promoting himself as “Sole Agent for the Helios Stereoscopic Views”;
the Daily Alta’s item of 8 March 1869 about Muybridge’s photograph of Emperor Norton on a velocipede; and
the Daily Morning Call’s item of 12 June 1869 about receiving copies of the photograph from Ewing
…point to the strong probability that Charles Ewing was the first to market, sell, and circulate Eadweard Muybridge’s now-famous photograph.
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BEFORE WE leave the subject for now, though, let’s take a closer look at how some of these dates line up.
As it happens, Charles Ewing’s Daily Morning Call ad of 16 February 1869 was the last to mention Helios. The line under February 16th as the end of Eadweard Muybridge’s business association with Ewing gets a bold stroke from the fact that the association is removed in Ewing’s ad that appears the very next day: February 17th.
Ad for Charles G. Ewing, Optician, Daily Morning Call, 17 February 1869, p. 1. Source: Newspapers.com
But, if Ewing and Muybridge had parted ways by mid February 1869, why did the Daily Morning Call report four months later, on June 12th, that Ewing had provided the paper with “copies” — plural — of Muybridge’s photograph of Emperor Norton?
This would seem especially odd, given Ewing’s ads starting two weeks earlier — on June 1st — indicating that he had left the photography business behind.
It’s possible that the only reason Ewing continued to advertise “stereoscopic views” for 3½ months after ceasing to operate as Muybridge’s “sole agent” was for the purpose of unloading stock — so as to make more room in his Occidental Hotel storefront for the scientific equipment that he planned to make the focus of his business.
This may also be why he sent copies of Muybridge’s photograph the Emperor to the Daily Morning Call. Indeed, the Call’s item may have been in the spirit of an advertisement, provided in exchange for gratis copies of the photo ― the message of the item being that readers could go to “Ewing, 138 Montgomery street” to pick up their own copies.
BUT…
Let’s assume that Eadweard Muybridge took the photograph of Emperor Norton while Charles Ewing still was his agent, i.e., before 17 February 1869 — and that this is why Ewing had so many copies.
In its item of 8 March 1869, the Daily Alta reported that “Helios” had taken his photo of the Emperor “a few days ago.” Previously, here at The Emperor Norton Trust, we have interpreted this as meaning that Muybridge took the photo sometime during the first week of March.
But, perhaps it was more like “a few weeks ago” than a “few days ago.”
What the Alta called the “Velocipedestrian School” at the Mechanics Pavilion actually opened at the end of January 1869 and was in full swing the first week of February:
Item, “Velocipede Training School,” Daily Morning Call, 5 February 1869, p. 2. Source: Newspapers.com
This opens up the possibility that Eadweard Muybridge took his photograph of Emperor Norton sometime in the first half of February 1869 — rather than in the first week of March.
Two things argue for February 1869 as a better date for this photograph — and for Charles Ewing as the business agent for the photo.
1
Other than Muybridge himself, any person (or gallery) acting as Muybridge’s agent or representative when he took the photograph is who would be the most likely to have multiple copies of the photo on hand shortly thereafter.
The Call’s report that Charles Ewing had copies of the photo in mid June 1869, together with…
a) Ewing’s own suggestion, through his ads, that he continued to represent Muybridge no later than 16 February 1869. and
b) the fact that the velocipede school where Muybridge took the photo opened at the end of January 1869
…point to the likelihood that Muybridge took the photo during the first two weeks of February 1869 and gave Ewing the first copies of the photo at the time.
Further supporting this scenario…
In 1868, before beginning his engagement with Charles Ewing in December 1868, Muybridge was sharing gallery space with Silas Selleck (1828–1885) and selling his photographs from Selleck’s gallery at 415 Montgomery Street.
After leaving Ewing in February 1869, Muybridge began a similar space-sharing arrangement later in 1869 with Charles Nahl (1818–1878) and Arthur Nahl (1833–1889) at their Nahl Brothers gallery at 121 Montgomery.
The San Francisco directories of 1868 and 1869 list Muybridge at 415 Montgomery and 121 Montgomery, respectively.
But, the 1868 directory was published for the period “commencing October 1868” — meaning that business owners and residents would have to have provided listing information some months before that — and the 1869 directory was published for the period “commencing December 1869.”
In other words: Neither the 1868 nor the 1869 directory would have reflected Muybridge’s business engagement with Charles Ewing between early December 1868 and mid February 1869 — and, possibly, Muybridge’s use of Ewing’s 138 Montgomery shop as a business address during this brief period.
Ad for “Helios” / “Edw. J. Muybridge,” San Francisco Daily Evening Bulletin, 26 April 1869, p. 2. Source: Genealogy Bank
A newspaper search finds 26 April 1869 as the earliest evidence for Muybridge’s arrival to the Nahl Brothers gallery at 121 Montgomery (see above).
But, late April 1869 was more than two months after the beginning of the velocipede school and the end of Muybridge’s business relationship with Ewing.
These are more indicators that Charles Ewing was Eadweard Muybridge’s agent when Muybridge took his photograph of Emperor Norton — and that this took place in early February 1869.
2
In general, Emperor Norton was prompt in his attendance at public spectator events like the Mechanics’ Pavilion velocipede scene.
It seems much more likely that the Emperor would have put in an early appearance at the Pavilion at the beginning of February 1869 than that he would have waited another 3–4 weeks until early March to make a showing.
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The Emperor Norton Trust has revised its date for Eadweard Muybridge’s photograph of Emperor Norton from early March 1869 to early February 1869.