Amy Elizabeth Robinson’s Ph.D. is from Stanford University in the history of modern Britain and the British Empire. She is currently teaching a course at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Sonoma State and will be teaching another in the history department at Stanford: “Borders and Migration in the British Empire.” Amy is also revising her dissertation, “British Colonial Migration, Repatriation, and Relief, 1880-1910,” for a book.

Other Member News:

One of Gretta Mitchell’s photographs was included in the latest exhibition at Scott Nichols Gallery in San Francisco, “Women of the West.” “As you may know,” she writes, “I am focusing on my fine art work now and am producing small “legacy” books of various bodies of work from many years. The first one was Iconographies in 2015 and the second was Island Dreams in 2017. I’m working on gathering images for the next few books!”

Peter Meyerhof gave a presentation to the Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks Association on September 20 entitled “General Vallejo’s Printing Press and Its Significance in California History.” This press, better known as the Zamorano Press, was brought from Monterey to Sonoma in 1837 and used to publish a variety of items including California’s first medically-related imprint. Peter provided evidence that the actual printer in both Monterey and Sonoma was not Zamorano but Jose de la Rosa.

After a 20-year research and writing journey, member Bonnie Portnoy has completed her manuscript, “The Man Beneath the Paint,” an art book and biography of California Impressionist Tilden Daken (1876-1935), “the grandfather I never knew.” She is now compiling a book proposal for submission to agents and publishers, a daunting but necessary requirement for non-fiction writers in today’s challenging publishing environment (unless you happen to be Hillary Clinton, Bob Woodward, or the likes). In 2019 Bonnie will be presenting an illustrated talk on her “talented, prolific, and adventurous artist” to Institute members (date pending). And for members looking to market their books or works-in-progress on social media, Bonnie has received tremendous response to her posts (images and stories) on targeted Facebook groups containing 20,000 or more members, such as “California History.” In the meantime, learn about the artist at www.tildendaken.com.