Johnson Perley King

photographer J P King
Waterloo, Iowa

revere of the card on the left

Johnson Perley King
(1849 - 1930)

Timeline

1849 Oct 02
Morgan County Ohio Johnson Perley King is born to Lewis King and Alice Bengman
1866
Mason City Globe Gazette news, item dated 1930 Nov 02; 05 Nov 1930 Green (IA) Recorder Obit; King arrives in Blackhawk County, IA, does farm work
1875
Waterloo, IA, US census of 1880: J P King marries Emma Louisa Mendenhall
1880
Waterloo, IA, US census as photographer; res Sycamore
1880 Jun 15
Waterloo, IA, county records, daughter Lulu Belle King is born
1883 Jul 08
Waterloo, IA, county records, son Frank L King is born

1885
Waterloo, IA, Iowa State census as photographer; corner of 8th and Lafayette
1886 Sep 22
Waterloo, IA, county records, daughter Alice Roseannah King is born
1888 Oct 17
Progress Review (LaPorte, IA) King photographic car leaving La Porte
1893
Photographic Journal of American Photographers, Vol 30, King opening soon in Waterloo, IA
1900
Waterloo, IA, US census as photographer; res 927 Lafayette
1901
Waterloo, IA, city directory, as photographer at 300 e 4th; res 926 Lafayette
1904
Waterloo, IA, city directory, as photographer; 926 Lafayette
1905
Waterloo, IA, US census no occupation shown; res 924 Lafayette

-- Continued in next row --

1906
Waterloo, IA, city directory as photographer; res 924 Lafayette
1906 Nov 29
Fredericksburg (IA) News item King opens in Fredericksburg, IA,
1906 Dec 13
Fredericksburg (IA) News item King has returned to Fredericksburg, IA,
1908
Waterloo, IA, city directory as photographer, res 436 Edwards
1910
Waterloo, IA, US census as photographer; res 436 Edwards
1912
Waterloo, IA, city directory as no occupation shown; res 436 Edwards
1915
King retires, according to the 05 Nov 1930 Obituary in the Greene Recorder (See below) This probably means he retired from the travelling car studio business. The city directories continue to list him as “photographer” until 1925 when he is designated a “watchman”
1915
Waterloo, IA, Iowa State census, as photographer; res 425 Edwards
1920
Waterloo, IA, US census as photographer; res 436 Edwards st

1920 Oct 04
Evening Times Republican (Waterloo, IA) news item about Golden Anniversary Tour; describes King’s photographic car territory
1921
Waterloo, IA, city directory, as photographer; res 436 Edwards
1922
Waterloo, IA, city directory, no occupation shown; res 436 Edwards
1924
Waterloo, IA, city directory, as photographer; res 436 Edwards
1925 Jan 01
Waterloo, IA, Iowa State census, no occupation shown; city directory lists King as a watchman; res 436 Edwards st
1925 Sep 10
Black Hawk county records, Wife Emma Louisa Mendenhall dies
1927 and 1928
Waterloo, IA, city directory, no occupation shown; res 436 Edwards
1930 Apr 30
Waterloo, IA, US census, no occupation shown; res 436 Edwards
1930 Nov 01
Waterloo, OH, Johnson Perley King dies
1930 Nov 04
Mason City Globe Gazette news item Alice Rhinesmith has returned from Waterloo and J P King’s funeral; some biography in his article

1930 Nov 05
Green (IA) Recorder obituary; describes starting date in photography & retirement date

It seems quite likely that King used pre-printed cabinet card stock, not changing the address for each of the small towns on his route. Ads in small town newspapers, outlining his travels, often refer to him as that “photographer from Waterloo”.

As a result of this, King's work can only be dated sometime between 1880 and 1920 when he last gives his occupation as “photographer”.

Photographic Journal of America vol 30 - 1893

Progress Review (LaPorte, IA) - 17 Oct 1888

A bit of a snide swipe at a traveling merchant

Fredericksburg (IA) News - 29 Nov 1906

Fredericksburg (IA) News - 13 Dec 1906

Evening Times Republican - 04 Oct 1920

Mason City Globe Gazette - 04 Nov 1930

Greene Recorder - 05 Nov 1930

photographer: J P King
Waterloo,IA
example from contributor

photographer: J P King
Waterloo,IA
example from contributor

photographer: J P King
Waterloo,IA
example from contributor

photographer E D King
Chardon, OH
This card contributed by John Adams

The card at the left is by E D King. So far no connection has been found to Johnson Perley King of Iowa.

Research pending

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.
Do not crop.
Leave a border around each card. The edges are sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.
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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.