William Lee Harper

...and

Emmett Leander Harper

Photographer: William L Harper, Ennis, Texas
Note the same props were used in another card on this page

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.

William Lee Harper
(1867-1944)

1867 Jan 16
Hickory Plain Township, Prairie, AR, state records, William Lee Harper is born to William Addison Harper and Lucy Ann Rich
1880
Hickory Plains, Prairie, AR, US census William Harper, age 13, is living with parents
1891 Oct 14
Ellis County, TX, state records, William Harper marries Jessie A Dunkerley
1891 Oct 16
Fort Worth (TX) Gazette news item says that William L Harper, “Leading photographer” of Ennis, TX, has married Jessie Dunkerley
1900
Ennis, TX, US census, William Harper as real estate agent; brother Emmett is living at same address and is listed as photo operator
1910
Ennis, TX, US census, William Harper as real estate agent
1920 Jan 07
Los Angeles, CA, US census, William Harper as real estate salesman
1930
Los Angeles, CA, US census, William Harper as real estate broker
1940 Apr 11
Los Angeles, CA, US census, William Harper no occupation listed
1944 Mar 19
Los Angeles, CA, state records, William Harper dies at age 77


William Lee Harper is referred to as “Ennis, TX, Leading Photographer” in 1899 news item about marriage to Jesse Dunkerley. The US census for 1900 and 1910 list him as real estate agent.

Emmett Leander Harper
(1868-1953)

1868 Oct 08
Des Arc, AR, state records, Emmett Leander Harper is born to William Addison Harper and Lucy Ann Rich
1900 Jun 18
Ennis, TX, US census, Emmett L Harper as “photo operator”; living with brother, William L Harper who is listed as real estate agent
1904 Dec 14
Ellis County, TX, state records Emmett L Harper and Daisey D Wilkinson are married
1910 Apr 21
Ennis, TX, US census Emmett L Harper as photographer
1920 Jan 15
Ennis, TX, US census Emmett L Harper as real estate agent
1930 Apr 05
Ennis, TX, 1930 US census, Emmett L Harper as real estate agent
1935
Ennis, TX, 1940 US census Emmett L Harper living in same house as in 1940; as real estate agent
1940 Apr 10
Ennis, TX, US census Emmett L Harper as real estate agent
1953 Feb 01
Ennis, TX, state records, Emmett Leander Harper dies at age 84


E L Harper was photographer between 1900 and 1910. He may have begun his work in photography as early as 1890 but there are no records to support that. There are no city directories available for Ennis, TX, so details are scarce. It appears that sometime between 1910 and 1920, he switched from photography to real estate.

photographer: Harper, Ennis, TX
(This would be William L Harper)
contributed by G Groth

Fort Worth (TX) Gazette - 16 Oct 1891


Waxahachie (TX) Daily Light - 22 Feb 1902

Galveston (TX) Daily News - 12 mar 1905

Photo by Deane of Dallas

Roger and Ned Haynes,
Ennis, Tex.
--Photo by Harper, Ennis

This shows that photographer Harper of Ennis was still operating in 1905.

The Waxahachie (TX) Daily Light - 10 Jul 1909

This mention in the news item at the left is further evidence that the Harper Photograph Studio in Ennis, TX continued on after William Lee Harper went into the real estate business around 1900. Here it shows that in 1909 brother Emmett Leander Harper was operating the studio.

The US census of 1900 does show that William Lee Harper had turned to the real estate business and Emmett Harper, staying at the same address, was listed as "Photo Operator."

The US census of 1910 shows that Emmett Harper was still a photographer in Ennis, TX, and the 1920 US census shows that he too was now into real estate. So the photograph studio lasted at least from 1891 to 1910. It was operated first by William Lee Harper and then by his brother Emmett Harper.

photographer: Harper
Corsicana, Waxahachie, Bryan, Navasota,
Temple, Ennis and Calvert

Photographer: William Lee Harper
Ennis, TX
example from auction site
(Imprint is same as top two cards
but card cut is different)

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.

Photographer: ???per (Probably "Harper"),
Corsicana, Texas, No date estimate
This one would probably be by William L or Emmett Harper.

Photographer: Harper Galleries in Corsicana, Bryan, Temple, Navasota, Waxahachie, Calvert, & Ennis, Texas
Date estimate: circa 1890

Photographer: William L or Emmett L Harper Ennis, Texas
No date estimate

Photographer: William L or Emmett L Harper Ennis, Texas
No date estimate

Photographer: William L or Emmett L Harper Ennis, Texas
No date estimate

Photographer: Harper & Co., Galveston, Houston, & Ennis, Texas
date calculation: May of 1900
(subject's DOB and age shown on card)
(Note the inclusion of "Ennis, TX" in the imprint shows that William L Harper might have been in partnership with his brother Thomas Jefferson Harper at least for a time)

Photographer: Harper, Ennis, Texas
(this would be William L or Emmett L Harper)
No date estimate

Photographer: Harper, Bryan/Ennis/Temple/Waxahachie, Texas
(This is likely William L Harper)
Date estimate circa 1895

photographer: Harper
Corsicana, Waxahachie, Bryan, Navasota, Temple, Ennis and Clavert
example from Portal to Texas History

photographer: Harper
Ennis, TX
example from auction site

photographer: Harpet
Ennis, TX
example from RootsWeb

photographer: Harper
Ennis, TX
example from RootsWeb

photographer: Harper
Ennis, TX
example from RootsWeb

photographer: Harper
Ennis, TX
example from Ancestry.com

photographer: Harper
Ennis, TX
example from RootsWeb

photographer: Harper
Tyler, TX
branches Corsicana, Mexia and Waxhachie
example from auction site

photographer: Harper
Texarkana, TX
example from auction site
(It it not known at this time which of the Harper Brothers worked in Texarkana, TX)

photographer: Harper and Co.
Location not known
example from auction site

photographer: Harper
Corsicana, Bryan, Waxahachie, Temple and Ennis
example from auction site

photographer: Harper
Bryan, Waxahachie, Calvert,
Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from Genealogy Villiage

photographer: Harper
Bryan, Waxahachie, Calvert,
Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from auction site

photographer: Harper
Bryan, Waxahachie, Calvert,
Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from contributor S Harris

photographer: Harper
Bryan, Waxahachie, Calvert,
Corsicana, Ennis, TX
example from auction site

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.

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