Cabinet Card Photographers: Pittsburgh PA

photographer: H Sonnenberg
Pittsburgh and Allegheny, PA
example from LOST GALLERY

reverse of cardd at left finished probably between 1890 and 1894

Heinrich (Henry) Sonnenberg
(1851-1943)

1851 Jun 16
Monabaur Germany, Henry (Heinrich) Sonnenberg is born to George Michael Friedrich and Wilhelmina J Halmestein (Heinrich was the younger brother of Jacob Sonnenberg
1872, 1873
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, NO Sonnenberg listed
1874
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, H Sonnenberg as photographer at 117 Federal (shown as J E Sonnenberg)
1875
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, H Sonnenberg as photographer at 121 Federal
1876
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, H Somenberg (as printed) as photographer at 121 Federal
1877 through 1882
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 121 Federal
1883, 1884, 1885
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, H Sonnenberg as photographer at 123 Federal, A

1896, 1897
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 223 Fifth and 52 Federal
1898
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 52 Federal
1899
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 223 Fifth
1900, 1901
City directory NOT available
1902
Braddock, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer NOT listed
1902
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 28 Lacock (not listed in business pages)
1903
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg NOT listed in residential or business pages
1904
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer 1308 Boyle, A
NO Sonnenberg listed in business pages
This is the only time this address appears. It may simply be a misprint.

1905, 1906
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, NO Sonnenberg listed bus or res
1906
Braddock, PA, city directory Henry Sonnenberg as photographer at 80 Pennsylvania
1908, 1909
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg NOT listed in residential or business pages
1910 May 02
Pittsburgh, PA, US census, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer
1911 to 1919
Pittsburgh, PA, city directory: Many years or pages missing; NO Henry Sonnenberg found
1919
Jacksonville, FL, city directory, Henry Sonnenberg in appliance sales

1920 Jan 20
Pittsburgh, PA, US census, Henry Sonnenberg as photographer

Note: this is the last document showing Henry Sonnenberg as a photographer. No other documents have been found that places Henry Sonnenberg and family in Pennsylvania except a curious item that says he died in Tuttle Creek, PA. All items found after January 1910, place him, and wife and children, in Jacksonville, Florida, in the appliance business.

Also, he clearly had two residences established in 1919 and 1920, one in Pittsburgh, PA, and one in Jacksonville, FL. After that, all items found place him in Jacksonville and NOT in the photography business.

photographer: H Sonnenberg
Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

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.

Photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA

Joseph G. Morris
(21 Nov 1850 - 08 Feb 1923)

All things considered, vital records of Joseph G Morris are comparatively sketchy. His business career is more easily traceable as the Pittsburg, PA, city directories are fairly complete.

Census and city directory documents show that J. G. Morris worked as a photographer from about 1883 to 1896 at 16 6th street. About 1897 the address changes to 126 6th street, until 1912.

Possibly this is not a move, just a change in the numbering.

He apparently gives up photography about 1913, age 63. He manages a building and works as a sales agent for about ten years until his death in 1923.

Still, his death certificate lists him as photographer and was signed by his wife, Mary.

Timeline from: city directories and US census

1850 Nov 21
Pennsylvania state death certificate, Joseph G Morris date of birth
1880 Jun 01
Pittsburg, PA, US census as photographic agent; res with parents, his father David is also a photographic agent
1881 - 1882
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as manager; res 35 Poplar A
1883 - 1888
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 16 6th st; res apparently the same
1889 - 1896
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 16 6th st; res 173 South av
1897 - 1899
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 126 6th st; res 173 South av (1897 directory says 120 instead of 126 but it is probably a printing error)
1900 Jun 04
Pittsburg, PA, US census as photographer boarding at 810 South st

