Cabinet Card Photographers: McKinney TX

Showing posts with label McKinney TX. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Alfred Freeman

Photographer: Freeman and Easterly
McKinney, Texas
(on the reverse: Lawrence McWhorton
born 1886, Son of R. A. & Ella McWhorton)
Listed also under Easterly

Information written on the reverse of the card at the left, indicates this card was finished in 1886 or 1887. Newspaper clipping (see below) indicates Freeman and Easterly worked together in 1887.

Alfred Freeman had a lot happen in his lifetime. Some personal items are included here to help establish where he was working and why.

Curiously, for all the activity in his life, no document or news item ever establishes a middle name or initial. Only one Galveston newspaper item in 1882 refers to him as “A A Freeman” but that’s probably an error. Even his English baptismal record identifies him only as “Alfred, son of John and Mary Ann.”

According to advertisements Freeman seems to slip back and forth between the photography and the music business. In actuality, he was probably in both at the same time, most of the time.

Although centered most of the time in Dallas, TX, Freeman appears to have had studios in Weatherford, Sherman, Dennison and Decatur, all in Texas. In 1892 he moves is family to Pueblo, CO, and then to Colorado Springs, CO, where he spends the rest of his life.

Alfred Freeman
(1846 - 1937)

1848 Jan
Liverpool, England, US census, Alfred A. Freeman born in England
1855-1861
Arrival in US, each census gives a different date
1870 Jun 03
Warrensburg, MO, US census “Alphred” Freeman as photographer; res: Zimmerman’s Boarding House
1870
Freeman Artistic Gallery established in Dallas according to display ads from 1881 and 1884; note that in those days information in newspaper articles and ads were often generalized or estimated
1871-1872
Texas Tax rolls, as Dallas resident
1873 Apr 12
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald news item, Alfred Freeman, photograph artist, agent for Steck Pianos
1873 May 24
Dallas (TX) Herald display ad for Freeman as agent for musical instruments
1873 Oct 03
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald, small ad shows A. Freeman, photographer
1873 Sep 21
Dallas, TX, state records, Freeman’s son Edward W Freeman is born

1875
Dallas, TX, city directory Alfred Freeman as artist at 101 s Houston; res 1130 Jackson
1875 Feb 28
Dallas Daily Herald, large ad for Alfred Freeman as artist in photography and dealer in parlor organs; cor Houston and Elm (probably 101 Houston); there is a mention in this ad that Freeman has just returned from a 5 month trip to England;
1875 Apr 21, 1875 Jun 19
Dallas (TX) Weekly Herald small ad places Freeman at Elm and Houston st Dallas, TX
1875 Sep 18
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald small ad Freeman sells cabinet cards at 150 per dozen
1876 Feb 26, 27, Mar 01, 29
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald small ad for Freeman selling views of Mardi Gras
1876 Mar 10, 18, 26
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald Display ad for Freeman photo gallery/ music store
1876 Apr 30
Dallas (TX) Daily Herald news item photographer Freeman at Centennial exhibit
1876 Sep 14
Dallas, TX, state records, Alfred Freeman’s son Walter Murillo Freeman is born
1877 Jan 13
Dallas Daily Herald news item says Freeman has moved his studio to Main Street to open on the 16th

1877 Apr 06, May 08
Dallas Daily Herald small ad about Mardi Gras views; studio at 505 Main
1877 Jul 14
Dallas Weekly Herald display ad for Freeman Fine Organs
1877 Sep 22
Dallas Weekly Herald small ad about Freeman shipment of organs
1877 Oct 31
Dallas Daily Herald news item about Freeman at Centennial Exposition
1878
Dallas, TX, city directory, Freeman as photographer and piano and organ sales at 505 Main
1878 Aug 08 through Dec 12
Waco (TX) Daily Examiner bout 40 display ads Freeman Piano and organs 505 Main, Dallas, TX
1879
Unknown location, 1880 us census estimate date, Albert Freeman and Archella Shannon marry
1879 Oct 18
Norton’s Union Intelligencer (Dallas, TX) display ad for Albert Freeman as agent for piano companies in Dallas
1879
Dallas, TX, daughter Lena Freeman is born

