Frank Elmer Hewitt

Photographer: Frank Hewitt
Nunda, N. Y.
example from LOST GALLERY

Frank Elmer Hewitt
(14 Nov 1865 - 10 Apr 1946)

1865
Born at Dalton, Livingston, NY
1870
(US Census) age 5, living in Nunda, NY
1891
(1900 US Census) Marriage to Carrie Adeline Marshal (1871-1954) In Nunda, NY
1894-1896
(US Census) two sons born in Oakland, NY
1900
(US Census) as photographer in Nunda, NY
1903
(city directory) as photographer in Corning, NY
1910
(US Census) as photographer in Corning NY (60 miles from Nunda, NY)
1938
(City Directory) partnered with son Fred in Corning, NY
1939
(city directory) as photographer at 136 Pine, Corning, NY
1944
(city directory) as photographer at 136 Pine, Corning NY
1946
Death in Corning, NY

It may be important to note that Dalton, Portage, Nunda and Oakland, NY are all within a four mile radius, almost like one small, rural town.

This cabinet card must have been done before about 1902 and after about 1890.

photographer: Hewitt
Nunda, NY
example from auction site

photographer: Frank Hewett
Salem, O
example from pinterest
(No connectioin to Hewett of NY has been made)

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.

DeWitt Clinton Pratt

Photographer
D C Pratt
Aurora, Illinois.
(enhanced example)

It is difficult to believe but there were at least three people in eastern US, in the 19th century, named DeWitt Clinton Pratt; a constable, a carpenter and a photographer. There were even more named DeWitt Pratt, D. Pratt and D. C. Pratt.

D. C. Pratt spent most of his career working in Aurora, IL. When he died in 1903 his son, Edmund carried on the profession with a few interruptions until his death in 1924.

The timeline here shows a few variances in the studio address which should help date a card when the address is included in imprint.

DeWitt Clinton Pratt
(1823 - 1903)

Births of children included in lieu of other unavailable documents to show the location of D. C. Pratt
1823 Aug 14
D. C. Pratt born in Homer, Cortland, NY
1847 Jul 13
marries Mary M Burdick
1850 Jan
daughter Florence Mary Pratt born in Aurora, IL
1856 Feb 14
daughter Eveline Estelle Pratt born in Lake Forest, IL
1860 Jan
daughter Francis Eugenia Pratt born in Aurora, IL
1860 Jun 14
US census as “Artist” in Aurora, IL

1863 Jul 01
Civil War draft registration, as artist
1864
Aurora, IL, city directory as photographer
1866 Oct 16
son Edmund C. Pratt born in Aurora, IL
1867
Aurora, IL, city directory as photographer at 48 Broadway
1870 Jul 20
US census as photographer
1880 Jun 12
US census as photographer at 48 s Broadway
1885
marries Charlotte A. Pratt in Aurora, IL
1900 Jun 01
US census as photographer; res at 19 so Lincoln
1902
Aurora, IL, city directory as photographer; res 19 so Lincoln
1903 Aug 24
dies in Aurora, IL at age 80

So DeWitt Clinton Pratt was an active photographer from about 1850 to 1902. From the physical appearance of the card, it was probably done early in the decade following 1890.

full page ad from the 1880 Aurora, IL, city directory

Interocean Sun - 31 Dec 1893

photographer: D C Pratt
Aurora, IL
example from Elstonology

reverse of card at left

photographer: D C Pratt
Aurora, IL
example from contributor

photographer: Pratt
Broadway, Aurora, IL
CdV example from James Agnew on Flickr

reverse of CdV at left

photographer: C D Pratt
48 Broadway, Aurora, IL
CDV example from Elstonology

Reverse of CDV 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.
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.

Noel Byron Bettison

photographer: N. B. Bettison
Photographic Artist
Glasgow, KY

Photographer: N. B. Bettison
Photographic Artist
Glasgow, KY

Photographer: N. B. Bettison
Photographic Artist
Glasgow, KY

No records were found putting
Noel Byron Bettison (1847-1918) in Glasgow, KY, in any kind of permanent studio. It is very likely that his work in that city was during one of the many “Day Trips” photographers of the era were known to do. It is less than a hundred miles from Louisville, KY, where most records place him and his studio up until 1889 and about 30 miles from Bowling Green, KY, where he lived and worked from 1900 until his death in 1918.

Best scenario without more data, these three cabinet cards were finished between 1900 and 1918.

