ELMER WACHTEL (1864-1929)

On January 21, 1864, Elmer Wachtel was born in Baltimore, MD. He moved to San Gabriel, CA at the age of 18. In 1888, he became first violinist of the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra. Wachtel decided to further his talents by studying for a year at the Art Students League in New York City under artist William Merritt Chase (1849-1916) and also at the Lambeth School in London. In 1904, he wed fellow artist Marion Wachtel (1870-1954). The couple later settled in a home in the Arroyo Seco of Pasadena. While on a sketching trip in Guadalajara, Elmer Wachtel died suddenly on August 31, 1929. Today, he is remembered as “one of Southern California’s most important painters.”