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Arthur D'Ettel of the California Automobile Trade Association.
San Francisco, 1928. "Auburn 115 at garage." Right across whatever building that is reflected in the fender. 5x7 glass negative by Christopher Helin. View full size.
The location is on the south side of Jackson between Polk & Van Ness. The building the car is emerging from was most recently Ahrens bakery; the building is very little altered since 1928 and the garage entrance is still there. The building in the reflection (2000 Van Ness) started out as a Packard showroom/dealership in 1909 but had grown from three floors to seven just a year or two before the pic was taken and had been converted into the "Medical Arts Building" - which it still is.
Because the Auburn represents the era in automotive history before the US auto industry settled on The Big Four manufacturers, I'd be interested in what else the Shorpy Sleuths can uncover about this man.
There's a "Mrs. Arthur D'Ettel" listed at 740 Hyde St. in the 1922 "Who's Who Among the Women of California"
There's an obituary for a Mrs. Arthur D'Ettel, which states that her husband, Arthur Holland D'Ettel died in 1998.
So, was the Arthur Holland D'Ettel who passed away in 1998 the same gent who posed beside this spiffy Auburn in 1928?
Dave, I think that's the funniest comment I've come across in a long time!
[;-D - Dave]
This appears to be Arthur D'Ettel of the California Automobile Trade Association.
[Funny, I was just thinking, "That looks like Arthur D'Ettel"! - Dave]
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