Photographer: F. J. Steinborns
Cor's Fond du Lac Ave.
28th & Center Sts., Milwaukee, WI
example from LOST GALLERY
Ferdinand J Steinborn
(23 Oct 1851 - 1924)
All information comes from US Census, newspaper ads and city
directories.
F. J. Steinborn spent his whole life in Wisconsin, mostly in
Milwaukee. There were periods when one or more of his sons worked in
his photography studio together, hence the name on this cabinet card,
“Steinborns”
1851
born in Lebanon, WI
1872
(newspaper ad) started studio
1877
Hermann F Steinborn is born
1886
Arthur Paul Steinborn is born
1887
Paul Bernard Steinborn is born
1893
Ferdinand as carpenter at 2006 Fond du Lac
1894
as photographer at 268 Water; with Herman (son)
1895
as photographer at 28th & Fond du Lac av; with Herman (son)
1896
as photographer at 28th & Fond du Lac av
1897 - 1898
as photographer at Fond du Lac & Center
1899 - 1916
as photographer at 1033 28th
1917 - 1921
as photographer at 1033 28th w Arthur & Paul at 2725 Fond du Lac
studio
1922 - 1924
as no occupation at 1033 28th w Arthur at 2725 Fond du Lac studio
1925
Ferdinand dies; Arthur at 2725 Fond du Lac studio
1930 Feb 21
(newspaper) Arthur at 2661 n 27th
1942 - 1947
Arthur as photographer at 2661 n 27th
1948
(newspaper) Steinborn Photo Studio, 2661 n 27th
This cabinet card could have been made during the period when
Ferdinand and sons Arthur and Paul were working with him in 1917 -
1921. But more likely it was made in 1895-1896, when the studio
address was termed “28th and Fond du Lac Avenue” or as the cabinet
card puts it “Cor’s Fond du Lac Ave. 28th & Center Sts.” It is the
intersection of three streets which is still there today.
Arthur carried on the business into the late 1940s but the records are
incomplete after that.
photographer Steinborn
cor Fon du Lac and Center Streets
Milwaukee, WI
1917-1925
from the collection of KEN on Flickr
Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. Listed here are all the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY. This is a work in progress. For a look at the original postings go to LOST GALLERY.
New examples and additional information are always welcome. Any
additional information will help narrow the time that these precious
antiques were made.
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are sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.
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and presentation here.
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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.
This is great . I have a picture of my gggrandparents from "Steinborn Columbian Fine Art Gallery -268 West Water St. Milwaukee Wis, You think its the same photographer. We also have some picture postcards. were those common?
ReplyDeleteYou can say almost certainly that your photograph was taken in 1894. Good example! And yes, photographs with a post card backing were really common in the 1890’s and early 1900’s. They were called “Views” and were sold in the lobby of the studio and in arcades and variety stores. They were usually photographs of local interest, streets and buildings or monuments. Often they included copies of photographs from other photographers of well-known people and places. (Copyright laws weren’t what they are today.)
DeleteThanks for the reply! Since you seem knowledgeable on the subject I have another question on the "views" (postcards) . Since they were usually of famous people or items of local interest does that mean that its unlikely that the post card would be a picture of the person who sent it? I ask because we have some where the person writing the postcard seems to be claiming the picture is of them (but it might also be a joke)
ReplyDeleteOh and another question why do you think its from 1894 ?
Thanks for your help
The post card backings were used generally for customer portraits and promo cards alike. It was a popular mode of the time. 1894 is the only date I have found him at that address. He was working with his son Herman. (See timeline at top) Of course he could have slipped back to that address for a short period of time that didn’t get caught by a city directory or a census or a newspaper ad but that’s not very likely.
DeleteAnd by the way, the collectors call them an RPPC (Real Photo Post Card)as opposed to those cards that are lithographed by the thousand.
Delete