Isaac A Ridgway

Photographer: Ridgway
Portage, Wis

Isaac A. Ridgway
(16 Mar 1850 - 14 Jun 1935)

1850 Mar 16
From US census, birth at Milwaukee Woods, WI
1870 Jun 28
Floyd, IS, US census. Isaac Ridgeway as Farmer
1877
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgeway NOT shown
1880 Jun 18
Portage, WI, US census, Isaac Ridgeway as photographer
1881 Jul 09
Portage (WI) State Register, earliest note of Ridgway and Stevens as partners
1882 Mar 17
Racine (WI) Daily Journal Times, item says Ridgway and Stevens have hired Fred Billings at Portage, WI
1892 Sep 25
Milwaukee (WI) Journal Sentinel, item says Ridgway has sole his gallery and residence and will mve to Madison
1892 Oct 11
Portage (WI) Daily Democrat, item says I A Ridgway has cancelled his move to Madison

1883 Sep 15
Portage (WI) State Register, item mentions photograph gallery of Ridgway and Stevens
1884 Apr 05
Portage Wisconsin State Journal, Item says Ridgway and Stevens are about to dissolve partnership=
1895
Wisconsin State census, Isaac Ridgway with three in family, no occupation shown
1895 Sep 13
Portage (WI) Daily Democrat, small ad for Ridgway
1886 Jul 20
Portage (WI) Daily Register, item says photographer Ridgway has hired George Hazeltine for studio
1896
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgway NOT listed
1897 Dec 21
Portage (WI) Daily Register, item says Dr J W Quinn will be sharing office space in Ridgway’s studio
1898 Jul 19
Portage (WI) Daily Register, item says Ridgway has disposed of hit gallery to Walter S Pifer

1898 Jul 25
Portage (WI) Daily Democrat, item says I A Ridgway had leased a gallery in Madison, WI
1898
Madison, Wi, city directory, Isaac Ridgway as photographer at 17 W Main, 2nd floor
1899 Mar 02
Portage (WI) Daily Democrat, item says “Ira” A Ridgway, formerly of Portage, now has a gallery in Madison, opposite state capitol
1900 Jun 04
Madison, WI, US census, Isaac Ridgway as Artist; res 265 Langdon St
1900
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgway as photographer at 17 W Main
1902, 1904, 1907, 1909
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgway as photographer at 17 W Main, 3rd fl
1910 Apr 20
Madison, WI, US census, Isaac Ridgeway as photographer with own gallery; res 505 Frances St
1911. 1914, 1916
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgeway as photographer at 17 W Main, 3rd fl

1917
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgeway as photographer at 13 W Main
1919
Madison, WI, city directory, Isaac Ridgway NOT shown
1920 Jan 03
Whitestown, NY, US census, Isaac Ridgeway as “none”; res 58 Main St
1930 Apr 04
Randolph, WI, US census, Isaac Ridgeway as “none’
1935 Jun 14
Isaac Ridgeway dies at age 85 in Wisconsin

It appears that Isaac Ridgway started in a studio Portage, WI, around 1880 and then established at 17 W Main in Madison, WI, from late 1898 to at least 1917.

Wisonsin (Portage) State Register -
09 Jul 1881

Wisconsin State Register p
17 Dec 1881

Racine (WI) Daily Journal -
17 Mar 1882

Wisconsin State Register -
15 Sep 1553

Wisconsin State Register -
05 Apr 1884

Portage (WI) Daily Register -
20 Jul 1886

Milwaukee (WI) Journal -
25 Sep 1892

Portage (WI) Daily Democrat -
11 Oce 1892

Portage (WI) Daily Democrat -
13 Sep 1895

Portage (WI) Daily Register -
21 Dec 11897

Portage (WI) Daily Register -
19 Jul 18198

Portage (WI) Daily Dempcrat -
25 Jul 1898

Portage (WI) Daily Democrat -
02 Mar 1899

Madison (WI) State Journal -
17 Aug 1899

Wisconsin State Journal -
17 Aug 1899

photographer: Ridgway and Stevens
Portage, WI
example from auction site
(According to newspaper items, Ridgway and Stevens were partners at least from December of 1881 to October of 1883.)

reverse of card at left

photographer: Ridgway
Portage, WI
example from auction site

photogapher: Ridgway
Portage, WI
example from contributor
(finished between 1895 and 1898)

reverse of card at left

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.

Cabinet cards typically have the photographer’s name and address printed on the bottom edge or the reverse of the card. 19th century photographers moved around a lot. The basic idea here is to find WHEN a photographer was WHERE, which will help date an unidentified CABINET CARD from your family album.

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.

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