Clara Sheldon Smith
Clara Sheldon Smith (July 1862 – November 1939) was a photographer based in California in the late 19th and early 20th century known for portrait photography and photographs of the Northern California landscape.
Clara Sheldon Smith
- Born
- Clara Sheldon Smith was born on 1 January 1862.
- Died
- Clara Sheldon Smith died on 1 January 1939.
- Occupation
- photographer
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Clara Sheldon Smith (July 1862 – November 1939) was a photographer based in California in the late 19th and early 20th century known for portrait photography and photographs of the Northern California landscape.
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wikidata · Q139799775 · wikipedia · Clara Sheldon Smith
In this article
Career
Clara Sheldon Smith set up the Ramona Art Studio in Marysville, California in the Sacramento Valley. Ramona Art Studio, at first run out of a tent, focused on portraiture. At the turn of the century Smith had a contract with the city of Marysville to photograph its prisoners. From 1900 to 1908 she photographed over 500 local criminals. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Smith documented the damage in a panoramic photograph which she shot from high up in a helium-filled balloon. In 1908 Smith sold her studio to C.C. Green and retired from photography.
Legacy
Clara Sheldon Smith's photographs of Marysville criminals have been compiled, and paired with archival research into the lives of her subjects, in Arne Swenson's book "Prisoners".
Collections
Collections
Smith's work is held in permanent collections including: • The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California • Community Memorial Museum of Sutter County, Yuba City, California
Documents and archives
Primary material
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reference work
- “Clara Sheldon Smith”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q139799775: Clara Sheldon Smith
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General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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