Randolph Parker Bellsmith

photographer: R. P. Bellsmith
148 W 4th,Cincinnati, O.
(probably finished 1892 or after)

Randolph Parker Bellsmith
(16 Feb 1857 - 11 May 1910)
and
Harold Septimus Bellsmith
(Jul 1856 - 10 Aug 1916)

Timeline (includes some items from both brothers)
1855 Jul
London, England, from various sources, Harold Septimus Bell Smith is born
1857 Feb 16
London, England, from various sources, Randolph Parker Bell Smith is born
1867
Bellsmith family arrives in US (1910 census says 1881 but other evidence indicates that must incorrect)
1877
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, city directory Harold Bellsmith as photographer; bds 30 Main
1878
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, city directory H S Bellsmith as artist; bds McNab and Main
1878 and 1879
Buffalo (NY) several commercial newspaper ads through the year for Samo and Bellsmith studio at 292 and 294 Main st; (this is likely H S Bellsmith)

1880
Buffalo (NY) Commercial news item mentions Samo and Bellsmith studio
1880
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Bellsmith as photographer with Samo and Bellsmith, 272 Main; res same; R P Bellsmith NOT listed
1881, 1882
Buffalo, NY, city directory R P Bellsmith and H S Bellsmith as photographers with Bellsmith brothers at 446 Main
1883
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Bellsmith as photographer; 446 Main; R P Bellsmith NOT listed; Studio still listed as Bellsmith Brothers
1883
Hamilton, OH, state records, R P Bellsmith and Mary E Donough are married
1884
Buffalo, NY, city directory, Neither R P Bellsmith nor H S Bellsmith are listed
1884
Columbus, OH, city directory, R P Bellsmith as photographer for the Urlin Gallery
1886
Cleveland, OH city directory as R P Bellsmith as photographer but working for another studio

1887 Oct 02
Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer ad for Marceau and Bellsmith studio at 148 w Fourth st; this would be R P Bellsmith


R P Bellsmith’s partner from 1887 to 1892 was Theodore C Marceau. The highly successful Marceau has been well documented in several places. See:
Cabinet Card Gallery
Daily Art Magazine
Wikipedia


1888
Rochester, NY, city directory, No Bellsmith is listed
1889
Rochester, NY, city directory H S Bellsmith has moved to London, England
1889 Sep 07
New York, NY, passenger manifest, H S Bellsmith returns to New York
1889 Sep 15
Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer ad for Marceau and Bellsmith studio

1890, 1891
Cincinnati, OH city directory as photographer, Marceau and Bellsmith at 148 w Fourth
1892
Cincinnati, OH city directory R P Bellsmith has bought out Marceau in studio at 148 w Fourth
1891, 1893
Denver, CO, city directory, Harold S Bellsmith as photographer at 1113 16th ; res 1101 Columbine
1893
Buffalo, NY, city directory, NO Power or Bellsmith listed
1894
Buffalo, NY, city directory, Mr and Mrs L W Power res 117 Mariner (No business pages)
1895
Cincinnati, OH city directory R P Bellsmith has moved the studio from 148 w Fourth to 124 w Fourth
1895 1896
Buffalo, NY, city directory, Ralph P Bellsmith as photographer at 500 Main; res Cincinnati, OH; L W Power NOT listed
1897
Buffalo, NY, city directory, Bellsmith Studio, Frank Moore, Mngr; 500 Main: Luke Power NOT listed

1898
Denver, CO, city directory, H S Bellsmith as photographer at 1113 16th
(Yes, H S Bellsmith is listed in both Denver and Buffalo this year)
1898
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Bellsmith as photographer at 500 Main; Luke Power NOT listed
1899
Denver, CO, city directory, H S Bellsmith NOT listed
1899
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Bellsmith as photographer at 500 Main; Luke Power NOT listed
1900
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Smith as photographer at 516 Main; res 364 Main;
1902
Buffalo, NY, city directory, H S Bellsmith NOT listed
02 Sep 1903
Cincinnati (OH) Brownston, Jackson County Banner small ad for R P Bellsmith at 124 W 4th St.
1906
Brooklyn, NY, city directory H S Bellsmith as photographer at 830 Flatbush

1910
R P Bellsmith dies at age 53 of Bright’s disease
1911
Cincinnati, OH city directory listing and ad for R P Bellsmith studio at 122-124-126 w Fourth; studio apparently carried on briefly by son Randolph Ormsby Bellsmith.
1912
Cincinnati, OH city directory listing and ad for Bellsmith studio at 122-124-126 w Fourth; studio proprietor is now W C Ballard
1916 Aug 16
New Jersey, church records, Harold Bellsmith dies at age 61 (some records place the date at 05 Jan 1916)

