Frederick L Briggs

Briggs
227 Main Street
Ottumwa, IA

Frederick Leonard Briggs
(1851 - 1903)

1851
North Wayne, ME, state records, Frederick L. Briggs is born in Michigan to Henry Briggs and Albina Farr
1856
Bloomfield. IA, state census F L Briggs as child living with parents
1880
Ottumwa, IA, US census,as photographer living at boarding house
1886
Ottumwa, IA, F L Briggs marries Harriet M Merwin
1887 Jul
Iowa, state records Fred L Brigs son Fred W Briggs is born
1895
Ottumwa, IA, state census F L Briggs no occupation known
1900 Jun 03
Ottumwa, IA, US census as photographer; res 128 e Court

1901
Ottumwa, IA, city directory F L Briggs as photographer at Leighton Block; res 128 e Court; Iowa Gazetteer as photographer at 108 s Market
1903
Ottumwa, IA, city directory F L Briggs as photographer at Leighton Block;
1903 Dec 01
Cedar Falls (IA) Gazette news item from Ottumwa on death of Frederick L Briggs

Frederick L. Briggs was in the photography business from about 1880 to his death in 1903. No documents so far show when Briggs operated at 227 Main Street as shown on the cabinet card in this collection.

Cedar Falls(IA)Gazette - 01 Dec 1903

Here is an interesting item that ran in several Iowa newspapers all around the same date.

Fitchburg (IA) Sentinel - 15 Aug 1900

The example below shows the studio was at 227 Main Street

(internet source)

Example found at PhotoTree

Example found at PhotoTree

Below is a cabinet card reverse side showing the studio when at 311 Main Street.

photographer: Briggs and Co.
311 East Main, Ottumwa, IA
example from auction site

photographer: Briggs
Humansville, MO
example from auction site

The example at the left is imprinted "Briggs, Humansville, Missouri."

No documents have been found showing that Frederick L Briggs ever ventured outside of Ottumwa, IA. Humansville, MO, is 270 miles from Ottumwa, IA.

Note, however, that the Humansville logo design is identical to the Ottumwa design. Also, in the general area, no OTHER photographer has been found named Briggs.

There are no city directories available for the two small towns. No newspaper items have been found about photographer Briggs in either city.

The example at the right is by photographer Briggs at Minneapolis, MN. No documents have been found that places Frederick L Briggs in Minneapolis, MN, at any time. Since Ottumwa, IA, is more than 300 miles from Minneapolis, MN, it is quite unlikely that F L Briggs might have had a separate studio there. It would be about a five hour trip on a train.

Note also the logo imprint is quite dissimilar to the imprints from Ottumwa, IA.

photographer: Briggs
Minneapolis, MN
example from pickclik

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. Listed here are all the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY. This is a work in progress. For a look at the original postings go to LOST GALLERY.

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, they will be immediately removed.