Photographer: Drum
The same chair appears four times
on this page
Harriet Drum
---(1842-1904)
Oscar Drum
---(1860-1936)
Lottie Drum
---(1864-1946)
Harriet Drum and her son Oscar and his wife Lottie were all photographers. They all worked together at one point and after Harriet died, Oscar and Lottie carried on the business. They worked the area of southern Kansas and some of Oklahoma Indian Territory, and later Oklahoma State. Oscar Drum operated a railroad car studio between about 1900 and 1903, possibly as late as 1905.
1842
Ancestry tree, Harriet (Forrest) Drum was born
1860 Sep
Illinois, FindAGrave, Oscar Drum was born
1864
Pensylvania, FindAGrave, Charlotte “Lottie” (Bastian) Drum was born
1880 Jun 10
Fairfax Township, KS, US census, Harriet, husband Henry and son Oscar are working on a farm
1885 March 01
Longton, KS, Kansas state census, Harriet and Oscar as photographers
1888
Longton, KS, city directory, Harriet and Oscar as photographers; Henry not listed (This and 1962 are the only city directories available for this city.)
1888 Nov 23
Longton (KS) Gleaner small ad for Drum and Son to remain in town only two weeks, in the old Photo gallery, 1st door north of Zellars (This would be Harriet Drum and son Oscar)
1890 Apr 18
Neodesha (KS) Register news item says Oscar Drum has taken pictures there Sunday
1890 May 30
Neodesha (KS) Register says Oscar Drum and Fred Strebel went to Salt Lake City , UT, to do pictures of Mormons
1891
US Census of 1900 says Oscar and Lottie marry
1891 Apr 03
Longton (KS) Signal news item says Oscar Drum was in Grenola, KS, and is not going to Neodesha, KS
1893 Apr 07
Longton, (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is moving his photo tent to the Indian Territory
1894 Apr 05
The Citizen (Howard, KS) news item says Oscar Drum is now located in Neodesha, KS, “the center of the new oil region”
1894 Jul 20
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum and wife are going to Osage country for photographs
1894 Aug 17
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum and wife have returned from the Indian country
1894 Nov 16. Nov 23
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item mentions Oscar Drum is now located in Pawjuska, I T (It is interesting to note that the Hutchings Railroad Photo Car is at Moline, KS, as advertised in the same newspapers)
1895 Feb 22, Apr 16
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is still located in Pawhuska, I T
1895 Nov 08
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum and wife plan to stay in Longton for the winter
1896 Jan 24
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum has been in Moline (KS) for the past two weeks and is now in Longton, KS
1896 Apr 03, Apr 10
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum will be in Longton, KS, on Apr 08 for a few weeks before returning to Indian Territory
1896 Jun 26
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum and wife left for Bartlesville, Indian Territory, where they will stay a few months
1896 Oct 30
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum will be working in the Bone gallery a day or two each week
1896 Dec 11
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum will be moving to Howard, KS
1897 Jan 06, Jan 29
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is still working in Howard, KS
1897 Nov 26
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum and wife have been in Colorado the past year
1897 Dec 24
Howard (KS) Courant news item says Oscar Drum is to open a gallery again in that city
1898
Ancestry site, Longton, KS, Oscar’s father dies
1898 Apr 01
Howard (KS) Courant news item says Oscar Drum is now at Neodesha, KS
1898 Aug 26
Howard (KS) Courant news item says Oscar Drum is now at Moberly, MO
1898 Oct 07
Longton (KS) News news item says C Barbour, Jr, will go to work for Oscar Drum in Norton, MO
1899 Jan 13
Kansas City (KS) Gazette news item says Oscar Drum, travelling photographer was arrested for working without a city license
1900 May 18
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is not in Neosho Falls, KS
1900 Jun 05
Jackson, KS, US census Oscar, Lottie and Harriet as photographers
1900 Jul 06, Jul 20
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is now at Strong City, KS, with his railroad car (Earliest mention of rail car)
1900 Aug
Drum's photo car leaves Strong City, KS (see note from C Fooks below)
1900 Sep 14
Photo Car in Elmdale, KS. (see note from C Fooks below)
1901 Jan and Feb
Drum's Photo Car is in Florence, KS (see note from C Fooks below)
