Julia Gwynn Smith (1860-1931) was born in Missouri and came to Seattle in 1889 with her husband, George A. C. Rochester (1855-1929), a prominent lawyer, judge, and Librarian of the Seattle Public Library from 1907. An accomplished vocalist, Julia Rochester organized the Capitol Hill Unit of the Music and Art Foundation and represented the Ladies' Musical Club of Seattle at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. Their daughter, Mary Louise Roderick (1890-1970), was also a singer, decorated by the French government for entertaining troops in France during World War I.
This portrait of Julia Rochester appears to have been taken around the time of her performance at the 1893 Chicago World Fair. The Western Union telegram mounted with the photograph was sent to Julia from George congratulating her on her performance at the Fair.
Caption information source: Reeves, M. A. (2006). A Chapter in Pacific Northwest History: United Daughters of the Confederacy, Robert E. Lee Chapter #885, Seattle, Washington. Seattle, WA: Marjorie Ann Reeves. Page 41.
ID Number: 1973.5625.2
Date: 1893
Physical Description: 1 photographic print : b&w ; 9 x 14 in.
Additional Information: Digital copy of this item available thanks to funding from a 2016 Institute for Museum and Library Services grant. Metadata updated as part of a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services administered by the Library Services and Technology Act, through the Washington State Library, a division of the Office of the Secretary of State.
