The year that marked the middle of the 19th century was a turning point for much of the world – just two years earlier, Europe had been embroiled in a series of revolutions that announced that the age of absolute monarchs and the age of nation-states were over Come. In addition to political unrest, the economy was also in transition from the First to the Second Industrial Revolution.

The end of the 18th century saw a radical improvement in manufacturing in countries such as England and France. After this breakthrough, Germany, Italy and the United States quickly caught up in the mid-19th century and developed into independent economic powers.

Candle sellers in front of the cathedral, Chartres, France. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1851.

The organ grinder with two children listening. Photo taken by Charles Nègre in the backyard of his workshop at Quai de Bourbon 21 on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, around 1853.

G. Roman, self-portrait, 1851.

Three chimney sweeps on the Quai de Bourbon, Paris, around 1851.

The Chimney Sweeps by Charles Nègre, c.1851-2.

A Moorish woman with her maid

Captain Hawkes and his daughters, circa 1850. Salted paper print from a reinterpreted calotype negative. Attributed to the Scottish photographer Thomas Rodger (1832 – 1883).

Carriage and team of two horses in Beaulieu, country house of Jean-Gabriel Eynard. Daguerreotype, around 1850.

“The Vampire” – Painter/photographer Henri Le Secq poses behind a gargoyle at Notre-Dame de Paris. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1853.

The Chattar Manzil Palace and the Royal Boat of Oude on the Gomti River in Lucknow, India. Photo taken by Felice Beato, 1858. Albumen silver print.

The Geography Lesson, 1851. Image from the stereoscopic daguerreotype of Jean Francois Antoine Claudet.

Sculpture gallery in the “Crystal Palace”, London World's Fair, 1851.

Machines became ubiquitous in manufacturing processes and millions of people earned their living by working in factories. Steamships and telegraph companies connected the New World with the Old. There were migrations from Europe to America – many of them political refugees who had to flee after the wave of national European revolutions of 1848.

But as the world changed rapidly, an invention of no less revolutionary significance would finally allow this transgression to be documented in the most realistic way. Photography arrived just in time to provide a quick and efficient tool for capturing the zeitgeist in images that would resonate for eternity.

Soon after the introduction of the first cameras, professional photographers began traveling the world in search of interesting and relevant portraits, breathtaking landscapes and events of historical significance.

These photographers emphasized the importance of capturing everyday life and ordinary people, leaving an invaluable mark on the world's cultural heritage.

Thomas Martin Easterly's Daguerreotype Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1851.

Daguerreotype of four children from the 1850s.

Poodle of Empress Eugénie, 1850s. Salted paper print from collodion glass negative, from the studio of André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri.

Group portrait of Franz Antoine, dated 1850s-60s.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and others observe the launch attempt of the SS Great Eastern in November 1857.

Italian street musicians

Lynch's Slave Market by Thomas Easterly, c.1852. St. Louis. Missouri.

Mortar batteries in front of Picquet House, Light Division, 1855. Island of Guernsey. Image taken by Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869).

Calotype depicting a scene from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hyde Park, London. Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot.

Paris, around 1851.

Main Street – Oxford, Ohio. On the left is an Elias Kumler and RE Hills store. The large building in the center of the photo is the Mansion House Hotel.

Paris

Portrait of the writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Pyramids of El-Geezeh (from the southwest) by Francis Frith, c.1862.

Quartermaster Fabry of the 1st Hussars. One of the last surviving veterans of Napoleon's army. He is pictured here in full dress uniform and wearing the Saint Helene Medal (issued on August 12, 1857 to all veterans of the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire). Date probably May 5, 1858.

Roadside scene, 1850s.

San Francisco, 1851.

San Francisco Harbor, 1850 or 1851.

Shew's Daguerreian Saloon, San Francisco, 1851.

From family portraits suspicious of the evil device capturing their image to political figures like Napoleon III. and the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, this collection provides an excellent overview of the 1850s.

Read another story from us: 100-year-old photos show some of the most beautiful women from around the world

Add to this mix the famous construction and departure of the British steamship SS Great Eastern, a Persian dignitary, and a beautiful 19th-century cityscape of Jerusalem, allowing you to enjoy the world through the lens of photographers who lived and died 160 years ago worked.

The post Uncommon previous Pictures Present how Folks Lived within the 1850s appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The year that marked the middle of the 19th century was a turning point for much of the world – just two years earlier, Europe had been embroiled in a series of revolutions that announced that the age of absolute monarchs and the age of nation-states were over Come. In addition to political unrest, the economy was also in transition from the First to the Second Industrial Revolution.

The end of the 18th century saw a radical improvement in manufacturing in countries such as England and France. After this breakthrough, Germany, Italy and the United States quickly caught up in the mid-19th century and developed into independent economic powers.

Candle sellers in front of the cathedral, Chartres, France. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1851.

The organ grinder with two children listening. Photo taken by Charles Nègre in the backyard of his workshop at Quai de Bourbon 21 on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, around 1853.

G. Roman, self-portrait, 1851.

Three chimney sweeps on the Quai de Bourbon, Paris, around 1851.

The Chimney Sweeps by Charles Nègre, c.1851-2.

A Moorish woman with her maid

Captain Hawkes and his daughters, circa 1850. Salted paper print from a reinterpreted calotype negative. Attributed to the Scottish photographer Thomas Rodger (1832 – 1883).

Carriage and team of two horses in Beaulieu, country house of Jean-Gabriel Eynard. Daguerreotype, around 1850.

