Photographer: Terry Hart
What Cheer, Iowa
Possibly finished around 1888
(There's a great page about the Hart Studio at the Ames History Museum.)
George Terrence Hart
(1867 - 30 Aug 1932)
George Terrence (Terry) Hart was born in What Cheer, IA in 1867.
Different records place him at Washington, Van Buren and then his
marriage in 1887 at Sigorney, IA. These rural towns are just a few
miles apart.
In 1895 he is found in Oskaloosa, IA, and then in 1910 in Ames, IA.
None of the family has been found in the 1900 census so their
whereabouts between 1895 and 1910 is not certain. Perhaps this is the
period George Hart had a studio back in What Cheer, IA.
He remains in Ames, IA, as a photographer until death in 1932.
His son Atlee Bearl Hart continues on in the field of photography
mostly in Ames, IA, also.
There are still a few gaps in the photograph history of G T Hart. He seldom, if ever, used addresses in his imprints or newspaper ads. Of course some of the small towns of that era didn’t even have a street numbering system. Address were often just “Over Jim’s Grocery” or “Across from the bank” or sometimes just “East on Harville Road”.
Everyone knew where everything was.
So this timeline mostly tells the towns where Hart worked and roughly when. He apparently had studios at different times, in several locations within Blair. .
He seems to move around a lot, working mostly in Blair and other small towns in Nebraska, and then finally settling in Ames, IA, from about 1915 on. .
Ads from some other photographers are added here to show that the small towns could support the businesses of more than one photographer at a time. .
TIMELINE
George Terrence Hart
(1866 to 1932)
1866 Apr 18
What Cheer, IA, state records, George Terrence Hart is born to Daniel Mark Hart and Olive Mary Hickey
Blair, NE, Pilot newspaper item says G B Riker is photographer in Blair
1880 Jun 09
Keokuk, IA, US census, at 14, George T Hart and his parents are now living in Keokuk, IA
1885 Jan 01
Keokuk, IA, state census, at 18, George T Hart is listed as artist, still living with parents
1887 Dec 22
Sigourney, Keokuk, IA, state records, G T Hart and Loraine Neff, no occupation shown
1888 Aug 04
What Cheer, IA, state records, son Earl Max Hart is born to G T Hart and Loraine
1890 Dec 06
Blair (NE) Courier item says G L Hart is “Riker’s scenic photographer” and the Ricker has hired M B Wheeler of Williamsburg, IA, as photographer
1891 Dec 10
Blair (NE) Pilot newspaper item mentions photographers Hart and Dixon
1891 Dec 19
Blair (NE) Courier, news item says H E Meservey and G T Hart are scouting Fremont, IA, for a possible locaton for a photo gallery in Blair, representing a “Strong Company”
1891 Dec 19
Blair (NE) Courier news item says Hart and Dixon, the photographers are busy, no address shown
1891 Dec 24
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says Hart and Dixon, photographers are busy
1892 Aug 11
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says Hart and others are contemplating a Photographic Institute in Blair for the education of those interested in photography
1892 Oct 01
Blair (NE) Courier news item says that G T Hart has hired an assistant to help with business
1892 Oct 01 and Dec 12
Blair (NE) Courier display ad for Mrs H Harris, “Oldest photographer in Washington County” on Washington Street, in Blair NE
1892 Dec 15
Blair (NE) Pilot news ad says Louis Mogensen is now at “Hart’s old studio”
1893 Feb 11
Blear (NE) Courier news item says a man was arrested for stealing a camera from the Hart Studio
1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier ad says Hart is the “leader in styles and quality”; address not shown
1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier display ad says “Mrs H Harris Faber” is the “pioneer” photographer of Washington County
1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier news item says G T Hart has decided to remain in Blair, NE, instead of taking a management job in Milwaukee
1893 Aug 24 (x 2)
Blair (NE) Pilot news/ad says “Prof” G T Hart has re-purchased his previous gallery in Blair, NE, and has established a branch at Craig, NE
1893 Apr 22
Blair (NE) Courier news item says G T Hart is still in business
1893 Jun 29
Blair (NE) Pilot news/ad says Photographer Hart is still in business
1894 Jan 25
Blair (NE) Pilot item says C M Purcell, photographer is visiting G T Hart
1894 Jan 26
Blair (NE) Pilot item says Hart, the photographer, is still doing business
1894 Feb 08
Blair (NE) Pilot display ad says cabinets at $2.50 per dozen from 2/5 to 2/15 (No address is given)
