Bishoff Brothers

Photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KAS

Photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KAS

Photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KAS

Charley Sylvester Bishoff had one brother and seven half-brothers. Five of the half-brothers died as children. The surviving two half-brothers, Fogal (1867-1960) and Lowery (1867-1936) appear to never have left Pennsylvania. C S Bishoff’s brother Thomas Everhardt L Bishoff is the only one possible as a partner photographer for the cards imprinted “Bishoff Bros”

Charles Sylvester Bishoff
(1858 - 1947)

Sources: city directories, US census, state census; some notations of C S Bishoff’s brother Thomas Everett Bishoff is included to show when the two lived near each other making possible the “Bishoff Bros.” imprint on some cards.

1858 Sep 29
West Virginia, state records, Charles Sylvester Bishoff is born to William H Bishoff and Drusilla Baumgardner
1885
Lennox, IA, state census, brother Thomas Everett L Bishoff is living in Iowa

1886 May 06
Blue Springs, NE, state records, C S Bishoff and Anna Catherine Lucas are married
1887 Apr
Nebraska, state records daughter Lavena Bishoff is born
1888 Jan 02
Nebraska, state records, brother Thomas Everett L Bishoff is now living in Nebraska as shown by the birth of his son Cloyd Bishoff
1888 Jul 27
Bennington(KS)Mercury news item mentions Bishoff the photographer
1888 Aug 23
Minneapolis (KS) Messenger news item says son Chauncey C Bishoff was born on the 15th of August
1889 Jan 01
Minneapolis (KS) School Room Journal display ad says Bishoff Bros are over the Corn State Bank in Minneapolis, KS
1889 Jul 25
Minneapolis (KS) Messenger news item says Bishoff Bros are now located over J E Ewarts Store
1891 Mar 11
Solomon (KS) Sentinel news item says Bishoff Bros have opened a branch photo gallery in Solomon, KS beginning March 16

1891 Mar 18
Solomon (KS) Sentinel news item says Bishoff Bros have rented the Reeder Gallery on East Main as a branch of the Minneapolis Gallery
1891 Jun 24
Solomon (KS) Sentinel news item says Bishoff and wife have just returned from a seven week trip to West Virginia and Pennsylvania
1892 Sep 02
Delphos (KS) Republican news item says Bishoff Bros will open rooms at Glasco, KS, on Sep 12
1893 Mar 23
Minneapolis (KS) Messenger news item says the Bishoff Brothers are now located over the Corn State Bank again
1894 May 24
Kansas, state records, brother Thomas Everett L Bishoff is now living in Kansas as shown by the birth of his son Harry J Bishoff
1900 Jun 05
Maryville, Mo, US census C S Bishoff as photographer; res 411 n Filmore st
1900 Jun 11
Rankin, PA, US census, brother Thomas Everett L Bishoff is now living in Pennsylvania as Milk Merchant
1904 Dec 08
Mexico (MO) Message newspaper item says C S Bishoff has purchased a home in that city; a later item also says he had bought out J P Morris, photographer

1908 Dec 24
Cherryvale (KS)Journal small ad says Bishoff is in Cherryvale
1909 Aug 05
Pittsburg (KS) Highlight news item says C S Bishoff, photographer of Columbus, KS, visited Cherryvale, KS
1909 Aug 26
Cherryvale (KS) Journal news item mentions Bishoff new photo equipment
1909 Sep 11
Cherryvale (KS) Journal small display ad for Bishoff Studio
1910 Jan 13
Columbus (KS) Weekly Advocate news item says Elite Studio owned by D H Holt is managed by C S Bishoff
1910 Apr 15
Allegheney, PA, US census, brother Thomas Everett L Bishoff is still living in Pennsylvania as Milk Merchant
1910 Apr 27
Columbus, KS, US census C S Bishoff as photographer (enumerated twice; second time was in Cherryvale, KS, with no occupation listed
1913 Oct 08
Columbus (KS) Daily Advocate news item mentions C S Bishoff activity
1915
Columbus, KS, state census Charles S Bishoff as photographer

