Signed Unpublished California Photographer C. W. J. Johnson “One Man Band”
Rare Unpublished Famous California photographer C. W. J. Johnson taking a photo of himself with his one man band invention and personal signature on the back.
From my research this is an unpublished image of Johnson and his one man band invention. Unlike his published photo of him as an old man this photo shows a young Johnson likely in 1868-1869 in Eureka, California. This is his is earliest known photo showing his incredible invention!
Charles Wallace Jacob Johnson was a miner, photographer, musician, and dance instructor, born in Maryland August 3, 1833, the son of George M. and Matilda Johnson. He came to California and was on the North Fork of the Feather River in 1857 and in Grass Valley in 1863. He went to Nevada in 1863 where he worked as a one man band and taught dance and returned to San Francisco in 1868. In Eureka and Arcata he went into the photography business with William N. Tuttle. He moved back to San Francisco with Tuttle. Later, he moved to Watsonville and went into partnership with T. Al Sullivan and married Sullivan's sister, Mrs. Norah Pardon on Dec. 2, 1875. He moved to Monterrey and continued his photography business from 1881-1898. He died in Salinas, January 17, 1903.