Arnold Genthe (1869–1942) was a German-American photographer and educator known for his extensive documentation of Northern California, particularly San Francisco's Chinatown before the 1906 earthquake. Born in Berlin to a professor of philology, he moved to San Francisco in 1895 where he taught himself photography. He became a prominent portraitist, photographing notable figures such as Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Greta Garbo. Genthe was also an early pioneer of autochrome color photography, experimenting with the process in Carmel-by-the-Sea starting in 1905. His work is characterized by its artistic approach to nudes, landscapes, and social documentation. He lived in New York City from 1911 until his death in 1942.[1]