1880
Dallas, TX, US census Alfred Freeman as photographer and dealer in pianos and organs at 505 Main;
1880 Apr 29
Dallas Daily Herald news/ad Freeman studio at 505 Main st Dallas
1881
Dallas, TX, city directory Alfred Freeman as photographer at 505 Main; res 1130 Jackson
1881 Jan 07, Jun 10
Montgomery (TX) Journal display ad for photo studio/music store, no address given
1881 Sep 11
Dallas Daily Herald news/ad Freeman as photographer
1881 Dec 20
Dallas Daily Herald news item says Freeman has shot R A Chambers with a shotgun; Chambers was allegedly committing adultery with Freeman’s wife, Archella Freeman
1882 Apr 21
Galveston (TX) Daily News mention of A. A. Freeman on murder charge
1882 Aug 01 through Oct 03
Dallas Daily Herald James L. McCown leases Freeman “old and established” gallery
1882 May 03
Dallas Daily Herald (published on 28 Sep 1882) Alfred Freeman files for a divorce from Archella

1882 Sep 27
Dallas Daily Herald Mrs Chambers, wife of the murdered R A Chambers, tries to shoot Archella Freeman who is accused of adultery with R A Chambers
1882 Oct 05
Dallas (TX) Weekly Herald news item Alfred Freeman amends divorce application to include custody of two of their children, and all property
1882 Jun 08 - Jul 29
Dallas Daily Herald 24 news/ads Freeman’s old photograph gallery now leased by Mr. McCown
1882 Oct 05
Dallas Weekly Herald, Freeman divorce ann.
1883
Dallas, TC, city directory as music and musical instrument dealer at 505 Main; bds at Kent Hotel
1883 Nov 15, 25
Dallas Herald as photographer at 505 Main
1883 Dec 06
Dallas Weekly Herald, Freeman is found NOT GUILTY of murder
1884 May through 1885 Jan 09
Norton’s Union Intelligencer display ad says Freeman studio established in 1870 at 505 Main in Dallas, W. T. Woole (sometimes “Doole”) manager
1884-1885
Dallas, TX, city directory as photographer at 505 Main

1885 Feb 10
Wise, TX, state records, Alfred Freeman marries Florence Fisher
1885 Dec 28
Weatherford, TX, state records, daughter Ada Florence Freeman is born to Alfred Freeman and Florence
1886
Dallas, TX, city directory Alfred Freeman is not listed; Travis and Birkland are now at 505 Main
1887 Sep 01 through 09
Sherman (TX) Daily Register, small ads say Freeman studio, piano and organ, now at 115 Travis, in Sherman, TX
1887 Oct 14
Fort Worth (TX) Daily Gazette story about county fair mentions Freeman and Easterly together
1887 Dec 12
Sherman (TX) Daily register news item says partnership with Frank H Sparrow dissolved
1887, 1888
Sherman, TX, city directory as photographer at 115 s Travis; also listed as in McKinney and Decatur, TX at the same time.
1889 Feb 08, 14
Austin (TX) Weekly Statesman news story shows Freeman has fire loss at studio in Decatur, TX

1890-1891
Catching Shadows by David Haynes says that Alfred Freeman is at Sherman, TX
1892
Catching Shadows by David Haynes - “Reported in Pueblo, CO”
1892
Opal Harber,Photographers and the Colorado Scene gives studio address as 117 E 4th
(thanks to commenter) 1897
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory Alfred Freeman NOT listed
1900 Jun 08
Colorado Springs, CO, US census Alfred Freeman as photographer; res 1101 n Weber; Maggie Wilson boarding at same address listed as assistant photographer
1902
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory Alfred Freeman as photographer at 32 N Tejon, res 1011 n Weber; wife Florence and daughter Ada at same address
1903
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory Alfred Freeman as mngr Freeman Music Co. 1011 n Weber; wife Florence and daughter Ada at same address
1910
Colorado Springs, CO, US census, Freeman as “merchant of musical goods”

1924, 1927
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory Alfred Freeman as photographer at 1011 n Weber; res same
1924 Apr 02
Colorado Springs, CO, daughter Florence applies for passport; res given as 1011 n Weber
1930
Colorado Springs, CO, US census, Alfred Freeman as no occupation listed; res 1011 Weber
1937
Colorado Springs, CO, Alfred Freeman dies at age 89

