Julius Gross

photographer J Gross,
St. Louis, MO
Example from E Wiessing

Young Lincoln
from Julius Gross
1001 South Broadway, Saint Louis, MO
example from contributor CDavis

Julius Gross
(1832- 1904)

1832 Jun 14
Potsdam, Germany, Julius Gross is born
1860
Carondelet, St Louis, MO, US census Julius Gross as painter
1864
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross listed as artist boarding at 2nd and Almond;
1865
St Louis, MO, city directory, neither Gustav Cramer nor Gross are listed in residential or business pages
1866 Jan 02
St Louis, MO, state records, Julius Gross marries Elizabeth Lisette Steffenauer
1866
St Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross is at 333 s Fifth st as Cramer and Gross
1867 to 1873
St Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross is at 1264 s Fifth st as Cramer, Gross and Company
1874 - 1875
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Fifth as Cramer, Gross and Co

1876
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Fifth as Cramer G, successor to Cramer, Gross and Co.
1877 - 1878
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Fifth st as Cramer, Gross and Co; Gustav Cramer, Julian Gross and Henry Schoo, photographers
1879
St Louis, MO, city directory NOT AVAILABLE
1880
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as artist; res e s Dubreuil nr Lafayette av; Gustave Cramer as photographer and artist at 1001 s 5th; US census lists Gross as an oil painter; res 63 Dubruel st
1881
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as artist, res 1001 s 5th ; Gustave Cramer as photographer and artist at 1001 s 5th; res 2825 Lemp av ;
1882
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as artist with G “Craemer”; res Columbia, IL; Gustav Cramer is listed as photographer at 1001 s 5th ; no mention of Cramer and Gross and Co, studio listed only as Gustav Cramer

1883
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as artist with G Cramer; Gustav Cramer is listed at photographer at 1001 s 5th; (Note: it is this year that Cramer begins his Dry Plate business)
(Note: Sometime around 1885 Fifth street was renamed as Broadway)
1884, 1885, 1887
St Louis, MO, city directory Julius Gross as artist at 1001 s Broadway, res same; Gustav Cramer as photographer at 1001 s Broadway
1886 and 1888 city directories not available
1889
Saint Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Broadway; res same; partners with William Grimm; second location at cor Olive and Jefferson
1891 - 1899
Saint Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Broadway; res 1118 s 9th
1900
Saint Louis, MO, city directory not available
1900 Jun 09
Saint Louis, MO, US census Julius Gross as portrait artist; res 1016 Gratton st

1901
Saint Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Broadway; res 1016 Grattan
1902
Saint Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross as photographer at 1001 s Broadway; residential and business pages

Saint Louis (MO)Post Dispatch - 21 Jun 1904

The obituary dates conflict with the city directory and US census information.

1903
Saint Louis, MO, city directory, Julius Gross is NOT listed; no studio is listed at 1001 s Broadway
1904 Jun 19
Saint Louis, MO, state records, Julius Gross dies at age 72

Julius Gross arrived in the US probably in his early teens. No records have been found to support this. He began his career as a portrait painter and added the new profession of photographer about 1865. After having studios in St Louis at 333 s Fifth and 1264 s Fifth, he joined Gustav Cramer in a studio at 1001 s Fifth. He stayed there as artist, photographer, and finally proprietor until his retirement in 1902.
Gustave Cramer left the partnership in about 1889 to pursue the photographic dry plate business.

From about 1889 on Julius Gross operated and sometimes resided, at 1001 South Fifth/Broadway. Fifth Street was renamed Broadway sometime around 1885. The print of the drawing at the top of this page was likely done after 1889.

Photograph studios often had displays of mounted photographs of buildings, events, scenery and famous people for sale. These “Views” as the called them, were also sold in novelty stores and at fairs and festivals. Remember, a photograph was a wonder and a curiosity in the late 1800’s regardless of the subject. It was also quite legal to sell photographs of celebrities and important figures.

The pencil drawing of Lincoln was probably done by Gross himself as his main occupation was portrait artist. It could have been printed and reprinted any time after the street name was changed from Fifth to Broadway in 1885. Further it is quite likely the card was finished after Cramer left the partnership in 1888 when Gross was operating more or less on his own.

Abraham Lincoln died in 1865.

Saint Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 08 Feb 1898

photographer: J Gross
1001 So. Broadway, St Louis, MO
example from auction site

At the left is an example of a "View" finished by a photographer for sale in his studio or novelty shops.

This one was obviously finished just after 27 May 1896.

Saint Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 16 Jun 1896



Saint Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 20 Jun 1898

Saint Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 18 Jun 1899

Saint Louis (MO) Post Dispatch - 05 Jul 1895

From Ancestry.com,
said to be a portrait of Julius Gross

photographer: Gross
St Louis, MO
example from auction site

reverse of the example at the left
probably finished after 1885 when street name changed

photographer: Gross
St Louis, MO
example from Langdon Road

photographer: Gross and Co.
St Louis, MO
example from auction site
probably finished around 1889

photographer: Gross
St Louis, MO
example from auction site

photographer: Gross
St Louis, MO
example from auction site

There are no examples of the work of Julius Gross in LOST GALLERY. This page is added as a supplement to the page on Gustave Cramer who was in partnership with Gross at 1001 South Fifth, in Saint Louis, MO, between 1864 and 1888.

All examples on this page are from external sources.

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name.
ONLY Cabinet Card photographers found in
LOST GALLERY
are reviewed here.

This is a work always in progress.

Additional 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.