Tracing the WHEN studio through its life was done by following the two principal operators throughout its history.
The WHEN studio name was used, according to city directories and newspaper mentions, from 1880 to 1916. The name WHEN was first used, apparently, by Henry Holborn about 1880 and then taken over by his assistant G E Brucker, about 1894. It continued under Brucker’s management until 1916. The actual street address changed also.
From 1882 to 1883 WHEN studio was listed at 1733 Franklin, Holborn as operator
From 1883 to 1893 WHEN studio was listed at 1631 Franklin, Holborn as operator
From 1894 to 1916 WHEN studio was listed at 1631 Franklin, Brucker as operator
No research was done past 1916 as that would be well past the cabinet card era.
Henry Holborn
(27 Mar 1864 -14 Jan 1920)
George E Brucker
(29 Nov 1859 - 08 July 1947)
1859
Bristol, England, Missouri Artists, Henry Holborn is born
1864 Mar 27
St Louis, MO, state records, George Edward Brucker is born
1876,1877, 1878, 1880
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn NOT listed
George Brucker NOT listed
WHEN Studio NOT listed
NO photographer listed at 1733 Franklin
1880
St. Louis, MO, Missouri Artists, Henry Holborn opens “WHEN Studio” in St Louis; (possibly an estimate)
https://missouriartists.org/person/morem232/
1880
no mention of WHEN studio in newspapers for this year;
1881
St Louis MO, city directory, “Harry” Holborn as photographer for Flavin and Holborn;
Flavin and Holborn studio at 1931 Franklin Av
George Brucker NOT listed;
WHEN Studio NOT listed;
1882
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer; with Holborn and Gage, 1733 Franklin
1882 Feb 05
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, small display ad forWHEN Gallery at 1733 Franklin; this is the earliest mention of the WHEN gallery found in Saint Louis newspapers; no photographer named
1883
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1733 Franklin; res 1820 Morgan;
business pages list Henry Holborn studio at 1733 Franklin;
George Brucker NOT listed
WHEN Studio NOT listed
1883 Dec 16
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, small ad for WHEN studio at 1631 Franklin
1884 Jan 12
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, item says Henry Holborn of WHEN Gallery has opened a branch studio at 1424 and 1426 Franklin Av
1884 Feb 02
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, WHEN Gallery ad at 1631 Franklin
1884 Jul 20
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, WHEN Gallery ad at 1631 Franklin; ad says Holborn has taken whole building
1884
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1631 Franklin; res 1816 Morgan
WHEN Studio listed separately at 1631 Franklin;
George Brucker as photographer with Boehl and Kownig; res: none shown
1884
St Louis, MO, city directory ad for WHEN studio at 1631 Franklin; Propr H Holborn
1885, 1887
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1631 Franklin;
George E Brucker as photographer; res 3232 Kossuth, No Brucker Studio listed;
WHEN Studio NOT listed
1885 Apr 11
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, WHEN gallery ad at 1631 Franklin Av
1886
NO city directory available
1886 Apr 01
St Louis (Mo) Post-Dispatch, WHEN Gallery ad at 1631 Franklin Av
1887
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holburn as photographer at 1631 Franklin;
George Brucker as photographer; res 3232 Kossuth: No Brucker Studio listed;
WHEN Studio NOT listed;
1887 Jan 30
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, WHEN Gallery ad at 1631 Franklin Av
1887 Sep 29
St Louis (MO) Glove Democrat, Studio WHEN ad at Seventeenth and Franklin Av
NO St Louis, MO, city directory for 1888
1888 Apr 22
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, WHEN Gallery ad at 1631 Franklin Av
1889, 1891
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1632 Franklin; res 3813 Page Av
No mention of WHEN studio
George E Brucker as photographer, not in business section; res 3212 Kossuth av
1889 Aug 09
St Louis (MO) Jewish Voice, small item about award to WHEN Photographic Gallery, H Holborn, Proprietor,1631 Franklin Av
1890 Nov 30
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat small ad says WHEN Gallery is at 1631 Franklin Av
1891, (NO 1892)
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1632 Franklin; res 3813 Page Av;
No mention of WHEN studio
1891 Jan 24
St Louis (MO) Post Democrat, small ads for WHEN Gallery at 1631 Franklin Av
1892 Mar 20
St Louis (MO) Post Democrat, small ad for WHEN studio says Henry Holborn “is back”, 1631 Franklin
1893
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 1631 Franklin; res 3810 Finney Av; business pages shows large print Henry Holborn at 1631 Franklin;
George E Brucker as photographer with Brucker and CO
WHEN Studio NOT mentioned
1894
NO St Louis, MO, city directory, and nothing found in newspapers
1895
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin;
Henry Holborn as photographer at 720 Olive; res 5603 Chamberlin Av