Dallas (TX) Herald - 24 May 1873

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 28 Feb 1875

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 21 Apr 1875

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 26 Mar 1876

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 13 Jan 1877

Norton's Union Intelligencer - 30 Aug 1879

Montgomery Journal - 07 Jan 1881

Galveston (TX) Daily News - 20 Dec 1881

Waco (TX) Daily Examiner - 21 Dex 1881

Bonham, TX, Christian Messenger - 28 Dec 1881

Austin (TX) Weekly Statesman - 29 Dec 1881

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 13 Jan 1882

Dallas (TX) Weekly Herald - 05 Oct 1882

Dallas (TX) Daily Herald - 27 Sep 1882

Bonham, TX, Christian Messenger - 08 Nov 1882

Galveston (TX) Daily News - 23 Dec 1882

San Marcos (TX) Free Press - 15 Nov 1883

Norton's Intelligencer - 03 Dec 1883

Nation's Union Intelligencer (Dallas) - 24 Dec 1884

Sherman (TX) Daily Register - 09 Sep 1887

Fort Worth (TX) Daily Gazette - 14 Oct 1887
Only mention found of Easterly

Sherman (TX) Daily Register - 12 Dec 1887

Passport photograph of Alfred Freeman's daughter
Ada Florence Freeman
02 Apr 1924

Austin (TX) Weekly Statesman - 14 Feb 1889

Colorado Springs (CO) Weekly Gazette -
21 Dec 1893

photographer: Alfred Freeman
example from Portal To Texas History
This photograph is part of the collection entitled:
Rescuing Texas History
and was provided by the Private Collection of
T. B. Willis to The Portal to Texas History,
a digital repository hosted by the UNT Libraries

reverse of cdv at the left

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.

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.

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.

Saturday, March 6, 2021

William Foster Cobb

Photographer: Wakely & Cobb
McKinney, Texas

William Foster Cobb
(16 Apr 1869 - 19 Sep 1938)

It appears that W. F. Cobb was only in the photograph business just the short time he was in partnership with G. D. Wakely, about 1894 to 1897 and then as photographer for John Scartz Studio in Fort Worth, TX, until about 1901 .

After 1897 he was mostly a traveling salesman for Remington Guns and ammunition.

This cabinet card must have been done then, between 1894 and 1897.

Wakely seems to have moved around a great deal after his partnership with Cobb disolved in 1897. See lots more details about
George D. Wakely.

McKinney Democrat - 18 Mar 1897

photographer Wakely and Cobb
McKinney, TX
example from auction site
(note the same backdrop used in example 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.

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.

George D Wakely

Photographer: Wakely & Cobb
McKinney, Texas
example from LOST GALLERY

Wakely seems to have moved around a great deal. It appears his partnership with Cobb lasted from 1893 to 1897.

Also listed under Cobb
See also:
19th Century Colorado Photographers

George D Wakely
(26 Nov 1836 - 22 Apr 1922)

Nearly every document sets Wakely’s birthdate differently. The date settled on here is from The “England & Wales, Non-conformist and Non-Parochial Register 1587-1790” which seems to make the most sense.

Other dates are:
1823 - Pioneer Photographers of the Far West (Peter E. Palmquist, ‎Thomas R. Kailbourn)
1837 - England census 1841
1837 - England census 1851
1843 Dec - US census 1900
1832 - US census 1910
1832 - US census 1920
Abt 1832 - Texas death certificate

There is little doubt that it is all the same George D. Wakely, however. His accomplishments and endeavors along with his known locations seem to tie it all to one person.

Timeline sources:
All data from US Census or City Directories. All news items are from the McKinney Democrat unless otherwise noted. The book “Pioneer Photographers of the Far West” - Peter E. Palmquist, ‎Thomas R. Kailbourn contributed some early dates and locations (Indicated in the timeline by “PPFW”)

1836
born in England (see previous comment)
1856-1857
PPFW as ambrotypist, photographic stock dealer in Chicago, IL
1858
PPFW some evidence he lived in New York, NY
1859
PPFW as photographer, Leavenworth, Kansas
1859 Aug 16
PPFW with Thorn Star, an acting troupe, leaves with family for Denver, CO
1859 Oct 20
PPFW opens ambrotype gallery across from theater in Denver, CO
1860
Kansas territory census shows Wakely in North Clear Creek, Arapaho County, KS, which becomes part of Colorado on 29 Jan 1861 when Kansas becomes the 34th state in the US
1861 Jul 18
PPFW photographs Mademoiselle Carolista in tightrope performance in Denver, CO
1862 May
PPFW begins building new studio; completed the following month.

