Photographer: Killion
(Monogram says "G W K")
343 Collinsville Ave, East St. Louis Ills.
example from LOST GALLERY
There were two photographers in the cabinet card era with the name George Killion. One had a studio in East Saint Louis, IL. The other was George Killion who worked in New York and was apparently never in East Saint Louis.
The George Killion from East Saint Louis, IL, worked as photographer from about 1905 to 1920 apparently always at 343 Collinsville.
George W Killion
(1848 - 1923)
1848 Feb
Washington IN, US census, George W Killion is born to Silas D Killion and Catherine Overshiner
1870 Apr 02
Jackson, IL, US census, Killion as farmer living with parents
1880 Jun 11
Ava, Jackson, IL, US census Killion as a barber
1880
Saint Louis, MO, city directory Killion NOT listed
1884 Feb
Washington, IN, state records, US census, George W Killion is born to Silas Killion and Catherine Overshiner
1892
US census, G W Killion marriage to Caroline B Kirkpatrick
1895 Apr 28
East St Louis (MO) Glove Democrat, news item about Killion selling photographs at celebration; mentioned as “photographer for the “Globe Democrat”
1900
East Saint Louis, MO, US census, G W Killion as barber; res 343 Collinsville av
1905, 1906, 1907
East Saint Louis, IL, city directory, as photographer at 343 Collinsville av
1907 Dec 20
St Louis (MO) Glove Democrat, item about Killion as the barber in suit with railroad
1910 19 Apr
East Saint Louis, IL, US census as photographer at 343 Collinsville av
1920 Jan 05
East Saint Louis, IL, US census, as photographer at 343 Collinsville
1923 Jul 22
East Saint Louis, IL, state records, G W Killion dies at age 75
The records are very thin but based on the few documents found, George Killion was a barber from 1880 to at least 1900. Somewhere in the late 1890’s he began a side line as photographer. Sometime between 1900 and 1906 he opened a photograph studio in his home at 343 Collinsville, IL. But even then, he was referred to as “Barber” and not “photographer” in news items.
All later records find him at the same address as a photographer until his death in 1923.
It is quite possible that he worked for other photographer studios early on, learning the trade, and even while he worked at this own studio in later years, but there are no records that substantiate this.
City Directory business page
28 Apr 1895
20 Dec 1907
20 Dec 1907
343 Collinsville Ave, East St Louis, MO
example from auction site
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.
Thanks for the incredibly informative site. It's a great help in giving a tentative time period to some of the unidentified old photos from my grandmother. I do have an alternate address for Killion, though. I have two photos from Killion's Art Studio that bear the address, 337 Collinsville Avenue, East St. Louis, Illinois.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the kind words. It is comments like yours that expand the aim of the blog which is to help date old photographs.
DeleteThanks for the additional address for Killion. The 337 address might be just two or three doors west of the 343 address where Killion kept his studio and barber shop from 1900 to 1920. Unfortunately I have been able to find few documents to illuminate the decade just before that.
Also, I have often found that rather than a move or relocation, it might have been just a renumbering of the street addresses to accommodate new buildings added to the block. That was often necessary in growing communities around the turn of the century. That would mean your card, stamped with 337 Collinsville Avenue would be from just before the address became 343.
In any case it would be difficult if not impossible to tell, as nearly all the buildings on the street have been torn down years ago. The few remaining are mostly vacant.
If you wish I will add your example to the page and maybe it will assist others in dating their family photographs. Send a good scan or photograph of your card to the address found in the profile. (Link at the bottom of this page) Include the edges, don’t crop. Sometimes the edges can be a great help in dating a card. Avoid glare and shadows on the card when photographing if possible.
I’m looking at Killion again now to see if there is anything I can add.
Thanks again!
Thank you for this information! I have a photograph with Killion in the bottom right hand corner at a diagonal, followed by 343 Coll Av, E. St. Louis. I am unable to copy and paste the photo here for you. I am estimating it to be around 1905 - could this be the logo for him early on (as opposed to the photo above with the name and address horizontally across the bottom of the photo)? Thank you! Mary Landeros
ReplyDeleteThanks you! I have updated the page a bit. It’s almost 20 years old! Send a good scan of your card to the email address found in the profile at the bottom of this page. I would love to see it! Maybe I will spot something that will help. I have found that the cabinet card photographers sometimes changed their imprint often. Most were not printed in batches at a print shop as you might imagine. They were imprinted in the studio, individually as needed day to day.
Delete