The Journal of San Diego History
SAN DIEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY QUARTERLY
Summer 1986, Volume 32, Number 3
Thomas L. Scharf, Editor
Painting Ladies ~ The Artists ~ The Images
b. West Newbury, Massachusetts August 7, 1843
d. San Diego, California October 17, 1926
Lydia Knapp first came to San Diego with her husband in 1868 and remained until 1873. Moving to San Francisco, she returned east in 1877 and began to study art in Newburyport, Boston and New York. Her husband had remained in San Francisco, so she supported her family by teaching art and with her painting, particularly china painting. When her husband died in 1885, Lydia inherited some property in San Diego and returned to California in 1888. Because of her art background, she was hired as art instructor for the Southwest Institute in San Diego. In 1890, she married Alonzo Horton whose wife had died the previous year. Among numerous other cultural activities, Lydia was a founder and first president of the Wednesday Club, the first elected trustee of the San Diego Public Library and on the boards of both the San Diego and San Francisco expositions in 1915.
(Ref. JSDH Vol. XXVII, No. I pp. 17-42)
