Blocker and Rowley

Photographer: Blocker
Succesor to Rowley and Blocker
Cor 11th and Main Sts.
entrance 8 E 11th St.
Kansas City, Mo.

One Blocker was found as a photographer.

Blocker, A. M.(Myerstown, PA)

There were however, a number of photographers at the end of the 19th century named Rowley. Nothing has been found yet to connect any of them to a photographer named Blocker in Kansas City, MO.

Rowley, Douglas S (Springfield, MA)
Rowley, Edward H (Brooklyn, NY)
Rowley, Edward H (New York, NY)
Rowley, Evert (Oregon, IL)
Rowley, Frederick A (Ottawa, KS)
----see news item at right
Rowley, Fred C (Berkeley, CA)
Rowley, John D (Oregon, IL)
Rowley, M V (Denver, CO)
Rowley, Morris M (Oregon, IL)
Rowley, Morris V (St Joseph, MO)
Rowley, S R (Hastings-on-Hudson, NY)
Rowley, Wesley C (Elmira, NY) Example at bottom of this page

Ottawa (KS) Evening Herald - 15 Apr 1912

But other than general location, no other documents could be found to connect Frederick A Rowley to any photographer named Blocker.

From the dozen photographers named Rowley about the same period that could have been that short term partner of Blocker, the most likely candidate is Morris Virgil Rowley

Morris Virgil Rowley
(1862 - 1929)

Morris Virgil Rowley is a fair choice for the possible role of EX-partner of Blocker because of his geographical locality and his penchant for moving around.

Following the life of photographer Morris Virgil Rowley is a rather convoluted journey. Not only were there more than a dozen photographers named Rowley, Morris Rowley moved around a lot from city to city and state to state (and indeed, street to street) making it difficult to determine if it was the SAME Rowley each time.

In the following timeline there may be a reference or two to the wrong Rowley. However, in each case, nothing could be found to disprove the reference either. In some instances, the rather fragile logic is that if this is the wrong Rowley, where is the right one at that same time? He can’t be in two places at once.

Until something is discovered that proves otherwise, the references have been left in place, as it is POSSIBLE that a reference to Rowley, M Rowley, or even M V Rowley is a reference to our photographer Morris (Maurice) Virgil Rowley.

In every US census (6) M V Rowley is noted as born in Indiana. His father is noted as being born in New York five times and in the last, 1920, he is listed from Indiana. M V Rowley’s mother is shown as being born in New Hampshire, United States, Indiana and Ohio three times.

The photographer on the card at the top is imprinted with “Blocker, successor to Rowley and Blocker”. Although M V Rowley seems to have taken on several partners in his travels, no mention of a photographer Blocker has yet been documented.

Note that items and records that name only “Rowley” might be referring to Morris Virgil’s brother Everett A Rowley who was also a photographer.

Sources: US census, city directories, state records, news items as shown,
1860 Apr
Indiana, US census, Morris Virgil Rowley is born to John D Rowley and Emeline C Chamberlain
1880 Jun 09
Oregon, IL, US census as photographer still living with parents
1885 Jun 08
Kearney, NE, Nebraska state census, at age 23, as photographer still living with parents
1886 Sep 02
Kearney, NE, Nebraska records, M V Rowley marries Pearl E Patch
1887 May 15
(Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal item says M V Rowley has sold his gallery to H A Wallace of Ida Grove, IA
1887 May 22
(Lincoln) Nebraska State Journal item says M V Rowley has gone to Bloomington, NE
1888
Denver, CO, city directory M V Rowley as photographer; res 1138 11th; NOT in Denver directory 1887 or in 1889

1889
St Joseph, MO, city directory Morris V Rowley NOT listed
1890
St Joseph, MO, city directory Morris V Rowley as photographer with Webster and Kunkle
1890 Jan
St Joseph (MO) Herald notices posted Nov and Dec, 1889, M V Rowley divorces Pearl E Patch, to be final in Jan 1890
1891
Kansas City, MO, city directory Morris V Rowley NOT listed; brother E A Rowley and father John D Rowley listed at 1853 Montgall
1892
Kansas City, MO, city directory Morris V Rowley as printer working for photographer D P Thompson; res 1015 e 16th father John D Rowley and brother Everett A Rowley at same res
1893
Kansas City, MO, city directory M V Rowley NOT listed; Everett A Rowley still listed as photographer living with father John D Rowley at 1015 e 16th
1894
St Paul, MN, city directory M V Rowley NOT listed; E A Rowley as operator for F J Haynes, photographer

1895 Jun 06
St Paul, MN, state census and city directory, M V Rowley as clerk for F J Haynes, photographers; brother E A Rowley as operator for same
1897
Minneapolis, MN, city directory, Morris V Rowley as photographer; rms 216 s 5th
1898
Kansas City, MO; Minneapolis, MN, city directory NOT listed
1898 Mar 10
Kansas City (MO) Journal item says M V Rowley, photographer, is arrested for stealing a watch
1898 Apr 05
Kansas City (MO) Journal item says is adjudged insane and is in jail for stealing watch
1899
Kansas City, MO, city directory, M V Rowley NOT listed
1899 Feb 24
Stockton (KS) Review, item says Rowley of Wichita, KS, will work for J H Turtle and S L Pepper in railroad gallery based in Lexington, MO
1899 Mar 31
Stockton (KS) Review item says the RR photocar will be in Stockton, KS, for a short time operated by M V Rowley