“The Vampire” – Painter/photographer Henri Le Secq poses behind a gargoyle at Notre-Dame de Paris. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1853.

The Chattar Manzil Palace and the Royal Boat of Oude on the Gomti River in Lucknow, India. Photo taken by Felice Beato, 1858. Albumen silver print.

The Geography Lesson, 1851. Image from the stereoscopic daguerreotype of Jean Francois Antoine Claudet.

Sculpture gallery in the “Crystal Palace”, London World's Fair, 1851.

Machines became ubiquitous in manufacturing processes and millions of people earned their living by working in factories. Steamships and telegraph companies connected the New World with the Old. There were migrations from Europe to America – many of them political refugees who had to flee after the wave of national European revolutions of 1848.

But as the world changed rapidly, an invention of no less revolutionary significance would finally allow this transgression to be documented in the most realistic way. Photography arrived just in time to provide a quick and efficient tool for capturing the zeitgeist in images that would resonate for eternity.

Soon after the introduction of the first cameras, professional photographers began traveling the world in search of interesting and relevant portraits, breathtaking landscapes and events of historical significance.

These photographers emphasized the importance of capturing everyday life and ordinary people, leaving an invaluable mark on the world's cultural heritage.

Thomas Martin Easterly's Daguerreotype Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1851.

Daguerreotype of four children from the 1850s.

Poodle of Empress Eugénie, 1850s. Salted paper print from collodion glass negative, from the studio of André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri.

Group portrait of Franz Antoine, dated 1850s-60s.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and others observe the launch attempt of the SS Great Eastern in November 1857.

Italian street musicians

Lynch's Slave Market by Thomas Easterly, c.1852. St. Louis. Missouri.

Mortar batteries in front of Picquet House, Light Division, 1855. Island of Guernsey. Image taken by Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869).

Calotype depicting a scene from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hyde Park, London. Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot.

Paris, around 1851.

Main Street – Oxford, Ohio. On the left is an Elias Kumler and RE Hills store. The large building in the center of the photo is the Mansion House Hotel.

Paris

Portrait of the writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Pyramids of El-Geezeh (from the southwest) by Francis Frith, c.1862.

Quartermaster Fabry of the 1st Hussars. One of the last surviving veterans of Napoleon's army. He is pictured here in full dress uniform and wearing the Saint Helene Medal (issued on August 12, 1857 to all veterans of the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire). Date probably May 5, 1858.

Roadside scene, 1850s.

San Francisco, 1851.

San Francisco Harbor, 1850 or 1851.

Shew's Daguerreian Saloon, San Francisco, 1851.

From family portraits suspicious of the evil device capturing their image to political figures like Napoleon III. and the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, this collection provides an excellent overview of the 1850s.

Read another story from us: 100-year-old photos show some of the most beautiful women from around the world

Add to this mix the famous construction and departure of the British steamship SS Great Eastern, a Persian dignitary, and a beautiful 19th-century cityscape of Jerusalem, allowing you to enjoy the world through the lens of photographers who lived and died 160 years ago worked.

The post Uncommon outdated Pictures Present how Individuals Lived within the 1850s appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

WALNUT CREEK – As Cheryl Dumesnil and Tracie Vickers prepared for their wedding a decade ago, they thought about living in San Francisco, where other gay and lesbian families would surround them, or retreating to the suburbs where they grew up were.

Their choice of central Contra Costa County made them pioneers, the first two-mother family in their leafy Walnut Creek neighborhood.

“This is Tracie's suburban dream,” Dumesnil said Tuesday at their ranch house, as the couple's 6-year-old son, Brennan, quietly read a book and 4-year-old Kian marched around the kitchen, a singing troubadour playing a white guitar Guitar. Neighbors welcomed this family with cookies and open arms.

“After saying I would never move to the suburbs again, here I am,” Dumesnil said.

The family of four is among nearly 1 percent of California households – about 126,000 households – headed by same-sex couples, according to 2010 Census statistics released Thursday. If the numbers are accurate, they show that nearly a quarter of same-sex couples in California are raising children.

While San Francisco remains a gay hub – the city has more than 10,000 gay and lesbian couples, compared to fewer than 300 in Walnut Creek – the census found same-sex couples in every corner of the state, making it clear that Same-sex couples in many parts of the state, suburban and rural areas have far higher chances of having children.

“We are not just a special interest group concentrated in large urban centers,” Dumesnil said. “We’re basically everywhere, just trying to live a legally protected and fulfilling life.”

Fifteen years after the federal Defense of Marriage Act banned gay marriage and seven years after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom defiantly ordered licenses to be granted to same-sex couples, gay and lesbian families remain at odds political crosshairs, but also say that society is increasingly at risk. I'm getting used to having them – and their children – with us. In turn, whether they have been previously counted or not, more same-sex couples are aware of identifying themselves on census forms.

Demographers warn that the numbers may overcount same-sex couples because opposite-sex couples miscoded each other in a confusing way. The errors are compounded because there are far more opposite-sex couples than same-sex couples.

Gay and lesbian couples are identified in the census when the head of the household reports living with a “husband” or “unmarried partner” of the same sex. Changes in the way the Census Bureau counts same-sex couples make it difficult to accurately compare with the 2000 census, when the count found more than 92,000 same-sex couples in California.
However, it is clear that the number of open same-sex couples nationwide has increased significantly over the last decade.

“We have evidence that over time, more and more people are willing to report (same-sex unions),” said demographer Gary Gates of UCLA's Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law. “We saw that these increases were the largest outside of well-known gay neighborhoods. I expect these increases would be larger in the Central Valley than in San Francisco.”

