Benjamin W Drake

Photographer:
"Dake and Wife"
(see note at far right)

Photographer:
B. W. Drake
Bellville Ohio

Benjamin W. Drake
1855-1932

1855 Apr 03
Ohio, Find-A-Grave Benjamin W Drake is born to Daniel Asbuty Drake and Jane Lane
1885 - 1886
Genealogy.com Bulletin Drake as photographer in Bellville, Ohio
1885
Unknown location, 1900 US Census, B W Drake marries Nora T
1887
Ohio, 1900 US census, son Artie Drake born
1887 Mar 17
Richwood (OH) Gazette. News item says Drake, from West Mansfield, is taking picture at schools in Northwestern Ohio
1888 Nov 22
Richwood (OH) Gazette ad for Mrs Drakes millinery store
1889
Ohio, 1900 US census, son Thomas E Drake is born
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood

1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drake's millinery
1896 - 1897
Genealogy.com Bulletin Drake as photographer in Loudenville, Ohio
1898
Toledo, OH, city directory, Benjamin W Drake as photographer; res 523 Wisconsin; note: NOT listed in business pages
1899
Toledo, OH, city directory Benjamin W Drake as photographer at 922 Starr av; res 522 Wisconsin
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood
1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drakes millinery
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood
1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drake's millinery

1900 Jun 01
Hanover, OH, US census, as photographer
1903 May 09
Ashland, OH, Drake’s wife Elinora Templeton McCready dies
1904
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1906
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1908
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Benjamin Drake as photographer with Am Photo View Co; son Artie same address, no spouse shown
1908
Richland, OH, 1910 US census, Drake marries Hattie I.
1910
Richland, OH, 1910 US census, Drake as photographer; wife Hattie listed as “asst Photographer”
1912 Jan 03 to Jun 26
Bulletin of Photography news item says B W Drake has purchased the Rapid Studio from Charles Beach of Mansfield, OH
1912
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake as mngr Rapid Studio, 74 ½ Main; res 214 e 2nd
1912 Jan 06
Mansfield (OH) News Journal small ad for Rapid Studio at 74 ½ Main

1914 Apr 06
Mansfield (OH) News Journal, society note about Mrs B W Drake
1915, 1917, 1920
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake as photographer at 74 ½ Main; res 68 w 4th
1921 Jun 16
Medina (OH) Sentinel news item says Drake and Wife from Mansfield were operating the Forrest MCDowell business during an illness, have returned home
1922
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1922 Jan 22
Richwood(OH) Gazette news item says B “F” Drake the photographer is suffering from a broken wrist
1922 Aug 03
Richwood (OH) Gazette small display ad for B W Drake
1925 Feb 19
Richwood(OH) Gazette small item says Drake and wife visit Drake’s nephew
1930 Apr 22
Richwood, OH, US Census Drake as photographer; res 2 ½ n Franklin st
1932 Oct 14
Ashland County, county records, B W Drake dies at age 77

The photograph at the far left was probably done around 1910 just after the marriage to Hattie I. Drake in 1908, as she is listed in the 1910 US Census as “Assistant Photographer” and not so in the 1920 Census. This is probably Drake not "Dake" as the imprint shows, and it is assumed here that the card is a miss-print. If a "Dake" ever does show up as a photographer, it will be changed here.

The near left might have been done any time between 1885 and 1908 or 1920 and 1930.

Richwood(OH)Gazette - 17 Mar 1887


Richwood(OH)Gazette - 22 Nov 1888

Bulletin of Photography - 1912 3 Jan to 26 Jun


Richwood(OH)Gazette - 28 May 1891

News Journal - 06 Jan 1912


Medina Sentinel - 16 Jun 1921


Richwood(OH)Gazette - 12 Jan 1922

Richwood(OH)Gazette - 03 Aug 1922


Richwood(OH)Gazette - 19 Feb 1925

Marion Star - 15 Oct 1932

Richwood(OH)Gazette - 20 Oct 1932

photographer: B W Drake
Bellville, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Drake
Loudenville, OH
example from auction site

photographer:B W Drake
Loudenville, OH
example from contribtor

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.

John H Windisch

Photographer: Windisch
Oak Harbor, Ohio

Though John H. Windisch, the photographer, was found in data mostly in Toledo, it is not hard to imagine he worked the small towns within 20 miles of Toledo. Oak Harbor, OH, just 23 miles from Toledo, could be one of them. Oak Harbor is on a rail line directly from Toledo, OH.