1901 Feb 07
Cottonwood Falls (KS) News item says Drum photocar in still in Florence, KS
1901 Mar 29
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar drum is in Longton from Apr 06 to Apr 16
1901 Oct 25, Nov 01
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar and wife have the railroad car in Peabody, KS
1902 Jan 31, Feb 07, Mar 21
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum is now in El Reno, OK
1902 Oct 10
Longview (KS) News item says Oscar Drum is now in Shawnee, OK
1902 Oct 31
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum is now in Edmond, OK
1903 Mar 20, May 29
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum photo car is now in Chandler, OK
1903 Jun 19, Jul 24
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum photo car is now in Stroud, OK
1903 Jul 31
Longton (KS) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is working in a tent in Longton, KS
1903 Oct 16, Nov 27, Dec 04
Howard (KS) Courant news item says Oscar Drum photo car is now at Sapulpa, I T (Note, this is the last mention found of the Drum photo car)
1904
Ancestry website, Oscar’s mother Harriet dies.
1905 Oct 20
Longton (KA) Gleaner news item says Oscar Drum is in Bartlesville, I T
1905 Dec 29
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum has sold the business in Bartlesville, I T, and is building a home in Longton, KS
1908 Sep 04
Howard (KS) Courant news item says Oscar Drum has sold his gallery in Howard, KS, to Mrs Chas Childress
1910 Apr 22
Bartlesville, KS, US census, city directory Oscar listed as Commercial Photographer at Drum Studio, wife Lottie as no occupation; earliest city directory available
1910 Aug 12
Longton (KS) News item says Oscar Drum and wife are now in Bartlesville, OK
1910 Dec 15
Howard (KA) Courant news item says Oscar Drum is recovering from injuries in an automobile accident near Sedan, KS; mentions Drum is NOT operating a gallery in Howard, KS
1912
Bartlesville, OK, city directory Oscar is partnered with F. N. Griggs, Drum and Griggs, studio at 24 Masonic building; res 521 Jennings
1920
Bartlesville, OK, US Census Oscar and Lottie as photographers; 521 Jennings; (last mention of photography)
1925, 1927
Bartlesville, OK, city directory, Oscar with no occupation shown; res 521 Jennings
1929 - 1933
Bartlesville, OK, city directory, Oscar shown as farmer only; res 521 Jennings
1935
Bartlesville, OK, city directory, Oscar at 75, no occupation shown
1936
Bartlesville, OK, Find-a-Grave Oscar dies at age 76
1946
Find-a-Grave, Lottie dies at age 76
The photograph on the top left has no location shown on the card. It could have been finished any time between 1888 and about 1912.
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 23 Nov 1888
Neodesha (KS) Register - 18 Apr 1888
Neodesha (KS) Register - 30 May 1890
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 07 Aug 1893
Howard (KS) Citizen - 05 Apr 1894
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 20 Jul 1894
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 16 Nov 1894
Howard (KS) Courant - 23 Nov 1894
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 19 Apr 1895
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 08 Nov 1895
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 03 APr 1896
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 26 Jun 1896
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 11 Dec 1896
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 08 Jan 1897
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 26 Nov 1897
Howard (KS) Courant - 24 Dec 1897
Howard (KS) Courant - 01 Apr 1898
Howard (KS) Courant - 26 Aug 1898
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 07 Oct 1898
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 18 May 1900
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 06 Jul 1900
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 25 Jan 1901
Cottonwood Falls (KS) Chase Co. Leader - 07 Feb 1901
Elmdale (KS) Reporter - 12 Apr 1901
Longton (KS) News - 25 Oct 1901
Howard (KS) Courant - 7 Feb 1902
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 21 Mar 1902
10 Oct 1902
Longton (KS) News - 31 Oct 1902
Longton (KS) News - Mar 20 1903
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 03 Apr 1903
Longton (KS) News - 19 Jun 1903
Howard (KS) Courant - 16 Oct 1903
Howard (KS) Courant - 29 Jul 1904
Longton (KS) News - 29 Dec 1905
Howard (KS) Courant - 04 Sep 1908
Longton (KS) Gleaner - 31 may 1912
"Portraits and Views"
(probably from he photo-car;
no location is imprinted on the card.
