William Jay Root

photographer: W. J. Root
Kimball Hall
243 Wabash Ave. Chicago

William Jay Root
(29 Dec 1854 - )

1854
Ohio, state records, William Jay Root is born to Joseph Adams Root and Cornelia Ann Gager
1876
Cleveland, OH, city directory, William J Root as photographer for W Hodges; bds at Friendly Inns
1880 Jun 15
Nashville, TN, US census William J Root as photographer
1882 Feb 25
Nashville, TN, state records, W J Root’s son Frederick Preston Root is born
1900 Jun 17
Chicago, IL, US census William Root as photographer
1902 – 1917
Chicago, IL, city directory William W J, Studio, as photographer at 726-28 Kimball Hall 243 Wabash
1918 – 1929
Chicago, IL, city directory William J Root Studio as photographer at 1610 Kimball Hall 306 Wabash
1930 Apr 05
Chicago, IL, US census William J Root as photographer at 310, 185 s Wabash

The death date is not known for W. J. Root but he seems to have still had a studio when he was 76 in 1930. The cabinet card here was probably finished between 1902 and 1918.

photographer: Root
243 Wabash, Chicago, IL
example from auction site
probably finished between 1902 and 1917

photographer" W J Root
243 Wabash, Chicago, IL
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

Emerson Ashton Root

Apparently in 1903 and 1905, the photography studio was also a bowling alley.

Note that Emerson’s brother Melville Root is also listed as photographer. He has no separate studio listing in the business pages so he was apparently working for another photographer at the time.

1903 Monmouth City Directory

The two below are by William H Root.

He was in Aledo, IL, for the US census of 1900. Records are a little sketchy before that. He was still in Monmouth, IL, for the 1880 US census.

Note the poorly trimmed and unevenly mounted photos.

photographer Root
Monmouth, IL
from the collection of KEN on Flickr

The card a the left would be by E A Root who was the one who had a studio in Monmouth. Apparently both of his brothers William Henry and Melville E worked at the studio at one time or another.

photographer: Root, William H
Aledo, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root, William H
Aledo, IL
From the collection of Curt J on Flickr

Photographer: Root, Monmouth, IL
example from the collection of Paul Ashby


photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

This photographer Root of Monmouth, IL, is not the same as William J Root of Chicago, IL. No family or business connection between the two has been found to date.

Emerson Ashton Root
(1853 - 1913)

E A Root seems to have never ventured from Monmouth, IL after moving there with his family when he was about five.

Nearly every document found relating to Emerson A Root, gives him a different birth date.

His father Henry E Root was listed in the 1870 US census as a photographer and in the 1860 US census as an Ambrotypist.

His father and both of his brothers, Melville and William H Root were photographers in one document or another, but Emerson Root seems to have been the only Root with a studio in Monmouth, IL, during the era of the cabinet card.

In the Monmouth, IL, city directories of 1903 and 1905, the photography studio was apparently also a bowling alley.

Emerson Root is documented as photographer from 1880 thru 1905. This photograph was probably done in the later part of that period.

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

reverse of the three cards at the left

photographer: Root
213 South Main, Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
213 South Main, Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
213 South Main, Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
213 South Main, Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmouth, IL
example from auction site

photographer: Root
Monmoth, IL
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

James Arthur Root

Son of Emerson A Root

In 1911, James Arthur Root lived at 608 N. B Street, Monmouth, Illinois.

Birth 1-23-1882 (Monmouth)
Death 3-22-1919 (Kansas City) - Suicide (tried to slit his own throat and then lit himself on fire). They say he had mental issues.
Root was the regular photographer for the Warren County court system. Among other things he would photograph criminals for the police department.

J. A. Root was probably at the Dawson family crime scene in Monmouth on October 1st, 1911. There's a famous photograph taken in front of the house, but I'm not sure who took it. I always suspected Harry A. Dawson, another local photographer that lived and operated in Monmouth - 106 E. Broadway, Monmouth, Il.

In some, more complete versions of the photograph, you can see a "D" in the lower right corner that seems embossed, but I've heard that doesn't always denote the photographer.

Contributed by L Gabbert

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.