George Downing

Photographer: George Downing
617 Kansas Ave
Topeka, Kans

George Downing
(17 May 1840 - 19 Feb 1908)

1840 May 17
born George Downend in Shelby, OH
1862
Find-A-Grave bio: changes name to Downing when he enlists in army for civil war.
1870
Topeka, KS, city directory as photographer with Knight’s Gallery
1874
Find-A-Grave Bio: opens own studio
1875 Jun 04
Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, KS) news item Ragan and Downing photographers in the Union Hall block
1878 Mar 06 - 1878 Dec 15
Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, KS) more than 70 display ads in three versions run giving no studio address
1879 Apr 23
Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, KS) small display ad about legislative group photo
1880
Topeka, KS, city directory as photographer at 197 Kansas av
1881 Dec 19 and 27
Topeka (KS) State Journal display ad photographer at 197 Kansas av

1882
Topeka, KS, city directory as photographer at 197 Kansas av
1884 Sep 21
Topeka (KS) Daily Capital News Ad about redecorated gallery at 197 Kansas av
1884 Nov 20
Daily Commonwealth (Topeka, KS) small ad for studio at “197 over Barnum & Co store”
1885
Topeka, KS, city directory as photographer at 197 Kansas av
1887 Apr 19
Topeka (KS) Daily Capital small mention of Downing photographer
1887 May 08
Topeka (KS) Daily Commonwealth classified ad no address
1890 Jun 21
Topeka (KS) State Journal display ad photographer at 617 Kansas av
1899 Aug 04 - 1900 Apr 13
Lecompton, (KS) Sun about 30 display ads at 617 Kansas av, Topeka, KS
1900 Jun 28 - 1900 Dec 28
Lecompton (KS) Sun about 20 display coupon ad
1901
Find-A-Grave bio: apparently retires from photographer business

1902
Topeka, KS, city directory still operating his studio at 617 Kansas av
1908 Feb 19
dies at 67 of the illness that forced him to retire

It was easy to confuse George Downing of Topeka, KS, with George D. Downing of Wichita, KS, who had a studio there, then became a detective for the Wichita police force for five or six years, then moved to Detroit, MI, to work for the Arthur Studio. He finally moved to New York to work for Eastman Kodak. He was about 35 years younger than the George Downing of Topeka, KS.

George Downing of Topeka, KS, opened his studio at 197 Kansas Street in 1874 and stayed in the same location until he retired around 1902. Then a re-numbering of Kansas ave in Topeka in about 1888 changed the studio address to 617 Kansas.

This cabinet card was most likely finished after 1888 and before 1901.

From: Find A Grave:

George Downing was the son of James and Mary Shaw Downend. George changed the spelling of his last name prior to enlisting with the Union in the Civil War in the Ohio 1st Light Artillery Battery on August 15, 1862. He mustered out as a Private on June 26, 1865 at Columbus, Ohio.

George is first found in Topeka, Kansas on the 1870 Census, sharing quarters with W. B. Patten, both listed as Photo Artists. George opened his own Photography Studio in Topeka in 1874 and continued in that business for 27 years. Many of the family photos he took can be found on the Internet with credits to his studio.

George married Eliza Middaugh on August 12, 1874 in Shawnee County, Kansas. George and Eliza had two daughters, Nettie "May" born on May 17, 1875 and Sadie born in December of 1878. Family records mention a daughter Louisa but no Sadie. It is unknown if Louisa is a first or middle name for Sadie or if a third daughter was born and died between census records. May Downing married Willett A. Clauser on June 6, 1900 in Shawnee County, Kansas. Sadie married and divorced sometime between 1910 and 1920 and then married Fred Leonard Swanson on March 2, 1921 in Shawnee Couny, Kansas. No children are found on any census information for either May or Sadie.

(Dates and Bio provided by contributor
Jan Lange, #47586771) on Find A Grave

City Directory Ad - 1887

Topeka Daily Capital - Obituary

Topeka Daily Commonwealth - 04 Jun 1875

Topeka (KS) Daily Commonwealth - 21 Jul 1878

Topeka (KS) State Journal - 27 Dec 1881

Topeka (KS) Daily Capigal - 07 Jan 1885

photographer: Downing
617 Kansas Avenue, Topeka, KS
example from auction site
(finished after 1888)

photographer: Downing
Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Geo. Downing
Topeka, KS
example from auction site

Note that in all the examples on the left, the photograph is not squarely trimmed and centered on the mounting card.

This could be a characteristic of the work of George Downing, or it just could be the work of a particular assistant and a particular time.

This example has been trimmed at the bottom which happened often to make the card fit in the album sleeves, some of which were very tight and hard to manage.

Note that the address is 617 Kansas Av. where the studio was located from about 1890 on.

Also note that the backdrop is the same as another card on this page.

photographer: Downing
617 Kansas, Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Geo Downing
617 Kansas Ave, Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Geo Downing
617 Kansas Av, Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Geo Downing
617 Kansas Av, Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Downing
Topeka, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Downing
Topeka, KS
example from auction site
(Note: There's that rock again.)

Other photographers named Downing

The three examples at the right are by a Downing of Ardmore, Oklahoma Territory. No connection has been found to the George Downing of Topeka, KS.

The only similarity is the poor mounting on the first example. The second example is highly restored so it is hard to tell if it was mounted squarely or not.

This is most likely a different Downing as Topeka, KS, is nearly 400 miles from Ardmore, OK

These two cards were made before 16 Nov 1907 when Oklahoma became the 46th US state.

photographer: Downing
Ardmore, IT (Indian Territory)
example from auction site

photographer: Downing
Ardmore, IT (Indian Territory)
example from auction site

photographer: Downing
Ardmore, IT (Indian Territory)
example from auction site

photographer: Downing
Waynesville, OH
example from fb
(No connection has been made to George Downing of Kansas)

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.

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.