Here's two carte de visite  portraits by Visalia photographer  E. J. Kildare,   circa 1875.

  

 Printed on the back of this photo:  "E. J. Kildare,  Art and Photographic Rooms,   Over Baker's Drug Store,      Cor.  Main & Church Sts.,  Visalia   Cal."

 Printed on this photo's back: "E. J. Kildare,  Art and Photographic Rooms,   Visalia and Bakersfield  Cal.".    This is the only reference I've seen to Kildare having a studio in Bakersfield.

After doing a little bit of research, here's what I was able to piece together about the life of Mr Kildare:

E. J. Kildare (Edward James Kildare) was born in Somerville Massachusetts in 1849.   He moved to California sometime around 1870.    During the 1870's he did various jobs at several well known photo studios in San Francisco (i.e. Bradley & Rulofson,  I. W. Taber & Co.  and  Thomas H. Boyd).   He also apparently had a partnership in Sacramento around 1877 (The studio of Wolfe & Kildare).   Kildare was in Visalia sometime between 1872 and 1875.
In 1875 he married Clara Isabelle Skinner (Claribel  Skinner).  They had at least two children together.  
Kildare moved to Guatemala Central America, in the early 1880's...  where he most likely  worked for the pioneering German-born photographer Emilio (Emil) Herbruger, and later he worked with  Alberto Valdeavellano.  
According to one Masonic publication, E.J. Kildare died  around 1901 while still apparently living in Guatemala.   His wife Clara  was killed during the 1902 Guatemala earthquake by "falling walls while trying to escape from her house".

(Added 5/24/14)  Carte de visite  portrait of a child by the studio of  "Kildare & Cook",  "Visalia and San Bernardino,  Cal.".    E. J. Kildare apparently had a short lived partnership with California/Arizona photographer F. A. Cook.   



(Added 5/24/14) From the backs of the three photos above,  as well as an example from one of  E.J. Kildare's Guatemala studios.



A photo postcard view of Main St. Porterville (Circa 1917).  The building with columns at he end of the street is the Morton Street School.   This school was eventually torn-down to extend Main St.