A noted photographer, Genthe was best known for his work in San Francisco and Chinatown in particular, in addition to his portraits, often of the rich and famous. Born in Berlin to Dr. Hermann Genthe and Luise Zober, he came from a long line of scholars. One of three boys, their home was filled with books, and their father made sure they were all fluent in several languages, which Arnold continued to study throughout his lifetime. The family moved often, following his father’s appointments, but they finally settled in Hamburg. Although Arnold loved to paint, he was told his talent was not such that he could make a living from it. He turned to the family business, so to speak, of academics. He studied at the University of Jena where he received a doctorate in Classical Philology (the study of historical linguistics). He went on to study French literature and art at the Sorbonne in Paris. Offered the position of tutor to their son by Baron J. Henrich von Schroeder and his wife in 1896, who were living in the U.S., Genthe readily accepted. Moving with the family to San Francisco, he became interested in photography and was basically self-taught. He brought his intellect and way of viewing the world, combined with his artistic sensibilities, to his work. Always interested in other cultures, his photographs of pre-earthquake Chinatown are among the few in existence.
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