SANTA CATALINA ISLAND POST CARDS: CHARLES WEIDNER
WEIDNER, Charles (1866-1940) was a San Francisco photographer and post card publisher. Born in Germany, eidner came to America at age 21, sailing from Bremmen to New York in 1888. He became a citizen in 1894. In 1897 Weidner married 26-year-old Marie Margaretha Horstmann whose father, a San Francisco saloon owner, had sailed from Hanover more than forty years earlier to strike it rich in the California Gold Rush.
Charles Weidner = [1897] Marie Margaretha Horstmann (1871-1939)
- 1. Arthur Weidner (1898- )
- 2. Lillian Weidner (1901- )
- 3. Edwin Frederick Weidner (1905-1958)
In 1897 Weidner set up shop as a commercial photographer at 121 Post Street, San Francisco. A few years later, he moved closer to Market Street
at 36 Geary. In early 1902 Charles partnered with William Goeggel (1852–1933) to produce his first series of picture postcards. The only San Francisco directory listing for the partnership appears in 1903: “Goeggel & Weidner, publishers of Souvenir Post Cards, 36 Geary.” Starting in late 1903 the postcard imprint changed to “Charles Weidner” with no mention of Goeggel. From 1902 to 1908 Weidners cards (over 700 subjects including Santa Catalina Island) were printed in Germany. After that Weider operated out of several downtown locations. In 1923 he left the downtown area to run his photography and art goods business from a storefront on 16th Street near Mission Dolores, closer to his home on Sanchez St. where he and his wife lived with their eldest son Arthur.
Charles Weider died in Vallejo on May 15, 1940.
- Santa Catalina Island Post Cards: Charles Weidner
94
Avalon, Catalina Island, So. California
Charles Weidner, Photographer, San Francisco
undivided back
Printed in Germany
[original in SCIF archives]
96
A true fish story [250 pounds and 398 pounds],
Catalina Island, California
Charles Weidner, Photographer San Francisco
undivided back
Printed in Germany
[original in SCIF archives]
