| Notes |
- from "Pioneer Photographers of the Far West: A Biographical Dictionary, 1840-1865", by P.E. Palmquist & T.R, Kaukbourn, 2000
Perkins, Alfred Judson, Sr. (1838-1900) Photographer; active San Francisco c. 1865-1895; Vallejo, Calif., c. 1870-1872; Monterey Coast, Calif., c. 1882; Carson City, Nev., 1895.
Alfred Judson Perkins was born in St. Charles, Illinois, on October 8, 1838. He counted among his ancestors Pilgrims who arrived at Plymouth, Massachusetts, aboard the Lion shortly after the arrival of the Mayflower. During his early adulthood Perkins set out for San Francisco, where his first job was that of broom maker. At some point in or during 1865 he worked as a photographic operations at the Higgins Gallery (probably Thomas J. Higgins). In May 1865, Perkins and Oscar Foss (Perkins and Foss) secured a twenty-five-dollar business license for the photographic gallery, which by December was located at 606 Kearny Street. The partnership remained operational until at least 1867. Around 1868 Perkins married Jane Elizabeth Presland Standish Sloan, an English lady who had recently arrived in San Francisco from Australia. They named their first child Alfred J Perkins, Jr.
By December 1869, Perkins was working for Bradley and Rulofson (Henry William Bardley and William Herman Rulofson) at 429 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. The following year he moved to Vallejo, California, where he established a studio at 182 Georgia Street. In that town, Perkins also was involved in the partnership of Smith and Perkins, 183 Georgia Street (the backmarks of their cartes de visite read, "J.G. Smith, prop., A.J. Perkins, operator"), A report of Perkins's business for the fiscal year ending Jun 1, 1870, shows that he had revenues of twenty-eight hundred dollars and expenses of one thousand dollars. He employed one person but did not indicate the salary. Perkins remained in Vallejo until at at least 1875.
By 1877, Perkins had returned to San Francisco and opened a gallery at 22 Kearny Street. During the latter part of the decade he and Peter J. Sullivan briefly were parner as Sullivan and Perkins, Jessie Street, San Francisco. By 1879, Perkins had moved to 227 Hayes, where he remained until 1884. During part of this period Perkins also issued photographs bearing the address of 333 Hayes. In 1880, Perkins and his wife became the parents of a daughter, Florence. Early in this decade he was involved in another partnership, Perkins and Pimental, Cosmopolitan Photograph Gallery, Minna street, San Francisco. (The partner was probably James M Pimemtel or Pimemtal.) Around 1882, at the suggestion of marine artist Charles Dorman Robinson, Perkins took a series of instantaneous, dry-plate 'Surf Views' of the Seal Rocks near the Golden Gate and Monterey coastline. These views were distributed by Sanborn, Vail and Company, 857 Market Street, San Francisco. Perkins took a photographic excursion to Pescadero Creek in 1884.
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1838 - 1900 (61 years)