Same-sex couples in suburban and rural areas are far more likely to be raising children than their urban counterparts. National studies show that about 19 percent of children of same-sex couples are adopted, Gates said. Many more are children from previous heterosexual relationships.

“This type of pattern is much more common in conservative areas where people come out later in life,” Gates said. “The further you get from San Francisco, the greater the proportion of same-sex couples raising children.”

For some same-sex couples, life in the outskirts of the Bay Area still seems like living on a cultural frontier.

The census counted 138 gay male couples in Antioch last year and found that 30 percent of them have children. However, partners Joe Horacek and Jonathan Lee only know one other family like them, who lives on the other side of town.

The family moved from South San Francisco to Antioch in 2004 because they wanted a larger, cheaper home to raise their three adopted children. Horacek and Lee were among about 18,000 same-sex couples who married for six months in 2008, when gay marriage was legal in the state, before voters passed Proposition 8. Life in Antioch was simpler when the children were small; Her oldest children, 14 and 13, now struggle to fit in in a community where two fathers are a rarity.

“My son encountered some negative reactions from kids on Facebook,” said Horacek, a local teacher. “We don’t want to be the ones putting the targets on their backs. All children get teased about something, but usually it has to do with themselves. We add that additional liability for customization.”

Hosts who greet the family of five at local restaurants sometimes mistake them for two separate parties. Because her 9-year-old daughter doesn't have a mother, a school principal recently asked if she could play the role for a Mother's Day tea. Usually polite conversation smooths over an adult's confusion, but the couple sometimes wonders if life would be easier for their children on the other side of the East Bay hills.

“For the most part, no one has questioned us or given us any problems, but there is more assumption here that the children have both a mother and a father,” Horacek said. “I know that, particularly in places like Berkeley and Alameda County, conversations about different types of families and same-sex relationships are part of the curriculum. That’s not necessarily the case out here.”

Three percent of households in San Francisco and just over two percent of households in Oakland, Berkeley and Emeryville are headed by same-sex couples, making these Bay Area cities with the highest concentrations of gay and lesbian partners. Other East Bay cities are close behind, and most of the neighborhoods outside of San Francisco with the census-highest number of same-sex couples are along the East Oakland foothills.

Same-sex couples from the East Bay are also more likely to have children than couples from San Francisco, although the same is true for heterosexual couples as well. Just over 4 percent of gay male couples in San Francisco and 19 percent of lesbian couples have children, compared to 11 percent of gay male couples and 22 percent of lesbian couples in Oakland.

Maya Scott-Chung and her multi-ethnic family also chose the East Bay because she found it more diverse.

“It wasn't just because we could afford to buy a house here, although that was part of it,” said Scott-Chung, who lives with her transgender partner and daughter in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood . “It is important to us to live in Oakland because it is one of the most culturally, linguistically and economically diverse places in the Bay Area and probably the world. There are a large number of lesbian and two-mother families here.”

Nationally, lesbian partners are more likely to raise children than gay men – 32 percent of lesbian households have children, compared to 17.8 percent of gay male couples. Horacek said being a minority among minorities in a place like Antioch can be exciting and a little scary.

“Obviously gays have been in relationships for centuries, but this appears to be the first generation where this is happening in large numbers, particularly through the addition of children into the family,” he said. “We sometimes feel like we are soldiers at the front. Change is happening, but it’s still not mainstream here.”

Dumesnil said she and her wife have seen perceptions in Walnut Creek slowly change as they interacted with straight families at school events and in their neighborhood.

“Someone has to be out here,” she said. “In a way, the presence of the children was the great equalizer.”

Cities in the Bay Area with
the highest percentage
of same-sex couples

Guerneville: 7.6 percent of all households are headed by same-sex couples (176 same-sex couples)
San Francisco: 3 percent (10,384)
Oakland: 2.2 percent (3,442)
Emeryville: 2.1 percent (119)
Berkeley: 2.1 percent (961)
El Cerrito: 1.9 percent (189)
Pacifica: 1.7 percent (237)
Albany: 1.7 percent (123)
Alameda: 1.5 percent (459)
San Rafael: 1.3 percent (301)
Vallejo: 1.2 percent (497)
Santa Rosa: 1.2 percent (757)
Richmond: 1.2 percent (427)
Concord: 1.2 percent (512)
Pleasant Hill: 1.1 percent (152)
San Leandro: 1.1 percent (326)

nationwide household figures

49%
Households headed by
Man-woman couples

6.2%
Households headed by unmarried partners of different genders
1 %
Households headed by
same-sex partners

43.4%
Resident does not live with us
a spouse or unmarried partner

The post Census statistics present quarter of California same-sex {couples} elevating youngsters – East Bay Instances appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The year that marked the middle of the 19th century was a turning point for much of the world – just two years earlier, Europe had been embroiled in a series of revolutions that announced that the age of absolute monarchs and the age of nation-states were over Come. In addition to political unrest, the economy was also in transition from the First to the Second Industrial Revolution.

The end of the 18th century saw a radical improvement in manufacturing in countries such as England and France. After this breakthrough, Germany, Italy and the United States quickly caught up in the mid-19th century and developed into independent economic powers.

Candle sellers in front of the cathedral, Chartres, France. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1851.

The organ grinder with two children listening. Photo taken by Charles Nègre in the backyard of his workshop at Quai de Bourbon 21 on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, around 1853.

G. Roman, self-portrait, 1851.

Three chimney sweeps on the Quai de Bourbon, Paris, around 1851.

