Ah Chung

The Springfield Daily Republican

(Massachusetts)

May 15, 1867

(click image to enlarge)

The Californians are having equal rights presented in a shape they do

not quite relish: Ah Chung, a Chinese artist of San Francisco, desiring to 

become an American citizen, recently applied to a court of record in that 

city for the necessary papers. “All free white male citizens” of the age of 

21 years, and upward, are certainly eligible to American citizenship. But 

whether the Mongolian race can justly claim to be classed with white 

citizens is a controverted point on the Pacific slope, and consequently 

Judge Hoffman set counsel to work to study the civil rights bill and the 

law bearing on the case, before granting or rejecting “John’s” application 

to join the great American family.

(Next post May 3: James Wong Howe’s Stars)

Chin Yuk Sun

Denver Post

(Colorado)

December 23, 1916

Chinese Wins Fame and Wife He Pledged in Art Institute

Chicago, Dec. 23.—Three years ago Miss Fannie King met Chin Yuk Sun while both were studying here at the institute. Chin found her to his liking and promised undying devotion, but she was young then. So they parted for two years.

In the ensuing two years Chin tasted fame. His art establishment grew and he hired three other Chinese artists. He designed the roof garden for the Hotel La Salle and supplied department stores with their lacquer work.

Two months ago she surprised him in his office writing a letter in Chinese, and her feminine curiosity asserted itself. He blandly explained that he was writing to a Chinese girl in San Francisco to ask her to marry him. She coyly suggested that he was going to remote regions in search of a wife. The letter remained unfinished.

Miss King became Mrs. Chin Yuk Sun today. The ceremony took place in the studio, and Goon Dock, one of Chin’s artists, was best man.

Fort Worth Star

(Texas)

December 24, 1916

Chinese Artist’s Romance Blasted by American Girl

Chicago, Dec. 23.—Chinatown’s romance turned to dross Saturday. the district is in a vale of tears caused by the sudden blight which descended upon the love affair of Chin Yuk Sun, the Chinese artist.

Chin’s heart is heavy. He was to have been married Saturday to Miss Fannie King, also an artist. The telephone rang and Chin answered it. He returned crest fallen.

“It’s all off,” he said to the gathering. “She just telephoned to say that she wouldn’t marry me. And she won’t been tell me why. Tragedy has come into my life.”

Miss King, when interviewed, gave a very good, though laconic reason why she called off the ceremony.

“I don’t want him.” she said, “and I don’t intend to marry him.”

Daily Telegram

(Adrian, Michigan)

January 6, 1917

Girl Married Chinese

An International Romance Began at Chicago Institute.

Chicago—Three years ago while a student at the Art Institute Chin Yuk Sun met Fannie King, also a student. Their work brought them together a great deal and they became very well acquainted. But he left the following year for his annual trip to China, where he first studied to be an artist.

When he returned to Chicago he could not locate Miss King but Fate was kind to him, for she saw an article in the paper that told of the great work he was doing in the large hotels and stores in Chicago, and she went and found him, and then the romance started. They took out a license and were married a few days aago [sic].

Mr. Sun was born in California 30 years ago, and began to do painting when about six years old. A number of his paintings are in the Hotel La Salle and Loop stores.

Rockford Republic

(Illinois)

December 19, 1917

Chinese Artist Elopes.

Chicago, Dec. 18.—Even Chinese can elope and get married. Word was received here today that a marriage license had been issued in Crown Point, Ind., to Chin Yuk Sun, Chinese artist, and Miss Helen Martin, also an artist, of Chicago.

Denver Post

December 20, 1917

‘Wife’ Says Married; Chinaman Says Not

Chicago, Dec. 20.—If you take Chin Yuk Sun’s word for it, he isn’t married. However, his “wife” says he is. It is known, nevertheless, that he obtained a lincense [sic] to marry her. She was Miss Helen Martin of Chicago. He is the Chinese artist who designed the roof garden of the Hotel La Salle. “Miss” MArtin said also that she had been divorced from a former husband only five days ago, but refused to give his name.

World War I Draft Card

Name: Chin Yuk Sun
City: Norfolk

Address: 719 Church Street
County: Norfolk (Independent City)
State: Virginia
Birth Date: 1884
Race: Oriental
Draft Board: 1
Age: 34
Occupation: Artist
Nearest Relative: Wife Helen Sun
Height/Build: Short/Slender
Color of Eyes/Hair: Black/Dark

1920 United States Census

Name: Yuk Sun Chin
Age: 48
Birth Year: abt 1872
Birthplace: California
Home in 1920: Norfolk Adams Ward, Norfolk (Independent City), Virginia

Address: 719 Church Street
Race: Chinese
Gender: Male
Relation to Head of House: Lodger
Marital Status: Married
Father's Birthplace: China
Mother's Birthplace: China
Able to Read: No
Able to Write: No

Occupation: Studio Photographer
Household Members:
Name / Age
Tsun Lee 37
Yuk Sun Chin 48
Elaine Sun Chin 19 (born in Illinois)

Catalog of Copyright Entries, Part 4, Works of Art, etc., 1939, New Series, Volume 34, Number 1

Sun (C. & L.) co., inc 748
Sun (Chin Yuk) :
Chinese dragon-like animal mounted on a pedestal. © Oct . 25, 1938; G 31296.