This is a partial list of photographers known to have worked with the Bellsmith Brothers at one time or another:
Napoleon Sarony
Luke W Power (1894)
Karl Moon (1902)
C W Neiswanger (1897)
Ed Lockman (1891-1892)
Theodore C Marceau (1887-1892)
Joseph Samo (1879-1880)

Grand Junction (CO)Sentinel -
19 Jan 1897

Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer
02 Oct 1887

Brownstown Jackson County Banner
- 02 Sep 1903

Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer
12 May 1910

photographer: Bellsmith
124 W 4th St, Cincinnati, OH
example from the Pierce/Vaubel genealogy website

The blind stamp imprint on this card is difficult to make out in this scan. The address appears to be 124 W 4th St., Cincinnati, OH. This would mean that it was probably finished about 1895 before the move back to Buffalo, NY.

photographer: R P Bellsmith
148 W 4th, Cincinnati, OH
(probably finished 1892 or after)
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
148 W 4th, Cincinnati, OH
example from Bohrstrom Library Digital Archives

photographer; R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth, Cincinatti, OH
example from T Papuchis

photographer; R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth, Cincinatti, OH
example from T Papuchis

photographer; R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth, Cincinatti, OH
example from T Papuchis

photographer; R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth, Cincinatti, OH
example from T Papuchis

photographer; R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth, Cincinatti, OH
example from T Papuchis

reverse of card at left
(Note: owner dated 1894)

The card at the right is 4 inches by 6 inches with bevelled edges. The card is typical size and design for early 1900's when the popularity of the cabinet card format was fading.

The subject is identified on the reverse as "With all my love, Helen Bloch, Sept. 16 1900".

photographer: Bellsmith
Cincinnati
example from A McConville

Helen apparently visited Brazil in 1938.

Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer - 02 Sep 1954

photographer: R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth St, Cincinnati, OH
example from PickClick

reverse of card at the left
---Note the date---

photographer: R P Bellsmith
148 W Fourth St, Cincinnati, OH
example from PickClick

photographer: Bellsmith, Denver, CO
example from auction site

photographer: Bellsmith, Denver, CO
example from Cabinet Card Gallery

photographer: Bellsmith, Denver, CO
example from pinterest

The examples at the left are by Harold Septimus Bellsmith. City directories place the Denver Bellsmith studio at 1113 Sixteenth Street from 1891 to 1898.

photographer: Bellsmith
Denver, CO
example from UCLA library

photographer: Bellsmith
Denver, CO
example from pinterest

photographer: Bellsmith
Denver, CO
example from auction site

photographer: Bellsmith
Denver, CO
example from auction site
(really poor scan but a different design)

The examples just below are imprinted "Marceau and Bellsmith."
R P Bellsmith’s partner from 1887 to 1892 was Theodore C Marceau. This highly successful photographer, Marceau has been well documented in several places. See:
Cabinet Card Gallery
Daily Art Magazine
Wikipedia
Norwood Historical Society
Historic Camera

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from Getty Art Collection

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
Example from Histoic Camera

photographer Marceau and Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
Example from PhotoTree
finished around 1889-1891

photographer Marceau and Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site
finished around 1889-1891

photographer Marceau and Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site
finished around 1889-1891

photographer Marceau and Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site
finished around 1889-1891
a fine example from T Papuchis

At the right is an example of the work by Theodore Marceau after the partnership with Bellsmith dissolved in 1892. He moved to California and took over the studio of George D Morse.

The 826 Market address in San Francisco was occupied by photographer Louis Thors from 1899 to 1905. So this card must have been done between 1892 and 1899 or after 1905.

More research pending

photographer: Theo C Marceau
826 Market Street
San Francisco, CA

reverse of card at left

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
Cincinnati, OH (very faint)
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
148 West Fourth, Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
148 West Fourth, Cincinnati, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Marceau & Bellsmith
148 West Fourth, Cincinnati, OH
example from Jay Ville Design

photographer: Bellsmith and Power
500 Main, Buffalo,NY
example from auction site

There appears to have been a Bellsmith Studio at 500 Main in Buffalo from 1895 to 1899. Luke W Power is listed in the Buffalo, NY, City directory only once, in 1894. That is probably the only time he was associated with the gallery.

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.

Additional 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.