Walter Emanuel Dolk

W E Dolk
Cor 7th Street and 6th Ave.
Rockford



Inter Ocean (Chicago, IL) Sun - 24 Aug 1890

Decatur (IL) Herald-Sun - 17 Apr 1901

Walter Emanuel Dolk
(1868 - 1940)

Timeline sources: US census, city directories, news items as noted

1868 May 09
Indiana Walter Emanuel Dolk is born
1890 Aug 24
Interocean (Chicago) Sun small item places Dolk in Rockford, IL; historical photograph of a parade in Rockford, IL, shows Dolk studio at 304 State in the background; (See cropped photo below)
1896
South Bend, IN, city directory as photographer at 408 n Lafayette
1901
April and May, Decatur (IL) Herald several display ads for photographer at 116 Merchant st
1904
Indiana, city records, W E Dolk marries Margret T MacCorkle
1904
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 408 Lafayette
1906 - 1913
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 3 e Market
1913
Indianapolis (IN) Star news item says the partnership of Walter Dolk and Edward W Lockman will open a new gallery called Walted Studio, soon, at the southeast corner of Illinois and Ohio streets
1914
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer with DOLK AND CURTIS at 3 e Market
1915
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 19 e Market

1916 - 1918
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 20-23 n Penn and 25 ½ Illinois
1919 and 1920
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 25 ½ Illinois
1921
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 9 n Illinois
1922 and 1923
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 33 Monument Circle
1924 - 1925
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 209-210 Monument Circle
1926 - 1933
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 18 w Market R 3
1934 - 1939
Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 109 n Illinois
1940 Indianapolis, IN, city directory as photographer at 44 w Ohio st
1940 Dec 12
W E Dolk dies of heart failure in Indianapolis, IN at age 72
1941 Apr 22
Indianapolis (IN) News item Studio at 44 w Ohio st is for sale

Although he moved a number of times, it is pretty clear where W E Dolk had his studio from 1904 to his death in 1940. Before that time it is less certain, but he can be placed in Rockford, IL, by a series of ads he ran in April and May of in the Chicago Inter Ocean newspaper for his studio at 116 Merchant, Rockford.

The cabinet card here must have been finished about 1890 when Dolk was in Rockford, IL.

Indianapolis (IN) Star - 30 Mar 1913

The partnership didn't last long. By the following year, the studio was called "Dolk and Curtis and located at 3 e Market

Decatur (IL) Herald-Sun - 28 Apr 1901

Decatur (IL) Herald-Sun - 03 May 1901

Indianapolis (IN) Star-Sun - 12 Aug 1917

Indianapolis (IN) News - 33 Apr 1941

"Dolk Photographer" can be seen clearly on the window and "304" on the awning

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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
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