1894 Oct 18
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says G T Hart of Blair has opened his photography business in Oskaloosa, IA
1895 Apr 24
Mahaska, IA, state records, son Atlee Bearl Hart is born to G T Hart and Loraine
1895
Mahaska, IA, state census, G T Hart as resident, details not available
1896 Apr 30
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says L A Mangold has purchased the Hart Gallery in Blair
1896 May 02
Blair (NE) Weekly news item says W P Viele took possession of the old Hart Gallery from W B Vandewall
1896 May 07
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says L A Mangold at the Hart Gallery straightening out the “Tangles left by W B Vandewall”;
1900 Jun 05
Springfield, MO, US census, George T Hart as “T salesman of picture H” as boarder with several other names; wife and children NOT listed; may be wrong George T Hart altogether, but there is no other listing for him or his wife available
1900
Items about George Terrence Hart are scarce after 1900
1910 Apr 16
Washington, IA, US census, G T Hart as photographer, wife “L Eliza” as assistant
1912 Mar 15
Salt Lake City (UT) Desert Evening News item says G T Hart stops there on way from Portland, OR, headed back East
1915
Ames, IA, state census, George T Hart as photographer; age given as 49
1920 Jan 08
Ames, IA, US census, George T Hart as photographer; res Grand Av; wife ”Laura” as assistant
1925 Jan 01
Ames, IA, state census, G T Hart, no occupation shown; wife “Eliza”
1930 Apr 12
Ames, IA, US census, George T Hart as photographer; wife “Lara” as photographer; res 626 6th St
1932 Aug 30
Ames, IA, state records, death certificate, George Terrence Hart dies with prostate cancer at age 66
There's a great page about the Hart Studio at the Ames History Museum.
Blair (NE) Courier - 06 Dec 1890
Blair (NE) Pilot - 10 Dec 1891
Blair (NE) Courier - 19 Dec 1891
Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Dec 1891
Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Dec 1891
Blair (NE) Courier - 01 Oct 1892
Blair (NE) Courier - 01 Oct 1892
Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Mar 1893
Blair (NE) Pilot - 15 Dec 1892
Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Mar 1893
Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Mar 1893
Blair (NE) Courier - 22 APR 1893
Blair (NE) Courier - 22 APR 1893
 Pilotcom/-oBgg6TCdWzs/YVYy_6ls0qI/AAAAAAAAZpA/3aADqTxGNVsKqGWYyk86TDG8TghwEYngACLcBGAsYHQ/s432/18930629%2BThe%2BBlair%2BNE%2BPilot_Thu__Jun_29__1893_.jpg)
Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Aug 1893
Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Aug 1893
Blair (NE) Pilot - 08 Feb 1894
Blair (NE) Pilot - 08 Feb 1894
Blair (NE) Pilot - 18 Oct 1894
Muscatine (IA) Journal - 01 Oct 1895
Blair (NE) Weekly Reader - 02 May 1896
Salt Lake City (UT) Deseret Evening News -
photographer Hart (monogram says "G T H"
Monroe Block, Blair, NE
example from auction site
photographer Hart (monogram says "G T H"
Monroe Block, Blair, NE
example from auction site
Monroe Block, Blair, NE
example from auction site
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I believe Hart was in Blair, Nebraska for a time.
ReplyDeleteI think you are right. I think I will look back into this photographer and see if I can find anything new. Thanks for the nudge! Oh, and if you happen to have an example of his work, from anywhere, I would sure like to add it to this page.
DeleteThank you. My name is David Cullen, BTW. I had actually intended to say that Hart was in Ames, Iowa for quite a while. I know he had been in What Cheer, Iowa, which is where my great-grandparents lived (DP and Margaret Cullen). Hart, whose father, Daniel Marks Hart, had lived with my great-great-grandfather (DP's father John Cullen), in Washington, Iowa, had a family tie. The Hart line married into the Cullen line via a child of John Cullen's wife's first (or maybe second!) husband, George Hickey. So, Terry Hart was something like a second cousin, twice or thrice removed. It all gets complicated but I'm working on it....
DeleteYes, I can send along copies of photos I have. What's the best way to do that?
In addition to Hart stuff, I have Cook out of Peoria, Stinson & Riker ((Blair Neb), and a bunch of others, all family pictures. Most of them are Midwest, though as the family history moved into the 20th century, we start to pick up photo studies in Wyoming, Kansas, and California, etc.
Thanks for your interest!
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