Photographer: Davis Mahan
43-5th Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA
reverse of the card at the left
Davis Mahan
(1831 - 1905)
Timeline
1831
Pennsylvania, PA Davis Mahan is born
1860 Jun 27
Montgomery AL, US census, Davis Mahan is listed as artist; res same as
Mar J Hinton, Ambrotypist and H B Hinton, Artist
1863
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory NO Mahan listed
1864, 1865
Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, PA, city directory Davis Mahan NOT
listed
1865 Mar 28
Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer Mahan-Hinkle marriage announcement
1866 - 1868
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory as D. Mahan & Co bds 279 Penn; res
same
1869 - 1873
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, US census as photographer at 31
Fifth
1874
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory as photographer at 33 Fifth; (Spelled
Dois Mahan); business section lists as 31 Fifth st
1875 - 1895
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, US census as photographer at 43 Fifth
st
1882 Mar 18
Pittsburgh, PA, state records, daughter Millicent Mahan is born
1896 through 1900
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory as photographer at 237 Fifth
1902
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory as photographer at 3442 Bouquet
1903
Pittsburgh (PA) Press obituary mentions moving to McKees Rocks, PA
1905 Nov 11
Pittsburgh (PA) Press, obituary, Davis Mahan dies after a short
illness at age 74
Davis Mahan was an active photographer in Pittsburgh, PA, for 40
years. His longest established studio location was at 43 Fifth Street,
from 1875 to 1895. The cabinet card at the left must have been
finished during that time.
Here is a bit from a researcher: “His daughter Millicent carried on
the family tradition when Davis died in 1905. She and a partner
Richard C Wright opened Mahan and Wright photography in McKees Rocks,
Pa where Davis passed his last years.”
Pittsburgh (PA) Daily Commercial - 17 Apr 1872
Pittsburgh (PA) Post Gazette - 28 Jun 1892
The Pittsburgh (PA) Press - 12 Nov 1905
Pittsburgh (PA) Daily Post 29 Mar 1909
city directory page ad
43 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA
518 Chartiers Avenue, McKees Rocks, PA
city directory ad
CDV photographer: Mahan
example from pinterest
photographer: Mahan
No. 43 Fifth Av, Pittsburg, PA
CDV Example from auction site
reverse of the CDV on the left
photographer: Mahan
31 Fifth av, Pittsburg, PA
Probably finished around 1869 to 1874
Example CDV from auction site
reverse of cdv at left
photographer: Mahan and Keller
CDV example from auction site
CDV photographer: Mahan
example from pinterest
credited to Mahan
example from auction site
photographer: Davis Mahan
31 Fifth, Pittsburgh, PA
CDV example from auction site
reverse of card at left
credited to Mahan
CDV example from auction site
photographer: Mahan
Pittsburg, PA
Example from auction site
photographer: Davis Mahan
example from auction site
credited to Mahan by owner
example from auction site
(This one has been highly
adjusted for presentation here)
Pittsburgh, PA
example from contributor
photographer: Davis Mahan
No 43 Fifth avenue, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site
reverse of card at left
photographer: Davis Mahan
No 43 Fifth avenue, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site
reverse of card at left
No 48 Fifth Ave, Pittsburgh, PA
example from contributor
photographer: Mahan
No. 43 Fifth Av, Pittsburg, PA
(Owner dated 1889)
Example from auction site
credited to
"Mahan, formerly Mahan and Keller"
(This was THOMAS Mahan and Henry S Keller.)
photographer: Mahan and Keller
1427 Ridge Av, Philadelphia, PA
CDV example from auction site
So far no connection has been made between Thomas Mahan and Davis
Mahan.
reverse of card at left
photographer: Mahan and Keller
1427 Ridge Av, Philadelphia, PA
CDV example from auction site
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.
This is a lovely summary, thank you. We have an old photo done in his studio. Rather that having the studio name on the front, someone has written "D. Mahan, 43 Fifth Ave. Pittsburgh, Pa." It is beautifully written and must have been done by the studio. Do you know what years he wrote on the backs? We aren't sure whether this is our great grandfather or his brother, but they were in SW PA by around 1880-1881
ReplyDeleteThanks for your note. A hand written identification on the reverse of the card could occur at any time. I can think of several scenarios that would bring the circumstances about. Perhaps the photo was finished, attached and the final coating applied. Then it is discovered that the card is missing the imprint on the reverse. Time or material restrictions might prevent starting over with a fresh card. So, a hand written identification was necessary.
DeleteThe city directories put Mahan at 43 Fifth Street between 1875 and 1895. Perhaps your card was done before Mahan received a supply of pre-printed cards for the new location in 1875. Or perhaps he just ran out of pre-printed cards one day. I wish I could narrow the time frame a little more for you.