Cabinet Card Photographers: April 2020

Monday, April 27, 2020

Robert M D Anderson

Photographer:
Robt. M. D. Anderson

Robert M. D. Anderson was born in 1860 in Maryland. His photography business was conducted mostly in Fayetteville, Tennessee. Although he was in the US census five times, few other documents have been found relating to Robert M D Anderson.

1860 Dec 20
Maryland, US census, Findagrave Robert M D Anderson is born to William Anderson and Mary Keith
1883 (1884 not available)
Baltimore, MD, city directory Robt M D Anderson NOT listed
1885
Baltimore, MD, city directory Robt M D Anderson as clerk; bds 335 e Pratt
1886
Baltimore, MD, city directory Robt M D Anderson as clerk for Kann, son and co; res 33 r Baltimore
1887
Baltimore, MD, city directory, Robt M D Anderson NOT listed

1896
Robert M D Anderson and Amy M O’Neal are married
1900
Fayetteville, TN, US census R M D Anderson as photographer; res High st,
1910
Fayetteville, TN, US census Robert Anderson as photographer; res Mill st
1920
Rockwood, TN, US census Robert M D Anderson as photographer at 229 s Front st

The couple had three children but apparently none of them survived infancy. Wife Amy M. Anderson gave a different age at each census.

This cabinet card must have been finished before he moved from Fayetteville to Rockwood.

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.

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, they will be immediately removed.

Lymon Sperry Anderson

Photographer: Anderson
511 and 513 N. S. Square
Springfield, Ill.

Lymon Sperry Anderson was born in Sweetwater, New York, 30 Apr 1847. He moved to Springfield about 1872 and started into the photography business shortly thereafter. He continued in the photography business until his death in 1913.

His studio was at 511-513 East Washington Street in Springfield, IL, from about 1884 on.

For earlier addresses see the great research and detailed timeline on Lymon Sperry Anderson at
Lincoln's Springfield

photographer: Lymon Sperry Anderson
511 and 513 N S Square, Springfield, IL
example from CurtJ on Flicker

reverse of card at left

photographer: Anderson
Galesburg, IL
example from auction site
(This is not by L S Anderson. This photographer is more likely Frank Anderson.)

Friday, April 24, 2020

Spengler and Masure

Photographer: Spengler
106 & 108 Stephenson St. Freeport, Ill.

Robert Leonard Spengler
(26 Mar 1886 - 16 May 1979)

R. L. Spengler worked at several occupations including carpenter, dairy farmer and maintenance man. The 1910 US Census shows him as a photographer but working for another studio. He re-appears in a 1912 Freeport city directory as a photographer with his own studio, rooms 13-15 in the Wilcoxon bldg.
Then by 1917 he is a carpenter and no subsequent documents show he ever returned to photography.

The cabinet card to the left must have been done around 1912.

Freeport Journal Standard
06 Mar 1909

photographer: Spengler
106 * 108 Stephenson St, Freeport, WI
(No connection to Spengler of Chicago has been found)
example from auction site

photographer: Spengler and Masure
522 So Halsted St, Chicago
example from auction site
probably finished around 1897

Photographer: Spengler and Masure
522 So. Halsted St.
Chicago

Morris L Masure
(1869 - 1943)

Timeline:

1869
Tosen, Germany, Morris L Masure born to Solomon Masure and Cella Platt
1892
M L Masure arrives in the US
1897 Dec 15
Spengler and Masure studio at 522 s Halstead is mentioned in a labor statistics report to the Illinois state government.
1900
Chicago, IL, US census M L Masure is a photographer at 522 Halstead
1900
M L Masure, Chicago, is mentioned as an exhibitor in the St Louis and Canadian photographer vol 24, 1900
1904 Aug 13
Chicago, IL, Passport Application as photographer
1905 Dec 15
M L Masure studio at 522 Halstead is mentioned in the Annual Report issue 13 of the Illinois dept of Factory Insp for the year ending 15 Dec 1905

1909
This note from contributor S. Wolff
“I have a photograph of my grandparents Sam and Esther Wolff that must have been taken after 1909, when they were married. Below the photograph is written The Masure Studio, S.E. Corner of S. Halsted St., Chicago. Spengler is not mentioned. So, he must have moved to this address after 522 Halsted, perhaps after breaking away from Spengler but before moving to Rockford.” (See example below)

1910 Apr 20
Chicago, IL, US census as photographer; res 912 Belmont
1915 Sep 06
Kane, IL, city records M L Masure marries Cyrene Archambault
1917
Rockford, IL, city directory Masure NOT listed residential or business; the deadline for entries in the city directory is probably early in the year which is possibly why it is omitted
1917 Jul to Dec
Bulletin of Photography vol 21, M L Masure mentioned taking over The Model studio in Rockford, IL, formerly owned by Fred W Tronce

Bulletin of Photography vol 21 1917 Jul to Dec

1918
Rockford, IL, city directory as photographer at The Model Studio, 109 n Main; res 509 Mulberry
1919
Rockford, IL, city directory Model Studio, 109 n Main is listed but Masure is NOT listed in the residential section
1920
Chicago, IL, US census, as photographer; res 2009 Cortez st
1930
Chicago, IL, US census, as photographer; res 1539 Luna av
1943 Mar 13
Aurora, IL, death certificate as retired photographer; M L Masure dies at age 73

Although Masure appears in the 1920 US census, his name is not listed under “photographers” in the 1920 Chicago city directory. This could mean one of two things. First, he may be working for another studio. Second, he may be using a studio name like “Superior” or “Apex” instead of his own name as was the situation in Rockford, IL, with the “Model Studio”. The Chicago city directories of that period do not have residential pages.

