James C. Adams

Photographer: J. C. Adams
108 Broadway, Fort Wayne, Ind.
example from LOST GALLERY

One could almost make a case that there were two men named J. C. Adams in the northern part of Indiana near Fort Wayne, around the turn of the nineteenth century. It doesn’t help that in FOUR census reports, he calls himself a farmer while historical accounts of him and his own death certificate describe him as a photographer. But, similarity in addresses, birthplaces of parents and the names of his wife and children, seem to make the farmer also the photographer.

It appears he started out as a farmer living next door to his father, William Adams, a Brick mason in Harrison Township, Blackford County, IN. In 1890 James Adams was learning photography as an artist with the Wm. Salzmann studio in Fort Wayne, IN, just 40 miles north of Blackford County. In 1892, his daughter was born in Bluffton, IN, 20 miles south of Fort Wayne. Then he moved another 20 miles south, back to Harrison Township, Blackford County in 1900.

By 1910 he is living next door in the same Blackford County in Washington Township, Hartford City, IN, where he maintained his photography studio. His farm land may well have been in the rural Harrison Township while he maintained residence in Hartford City in Washington Township.

James C. Adams
(3 Mar 1856 - 21 Sep 1927)

1856
Born in Indiana
1879
married Mary Schwartzkopf
1880
US census as farmer in Harrison Township, Blackford County, IN (where Hartford City is)
1889
NOT in Fort Wayne city directory
1890
Fort Wayne, IN, city directory as artist with Wm Salzmann photo studio, res 64 Force
1891
Fort Wayne, IN, city directory as photographer at 135 Broadway
1892
birth of daughter Mary Laverna Adams in Bluffton, IN, halfway between Fort Wayne and Hartford, IN (Source Mary Adams death certificate)
1893 - 1895
NOT in Fort Wayne, IN, city directory
1893
Operates as photographer in Hartford City, IN (Indiana Historical Society)
1895 - 1903
photo studio at 401 S Jefferson st (Indiana Historical Society)

1900
US census as Farmer in Harrison Township, Blackford County, IN (no street address shown)
1905 - 1916
photo studio at 209 ½ N Jefferson st Hartford City, Blackford, IN (Indiana Historical Society)
1910
US census as Farmer 438 Spring in Hartford City, IN
(The house was located at the junction of three streets, Spring, Patterson and Williams. The census enumerator apparently got the house number correct but placed it on Spring rather than Patterson.)
1911
Hartford City city directory as farmer at 438 E Patterson
1920
US census as farmer 438 Patterson in Hartford City, IN
1927
death certificate as photographer at 438 E Patterson in Hartford City, IN

Sources: Fort Wayne city directory 1890. 1891
Hartford City city directory 1911 (only one available)
Find-A-Grave website
Blackford County/ Photographers Collection, CA. 1880–1939
US census 1880, 1900, 1910, 1920
Death Certificates

Photographer: J. C. Adams
135 Broadway, Fort Wayne, Ind.
example from LOST GALLERY

This is not likely to be our photographer:
Fort Wayne Sentinel (IN) - 18 Sep 1880

This is not James Adams either.
Argos(IN) Reflector - 2 Apr 1891

There were many cabinet card photographers named Adams. Following are a few.

photographer: John M Adams
Terre Haute, IN
example from auction site (No connection to James C Adams has been made yet)

reverse of the card at the left

photographer: O R Adams
Sac City, IA
example from auction site (No connection to James C Adams has been made yet.)

photographer: E C Adams
no location shown example from flickr member Fralara

photographer: E C Adams
no location shown
example from email contribution

photographer: E C Adams
no location shown
example from email contribution

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.