example from
The University of Tulsa Archival Catalog
Photographer: Drum,
Rail Road Photo Car
This same chair appears
about six times on this page
example contributed by S Tennant
example contributed by S Tennant
RailRoad Photo Car
example from contributor MThurston (A very unusual portrait!)
Update 30 Jul 2018:
Further evidence that the Drum family used a photo car. The example below is imprinted Lamar, Colorado. Newspaper items say that Drum and wife visited Colorado in 1897 and Drum toured Western Kansas and Colorado late in 1912.
example from auction site
Update 24 Aug 2018:
Following are some examples from the personal collection of S Tennant.
photographer Drum
example contributed by S Tennant
photographer Drum
example contributed by S Tennant
From contributor S Patterson
lower right corner
enlargement of Blind Stamp showing photographer name
photographer: Drum
Nowata, IT (Indian Territory)
A fine review of Oscar Drum is at
the High Shrink site
photographer: Drum
Railroad Photo Car
reverse of card at left
Hello,
Thank you for your work on the Drums' photography, particularly for the clippings from the Longton Gleaner.
I thought you might like to look at the photograph of Julia Maud Breese (1887-1904) of Elmdale KS taken by Drum in 1900. You probably have seen the various photos of her father's (L. B. Breese's) general store in Elmdale. Her mother compiled Julia: A Memoir, published by R. R. Donnelley in 1905 after Julia died of consumption at the age of 17 in March 4, 1904. On the back of the photo, the last line (below 1900) states "died 3 1/2 yrs. later," which pretty much locks in the September 1900 date.
C Fooks
I want to update the information I sent you several months ago about the Drum photograph of Julia Breese.
Drum's Rail Road Photo Car left Strong City in late August, 1900.
According to Drum's ad in the September 14, 1900 issue of the Elmdale Register, he was doing a very good business in Elmdale, about 7 miles west of Strong City.
It seems most likely then that Drum took Julia's photo in September, 1900. Since she was born on February 15, 1887, she was 13 years and 7 months old in Drum's photo.
Unfortunately, the other 3 issues for September as well as all 4 issues for October and all 4 issues for November are missing from the file of the Elmdale Register for 1900, so I do not know exactly when Drum's Rail Road Photo Car arrived in and when it left Elmdale.
I do know that his Photo Car was in nearby Florence in January and February, 1901. Obviously, he was moving westward on the A.T. and Santa Fe line.)
C. Fooks
(timeline updated 20201121)
Also see the excellent video about this photo on YouTube Here.
photographer: DrumRailroad Photo Car
example from Danny Keltner
"Gail, Jesse Ray and Vey Pearson -1900"
Been trying to find out information on this photo, I'm so glad you have your collection online. This was in my grandmothers belongings so I believe it is her on the left. She was born in 1895 in Sumner Missouri and the family was moving back to Kansas City around 1900.
I notice the same chair was used in another photograph on your page.
Thank- you for helping me solve this mystery. Danny Keltner.
From contributor LisaK
John and Effie Jones
Identified by the owner, G Carter.
Example from GCarter of Houston, TX
photographer: O DrumOawhuska, OT
example from auction site
(from around early 1895 when Oscar Drum was in Pawhuska. OT)
reverse of card at left
photographer: DrumParson's Gallery
Pawhuska, O T
example from auction site
(no location given so probably from the railroad car period)
example from auction site
No location shown
example from contributor BBennett
(Note: The imprint in this example differers from any other on this page.)
example from contributor J Johnston
Traveling Photographer
example from contributor R Stansifer
owner dated at 1890
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.