The Chimney Sweeps by Charles Nègre, c.1851-2.

A Moorish woman with her maid

Captain Hawkes and his daughters, circa 1850. Salted paper print from a reinterpreted calotype negative. Attributed to the Scottish photographer Thomas Rodger (1832 – 1883).

Carriage and team of two horses in Beaulieu, country house of Jean-Gabriel Eynard. Daguerreotype, around 1850.

“The Vampire” – Painter/photographer Henri Le Secq poses behind a gargoyle at Notre-Dame de Paris. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1853.

The Chattar Manzil Palace and the Royal Boat of Oude on the Gomti River in Lucknow, India. Photo taken by Felice Beato, 1858. Albumen silver print.

The Geography Lesson, 1851. Image from the stereoscopic daguerreotype of Jean Francois Antoine Claudet.

Sculpture gallery in the “Crystal Palace”, London World's Fair, 1851.

Machines became ubiquitous in manufacturing processes and millions of people earned their living by working in factories. Steamships and telegraph companies connected the New World with the Old. There were migrations from Europe to America – many of them political refugees who had to flee after the wave of national European revolutions of 1848.

But as the world changed rapidly, an invention of no less revolutionary significance would finally allow this transgression to be documented in the most realistic way. Photography arrived just in time to provide a quick and efficient tool for capturing the zeitgeist in images that would resonate for eternity.

Soon after the introduction of the first cameras, professional photographers began traveling the world in search of interesting and relevant portraits, breathtaking landscapes and events of historical significance.

These photographers emphasized the importance of capturing everyday life and ordinary people, leaving an invaluable mark on the world's cultural heritage.

Thomas Martin Easterly's Daguerreotype Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1851.

Daguerreotype of four children from the 1850s.

Poodle of Empress Eugénie, 1850s. Salted paper print from collodion glass negative, from the studio of André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri.

Group portrait of Franz Antoine, dated 1850s-60s.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and others observe the launch attempt of the SS Great Eastern in November 1857.

Italian street musicians

Lynch's Slave Market by Thomas Easterly, c.1852. St. Louis. Missouri.

Mortar batteries in front of Picquet House, Light Division, 1855. Island of Guernsey. Image taken by Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869).

Calotype depicting a scene from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hyde Park, London. Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot.

Paris, around 1851.

Main Street – Oxford, Ohio. On the left is an Elias Kumler and RE Hills store. The large building in the center of the photo is the Mansion House Hotel.

Paris

Portrait of the writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Pyramids of El-Geezeh (from the southwest) by Francis Frith, c.1862.

Quartermaster Fabry of the 1st Hussars. One of the last surviving veterans of Napoleon's army. He is pictured here in full dress uniform and wearing the Saint Helene Medal (issued on August 12, 1857 to all veterans of the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire). Date probably May 5, 1858.

Roadside scene, 1850s.

San Francisco, 1851.

San Francisco Harbor, 1850 or 1851.

Shew's Daguerreian Saloon, San Francisco, 1851.

From family portraits suspicious of the evil device capturing their image to political figures like Napoleon III. and the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, this collection provides an excellent overview of the 1850s.

Read another story from us: 100-year-old photos show some of the most beautiful women from around the world

Add to this mix the famous construction and departure of the British steamship SS Great Eastern, a Persian dignitary, and a beautiful 19th-century cityscape of Jerusalem, allowing you to enjoy the world through the lens of photographers who lived and died 160 years ago worked.

The post Uncommon outdated Photographs Present how Individuals Lived within the 1850s appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The year that marked the middle of the 19th century was a turning point for much of the world – just two years earlier, Europe had been embroiled in a series of revolutions that announced that the age of absolute monarchs and the age of nation-states were over Come. In addition to political unrest, the economy was also in transition from the First to the Second Industrial Revolution.

The end of the 18th century saw a radical improvement in manufacturing in countries such as England and France. After this breakthrough, Germany, Italy and the United States quickly caught up in the mid-19th century and developed into independent economic powers.

Candle sellers in front of the cathedral, Chartres, France. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1851.

The organ grinder with two children listening. Photo taken by Charles Nègre in the backyard of his workshop at Quai de Bourbon 21 on the Île Saint-Louis in Paris, around 1853.

G. Roman, self-portrait, 1851.

Three chimney sweeps on the Quai de Bourbon, Paris, around 1851.

The Chimney Sweeps by Charles Nègre, c.1851-2.

A Moorish woman with her maid

Captain Hawkes and his daughters, circa 1850. Salted paper print from a reinterpreted calotype negative. Attributed to the Scottish photographer Thomas Rodger (1832 – 1883).

Carriage and team of two horses in Beaulieu, country house of Jean-Gabriel Eynard. Daguerreotype, around 1850.

“The Vampire” – Painter/photographer Henri Le Secq poses behind a gargoyle at Notre-Dame de Paris. Photo taken by Charles Nègre, 1853.

The Chattar Manzil Palace and the Royal Boat of Oude on the Gomti River in Lucknow, India. Photo taken by Felice Beato, 1858. Albumen silver print.

The Geography Lesson, 1851. Image from the stereoscopic daguerreotype of Jean Francois Antoine Claudet.

Sculpture gallery in the “Crystal Palace”, London World's Fair, 1851.

Machines became ubiquitous in manufacturing processes and millions of people earned their living by working in factories. Steamships and telegraph companies connected the New World with the Old. There were migrations from Europe to America – many of them political refugees who had to flee after the wave of national European revolutions of 1848.