World War II Draft Card

Name: Chin Yuk Sun

Birth Date: 7 Sep 1884
Birth Place: Alwell (no such city), California
Residence: New York, New York

Address: 364 West 23rd Street (crossed out); 232 West 4th Street, in  margin, dated July 24, 1943

Age: 58
Occupation: Self-employed
Nearest Relative: Woody
Height/Build: 5 feet 3/4 inches / 115 pounds
Color of Eyes/Hair: Blue/Black
Signature: April 27, 1942

Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
January 29, 1943
p179: U.S. Patent Office, Richmond, Va., January 29, 1943.
Chin Yuk Sun, his assigns or legal representatives take notice:
A petition for cancellation having been filed in this Office by James L Younghusband, 30 W. Hubbard St., Chicago, Ill., to effect the cancellation of trade-mark registration of Chin Yuk Sun, 40 Bowery, New York, N.Y., No. 300.933, dated February 14, 1933, and the notice of such proceeding sent by registered mail to the said Chin Yuk Sun at the said address having been returned by the post office undeliverable, notice is hereby given that unless said Chin Yuk Sun, his assigns or legal representative shall enter an appearance, therein, within thirty days from the first publication of this order the interference will be proceeded with as in the case of default. This notice will be published in the Official Gazette for three consecutive weeks.

Leslie Frazer
First Assistant Commissioner.

The New Yorker
June 29, 1963
Hamilton-Madison House, 50 Madison Street
Exhibition of paintings and drawings by a dozen Chinese men who are members of Hamilton-Madison’s Golden Age Club.

“How long have you been painting?”...

...“Fifty years,” replied Mr. Chin, in super-booming Cantonese. “I studied in China as a boy, and at the Chicago Art Institute when I was thirty years old. I like to work in oils, because they last, like me. I’m eighty-four years old. I can’t see worth a damn, though. I don’t wear glasses, because when I wear glasses I can’t see anything at all!”

(Next post April 26: Ah Chung)

Fong Hi

Plain Dealer

(Cleveland, Ohio)

January 6, 1895

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San Francisco’s Chinese Artist.
He Paints in the Style of the Old
Mongolian Masters, by the Yard.

Chinatown has an artist who paints as the old Mongolian masters did in the days of Confucius. His name is Fong Hi and he is the pride of Dupont street and Waverly place. His fame extends even to the remote washhouses of South San Francisco, and orders pour in upon him from lovers of the beautiful across the briny main. Just now he has a large allegorical painting, rolled up in his studio that his ardent admirers constantly beseech him to unfold and pin on the wall that they may gaze upon it ere he ships the gem to China by the next steamer, says the San Francisco Call.

(Next post April 19: Chin Yuk Sun)

Woo Ching Fow

The New York Evening Journal

January 18, 1898

(click image to enlarge)

Impressions of Woo Ching Fow, the Chinese Artist, of the New Joss House.
His sketch was [illegible] for the Evening Journal [illegible] Joss house was [illegible] in Chinatown [illegible] Pell street. Fow as an artist is well known in

his own country. He has [illegible] other dignitaries for his work.

(Next post April 12: Fong Hi)

Ah Sin and Baseball

Bismarck Tribune

(North Dakota)

June 20, 1889

Tener and Anson.

Faithfully Depicted by a Chinese Artist from Boston.

The Chinese artist of The Boston Globe, Ah Sin, has been getting in his work

on the baseball grounds in Boston. During the recent game between the

Bostons and Chicagos he succeeded in getting an excellent likeness of Baby

Anson, which every one who knows the famous player will immediately

recognize. Indeed, it is hardly necessary to call attention to that peculiar

gracefulness of poise which is all Anson’s and which the artist has so faithfully

pictured. But perhaps his best piece of work was in sketching Tener, Chicago’s

pitcher. The fine eye for perspective which so highly developed in a Celestial

artist is here brought into full play. Undoubtably Messrs. Anson and Tener are

very grateful to Ah Sin for sketching them so well, and if they ever meet him in

the distant future they will probably take great pleasure in quietly killing him.

(Next post April 5: Woo Ching Fow)

Keye Luke and Baseball

Undated photograph

Links

Keye Luke in the Tolo 1922

Keye Luke’s Sheet Music Covers

Keye Luke, Portrait Artist

Keye Luke: Blessed Mother Goose

(Tomorrow: Ah Sin and Baseball)