Joseph Eckerskorn

photographer:J Eckerskorn
616 Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX
contributed by K Mackey

photographer:J Eckerskorn
616 Alamo Street, San Antonio, TX
contributed by K Mackey

Joseph Eckerskorn was a San Antonio photographer from 1894 to 1897 and a resident of the city of San Antonio from 1894 to about 1920 when he and his family returned to live out their rest of their lives in Germany from whence they came.

TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHER: Joseph Eckersdorn
Assembled History by Kevin L. Mackey,
President Grace Armantrout Museum

This is a guest posting.
For more information see:
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PARENTS -- Peter Eckerskorn (a shoe maker) and wife Elisabeth Schäfer.
WIFE -- Married Emilie Zuber, widow of William Zuber, married in Galveston in August of 1893.
DAUGHTER was Emmi Eckerskorn


After completing his childhood schooling, he studied photography in Germany. 1893
Joseph emigrated to the United States, first via New York, then New Orleans and Galveston.
In Galveston he found employment with photographer Justus Zahn as a photo re-toucher.

He met, and soon married, Emelie (Emilie; Emile; Emillie; Emilia) Zuber, widow of William Zuber.

1893
Photo re-toucher for Justus Zahn in Galveston
1893 Aug 12
Licensed to marry Emelie Zuber reported in the Galveston Eve Tribune
1893 Aug 20
Home address 1601 Center St. Galveston according to help wanted ad in newspaper
1893 Oct 17
Three week visit to Chicago and St Louis with wife

1894 Jul 24
Galveston Daily News, Emelie executes Husband William Zuber’s estate
1894 Aug 26
San Antonio Southern Messenger J. Eckerskorn advert 616 S Alamo
1894
San Antonio city directory shows home address as 102 Lavaca and business as Photographer
1896 Jul 31
Photographers ad in San Antonio German language paper, “Freie Presse für Texas.”
1894-1896
Joseph primarily put advertisements in only, local, Catholic and German language newspapers.
1897
San Antonio city directory shows home address as 102 Lavaca and business as Photographer
1897
It seems he quit photography and went to other interests.
1897
Joseph Eckerskorn cofounded the "Katholische Rundschau," a German English weekly, Catholic newspaper with John Schoot. He would soon take it over completely, and publish it until 1919

1897
An ad appeared in the Catholic, San Antonio Southern Messenger showing him as an agent for selling ecclesiastical art
1899
San Antonio city directory shows home address as 415 Water and Business Manager of "Katholische Rundschau."
1902
San Antonio Southern Messenger noted local priest traveling in Germany met and traveled with Joe and wife “from San Antonio.”
1917
The available newspapers are silent about him until 1917 where they then noted a program he wrote was being performed.

c1919
The Eckerskorn family moved back to Germany where they would live out their lives. He would write over 100 books, as well as 60 plays and other things, with generally a Christian mission focus.
1921
San Antonio Southern Messenger noted Joe Eckerskorn and wife, “formerly of San Antonio” were living in Coblenz Germany.
1938, Jan 12
Joseph Eckerskorn dies in Koblenz, Germany at age 71

San Antonio (TX) Free Press - 31 Jul 1896

photographer: J Eckerskorn
San Antonio, TX
example from auction site

photographer: Zahn
418 Tremont St, Balveston, TX
example from Texsartisans.com
(Eckerskom worked as retoucher for Zahn)

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