But as the world changed rapidly, an invention of no less revolutionary significance would finally allow this transgression to be documented in the most realistic way. Photography arrived just in time to provide a quick and efficient tool for capturing the zeitgeist in images that would resonate for eternity.

Soon after the introduction of the first cameras, professional photographers began traveling the world in search of interesting and relevant portraits, breathtaking landscapes and events of historical significance.

These photographers emphasized the importance of capturing everyday life and ordinary people, leaving an invaluable mark on the world's cultural heritage.

Thomas Martin Easterly's Daguerreotype Gallery, St. Louis, Missouri, 1851.

Daguerreotype of four children from the 1850s.

Poodle of Empress Eugénie, 1850s. Salted paper print from collodion glass negative, from the studio of André-Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri.

Group portrait of Franz Antoine, dated 1850s-60s.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel and others observe the launch attempt of the SS Great Eastern in November 1857.

Italian street musicians

Lynch's Slave Market by Thomas Easterly, c.1852. St. Louis. Missouri.

Mortar batteries in front of Picquet House, Light Division, 1855. Island of Guernsey. Image taken by Roger Fenton (English, 1819-1869).

Calotype depicting a scene from the Great Exhibition of 1851. Hyde Park, London. Attributed to William Henry Fox Talbot.

Paris, around 1851.

Main Street – Oxford, Ohio. On the left is an Elias Kumler and RE Hills store. The large building in the center of the photo is the Mansion House Hotel.

Paris

Portrait of the writer Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

Pyramids of El-Geezeh (from the southwest) by Francis Frith, c.1862.

Quartermaster Fabry of the 1st Hussars. One of the last surviving veterans of Napoleon's army. He is shown here in full dress uniform and wearing the Saint Helene Medal (issued on August 12, 1857 to all veterans of the wars of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Empire). Date probably May 5, 1858.

Roadside scene, 1850s.

San Francisco, 1851.

San Francisco Harbor, 1850 or 1851.

Shew's Daguerreian Saloon, San Francisco, 1851.

From family portraits suspicious of the evil device capturing their image to political figures like Napoleon III. and the eighth President of the United States, Martin Van Buren, this collection provides an excellent overview of the 1850s.

Read another story from us: 100-year-old photos show some of the most beautiful women from around the world

Add to this mix the famous construction and departure of the British steamship SS Great Eastern, a Persian dignitary, and a beautiful 19th-century cityscape of Jerusalem, allowing you to enjoy the world through the lens of photographers who lived and died 160 years ago worked.

The post Uncommon previous Pictures Present how Individuals Lived within the 1850s appeared first on Los Gatos News And Events.

The line at Olivia Rodrigo’s final US concert of her “Sour” tour in San Francisco stretched the span of Bill Graham Civic Auditorium — twice — and the entire length of City Hall on Friday night.

That was, in part, by design. Imagine this: The defining pop star of this young decade booked what is essentially an oversized high school theater to perform her globe-conquering debut album “Sour,” all so that she won’t “skip any steps” in her already-expedited route to pop stardom. (In other cities, they booked even smaller venues, like the 5,900-capacity Greek Theater in Los Angeles.)

She may have made the right call. Her music thrives in small spaces, where the din of the crowd singing in unison feels rapturous given so many of her early singles (recorded in 2020 and released in early 2021) came out in such a solitary time of the pandemic.

“I think that’s the most beautiful thing about music,” Rodrigo said just before playing “Driver’s License,” the song that consecrated her career, “is that sometimes it can communicate how we feel better than words ever could.”

When she says a line like that with that much conviction, you can’t help but believe it for yourself, too.

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

For her primarily Gen Z audience, Olivia Rodrigo’s best songs feel like they subsume into you, make you feel whole, understood. At the very least, they compel her audiences to lose their voice the next morning or brave the San Francisco chill in their shein best. Rodrigo’s songwriting crystallizes the depths of heartbreak in all the rage, the paranoia and envy. Like every other teenager, she cares about what other people think — maybe too much.

And in a live setting, these earnest, life-affirming songs f–king ripped. Her theater kid vocal proofs was on full display. Every word she sang had at least a few thousands of others singing alongside her; and for her biggest hits, the 8,500-seat auditorium’s collective voice felt like it hung in the air long after the show ended.

“God damn, I really did save the best show for last,” she joked, at one point, after hearing how loud the crowd sang with her.

Rodrigo’s muse during her tour has been less the singer-songwriters that inspired “Driver’s License” and more the alt-rock station rotation that shaped “Good 4 U” and other, rock-heavy songs on “Sour.” “Brutal,” with its intentionally angsty sing-speak cadence, felt utterly alive. When the crowd yelled “Where’s my f–king teenage dream?” with her, you felt the collective venom of fleeting youth seeping out.

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

These songs she wrote in her bedroom, given this space to bloom and a crowd who latched onto her every word, turned into cathartic, rocking missives over the span of her hour-long set. Take “Happier,” a meek, pleading ballad to a moved-on ex. She jettisons the folksy piano of the recorded song entirely, transforming it into an arena-rock romp that could fill a stadium triple the size of Bill Graham. “Jealousy, Jealousy” got a full pop-punk retrofit; at the show, it felt almost like hearing a long-lost Paramore B-side for the first time.

Even the covers she chose for the tour felt intentionally KROQ-y — Avril Lavigne’s “Complicated” and No Doubt’s “Just A Girl,” both of which she’s done in other cities. (If I had one gripe about the show, I wish she did a ’90s, female-led song with a deeper Bay Area tie — hearing Rodrigo do her version of Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” or 4 Non Blondes’ “What’s Up? ” would have been a treat.)