1919 Mar 01
Columbus, KS, state city and county census records C S Bishoff, no occupation listed
1920 Jun 04
Pasadena, CA, US census, Charles S Bishoff occupation NONE
1921
Riverside, CA, city directory, Chas S Bishoff is NOT listed
1922
Riverside, CA, directory NOT available
1923
Riverside, CA, city directory, Chas S Bishoff as photographer; wife Anna; res 788 w Sixth
1924
Anaheim, CA, city directory, Chas S Bishoff as photographer; res 202 s Main, Santa Ana
1930 Apr 09
Pasadena, CA, US census, Chas S Bishoff as occupation NONE; res 356 Carmelo Av
1931
Pasadena, CA, city directory Anna C Bishoff listed as widow (probably an error); res 432 n Hudson
1935
El Monte, CA, from 1940 US census, C S Bishoff as resident
1940 Apr 09
El Monte, CA, US census C S Bishoff as NO occupation listed

1947 Apr 17
Los Angeles, CA, state records, C S Bishoff dies at age 88

Various dated documents and events show that both Bishoff brothers were in Nebraska from May of 1886 to January of 1888. Both are found again in Kansas in 1888 and 1894. According to several newspaper items, this is when the brothers worked in Minneapolis, KS. Then by the 1900 census brother Thomas Bishoff has moved to Pennsylvania, and Charles Bishoff is in Maryville, MO. In 1919 Charles is back in Kansas but then in 1920 he has moved to California. In California, he continues to work as photographer during 1923 and 1924 then all later documents show no occupation for him.

This page was updated 29 Feb 2020

Bennington (KS) Mercury - 27 Jul 1888


Minneapolis (KS) Messenger - 23 Aug 1888

Minneapolis School Room Journal - 01 Jan 1889


Minneapolis (KS) Messenger - 25 Jul 1889

Minneapolis (KS) Messenger - 06 Mar 1890

Solomon (KS) Sentinel - 11 Mar 1891


Solomon (KS) Sentinel - 18 Mar 1891


Solomon (KS) Sentinel - 24 Jun 1891

Minneapolis (KS) Journal -
30 Jul 1891


Delphos (KS) Republican -
02 Sep 1892


Glasco (KS) Sun -
04 Nov 1892

Minneapolis (KS) Messenger -
23 Mar 1893

Minneapolis (KS) Messenger -
23 Mar 1893

Minneapolis (KS) Messenger -
03 Aug 1893

Mexico (MO) Message -
08 Dec 1904


Cherryvale (KS) -
23 Jun 1908


Cherryvale (KS) Journal -
24 Dec 1908

The Pittsburg (KS) Headlight -
05 Aug 1909


Cherryvale (KS) Journal -
26 Aug 1909

Cherryvale (KS) Journal -
11 Sep 1909

Cherryvale (KS) Republican -
15 Sep 1909

Columbus (KS) Weekly Advocate - 13 Jan 1910

Columbus (KS) Weekly Advocate - 08 Oct 1913

(Another "Elite" studio!)

An alert reader has found a CDV and two cabinet cards from when Bishoff was still in Nebraska.

Wymore, NE, is less than two miles from Blue Springs, NE.

photographer: Bishoff, Wymore, NE
CDV example found in Greenville, TX

Note: On all three cards, the edges are beveled and gilt. Reverse sides are blank.

photographer: Bishoff
Wymore, NE

Note: The same chair appears in the CDV example at the left.

The same chair can be seen HERE.

photographer: Bishoff
Wymore, NE

These examples were probably finished in 1887 or early 1888.

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from contributor Pam

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from pinterest, no source known

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from Ancestry.com

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site
(This one is not a cabinet card but included because of the similar blanket arrangement.)

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

Reverse of card at left

photographer: Bishoff Brothers
Minneapolis, KS
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Bishoff Bros.
Minneapolis, Ks
example from LOST GALLERY

reverse of the card at the left

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from FindAGrave
(Is this tablecloth the same as the blanket in one of the baby pictures in the above row?)

photographer: Bishoff Bros
Minneapolis, KS
example from pinterest, no source known

The following two examples contributed by Steven L Rowe.

photographer C S Bishoff
for Hathaway Gallery
Wymore NE

reverse of card at left

photographer: C S Bishoff
Maryville, MO
This card is 3" X 4 1/2"

Looking for an examples of a Bishoff cabinet cards when he was in Nebraska. If you have a Cabinet Card stamped with Nebraska, please send a good scan or photo including the edges to the address in the profile. Thanks!

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.

Additional 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.