Aditional 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.
Hi,
ReplyDeleteI had purchased an old photo album at an auction years ago. As I was cleaning out my attic I ran across this album and it has several Drum photographs. They have the Drum, (with a comma) in the left of the photo and Rail Road, Photo Car on the right side bottom of the photo. Is there anyone that you know of that collects these old photos? I also have a few that are marked with the names of Martin, Ford and H. Ford. Do you know about what time period that these were taken?
Thanks,
Sandra
Thanks for your note and kind offer Sandra.
DeleteYour old photographs sound interesting. I would love to see them. All three of the photographers you mention have been reviewed for these pages. I have only a sketchy bio on the Drum photographers and I could find nothing at all on H. Ford. William H “Doc” Martin however was quite a well-documented personality.
The Cabinet Card Photographer blog is based mainly on the 500 or so cards in my own collection. I set out originally to present biographies and timelines to help people date their own cabinet cards from the information, name and location, on the card. Recently I have been adding contributions from helpful readers such as you.
Send an email to phase65 at yahoo dot com we can decide how to handle your contributions.
Thanks again!
Anyjazz
I have a Drum photograph taken at what I believe to be the Wolverine Oil Company Camp (now Wolco, OK) after 1905. The photographer's mark is similar to the mark on the first photograph in the series shown above but without a comma and a bit more ornate. "Bartlesville, Ind. Ter." is inscribed below the mark. I not sure this indicates that the photograph was taken before statehood in 1907 since the photographer could have had old stock that was being used up. I assume this photograph was taken by Oscar or Lottie Drum. Does this additional information help fill out your bio on the Drum photographers? Is there any way to confirm the date and location of this photograph? I can send a photo of the mark if that would be of assistance.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comment. Oscar Drum worked from a rail car at least for part of his career. Itinerant photographers appear to have had small, hand operated stamps or presses, in order to imprint cards with the name of the town where they were operating. Obviously they wouldn’t need to print their stock until needed. So, using up old imprinted stock is then a less likely situation. Also, in many of the examples on this page you see that they have omitted the location from the imprint, making them universal for any location.
DeleteThe Drum page is being re-worked with some additional information and examples. Check back in a couple days. I would be happy to include your example. If you can, send a good scan or clear photograph of your card to the email address found in the profile linked at the bottom of this page. Include the edges, no cropping, as the edges often tell something of the age of the card. Thanks again!
Amazing post. Thanks
ReplyDeleteThank you! Still looking for more examples.
DeleteI have a beautifully preserved family photograph with the Drum Photo Rail Road Car label at the bottom. On the back of the matting is very faint pencil writing that I believe says "Longton" and I'm pretty sure says October 26, 1901. I would love to find the descendants of this family and give this to them. I also have another photo, not by Drum, with one of the same family members in it. I bought these at a vintage store years ago near Palm Springs.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your interest and effort. I will be happy to add this to the Drum page. I can add text that will include “Longton” so that it might turn up in general internet earches for that name. I will need a scan or photograph of entire piece including the edges. Include the writing on the reverse; perhaps I can enhance it to be more legible. Send the scans to the email address in the profile at the bottom of the page. Thanks again!
DeleteI just sent you the photo. it turns out that the name and date are on the back of the photo that does NOT have the Drum stamp on it. It also appears not to say Longton, now that we've enlarged it and enhanced it. It might be the family's name, but it's still not quite legible. So it's possible that the family could have lived in any number of places that Drum photographed.
DeleteWill do! I am swamped for the next few days but will send you the photos this weekend.
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful resource and fascinating photos. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment! I found a lot of material for this page and I was assisted by some generous contributors. Thanks again!
Delete