1902
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 126 6th st; res 856 Lincoln
1903 Jan 03
Pittsburg, PA, state records J G Morris marries Mary Pearson (second marriage for both); as photographer shown on registration
1903 - 1912
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 126 6th st (1912 city directory list also that the studio is on the 5th floor)
1913
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as building manager; res 230 McKee
1915
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as mfgrs agent; res 232 McKee (probably a misprint)
1916
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as agt for Wm H Horstman Co. res 230 McKee
1917
Pittsburg, PA, city directory as mfgrs agent at Bessemer bldg.; res 230 McKee
1918 - 1928
Pittsburg, PA, city directory none available

1923 Feb 23
Pittsburg, PA, state death certificate J G Morris dies of pneumonia at age 72; shown as photographer; res 230 McKee (certificate signed by Mrs J G Morris)

The address on the above cabinet card is 16 Sixth Street, so it was probably finished before 1897 and after 1883.

But a later date is possible.

The itinerant operator who worked out of a tent or a railroad car or the photographer that had branch studios in neighboring towns would need something like a hand operated print press in order to imprint as many blank cards as needed for a particular day’s work in a particular location.

But established photographers like J G Morris with only one studio could order cabinet card blanks from a local printer, imprinted with studio

name and address. These could have been ordered in large quantities especially if the photographer had a well-established address. (Some of them changed locations a LOT!)

The card example at the top was probably done by the photographer in his own studio using something similar to a notary stamp. The cards just below on this same page, printed with gold ink on both sides, were probably prepared by a professional printer.

Now, having a new stamper or printing plate made might have been expensive. Since it appears the studio didn’t actually move, only the address number changed, Morris probably didn’t bother changing the number on his stamp.

If this theory is plausible, Morris could have been using his old print plate to imprint cards well after the address change.

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from contributor N Masters
Hoopeston IL.

The card at the left was sent in by contibutor N Masters. It has a reverse design similar to the one shown in the next row.

The identity of the woman in the photograph is unknown as is the reason it was found in an old house in central Illinois.

Do you recognize her?

photographer: Morris
Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

Pittsburg (PA) Press - 24 Jan 1895

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

Reverse of the two cards at the left

photographer: Morris
Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

(Note: The above example seems like a duplication of the card at the left but it is not. The actual photograph is trimmed and mounted differently on the card. Remember, cabinet cards were often sold by the dozen.)

photographer: Morris
16 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
CDV example from auction site
(Possibly another Sutherland photo)

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site
(Possibly another Sutherland photo)

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh
example from auction site

photogapher: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: J R Pearson
96 Fifth ave, Pittsburg, PA
42 & 43 Federal St, Allegheny City, PA
example from auction site

reverse of two cards at left

These two examples of the photographer J R Pearson are added here because of their possible connection to Joseph G Morris. Both worked in Pittsburg and J G Morris's second wife was named Mary PEARSON.

Was there a connection? Research pending.

These four photographs have been somewhat restored for presentation here

The seven Sutherland Sisters pose

photographer: Morris
16 6th St, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

This photograph was quite likely taken by Charles Eisenmann of New York. The negatives were probably carried with the Sutherland traveling show and reprinted by local photographers as needed.

photographer: Charles Eisenmann
New York, NY
example from auction site

Surviving examples of the work of Charles Eisenmann show that he specialized in promotional photographs of circus performers and other actors. The Sutherland sisters were associated with Barnum and Bailey circus for about ten years.

There is a brief accounting of the Seven Sutherland Sisters HERE.

the seven Sutherland Sisters pose with brother

photographer Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburg, PA
example from auction site

Two more examples suggesting the negatives were probably passed around to various photographers as new prints were needed. One card here done by J G Morris of Pittsburg, PA and the other by R G Gardner of Kansas City, MO.

photographer: R G Gardner
Kansas City, MO
example from Dave on Flickr

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from Anticuria
possibly finished between 1883 and 1897

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from Anticuria
(Imprint similar to the two CDV examples, and others, shown above)

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Morris
16 Sixth Street, Pittsburgh, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left