Daniel Calvin Conley

The Conley Brothers were not easy to trace at first. Then another cabinet card turned up on a web site credited to photographer D. C. Conley and Brother, Celina, Ohio. Considering it is the same name and the same city, it must be the same photographer. Working with a couple first initials easily turned up a large family of Conley’s living in Ohio. D. C. Conley became Daniel Calvin Conley (1857-1942) listed in many US Census and city directories as “Photographer.”

The 1880 US Census shows Daniel Calvin living in Celina, Ohio. All of his brothers are still living at home on the farm in Van Pelt, Ohio. The rest of the family is all tagged with “farmer” so it is difficult to tell which or how many of Daniel Calvin’s eight brothers he considered his partner at the time of this photograph.

Note that in all examples on this page, the actual photo is not squarely mounted on the card.

Photographer: Conley Bros.
Celina, O

The earliest mention as a photographer is the 1870 US Census when he was 23. All records of him after that designate him as photographer except the 1910 US Census which says he is a farmer. In a 1927 City Directory listing and in the 1930 US Census he is photographer again and he and his wife Emma C. have moved to 128 So Charles, Lansing, Michigan.

In 1940 he and Emma C. are still living in Lansing Michigan at 128 So Charles but the census taker leaves the “Occupation” column blank and enters his name as Donald instead of Daniel. Daniel is now 83.

He was an active photographer in Ohio from 1880 to 1910. The “farmer” designation in 1910 was quite possibly an assumption on the part of the census taker. Daniel Calvin’s whereabouts in 1920 have not been established.

Through all the years Daniel Calvin is listed as photographer as occupation or profession, there is no evidence he ever had a studio.

The 1880 US Census is the only documentation of his residence in Celina, Ohio, a town about 80 miles north of Dayton, Ohio. So this photograph was made around then. It would be one of his earliest prints.

Update!
From an annonymous commenter
DC Conley & Bros appear on Mercer County Tax records for 1886, 1888.
Daniel Conley was the highest bidder of a lot (No. 46) in Tan Velles Addition north of Celina, OH, 21 Jan 1896

photographer: Conley Bros
Celina, OH
example from The Old Days

photographer: D C Conley and Brother
Celina, OH
example from The Old Days

photographer: D C Conley and Brother
Celina, OH
example from The Old Days

reverse of card at left

photographer: Conley Bros
Celina, OH
example from auction site
(note same gate in the card just above)

reverse of card at left

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. All the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY are listed there.

Cabinet cards typically have the photographer’s name and address printed on the bottom edge or the reverse of the card. 19th century photographers moved around a lot. The basic idea here is to find WHEN a photographer was WHERE, which will help date an unidentified CABINET CARD from your family album.

This is a work always in progress.

Aditional information and New examples are always welcome. Any additional information will help narrow the time that these precious antiques were made.

All submissions should be free of glare and shadows.
Do not crop.
Leave a border around each card. The edges are sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.
Email to the address found in the profile at the bottom of this page.

Some examples on this page have been enhanced or restored for clarity and presentation here.

This page is free for educational and research purposes only but, as always, if the original owner of any of these examples objects to the use on this page, just let me know and they will be immediately removed.