[Chinese, Seattle] Photo of Large Group of Men at Port Gamble, Washington Territory c. 1880s

Most of Peiser's original 1880's photos and glass plate negatives perished along with his Second Street photo studio business in Seattle's Great Fire of 1889. Thereby placing image, with it's printed caption address of "819 Second Street, near Marion, Seattle, W.T." as an uncommon photojournalistic record of early activity and pioneers in Washington's Olympic Peninsula. A large group portrait (7.75 x 9.5 inch wide photo pasted onto the photographer's original printed mount measuring 10 x 12 inch wide) taken on an apparently gloomy day and documenting a wide diversity of local dress and social statuses. One of the Chinese gentlemen in the front row of the photo can be seen wearing more traditional Chinese clothing and displaying, perhaps, some sort of ceremonial items in his hands. Photo w. some fading and spotting, mount w. edge wear and spotting, verso w. pencil caption "Port Gamble" at upper left corner. Research has found early Olympic Peninsula / Puget Sound group photos by Peiser and his Art Studio to be very uncommon in commerce.…