Card #01 - Photographer: Harper
Corsicana, Bryan, Waxahachie,
Temple and Ennis
Card #02 - Photographer: Harper
Corsicana, Waxahachie, Calvert
Temple and Ennis
This page will serve as a catch-all for cabinet card photographs
stamped Harper just to compare the cards. Individual histories of each
of the THREE brothers Harper and Lucius Harper Senior and Junior can
be reached through links on this page.
There is also a separate page for
Lucius Harper and son.
Harper or “Harper and Co.” could have been any one of several
photographers.
Dating a photograph by Harper or “Harper and Co.” will be difficult if
not impossible. There is also the possibility that “Harper” is not the
same photographer as “Harper and Co.”
Since the cabinet cards vary in the imprinted information perhaps
there might be a way to discover which designs were used when. But
quite likely the variations only designate WHERE they were produced.
Here are some variations of imprints on cabinet cards discovered thus
far:
Harper - Corsicana, Texas
Harper - Corsicana, Bryan, Waxahachie, Temple and Ennis
Harper - Corsicana, Waxahachie, Calvert, Temple and Ennis
Harper - Ennis, Texas
Harper Galleries in Corsicana, Bryan, Temple, Navasota, Waxahachie,
Calvert, & Ennis,
Texas
Harper and Co. - Waco, Texas
Harper and Co. - Galveston and Austin, Texas
Harper and Co. - Houston, Texas
Harper and Co. - 507 1/2 Main Street. Houston, TX
Harper G. Co. - Galveston, Houston, & Dallas
Harper and Wisdom - Marshall, Texas
Some of these are obviously the same studio. The cards labeled
Corsicana, Bryan, Waxahachie, Temple and Ennis are probably all the
same photographer, or at least the same business. The cards stamped
Galveston, Austin, Marshal, Houston and Dallas might be just branch
offices or perhaps another Harper entirely.
Card # 03 - Photographer: Harper & Co.
Waco, Texas
And here is
ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPH
By Harper & Co. of Austin and Galveston
Card # 04 - Photographer: William L Harper, Ennis, Texas
Business imprint on #04, 07, 08, 13, and 15 are the same
Note the same props were used in # 05
This card was sent to LOST GALLERY by a contributor in Ennis, Texas
who says the gentleman in the photograph is an (as yet) unknown member
of the family.
This card also has an initial crest with the letters W. L. H.
Here are some of the Harper photographers found:
Lucius William Harper, Senior and Junior, of Galveston and Dallas
William D. Harper Clarendon, TX. (Catching Shadows by David Haynes;
Taming the Land, 1890’s)
Thomas J. Harper, Dallas, TX
(husband/wife team US Census 1910)
William L. Harper of Ennis, Texas
(Newspaper item, see below)
Emmet L. Harper of Ennis, Texas (US Census 1910)
The main common factor is that they were all active in Texas, about
the same time, 1880 - 1910.
Houston (TX) Post - 23 May 1898
This is a set of cabinet cards from the site called
Slices of Time. Each is by a photographer named Harper.
Click on the card to see full details of each.
Note these are very low resolution scans so they are not shown full
size here. The design of the card and the towns listed in the
imprint might help date some other cards.
Card # 05 - Photographer: ???per (Probably "Harper"),
Corsicana, Texas, No date estimate
This one would probably be by William L Harper. (See #4 above)
Card # 06 - Photographer: Harper Galleries in Corsicana, Bryan, Temple, Navasota, Waxahachie, Calvert, & Ennis, Texas
Date estimate: circa 1890
Card # 07 - Photographer: William L Harper, Ennis, Texas
No date estimate
Business imprint on #04, 07, 08, 13, and 15 are the same
Card # 08 - Photographer: William L Harper, Ennis, Texas
No date estimate
Business imprint on #04, 07, 08, 13, and 15 are the same
Card # 09 - Photographer: Harper & Co., Galveston, Houston, & Dallas
(too blurry to read)
No date estimate
Card # 10 - Photographer: Harper & Co., Galveston, Houston, & Ennis, Texas
date calculation: May of 1900
(subject's DOB and age shown on card)
Card # 11 - Photographer: Harper, Ennis, Texas
(this would be William L Harper)
No date estimate
Card # 12 - Photographer: Harper, Bryan/Ennis/Temple/Waxahachie, Texas
(This is likely William L Harper)
Date estimate circa 1895
Card # 13 - Photographer: William L Harper, Ennis, Texas
No date estimate
Business imprint on #04, 07, 08, 13, and 15 are the same
Card #14 - Photographer: T. J. Harper, Temple, Texas
No date estimate
Card # 15 - photographer: Harper, Ennis, TX
(This would be William L Harper)
contributed by G Groth
Business imprint on #04, 07, 08, 13, and 15 are the same
Until more is known about how many photographers are involved here,
the research will concentrate on Thomas Jefferson Harper and brothers
William L Harper and Emmett Leander Harper. They were living in Ennis,
TX, during the cabinet card era. William and Emmett apparently stayed
in and around Ennis, TX, for most of their lives. Thomas Jefferson
Harper moved to the Galveston, Houston area just before 1900 and
continued in the business of photography there.
update 13 Oct 2018
There are some clues that suggest that the cards stamped "Harper" were
done by either W L Harper or E L Harper. The cards stamped "Harper and
Co" were done by T J Harper.
As more information is found on these photographers a separate page
with biography and timeline will be developed on each.
