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Lot Essay
Clarkson Dye captured an important historical scene of San Francisco's original Chinatown, five years prior to the Great Earthquake of 1906, in his work Chinatown Billboard. In this painting a Chinese man in traditional dress and a queue or bing hairstyle, stands with his back to the viewer looking intently at the billboard announcements tacked on a wall in Fish Alley. The man stands alone in the quiet alley, while boxes stacked high at a nearby store are evidence of the busy day ahead. Located in the heart of Chinatown, the alley was officially named Washington Alley but was called Fish Alley or Tuck Wo Guy by local residents. Much of this Chinatown neighborhood was destroyed in the Great Earthquake and was rebuilt as the 'Oriental' tourist neighborhood that remains today.
As a native and nearly lifelong resident, Dye focused much of his artistic attentions on chronicling the San Francisco Bay area. He was born in San Francisco in 1869 and lived most of his life there, on Union Street, and later in Los Gatos, California where he died in 1955. He studied at the San Francisco School of Design under Virgil Williams before continuing his studies briefly on the East Coast, and was an active member of the city's Bohemian Club.
As a native and nearly lifelong resident, Dye focused much of his artistic attentions on chronicling the San Francisco Bay area. He was born in San Francisco in 1869 and lived most of his life there, on Union Street, and later in Los Gatos, California where he died in 1955. He studied at the San Francisco School of Design under Virgil Williams before continuing his studies briefly on the East Coast, and was an active member of the city's Bohemian Club.