Lucius William Harper

Card # 16 - photographer: Lucius Harper
1303 29th Street, Galveston, TX
finished between 1916 and 1928
(This is not a cabinet card.)

Lucius W Harper Sr
(1867 - 1920)
Lucius W Harper Jr
(1895 - 1962)

Sources: US census, city directories, draft registration card, death certificates,

1867 May 02
Findagrave and US Census, Lucius W Harper SR is born to Amos Harper and Amy William in Texas
1884
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as house mover; res ss av M ½ bt 29th, 30th
1886
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as scroll sawyer, artist; res 29th bt av M 1/2, N
1890
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR no occupation shown, res Winnie bt 33rd, 34th
1891
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR no occupation shown, res 2907 M ½
1893
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as artist; res 2907 av M ½

1895
Galveston, TX, US census, registration card, Lucius W Harper JR is born
1896, 1898
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as artist; res 2907 av M ½
1899
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as artist; res 1303 29th
1900
Galveston, TX, US census, Lucius Harper SR as artist; res 1303 29th
1901, 1908
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as artist; res 1303 29th
1910
Dallas, TX, city directory, US census, Lucius Harper SR as photographer; res 116 Allen st; Lucius Harper JR age 15, has no occupation
1911, 1912, 1913
Dallas, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as photographer at 1716 Allen; res same
1914
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR no occupation shown; res 1303 29th; Lucius Harper JR as photographer with Lilly and Harper, room 5, 421 ½ 25th; res 1303 29th; Matthew L Lilly res 1313 28th;

1916
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as photographer; Lucius Harper JR as photographer; both res 1303 29th
1919
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper SR as laborer, res 2901 av M, (listed with wife Mary); Lucius Harper JR as photographer; res 1303 29th (listed with wife Marietta)
(Also see 1919 classified ad below)
1920
Galveston, TX, death certificate, Lucius Harper SR dies at age 52, embolism and general paralysis; death certificate shows him as widowed, res 1303 29th
1923
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR, photographer; res 1303 29th; wife Texana listed
1924
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR at Harper’s Studio 1303 29th; Harper’s Studio has separate listing
1926, 1928
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as photographer; studio at 1303 29th
1930
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR NOT listed

1932, 1934
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as mech for Amos Harper; res 2904 av N
1936
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as helper at Harper Radio Service; res 2902 av N
1938, 1939
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as helper at Harper Radio Service; res 1303 29th
1941
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR NOT listed
1942
Galveston, TX, US draft registration, Lucius Harper JR res 1303 29th; Employer Davenport Garage
1943
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as photographer; res 2904 av N
1945
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as station man for Pretorius Ice Co; res 1324 26th
1947
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR as porter; 1314 26th

1949 Nov 14
Galveston (TX) Daily News legal publication says Lucius Harper JR, his brother Amos Harper and a widow Martha Cooper have been sued by the county and property seized for unpaid taxes, property to be sold for back taxes.
1949, 1951
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR NOT listed
1952
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR no occupation shown; res 2910 av N
1953, 1954
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius JR as laborer; 2910 av N
1555
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius W Harper JR is not listed
1956
Galveston, TX, city directory, Lucius Harper JR no occupation shown; res 2910 av N; no listing in business pages
1962 14 Apr
Galveston, TX, death certificate, Lucius William Harper JR dies at age 66 of a coronary occlusion; death certificate shows him as a retired photographer; res 2910 av N

As a recap, active periods for JR and SR:
Galveston, TX, 1303 29th: SR as artist, 1893 - 1908
Dallas, TX, 1716 Allen: SR as photographer, JR probably only assisting, 1910 - 1913
Galveston, TX, Rm 5 at 421 25th st: JR as photographer with Mathew Lilly, 1914
Galveston, TX, 1303 29th: JR and SR as photographers, 1916 - 1920
Galveston, TX, 1303 29th: JR as photographer, 1921 - 1928
Galveston, TX, 2904 av N: JR as photographer, 1943

The Harpers, Senior and Junior were photographers, off and on, from 1910 to 1943. No newspaper ads were found and only a few news items that might be connected with them.
Only a few examples of their work have been found.

photographer: Harper
Monroe, LA
example from Louisiana Digital Library
(found by reader Lora Peppers,
see comment section)

This cabinet card is possibly from the Lucius Harper studio.

No documents have been found to date, placing L W Harper or his associates, in Monroe LA. One source lists “Harper and Co” of “Houston, TX, Branch Galleries, Galveston, Waco & Ennis, TX, (and) Shreveport, LA”. Shreveport is only 99 miles from Monroe, LA, and was probably on a rail line.

No evidence has been found showing that ANY OTHER Harper was a photographer in Monroe, LA, during the cabinet card era.


From Commenter:
Texas Photographers and Photo History
(see bottom of page) "This statement is incorrect. Thomas Jefferson Harper had Monroe as his base for 1894-95. One of his brothers was there for a little while as well. Neither Lucius William Harper Senior or Junior operated in Louisiana."

Galveston (TX) Daily News - 13 Sep 1885


This is probably Amos, the brother of Lucius JR
Galveston (TX) Daily News - 24 Oct 1893

Galveston (TX) Daily News - 18 Jun 1896


Houston (TX) Post - 15 Mar 1904


Dallas (TX) Express - 31 May 1919

Galvestion (YX) Daily News - 14 Nov 1949

photographer: Harper & Co
Dallas
finished around 1910-1913

photographer: Lucius Harper
Pictures Enlarged - Art Studio
Calvert, TX
Unknown date

photographer: Harper and Company
2215 Market, Galveston, TX
920 Congress, Austin, TX
(Note: This is NOT the same Harper and Company as the first photograph on this row. This is more likely to be Thomas Jefferson Harper of Galveston.)

photographer: W L Harper (not L W Harper)
Ennis, Texas
This would be WIlliam L Harper, brother of Thomas Jefferson Harper (see card at left)

The following three examples are not cabinet cards and were probably finished by Lucius Harper JR after about 1910

photographer: Harper
Galveston, TX
example from IDS.EDU

photographer" Harper
Galveston, TH
example from auction site

photographer Harper
Galveston, TX
example from NMAAHC

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.

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