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

The whole time, Rodrigo was vivacious — running back and forth across the stage animated entirely by the love of performing and the adulation of the crowd around her. She dazzled, with so much energy and zeal and gratitude for even getting to be in the room with everyone. The confetti at the end of the night had messages scrawled on them thanking fans for coming to the tour.

But for as much as Rodrigo has been made out by older audiences to be an avatar of endless, indefatigable youth, you forget how young she really is.

Throughout the show, there was this nagging feeling of being an interloper — that the night was a homecoming for the young people who took this album and made it part of themselves.

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Olivia Rodrigo just turned 19 this year. She is wise, but not wise beyond her years. She cares deeply, enough to stop her show twice within the span of 10 minutes (and cutting into her performance of “Traitor,” forcing her to start again from the top) when two people in the crowd needed medical help. She’s a sage for the teens and tweens worried about what the cool kids are up to, or if their emotionally unavailable boyfriend is talking up another girl. But being a young person today means having to think constantly about the world and how punishing and unfair it can just be.

Consider the extended, chaotic lines leading up to the show. A concert staffer outside told me that the lines were so long in part because security measures were beefed up, likely in light of this week’s massacre in Uvalde, Texas. (In her LA show earlier this week, she explicitly called for “stricter gun control laws in America”; she’s also spoken out about abortion rights this tour.)

I don’t envy anyone who has to come of age right now. I am not much older than the mean age of the concert but I cannot fathom what it is like, growing up with nonstop pain and loss presenting itself at every turn, on every screen.

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

While preparing for her concert and writing this review, I’ve thought a lot about the final song on “Sour,” a sweet lament called “Hope Ur Ok.” In it, she ponders about old acquaintances who have suffered at the hands of neglectful, uncaring parents. It felt out of place in an album so preoccupied with love and its discontent — and even live, it felt too much, like this young woman should not have to carry, let alone perform an entire song about this burden.

Pop stars across generations — from Janet to Gaga — have written songs about the state of the world. And, yet, there’s something to be said for a 19-year old who, on her crown-making first album, felt the need to write a song about how adults, time and time again, have failed young people.

All the other songs about the intricacies of teen relationships ring truer because all Rodrigo wants is for her listeners to be OK. During these anxious times, that feels like enough.

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

Olivia Rodrigo performs at the Bill Graham Civic Center, in San Francisco, on Friday, May 27.

Charles Russo/SFGATE

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SAN FRANCISCO, CA — San Francisco city officials said on Tuesday they’ve decided to cancel the city’s annual New Year’s Eve Fireworks Show over concerns around COVID-19 as cases continue to climb nationwide.

With the Omicron variant contributing to the skyrocketing cases, city officials said they’re canceling the famous fireworks show over the Bay for the second year in a row.

Thousands of residents and guests typically pack along the Embarcadero to watch the show, but last year people were told to stay home to prevent large gatherings and limit the virus’ spread.

Once again, city officials are remaining cautions.

“While we are all understandably eager to ring in a new year with San Francisco’s customary New Year’s Eve fireworks show, we must remain vigilant in doing all we can to stop the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant,” Mayor London Breed said in a statement. “By canceling the New Year’s Eve fireworks show we are reducing everyone’s exposure to COVID-19, while ensuring continuity of citywide public safety operations.”

Additionally, because of the latest surge, isolation and quarantine protocols are resulting in reduced staffing levels for public safety agencies, city officials said.

“Minimizing needless exposures among our officers and professional staff is key to maintaining the police staffing levels San Franciscans expect of us, and it’s important that we all do our part as San Franciscans to help reduce community transmission citywide,” Police Chief Bill Scott said.

“We urge you to join us in celebrating safely at home with your close family members and friends with all COVID safety measures in place,” Fire Chief Jeannine Nicholson said. “The cancellation of the traditional fireworks display will allow us to focus our resources on emergency services and day-to-day operations without the addition of large crowds and the potential incidents that arise from such crowds.”

As of last week, the city was seeing an average of 305 new COVID-19 cases per day, compared to an average of just 91 cases the week prior.

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San Francisco has a new set of supervisor district boundaries. After a tumultuous process, filled with claims of gerrymandering, walk-outs and missed deadlines, the redistricting task force voted Thursday to adopt its final map.

Each of the 11 districts saw changes to its boundaries in order to balance the city’s population growth over the last decade. But districts with disproportionate population changes have entire neighborhoods shifting. As a result, some residents will find themselves in different districts, with new representatives. As of yesterday, the new boundaries are in effect and will remain in place for ten years, until the next round of redistricting.

We mapped each district’s boundary changes and highlighted the biggest shifts in terms of geography and demographics.

district 1

Includes the Richmond District and Seacliff. Currently represented by Connie Chan.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 1, currently represented by Connie Chan, has historically been made up of what is considered the Richmond District. But for the first time in decades, the district will also include Seacliff, a predominantly white and affluent neighborhood which used to be part of District 2 (under supervisor Stefani).