1899 Apr 20
(Ottawa, KS) Evening Herald, M V Rowley advertises for work, repeats several times;
1899 Apr 28
Stockton (KS) Review, item says M V Rowley has been employed by W S Koons photographer gallery
1899 May 04
(Stockton, KS) Western News item says W S Koons has leased his photo car to M V Rowley
1899 Aug 04
Stockton (KS) Review small ad for Rowley Gallery
1899 Aug 25
Stockton (KS) Review item says Rowley has gone into partnership with S L Pepper to operate a Railroad photo-car in Nebraska and Kansas
1899 Dec 07
Ellsworth (KS) Messenger item says M V Rowley has taken over the G A Avenarius Gallery in Ellsworth, KS
1899 Dec 28
Ellsworth, (KS) Messenger item says M V Rowley and G A Avenarius are no longer associated
1900 Feb 23
Stockton (KS) Review item says M V Rowley, formerly of Stockton, KS, is now in Pawhuska, OK

1900 Jun 09
Pawhuska, OK, (Osage and Kaw Indian reservation) US census, as photographer (noted as “single”)
1900 Sep 20
Ellsworth (KS) Reporter, item says M V Rowley has now opened a gallery in Ellsworth; mentions he is the son of “Mr and Mrs Doctor Rowley”, a reference which seems unconnected to photographer Maurice V Rowley
1901 Mar 15
(Larned, KS) Tiller and Toiler item says M V Rowley is successor to C W Cox at Elmdale, KS
1901 Mar 22
(Larned, KS) Tiller and Toiler news item says M V Rowley has moved his tent to Burdett, KS
1902 Jan 16
Osage (KS) City Free Press item says M V Rowley arrived in Osage City, KS, from Ottawa, KS, to assist in the J H Newby gallery
1906, 1907
Toledo, OH, city directory, M V Rowley NOT listed
1907 Sep 19
Holton (KS) Recorder item says M V Rowley of Toledo, OH, is employed at Ireland’s Gallery (note: M V Rowley had probably been staying with his father John D Rowley who was working as a truss manufacturer in Toledo, OH, between 1900 and 1912.

1910
Gallipolis, OH, US census, M V Rowley of Indiana, as patient in Ohio Hospital for Epileptics
1920
Gallipolis, OH, US census, M V Rowley of Indiana, as patient in Ohio Hospital for Epileptics
1929 Jan 18
Gallia, OH, state records, Maurice V Rowley dies at age 66

Since photographer M V Rowley was found in Kansas City, MO, twice, 1892 and 1898, the leading cabinet card on this page could have been finished near those times. However, he moved around so much it could possibly have been done any time after about 1890. There are many gaps in this timeline where he could have spent a month or two in Kansas City, MO, and then moved again.

Or possibly the ex-partner of Blocker was another Rowley entirely.

If more information becomes available, it will be added here.

Nebraska State Journal - 15 May 1887

Nebraska State Journal - 22 May 1887

St Joseph (MO) Herald - 27 Nov 1889
(ran several times through Dec)

Kansas City(MO)Journal - 10 Mar 1898

Kansas City(MO)Journal - 05 Apr 1898

Stockton (KS) Review - 24 Feb 1899

Western News - 30 Mar 1899

Stockton (KS) Review - 31 Mar 1899

The Evening Herald - 20 Apr 1899
(ran about 5 times Apr and May)

Stockton (KS) Review - 28 Apr 1899

Western News - 04 May 1899

Stockton (KS) Review - 04 Aug 1899

Stockton (KS) Review - 25 Apr 1899

Ellsworth (KZ) Reporter - 07 Dec 1899

Ellsworth (KS) Messenger - 28 Dec 1899

Stockton (KS) Review - 23 Feb 1900

Ellsworth (KS) Messenger - 20 Sep 1900

Ellsworth (KS) Reporter - 20 Sep 1900

(Larned, KS) Tiller and Toiler - 15 Mar 1901

(Larned, KS) Tiller and Toiler - 22 mar 1901

Osage Cit (KS) Free Press - 16 Jan 1902

Holton (KS) Recorder Tribune - 19 Sep 1907

Photographer: W C Rowley
110 and 112 W Water St
Elmira, New York

It is quite unlikely that this was the partner of Blocker. It appears Wesley C Rowley seldom left New York.

photographer: M V Rowley
Kearney, NE
example from auction site

This is from the railroad tour M V Rowley made with his photo car in 1899

photographer: Rowley Bros
Kearney, NE
example from auction site

photographer: M V Rowley
Washington Street, Oregon, IL
CDV example from LOST GALLERY CDV

reverse of card at left

photographer: D P Thompson
1000 and 1002 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO
example from auction site

Hee are two examples of cards from D P Thompson as mentioned in the above timeline at 1892

reverse of card at left

photographer: D P Thompson
Kansas City, MO
example from auction site

reverse of card at 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.

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, they will be immediately removed.