San Francisco County
Biographies
DR. LOUIS
KUTTNER
Dr. Louis Kuttner, a San Francisco optometrist of state-wide prominence, was born in this city on June 9, 1865, a son of Napthaly and Amelia (Bush) Kuttner. The father, whose early ancestors immigrated from England to Germany, was born in Leipzig, in the latter country. When a lad of fourteen, in 1841, he left home and secured passage on a sailing vessel bound for the port of New York. In that city he served an apprenticeship as a hat and cap maker, first with L. Liebes & Company, later becoming a designer. As a young man he yielded to the lure of the west and came to the Pacific coast by way of the Isthmus of Panama, settling in San Francico.
Leaving his native city in 1871, Dr. Kuttner journeyed with his parents to Chicago, where his father established a large furniture store. Like many other residents of the city he lost all of his possessions in the memorable fire which occurred in October of that year, and his sons aided in supporting the family by securing employment as newsboys. With his brothers, Dr. Kuttner sold the Chicago Times and the Tribune, starting work in the middle of the winter of 1872 at seven years of age. In the spring of 1873 he returned with the family to San Francisco, where he continued as a newsboy, selling papers after school hours. He also worked in the mailing room of the San Francisco Bulletin, and Examiner, when it was an evening paper. This was during the time of the Chinese riots, when mobs burned houses and wharves and performed acts of lawlessness. Headed by Dennis Kearney the rioters became so violent that the police were unable to cope with them, so the citizens formed a vigilance committee, taking matters into their own hands.
Dr. Kuttner attended the Lincoln grammar school until 1879, when he obtained a situation in a book store, where he worked for a short time. Later he was an apprentice in succession to a watchmaker, a jeweler and a diamond setter. Not caring for these occupations he took up printing and at the age of twenty had a shop of his own. A year later he sold the business and went to Texas, where he became a cowboy, and rode the range for several months. He returned to San Francisco suffering from malaria and after recovering became acquainted with E. Hewitt Griffin, of Kansas City, who induced him to take a course in optical science. Having no money, he gave his watch as security in exchange for the course. Before meeting this man he had been selling Bausch & Lomb rubber eye glasses No. 21 for twenty-five cents, as well as Nos. 32 and 32½ for fifty cents. He also sold pebbles in blue frames for two and a half dollars. This was about forty-five years ago, in the days when they had grooved minus lenses in thin blue wire frames. The edging of lenses, mostly pebbles, was done on a large soft stone similar to that used by grinders of knives and scissors. For motive power they used their hands to turn a crank and a foot to pedal it. In order to turn the grindstone two persons were required. There were no compounds in those days, only DCX. and PCX. PCC., but compounds were imported from Germany soon afterward.
While Mr. Giffin taught Dr. Kuttner very little, he gave him an inspiration to push further into the mysteries of human vision, but the question was how to acquire it. He was fortunate in having among his friends a physician who was instructor in anatomy at the University of California, and through his influence was admitted to the San Francisco Polyclinic as a postgraduate medical student. Six months later he was obliged to leave the school when it became known that he was not a physician. Inspired and thrilled by what he had learned, he realized that optometry was the coming profession, and although he had a family to support and starvation seemed imminent, he determined to master his profession and become the owner of an upstairs office.
After leaving the clinic Dr. Kuttner established a dark room in his jewelry store, where his first real work in optometry began, and from that time on he charged an examination fee. This was about thirty-eight years ago. After one year of optical work he sold his stock of jewelry and optical goods and engaged in the candy business. After opening a high-class store, he remained its proprietor for a period of six months only, as it proved too good for the locality. Resuming the work of his profession, he accepted a position with George H. Kahn & Company and during his connection with that house was elected president of the California State Optical Society (1903 to 1905). While serving in that capacity he had Judge Samuels, of Oakland, revise the Minnesota optometry law. Senator Wolfe introduced the bill in the senate with the assistance of Assemblyman Walsh. In the assembly the measure passed both houses and was signed by Governor Pardee, who was an oculist by profession. The total cost of this campaign was three hundred dollars - including printing, telegrams, telephone calls, etc. The next important step was to find a suitable name, which was supplied by Frederick Boker and thereafter adopted, but not without trouble, even among those engaged in the profession in the early days.
