William Henry James

Photographer: James
126 Clinton, Iowa City, IA

Photographer: James
126 Clinton, Iowa City, IA

William Henry James
(1857 - 1937

Sources: US census, city directories, newspaper ads as shown

1857 04 Sep
Providence, RI, William Henry James born to John and Katherine James
1870
Iowa City, IA US census as student
1878 0ct 21
Johnson County records, marriage to Nancy Workman Fairall
1880
Iowa City, IA, US census as photographer at 208 Clinton
1900
Iowa City, IA, US census as photographer at 126 Clinton
1901
Iowa City, IA, city directory as photographer; wife Nancy W also listed as photographer and listed in the business pages as N W James, photographer at 126 Clinton; res for both at 227 e College
1901 - 1902
Polk's IA State Gazetteer and Business Directory lists James, N W, photographer, Iowa City, IA

1903 Jun 25
Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen, newspaper ad for studio at 126 Clinton
1904
Iowa City, IA, city directory W H James and wife N W James as photographers, no listing in business pages; res at 215 s Johnson
1905
Iowa State census, James listed, no occupation shown
1905 Mar through Jun
Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen Newspaper ad for studio at 126 Clinton
1909 Apr 13
Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen Newspaper ad shows Dove Sisters Millinery at 126 Clinton
1909
Iowa City, IA, city directory as photographer with Frank Crawford as James and Crawford at 215 e College
1909 May 01
From Leading Events in Johnson County Iowa History, 1913, p. 528: W H James retires; no records after this date show him as photographer
1910
Iowa City, IA, US census as “own Income”; res 529 e College

1911
Iowa City, IA, city directory, no occupation listed; res 529 e College
1915
Iowa City, IA, city directory NOT listed
1918
Iowa City, IA, city directory, no occupation listed; res 509 s Clinton
1919
Iowa City, IA, city directory, no occupation listed; res 527 e College
1920
Iowa City, IA, US census, no occupation listed; res 527 College st
1925
wife Nancy Workman Fairall dies at age 63
1937
San Diego, CA, William Henry James dies at age 79

The cabinet cards above were done when James had a studio at 126 Clinton. The records found show that the studio was at that address for sure, from June 1900 to April 1909. No records have been found on W H James between 1880 and 1900 so it cannot be established exactly when the studio started at that address but it was there in 1900. The two cabinet cards above would have been finished sometime in that decade.

Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen - 25 Jun 1903

Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen - 25 Apr 1905

Iowa City (IA) Press Citizen - 13 Apr 1909

This ad shows that
the James photograph studio
was NOT at 126 Clinton on this date.


example from auction site

Quad City(Davenport, IA)Times - 13 Apr 1937


example from auction site
both of these examples are imprinted with a blind stamp method. (embossed)

photographer James
126 Clinton Street, Iowa City. IA
example from auction site

photographer James
120 Clinton Street, Iowa City. IA
example from auction site
(Note different street address)

photographer James
120 Clinton Street, Iowa City. IA
example from contributor

on the reverse: 413 and 415 w Walnut, Des Moines, IA
Two cdv examples from the collection of Suzanne on Flickr

on the reverse: 413 and 415 w Walnut, Des Moines, IA

BIG THANKS to a fellow researcher in the comment section below.

Thomas L James, reviewed here,
was the brother of William Henry James.
See the page at OUR IOWA HERITAGE

Thomas L. James
(1853 - 1946)

1853 Jan 24
Des Moines, IA, state records Thomas L James is born in England
1866
Thomas James immigrates with parents to US
1880
Des Moines, IA, US census as photographer; res 413 Walnut
1882
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 413 and 415 Walnut; bds 408 5th
1884
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 413 and 415 w Walnut; bds 505 w Locust
1886, 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1891
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 413 and 415 w Walnut; res 672 w n 14th

1892
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer with James and (Fred H) Pattee at 413 Walnut; Pattee lives at 413 Walnut and James rms 600 7th
1893
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 519 Walnut (Pattee stays at 413 Walnut); res 672 14th
1894
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 519 Walnut; res 672 14th; Frederick H Pattee has moved to Cedar Rapids, IA
1895, 1896, 1897
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 519 Walnut; res 672 14th
1898
Des Moines, IA, city directory as retired; res 672 14th
1899
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown; res 672 14th
1900
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer; res 672 14th

1905
Des Moines, IA, State census as res 9th and Locust
1905
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer at 407 9th; res same
1906, 1907, 1908, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1920
Des Moines, IA, city directory as photographer and hair dresser at 407 9th; res same
1925
Des Moines, IA, city directory as James Hair Shop a& Beauty Parlor; 670 14th pl
1926
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown; res h9 672 14th st
1927
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown; res h11, 770 14th pl (probably a printing error)
1928
Des Moines, IA, city directory as mgr James Apartments; res 670 14th pl
1930
Des Moines, IA, UA census as no occupation shown; res 672 14th

1935
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown; res 672 14th apt 3
1940
Des Moines, IA, US census as apartment owner
1941
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown, res 672 14th, apt 1
1943
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown, res 672 14th pl, apt 3
1944
Des Moines, IA, city directory NOT listed; Fannie not listed either
1945 Dec 20
Des Moines, IA, state records wife Fannie James dies
1946
Des Moines, IA, city directory as no occupation shown, res 1126 9th
1946 Dec 25
Des Moines, IA, state records Thomas James dies at age 93

These two CDV portraits were finished between 1880 and 1891

Below is an ad from the Des Moines city directory of 1912

Information from contributor Mike J:

I believe this is a wedding photo of Herman P. Berg and Amelia S. Anderson. They were married on 26 August 1886 in Des Moines, IA.
I believe that they were close friends of my great grandparents – as this photo was in a photo album that belonged to my great grandmother. The album page was labeled – “Herman Bergs.”

photographer: James
Des Moines, IA
example from contributor Mike J

Note that cards with similar imprint would be from that same time period.

potographer: James
Des Moines, IA
from contributor

potographer: James
Des Moines, IA
from contributor

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.
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.