Some residents of the Richmond neighborhood voiced concerns about this decision, saying that it could cause the district to become more politically moderate and dilute the voting power of Asians who live in the Richmond. The addition of Seacliff and other neighborhoods immediately south of the Presidio shifts the district demographic more white by about two percentage points and less Asian by 1.4 points. As a result, the difference in the share of Asian and white residents grows from three to six points, with whites making up 47% of the voting age population, compared to 41% of Asians.

district 2

Includes the Presidio, Pacific Heights, Presidio Heights, the Marina. Currently represented by Catherine Stefani.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 2, currently represented by Catherine Stefani, is along the city’s northern border and includes the Presidio, Presidio Heights, the Marina and Pacific Heights. The new boundaries move Seacliff out of the district into District 1 and parts of Russian Hill into District 3. Its southern boundaries extend into neighborhoods North of the Panhandle and just above Hayes Valley, but avoid incorporating Japantown and the Western Addition.

These changes mean the district will have a slightly larger share of people who identify as Asian. Still, white residents make up nearly three-quarters of the voting age population, as it did under the old boundaries.

district 3

Includes North Beach, Chinatown, Union Square/Financial District and Russian, Nob and Telegraph Hills. Currently represented by Aaron Peskin.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 3 is located at the northeast corner of the city and encompasses neighborhoods east of Van Ness Avenue and north of Market Street, including North Beach, Chinatown, and Russian, Nob and Telegraph Hills. The district is represented by Aaron Peskin.

While preliminary draft maps proposed moving entire neighborhoods into the district, the final boundaries mainly extend the northwest border to include all of Russian Hill. The district will see a small increase in people who identify as white.

district 4

Includes the Outer Sunset. Currently represented by Gordon Mar.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Represented by Gordon Mar, District 4 consists primarily of the Outer Sunset — the area west of 17th Avenue, bounded by Golden Gate Park to the north and Lake Merced to the south. The new boundaries keep the district relatively unchanged. Some areas just north of the lake and parts of Golden Gate Park are now included in the district, but the demographic makeup of the electorate remains largely the same.

district 5

Includes the Tenderloin, Japantown, Western Addition, Haight Ashbury and Hayes Valley. Currently represented by Dean Preston.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 5, represented by Dean Preston, is among the districts with the largest changes, both in terms of geography and population. Under the new map, the district is now made up of the Tenderloin, Japantown, Western Addition and Haight Ashbury, and no longer includes Cole Valley and parts of the Inner Sunset.

As a result, the share of white voters in District 5 falls by seven percentage points, while the Black and Hispanic shares grow by 3.5 and 2 points, respectively. Black and Hispanic voters each comprise at least 10% of the district electorate, but the district remains majority white, at 54%.

district 6

Includes South of Market, Mission Bay and Treasure Island. Currently represented by Matt Haney.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Under the new map, District 6 consists of SoMa, Mission Bay and Treasure Island. The Tenderloin, which has long been included in this district, moves to District 5 (under Dean Preston) — despite objections from the LGBTQ and Filipino communities.

This move leads to a decrease in the Black and Hispanic voter shares by 1-2 points and an increase in the Asian share by more than three points. Asians now make up 38% of the voting age population, roughly equal to the white share (40%).

District 6 will soon be represented by a new supervisor, following current supervisor Matt Haney’s win in the run-off election for Assembly District 17 earlier this month. Mayor London Breed will appoint a new supervisor to represent the district until the November midterms, when representatives for the even-numbered districts will be up for election.

district 7

Includes the Inner Sunset, West Portal, Forest Hill and Parkmerced. Currently represented by Myrna Melgar.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

Represented by Myrna Melgar, District 7 includes the Inner Sunset, West Portal, Forest Hill and Parkmerced neighborhoods. The new boundaries largely remove areas just north of Lake Merced (now part of District 4) and add parts of the Inner Sunset that were previously in District 5.

By adding the several blocks in the Inner Sunset, the overall demographic shifts less Asian and more white by about 2-3 points. White voters still make up the largest race group, at 48%, but by a larger margin than previously — it is now 12 points greater than the Asian share (38%).

district 8

Includes Cole Valley, Duboce Triangle, the Castro, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and Glen Park. Currently represented by Rafael Mandelman.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 8, which is represented by Rafael Mandelman, largely includes Cole Valley, the Castro, Diamond Heights, Noe Valley and Glen Park. The biggest changes under the new map is the addition of Cole Valley (which used to be part of District 5) and several blocks on the district’s eastern edge moving to District 9 (under supervisor Hillary Ronen).

As a result, the share of white voters grows by almost three percentage points to make up nearly 70% of the district electorate. Meanwhile, representation among Asians, Hispanics and Blacks decreases.

district 9

Includes the Mission, Bernal Heights and the Portola. Currently represented by Hillary Ronen.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 9, which is currently represented by Hillary Ronen, comprises the Mission, Bernal Heights and the Portola. While previous draft maps proposed changing entire neighborhoods in the district, the final map shifts the district boundaries around its borders — several blocks east and west of the Mission are added, while areas between the Portola and Excelsior District are removed.

The district’s Asian share decreases by about two percentage points, while white representation grows by a similar amount. Hispanic voters now make up the second largest race group (26%), surpassing the Asian share (25%).

district 10

Includes Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley. Currently represented by Shaman Walton.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 10 runs along the east edge of the city, spanning Potrero Hill, Bayview-Hunters Point and Visitacion Valley. Though a preliminary map considered removing Potrero Hill, the final boundaries keep all of the original neighborhoods in the district. As a result, the voter demographic remains largely unchanged. Shamann Walton represents this district.

district 11

Includes Excelsior, Oceanview and Outer Mission. Currently represented by Ahsha Safai.

Demographic changes to the district’s citizen voting age population

District 11, represented by Ahsha Safai, mainly encompasses Oceanview and the Excelsior District. The new map extends the district’s northern and eastern borders by a few blocks, resulting in some small demographic shifts — the share of Asian and white voters increases, while Hispanic representation decreases.