WHEN Studio, 1631 Franklin,
George E Brucker proprietor; separate listing
1895 Jun 05
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, article mentions WHEN photograph gallery at 1631 Franklin;
Brucker as photographer
1896 NO city directory
1896 Jun 20
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, item says Henry Holborn is at 2820 Washington Av
1897
St Louis, MO, city directory, Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington Av; res 5603 Chamberlain
George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin Av
WHEN Studio NOT listed
1898 NO city directory available
1898 Feb 06
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, item mentions H Holborn at 2820 Washington Av
1898 Sep 30
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, help-wanted ad for Holborn’s Studio at 2820 Washington
1899
St Louis, MO, city directory,
George E Brucker (WHEN studio) as photographer, 1631 Franklin; res 3212 Kossuth Av
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2829 Washington av; res 5603 Chamberlain
WHEN studio, George E Brucker propr, 1621 Franklin
1899 Aug 25
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, feature article tells of Contest at Photographer Convention; WHEN gallery gets honorable mention
1899 Oct 04
St Louis (MO) Globe Democrat, classified ad under “Stenographers” says Holborn’s studio is at 2820 Washington Av;
1900
NO city directory
1900 Apr 22
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, Holborn’s at 2820 Washington
1901
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as propr of WHEN Studio, 1631 Franklin
1902
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin; business pages shows “Bruckner” at 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington
WHEN studio NOT mentioned
1903
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin
WHEN studio, George E Brucker as propr, 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington, Av
1904
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington
WHEN studio at 1631 Franklin, propr George E Brucker
1904 Feb 14
St Louis (MO) Post-Dispatch, small ad for Henry Holborn, photographer at 2823 Washington
1905
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington
WHEN studio NOT listed
1906
St Louis, MO, city directory, George Brucker as photographer at “1630” Franklin
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington Av
WHEN studio listed at 1631 Franklin Av
1907
St Louis, MO, city directory, George Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin
H Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington
WHEN studio listed at 1631 Franklin Av
1908
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin; res 4678 Page
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington
WHEN gallery, NO business pages
1909
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1630 Franklin;
Henry Holborn as photographer at 2820 Washington Av
WHEN studio NOT listed
1910
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin v
Henry Holborn as photographer at 5023-27 Delmar Boul
WHEN studio NOT listed
1911
St. Louis, MO, Missouri Artists, Henry Holborn buys the J L Douglass studio in Columbia, MO and ran it until 1921
1911
St Louis, MO, city directory street guide only
1912
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn NOT listed
WHEN studio NOT listed
1913
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin; res 5585 Cabarfne;
Henry Holborn NOT listed
WHEN studio NOT listed
1914
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin;
Henry Holborn NOT listed
WHEN studio listed at 1630 Franklin
1915
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker as photographer at 1631 Franklin;
Henry Holborn NOT listed
WHEN studio listed at 1630 Franklin
1916
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E “Bruckner” as photographer at 1631 Franklin
Henry Holborn NOT listed
1917
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Bruckner NOT listed
Henry Holburn NOT listed
WHEN studio NOT listed
1918
St Louis, (MO) city directory, George E Brucker NOT listed
Henry Holburn NOT listed
WHEN studio NOT listed
1919
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker NOT listed
Henry Holburn NOT listed
Lexow Studio listed at 1630 Franklin
WHEN studio listed at 1631 Franklin
1920
St Louis, MO, city directory, George E Brucker NOT listed; (cuts off at Johnson, no bus section)
1920 Jan 14
St Louis, MO, state records, George E Brucker dies at age 55
1921
St Louis, MO, Missouri Artists, Holborn moves back to St Louis to retire
1947 Jul 08
St Louis, MO, Missouri Artists, Holborn dies at age
(repeated many times over the following year) St Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 20 Mar 1892 St Louis (MO) Globe Dempocrat - 20 Aug 1896 St Louis (MO) Globe Dempocrat - 20 Jul 1896 St Louis (MO) Globe Dempocrat - 08 May 1898 St Louis (MO) Globe Dempocrat - 04 Oct 1899
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.