And it could be work done just before he moved into Toledo, OH, but no records have been found to support that.

There was another person by the name of John Windisch in Ohio, about the same age, so his location in the early years is a bit uncertain. The years after 1900 tie together with occupations and addresses.

John H. Windisch
(Sep 1852-07 Oct 1931)

1852
born in Ohio
1881
marries Margarite Schmidt
1897-1899
NOT in Toledo, OH city directory
1900
Toledo, OH, US census as photographer at 1602 Wisconsin st

1901
Toledo, OH, city directory as photographer at 1535 Dorr
1903-1912
Toledo, OH, city directory as photographer at 1617 Dorr
1913
Toledo, OH, city directory as truss manufacturer at 1619 Dorr
1914-1918
Toledo, OH, city directory as truss manufacturer at 715 Fernwood
1920
Toledo, OH, US census as no occupation at 715 Fernwood
1922-1925
Toledo, OH, city directory as no occupation at 715 Fernwood
1928
Toledo, OH, city directory as photographer at 715 Fernwood (age 76)
1930 Apr 03
Toledo, OH, US census as no occupation at 715 Fernwood
1931 Oct 07
dies at age 79 in Lucas, OH

Note that after years of making trusses for a living, he returns in 1928 to photography.

photographer: Windisch
Oak Harbor, OH
example from UTA Library

photographer: Windisch
Oak Harbor, OH
example from UTA Librar

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.

Charles Henry LaRush

photographer: LaRush
example from CurtJ on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
example from CurtJ on Flickr

Charles Henry LaRush
(1850-1892)

1851
Etobiocoke Township, York, Ontario, Canada, from death certificate, Charles Henry LaRush is born to Charles LaRush and Jane E Carnahan
1861
St Vincent, Grey, Canada West, Canada, Canadian census, Charles LaRush at age 11 living with parents
1871
Nottawasaga, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Canadian census, at age 21; note: census says age is 18
1873
Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Charles LaRush as photographer; brother William is proprietor of Nottawa House
1875
Toledo, OH, city directory, Charles LaRush NOT listed
1877
Toledo, OH, city directory Charles LaRush as photographer; res ss Wade 3 e of Williams; NOT listed in business pages; also listed is a Charles LaRush, omnibus driver for Arms and Cox, res City Hotel
1878
Toledo, OH, city directory Charles LaRush NOT listed

1888 Nov 22
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions C H LaRush has moved his car to Ohio Station last week; note: It had apparently been parked at Prophetstown, IL, before that
1889 Jan 17
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS C H LaRush in Prophetstown
1889 Feb 14
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item says Charles LaRush spent Sunday in Prophetstown and will return to Walnut
1890 Jul 31
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS Charles LaRush husband’s condition has worsened
1890 Nov 23
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS LaRush has left for Canada to spend some time with her husband
1892 May 26
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item says news has been received of the death of Charles LaRush in Hamilton, Ontario
1892 May 14
Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, death certificate, Charles H LaRush dies in an asylum at age 42. "Softening of the brain" is cited as the cause of his illness.

---continued in next row---

There are a lot of gaps in the history of Charles H LaRush. It appears he was an active photographer between about 1875 and 1890. He apparently worked out of a “car”, probably a railroad car, so his cards may not show a location in the imprint.

So far documents and newspaper items have placed LaRush in Sterling, Prophetstown, Walnut, Ohio Station, all in Illinois; Hamilton, Etobiocoke Township, Nottawasaga, St Vincent, all in Canada; and Toledo, Ohio
.

Sterling (IL) Standard - 11 Oct 1888
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 22 Nov 1888
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 17 Jan 1889
(news from Prophetstown, IL)

Sterling (IL) Standard - 14 Feb 1889
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 31 Jul 1890
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 23 Oct 1890
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 26 May 1892

Some examples are adjusted slightly to enhance their appearance on this page

Canadian Death Certificate 14 May 1892

This document has been
enhanced somewhat for legibility

The "Assistant photographer" listed on the death certificate (above) as informant (fifth line from bottom) remains a mystery. Many combinations of spellings have been tried in search engines to find this person, with no results. If anyone has any idea who this is, leave a note in the comment section.

Enlarged example of name of "informant" on death certificate. What is it?

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from CurtJ on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from CurtJ on flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from Dan on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from the Flickr collection of Ken

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.