Nami Sumida is a San Francisco Chronicle data visualization developer. Email: nami.sumida@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @namisumida

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PARADISE — Water experts are still finding traces of harmful chemicals in parts of the water systems burned by the Camp Fire and in interior plumbing more than a year after the disaster, but the cases are rare.

Fears about the contamination have been a hurdle for recovery. The water utilities say they are addressing the problem through tens of thousands of tests and hundreds of repairs.

One big question remained on the minds of residents: What about their own taps? Home plumbing is not the responsibility of the utility. Many residents paid for tests out of pocket. Now, an outside team of researchers is studying the issue with a grant.

So far, the team has found only a few cases where volatile organic compounds that are harmful to human health seened into home plumbing from the water system. Most of those cases tested largely below unsafe levels.

“We were kind of looking for those worst-case scenarios,” said Gina Solomon, the researcher leading the project. “What we found was actually really encouraging.”

Solomon presented the findings to the community at a meeting at the Paradise Alliance Church on Monday evening. Her study team includes experts from the Public Health Institute, UC San Francisco, and UC Davis. They sampled 125 structures in Paradise and Magalia in October and will continue sampling later this month.

Benzene, which has been linked to cancer, was detected in only two samples: one came from an outdoor hose bib that was unused since the fire, and the other came from inside an uninhabited home. Both were below the California regulatory limit.

Scientists are not exactly sure where benzene — which was first detected in water systems after an urban wildfire in Santa Rosa — comes from and how it spreads in a water system. One prevailing theory is that the contaminant comes from burnt plastic.

The team tested for over 100 volatile organic compounds.

Methylene chloride, a known carcinogen used in some solvents like paint and varnish removers, was also detected. It showed up at a quarter of the homes tested in Paradise. A handful of homes’ plumbing showed unsafe levels of the chemical. Paradise Irrigation District has also detected the chemical in some service laterals.

It might be formed from the burning of PVC pipes, according to some research recently unearthed by PID’s engineers. It might come from a reaction with galvanized pipes, which are more common in Paradise. It might also be a laboratory contaminant, said Solomon. So the team is re-sampling those homes to learn more.

Most commonly, they found disinfection byproducts linked to chlorine in most of the homes. The chemicals — trihalomethanes — are linked to cancer but did not surpass the regulatory limit in any of the samples and are not thought to be linked to the fire. Exposure can be limited with a water filter and with precautions like avoiding long hot showers, said Solomon.

Meanwhile, Paradise Irrigation District continues to test each service lateral to standing homes and lots that want to rebuild.

“We’re still finding the 5 percent, 2 percent that do have contamination, and it’s all over town and there’s no pattern, so it’s important that we still test,” said Sami Kader with Water Works Engineers.

A water quality committee looks over each test. More than 150 miles of main lines and 735 locations have been cleared so far. The utility is replacing service laterals to burned lots and service laterals with contamination. So far it has replaced 111.

Two weeks ago, PID approved a contract with a construction company to accelerate the repairs. The utility expects 650 laterals to be replaced by spring 2020.

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Mayor London Breed pledged continued support for the community, saying that she suspects actual numbers are much higher because people are reluctant to report to the police. The initial count shows 60 victims in 2021, up from nine in 2020. Half of last year’s victims were allegedly targeted by one man.

It would have broken her heart if the grandmother who raised her had been attacked “in the way that we see so many of our seniors of the AAPI community being attacked,” Breed said at Tuesday’s press conference. “But that did not happen. Because as a community we protected one another. And that’s what we have to do now more than ever.”

RELATED: What to know about the ‘model minority’ myth and why it’s harmful to the AAPI community

Hateful attacks against the AAPI community – Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – surged nationally during the pandemic, fueled in part by then-President Donald Trump’s calling COVID-19 a derogatory nickname that insulted China. The Stop AAPI Hate coalition out of San Francisco State University collected more than 10,000 incidents of hate from March 2020 through September 2021.

In San Francisco and elsewhere, video clips of Asian Americans being attacked and robbed on public streets alarmed the community so much that frightened seniors stayed home. Most recently, former San Francisco Bay Area resident Michelle Go died in New York City after a mentally disturbed man pushed her in front of a subway. Officials there say there is no indication the man was motivated by racial bias, but Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders are still rattled.

San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said at Tuesday’s news conference they have expanded the crime tip line to include more languages ​​and are sharing safety tips for Lunar New Year celebrations. But he also acknowledged that his department is only part of a criminal justice system that includes prosecution and judges.

RELATED: The story behind the stories about rising hate crimes against Asian Americans

Statistics do not show the whole picture because not everyone reports incidents. Also, prosecutors are unable to tack on hate crime enhancements without a clear statement of bias by the alleged attacker. This has frustrated some victims and their families, who see the charge as a sign of accountability.

San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin, who faces a recall election in June, has come under fire from some Asian American victims.

On Tuesday, lawyers for Anh L filed a federal lawsuit against Boudin, saying that his office has systemically refused to uphold the rights of Asian Americans victimized by racial violence. L says the DA’s office never informed him of a lenient plea deal cut with his attackers or the lack of a hate crime charge until after the fact.

Rachel Marshall, a spokeswoman for the DA, said in a statement that Boudin has been a “steadfast advocate” for improved services and support for the AAPI community. He has added multi-lingual advocates to his office and launched an AAPI elder abuse steering committee, she said.

The mayor at Tuesday’s news conference declined to comment on the lawsuit.

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