After the destructive fire of 1906, Dr. Kuttner organized the San Francisco Association of Optometrists, of which he was secretary for a number of years. In 1923 and 1924, during the presidentcy of Dr. Charles B. Hobrecht, he was again elected secretary. With the loyal support of all its members Dr. Kuttner worked untiringly and effectively to increase the membership of the association. He has traveled throughout the United States and has had the privilege of meeting most of the celebrities of his profession, including such noted optometrists as Drs. Topaz, Arrington, Prentice, Cross, Wall, Augustine, and Needles. Opening an office in 1902, Dr. Kuttner was located in the Phelan building for eighteen years and now occupies a suite of rooms in the Russ building. He was the first optometrist in San Francisco to purchase and use a complete modern optical bench for doing all kinds of optical work, including surfacing. This was supplied by Mr. Graves, who was then the treasurer of the Standard Optical Company of Geneva, New York. For eight years Dr. Kuttner had in his service the only woman who did surfacing and bench work and since then he has employed other women whose work has also been satisfactory. He ranks with the foremost representatives of his profession in California and has furthered its progress in this state to a notable extent.
On the 12th of June, 1892, Dr. Kuttner was married in San Francisco to Miss Sadie Wagner, a daughter of Henry and Rosina (Platt) Wagner, members of old and well known families of this city. Dr. and Mrs. Kuttner reside at 615 Seventh avenue, San Francisco. Their only son, Dr. Henry Kuttner, born in this city in 1893, early decided to follow in the footsteps of his father. At the age of sixteen he became a student of the Bausch & Lomb Optical Company of Rochester, New York, where he spent a year. Returning home, he remained with his father until he went to Kansas City, Missouri, to attend the Needles School. Following this he took a postgraduate course in New York city and returned to California to complete his studies in the Ketchum School. After his graduation he passed the state board examination with honors and is now a leading optometrist in Oakland. He married Miss Frances Lercara and has two children, Haven Paul, and Ralston Kuttner. Dr. and Mrs. Louis Kuttner are also the parents of a daughter, Pauline, who was born in 1894, and is now the wife of M. T. Kresteller, of San Francisco, and the mother of two children, Morton, Jr., and Barbara June.
Dr. Kuttner is a republican and a man of marked public spirit, animated at all times by a sincere and unselfish devotion to the general good. In 1917 he ran for the office of supervisor on an independent ticket and, although defeated, made a fine showing, polling the largest vote ever cast in this city for an independent candidate, receiving seventeen thousand, five hundred votes. Fraternally he is well known as a Scottish Rite Mason and a Noble of Islam Temple of the Mystic Shrine, a member of the Sciots, Loyal Order of Moose, Foresters of America, Improved Order of Red Men and the National Union. He belongs to the Masonic Club, the Public Spirit Club, the Optimists Club, Commonwealth Club, Mooseheart Alumni Association, and El Dorado Parlor of the Native Sons of the Golden West. He is active in a number of civic and welfare organizations, including the Open Forum, the Down Town Association, the Lincoln Grammar School Association, the Park-Presidio Improvment Association of which he is vice-president, the South of Market Street Boys Association, and is a committeeman of the San Francisco Boy Scouts. His professional colleagues have selected him as the historian of the California State Association of Optometrists and he is also chairman of the legislative committee of the San Francisco Association of Optometrists. Dr. Kuttner, being a man of indomitable purpose, tireless energy and forceful personality, has risen superior to adverse circumstances, bending them to his will. His life has been a strong and serviceable one, replete with achievement and fraught with the accomplishment of much good.
Transcribed by: Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
Source: Byington, Lewis Francis, “History of
San Francisco 3 Vols”, S. J. Clarke Publishing Co.,
Chicago, 1931. Vol. 3 Pages 92-96.
© 2007 Jeanne Sturgis Taylor.
GOLDEN NUGGET'S SAN
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