Frank E Musser

F E Musser
16 N 3rd st.
Harrisburg PA

reverse of card at the left

Frank E Musser
(1860 - 1956)

Timeline sources: all newspaper items as noted

1860 Sep 21
Millersburg, PA, Frank E Musser is born
1880
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent 1911 news item Musser family moves to Duncannon, PA, and F E Musser opens a studio in Harrisburg but soon begins working for D C Burnite and then Wilson C Fox
1889 Apr 03
Harrisburg (PA) Telegram from 1896 Jan 18 news item Musser opens first studio
1890
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent 1911 news item Musser purchases gallery from Wilson C Fox; Another account says he inherited the studio when D C Burnite died
1892 Dec 25
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent 1896 news item building burns destroying Musser studio; Musser opens temporary studio at 1221 Ridge av, Harrisburg, PA
1893 Jul 06
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent 1896 news item shows Musser moves back into the newly rebuilt studio at 16 n 3rd;

1893 Jul 12
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent news item says opening day at 16 n 3rd was Jul 12; also says that the temporary studio was 1221 n 6th instead of 1221 Ridge
1911 Feb 23
Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent news item mentions Musser studio has been at 16 n 3rd since the fire in 1892
1914
Musser moves his studio to 2nd near Walnut (see mention in 1934 Sep 06 item)
1934 Aug 31
Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph news item mentions studio at 2nd st near Walnut since 1914 is now sold to Harvey L Ensminger
1934 Sep 06
Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph news item mentions Musser is retiring; selling studio at 2nd near Walnut opened in 1914 (1914 probably an error)
1943 Aug 10
Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph news item Mrs Frank E Musser has died
1944 Dec 27
Harrisburg (PA) Evening News item mentions Musser now living in Wilmington, DE
1956 Jan 09
After an illness of three months, Musser dies at age 95 in Wilmington, DE,

Newspaper accounts and city directories do not always agree exactly on dates and locations in the stories. Here is a best-scenario recap of locations:
1890 to 1892
Studio at 16 n 3rd
1892 Dec to 1892 Jul
temporary studio at 1221 n 6th or 1221 n Ridge (depending on which news item to believe)
1892 Jul to 1916 Sep
studio at 16 n 3rd
1917
Harrisburg, PA, city directory as photographer at 37 n 2nd
1917 to 1934
Studio at 2nd near Walnut, or 39 n 2nd (one account says since 1914 but it does not agree with several other news items)
1934 Sep
sells studio at 39 n 2nd to H L Ensminger
After that Musser does not appear to return to photography

Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent - 28 Oct 1914

Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph - 17 Nov 1917

Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph - 31 Dec 1892

Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph - 31 Dec 1896






Note: news clippings are not in dating order

Harrisburg (PA) Daily Independent - 23 Feb 1911

Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph - 21 Sep 1916

Harrisburg (PA) Telegraph - 06 sep 1934

(Wilmington, DE)News Journal - 10 jan 1956

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street; Harrisburg, PA
example from auction site

photographer: Musser
16 N Third St, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

photographer: Musser
16 N Third St, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

photographer: Musser
16 Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from auction site

photographer F E Musser
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
From the collection of Lauralemur on Flickr

Reverse of the card on the left
From the collection of Lauralemur on Flickr

photographer F E Musser
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
From the collection of Lauralemur on Flickr

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

photographer Musser
16 N Third stHarrisburg, PA
from the Flickr collection of
Beverly

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: F E Musser
16 N Third
Harrisburg, PA
from the collection of CurtJ on Flickr

Reverse of the card at left

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

Reverse of card at left

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

reverse of card at left

photographer: Musser Studio
16 North Third Street, Harrisburg, PA
example from contributor

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.

All submissions should be free of glare and shadows.
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