There are several examples of photographs by Bettison at the KenCat Online Collections

Courier Journal - 15 Nov 1867


Louisville (KY) Daily Courier - 07 Sep 1868

Courier Journal - 04 aug 1889

Courier Journal - 13 Dec 1908

Owensboro (KY) Twice A Week Messenger - 21 Sep 1918

Photographer: N. B. Bettison
Bowling Green, KY

Reverse of CDV at the left.

photographer Bettison
Bowling Green, KY
example from Kentucky Museum Library

photographer Bettison
Bowling Green, KY
example from Kentucky Museum Library

photographer Bettison
Bowling Green, KY
example from Kentucky Museum Library

photographer Bettison
Bowling Green, KY
example from Kentucky Museum Library

photographer Bettison
Bowling Green, KY
example from Kentucky Museum Library

Not the one you were looking for? 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 LOST GALLERY.

John M Gregory

Photographer: J. M. Gregory
Bet. 8th & 9th 810 Market St. Louisville, Ky.
example from LOST GALLERY
(identified on reverse as
W P McDonald of Dayton, TN)

John M. Gregory was found in lots of Louisville, KY, city directory listings. Connecting sparce biographical information to this timeline was difficult. Exactly where he was born and where he grew up was still not certain. And unfortunately, there were other men named J M Gregory, John Gregory and Johnson Gregory living in the same area making research on the photographer more difficult.

In the 1880 US Census there was a photographer at 105 4th street in Louisville, KY, but the enumerator had incorrectly listed his name as “James” Gregory.

Here is a timeline including street addresses which may aid in dating some cabinet cards. There are some, thus far, unexplained absences. Did he locate in a different city? Was he ill? When he returns to business in Louisville from these absences, he is at a new address.

Note also that in all city directory mentions, he is apparently living and working at the same address.

1841
Kentucky, US Census, and (Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal obituary, Johnson M Gregory is born
1863
Daviess, KY, civil war registration Johnson Gregory as artist; Daviess, KY, is 120 miles from Louisville, KY

1865
(Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal obituary says Johnson Gregory began a career as photographer this year
1867, 1869
Louisville, KY, city directory Johnson M Gregory NOT listed
1870
Louisville, KY, city directory, J M Gregory as photographer at 78 w Main; res same
1870 Jun 06
Louisville, KY, US census, John Gregory as photographer; living alone, No address shown
1871, 1872
Louisville, KY, city directory, John M Gregory as photographer at 78 Main; res same
1873
Louisville, KY, city directory, J M Gregory as photographer at 114 Market; res 144 ½ 13th (Another edition of the same directory for same year, 1873, says he boards at 241 Shelby)
1874
Louisville, KY, city directory not available
1875 - 1877
Louisville, KY, city directory, Not in these directories; Gregory has not been located for these years
1878, 1879, 1880
Louisville, KY, city directory, J M Gregory as photographer at 105 4th street; res same
1880 Jun 07
Louisville, KY, US census, “James” Gregory as photographer at 105 1/2 4th street

1881
Louisville, KY, city directory, John M Gregory as photographer at 105 4th street
1881 Feb 09
Kentucky state records says Johnson Gregory and Fanny E Harris are married
1882
Louisville, KY, city directory not available
1883
Louisville, KY, city directory John M Gregory as photographer at 613 W Market
1883 Mar 24
Frankfort (KY) Rounabout news item says J M Gregory of Louisville, will open a photograph gallery in Frankfort, KY, about the first of April
1883 Nov 03
Frankfort (KY) Rounabout news item says J M Gregory has moved to Louisville, KY, giving up his studio in Frankfort
1884 and 1885
Louisville, KY, city directory, J M Gregory does not appear in these directories
1886 through 1892
Louisville, KY, city directory John Gregory as photographer at 810 W Market
1893
Louisville, KY, city directory at 810 W Market and 904 W Market
1893 Aug 15
(Louisville, KY) Courier-Journal Johnson M Gregory dies at age 52; obituary outlines death, mentions wife and two children surviving

The cabinet card at the left must have been done between 1886 and 1893 when he was at 810 Market Street in Louisville, KY.

Frankfort (KY) Roundabout - 24 Mar 1883

Frankfort (KY) Roundabout - 03 Nov 1883

Louisville, KY, Courier Journal - 16 Aug 1893

August 6, 2019 UPDATE! Thanks to an alert comment from Vernon Purvis (see comment section) this obituary has been added. It explains a few things. This prompted a complete rewrite of the timeline above.

The Louisville KY Courier Journal -
17 Aug 1893

Not the one you were looking for? 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 LOST GALLERY.