Portrait of Ernestine Schumann-Heink

Ernestine Schumann-Heink (1861 – 1936) was an Austrian-American operatic contralto noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice. In 1910 she bought 500 acres of farm land just outside San Diego, in an area then known as Helix Hill – now known as Mt. Helix – in Grossmont. There she lived most of her life - hence a portrait by a San Diego photographer. The San Diego History Center records a photographer named F. L. De Vore active 1931-32 at 1539 5th Avenue, as well as a Jonas S. (Anna M.) De Vore active 1927-30 at 428 Laurel Street. The photo is signed to Rev. Robert E. Knowles (1868-1946) , a native of Maxwell, Grey County, who started life as a Presbyterian Church minister known for his spellbinding temperance sermons. After taking a long time to recover from a train wreck in 1911, he started a literary career, publishing six novels. Later he became a contributor to the Toronto Daily Star and was noted for his interviews with celebrities of his time. No doubt it was in this context that he met Ernestine.