1864
PPFW In Colorado at Montgomery, Blackhawk, Empire City, Garden of the Gods, Monument Valley;see Library of Congress example
1864 May 19-20
PPFW Wakely photographs the flooding of Cherry Creek in Denver
1865
PPFW closes Denver, CO, gallery and travels to Washington, DC
1866
PPFW publishes photographic series as Stereographics: National Capital of US and Smithsonian; examples at Getty Museum and Imago Images
1870
arrives in US according to the 1900 US census (If accurate, it was obviously for the second time)
1870
PPFW operates photograph stock depot at 518 Walnut St Kansas City, MO, until about Nov 1871
1871
PPFW Omaha, NE as photographer
1879
PPFW as photographer in Leadville, CO
1886 Mar 25
Wakely was in Galveston according to a news item in the Galveston Daily news
1887
marriage to Etna Lawrence in Collin county TX

1888 Feb 11
Waco Daily News Item Selling pianos at store in Waco, TX
1888 - 1889
as traveling salesman for Goggan and co music
1890 Mar 27
news item as photographer in McKinney TX
1891 Feb 05
adv selling pianos and organs in McKinney

McKinney Democrat
05 Feb 1891

This example found on an auction site.
Note it is the same chair as in the
LOST GALLERY cabinet card at the top of the page.

McKinney Democrat - 3 May 1894

McKinney Democrat 18 Mar 1897

1893 Jun 01
adv Wakely’s Gallery, McKinney TX
1894 May 03
adv Wakely and Cobb in McKinney, TX
1896
PPFW Texas State Gazetteer as photographer with Cobb
1897 Mar 18
news item Wakely and Cobb dissolves partnership
1897 Nov 25
news item Will Pennington works for Wakely at Gallery
1898 Jul 09
McKinney Daily Courier news item Selling house, leaving McKinney
1898 Nov 24
news item adv new location in McKinney
1899 May 20
McKinney Daily Gazette Photographer in Metz Building
1900 Jun 02
McKinney Gazette adv Photographer in Metz Building
1900 Jun 11
US census as photographer in McKinney, TX
1900 Jun 14 adv
as photographer in Metz building McKinney, TX
1901 Sep 26
news item takes job as salesman, Gallery in charge of Mr. Sharp
1903 Jan 16
adv Wakely’s gallery McKinney, TX
1903 May 28
news item as photographer, in McKinney, TX , “13 years”
1903 Jun 04
news item, returns to Plano, TX after visiting family
1904
adv as McKinney Studio in “Wakely’s old Place”

1910 Apr 26
US census as photographer in Colgate, OK
1910 Sep 20
Ada Evening News news item “Wakely, Coalgate photographer on way to Sulphur, OK”
1920 Jan 26
US census as photographer in Dallas, TX
1922 Apr 22
dies in Dallas at age 85 after being hit by a train on Apr 20. Note: Ada news item says he was run over by a car.

Just click on the picture for a larger version

photographer Wakely and Cobb
McKinney, TX
example from auction site
(note the same backdrop used in example at right)

(from top of page)

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.

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Thomas H Conner

Photographer:Conner
Blue Gallery, McKinney, Texas
Example from LOST GALLERY

The McKinney Gazette. December 25, 1897, Vol. 10, No. 45 Special Christmas Edition.
“Tom CONNOR is the Blue Gallery man. The Blue Gallery is famous throughout this region for making good pictures for little money. Tom is a fixture in McKinney and enjoys a good patronage. Those desiring their beauty struck should give him a call.”

The McKinney Democrat
02 Jun 1898

photographer: Conner
Blue Gallery, McKinney, TX
example from auction site
(Note that this one has the same backdrop as the example on the left.

Frederick Lauderdale Conner

photographer: Conner
Purcell, IT
example from contributor

photographer: Conner
Purcell, IT
example from contribur

From newspaper items and other documents, F L Conner was in the photography business in Purcell, IT (Oklahoma) from about 1897 to 1901. By 1910 it appears he is in the real estate business.

Norman (OK) Democrat Topic -
30 Sep 1897

The Purcell (OK) Regestier
30 Sep 1897

The Purcell (OK) Regestier
03 Mar 1898

The Guthrie (OK) Daily Leader -
08 May 1900

The Purcell (OK) Regestier
25 Jul 1902

The Purcell (OK) Regestier
27 Jan 1910

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.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

Alfred Freeman

Saturday, March 6, 2021

William Foster Cobb

George D Wakely

Tuesday, January 21, 2020

Thomas H Conner

Old stuff here...

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