More to follow
photographer: Harper and Company
Galveston and Houston, TX
example from Ancestry.com
photographer: Harper and Company
2215 Market Street, Galveston, Tx
and
507 1/2 Main Street, Houston, TX
& Ennis, TX
example from Langdon Road
photographer: Harper and Company
2215 Market Street, Galveston, Tx
and
920 Congress Avenue, Austin, TX
example from M Snow
Note that the same rattan chair was used in the two baby pictures at
the left. Both were possibly finished between 1896 and 1906 when there
was a Harper studio at 2215 Market in Galveston, TX.
It can be shown that there was a Harper and Co. studio at 507 1/2 Main
in Houston, TX, from 1899 to 1912. So the cabinet card stamped with
both addresses must have been finished between 1899 and 1906.
No documents have been found yet to show when Harper had a studio in
Austin, TX. Only a few Austin, TX, city directories are
available.
photographer: Harper
Texarkana, TX
example from auction site
It is not known at this time which Harper had a studio in Texarkana,
TX.
photographer: T J Harper
J M Willyard, operator
Bryan, TX
example from Charlie Perlitz
Probably finished around 1896 when Willyard was managing the Harper
and Co Studio in Bryan, TX.
photographer: Harper (probably William L Harper)
branches at Bryan, Waxahachie, Temple, Calvert, Navasoto, Ennis and Corsicana, TX
example from auction site
photographer: Harper
Bryan, Waxahachie, Calvert, Corsicana,
photographer: HarperBryan, Waxahachie, Calvert, Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from auction site
photographer: HarperBryan, Waxahachie, Calvert, Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from auction site
photographer: HarperCorsicana, TX
branches in Tyler, Mexia, and Waxahachie example from Cabinet Card Gallery
(note the different imprint does not match any others on this page)
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, they will be immediately removed.
I have a picture from Harper@CO,, about 1905 of my great great grandparents.
ReplyDeleteGreat! If you would like to add it to this page, send a good scan or photo of it to the email address in the profile. Be sure to include the edges, no cropping.
DeleteIf I’m not sure exactly who the person is in a photograph I have taken at Harper & Co., are there any existing records from Harper that may help identify who is in the photo?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your question.
DeleteThe negatives and records of the more prominent photographers of that era, such as Sarony, Newsboy, Brady, Mora and several others are preserved in local museums and university archives. Some are still retained by family descendants. When a photographer retired or died, the records and stock were often sold or given to another local photographer still in business. Of course many such records have been lost in fires and other natural disasters. If any records still exist for a photographer of that era, they would most likely be preserved by a local or state historical society or museum. Sorry I can’t be more help.
If you wish your example can be added to the page and perhaps someone will recognize it. Just send a clean scan or photograph of the card, including the edges, to the email address found in the profile.
I have a Harper & Co., 507 1/2 Main, Houston, TX photograph of a wedding couple. I have no idea who they are. It was found in my Aunt's genealogical letters and pictures.
ReplyDeleteIt is on a white background. The picture has rounded edges at the top and square corners at the bottom. It's mounted on (or inlaid in)
black cardboard. It's about 1/8" thick.
According to information shown "It can be shown that there was a Harper and Co. studio at 507 1/2 Main in Houston, TX, from 1899 to 1912. So the cabinet card stamped with both addresses must have been finished between 1899 and 1906."
Is there any way to find out who these people are?
Thanks for your comment. You’ve found a treasure. It’s over 100 years old. But no, I can’t think of any way to find out the name of the subject through the photographer’s records. Most 19th century photographers that I have reviewed kept only sketchy records. Most kept negatives with an identifying number but no names. Any negatives or records that have survived the years physically, are in the possession of historical societies or museums. A few have been passed to family descendants. So IF the photographer kept the names, and IF the records survived, you might be able to find an answer. It’s a long shot. Try the historical societies in the area to see if they have any photographer archives.
DeleteThanks again. It’s an interesting question.
Fred
Now I have another one that I think is older than the other one. The reason; it is a picture of a bride, taken from the side. Her hair is covered with netting and there is a "stand up" piece in front. I am unable to read the name of the photographer but checked the alphabetical list and can't find anything like it. The letters I can
Deleteread look like "Cammaxxx". The bottom of the "C" extends in a line down as far as the second "m". The last letter, whatever it is has a line straight down from it then an intersecting line that ends up looking like a cross.
It's mounted in a brown cardboard that opens like a greeting card. The picture looks like it is held in "slots" as old picture books held pictures. But, it seem to be glued down, since I tried to take it out of the slots and can't.
Any thoughts about this one. It is a nightmare for those left behind to find out who these people are. You hate to throw out wedding pictures of someone that may be your 4X Great Grandmother! This digital age will be worse because you can't write on the back of one of those pictures who that is in that picture. Good luck to them!!
You are certainly right. Woe to the descendant trying to identify digital photographs of ancestors.
DeleteI can’t help you much with this one. There were two, maybe three, photographers that I know of named Cammack. C J Cammack worked in Iowa and W R Cammack worked in Indiana. This was during the cabinet card era, 1860-1900. In the late 1890’s and after 1900, the cabinet card was losing favor to the “Folder” style you describe.
Cammack is not in my list of photographers because I have limited my researched to only the photographers of cabinet cards that I have in my own collection. I realized at the outset that I would never be able to examine all of the thousands of photographers of that era.
The mounting you describe sounds more like work done after 1900 but some areas of the eastern US were a little more advanced.
Good luck with this one!