There is very limited documentation on this one so far. The best estimate for the cabinet card here is around 1897, that short period when he was working with Spengler. (see above)

from contributor S Wolff:
"a photograph of my grandparents Sam and
Esther Wolff that must have been taken after 1909, when they were married."

Below is the imprint on the lower part of the photo mount. Similar imprints would be from the same era.

Thanks to contributor S Wolff

J H Whitley

Photographer: J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue
Elmira, N.Y.

John H Whitley
(1835 - 1896)

Timeline sources: Newspaper items as noted, city directories and US census

1830 Oct 31
Tioga County, NY, John J Whitley is born (Elmira (NY) Daily Gazette and Free Press, calculates 1835)
1855
Barton, NY, NY State census as farmer
1860
Owego, NY, US census as Daguerrian artist
1861
Elmira, NY city directory NOT listed
1861
Elmira (NY) Daily Gazette and Free Press, Whitley begins photographer’s career
1866
Elmira, NY, city directory as photographer with Mrs E T Dunn located at 2 Lake st (cor Lake and water streets)
1869
Elmira, NY, as photographer at 158 Lake
1871
Elmira, NY, city directory, as photographer at 10 and 12 Baldwin

1872
Elmira, NY, city directory as photographer at Whitley and Denton at 10 and 12 Baldwin
1874 - 1878
Elmira, NY, city directory as photographer at 201 e Water
1880
Elmira, NY, US census as photographer at 201 e Water
1882
Elmira, NY, city directory as photographer at Whitley and Harrison at 316 Orchard
1884 - 1896
Elmira, NY, city directory as photographer at 303 Railroad
1896 Jan 02
Elmira, (NY) Daily Gazette and Free Press, John H Whitley dies of stomach cancer

This cabinet card would have been finished between 1884 and 1895.

(Elmira, NY) Star Gazette - 03 Jan 1896

1878 City Directory display ad

1866 city directory display ad

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
example from J G Autographs
(same set as card at right)

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
example from Graphics Atlas

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
Example borrowed from Cabinet Card Gallery

Two stereo views attributed to J H Whitley

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Rail Road avenue. Elmyra, NY
example from pinterest no source shown

photographer: J H Whitley
example from StereoViews.com

photographer: J H Whitley
example from Gilder Lehrman Insitute

photographer: J H Whitley
example from pinterest no source shown

photographer: J H Whitley and CO
Dunn's Block, Elmira, NY
example from JoiceTice.com

reverse of card at left
owner dated 1864
(possibly 1861)

Same set in the next five cards

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Rail Road avenue. Elmyra, NY
example from auction site

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
Example from PhotoTree

photographer: Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
Example borrowed from Cabinet Card Gallery

photographer: J H Whitley
303 Rail Road avenue. Elmyra, NY
example from JoyceTice.Com

photographer:J H Whitley
303 Railroad Avenue, Elmira, NY
example from auction site

New examples and additional information 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.

Thursday, April 23, 2020

George Robert Ward

Photographer: Ward & Robar
North Side Public Square, Tecumseh, Oklahoma
example from LOST GALLERY
George Robert Ward was born 23 Feb 1858 in Rutherford Obion, TN. There is some evidence that he opened a studio in about 1880.

The earliest record of his presence in Oklahoma Territory is 12 Oct 1889, when his daughter Violet M. Ward is born.

There was no city directory for Tecumseh, OK, so it is impossible to tell what years his studio was operating in Oklahoma, but according to the US census of 1910 he is still a photographer in Tecumseh.

A page by page search of the 1920 US census of Pottawatomie County, OK, did not find George Robert Ward but found wife Nina and son George E. Ward. George may have been traveling with his camera to neighboring towns.

1930 finds George Robert widowed, in Shamrock, OK, a small town north of Tecumseh, closer to Tulsa, OK.

George was not found in the 1940 US census. So far, there is no evidence of when he partnered with James J. Robar. Only one US census has found Robar, living in Stillwater, OK in 1900.

The best scenario would put them together between 1899 and 1910.

photographer: Gurney E Ward
Abilene, TX
example from auction site
(so far no connection has been made
to George Robert Ward)

John Blue Tooley

Photographer: J. B. Tooley
Easton, Kansas
example from LOST GALLERY

John Blue Tooley
(02 May 1840 - 1914)

J. B. Tooley appears to have based his operations in Concordia, KS, for many years but travelled a lot to smaller towns in the area, staying in hotels for months at a time and then moving on.

The records show him as farmer in 1880 and then as “artist” in 1885, possibly indicating when he began his photography career. The following timeline may help to show where Tooley was working and help date cabinet cards that are imprinted with that town.

Timeline - All data from US census, newspaper blurbs and city directories
1840 May 02
born in Chariton, MO
1860 Aug 24
As farmer in Chariton, MO
1862
marriage to Susan Marian Henderson
1863 - 1875
birth of 5 children in Salt Springs, MO

1876
death of son in Silver Creek, MO
1880 Jun 18
US census as farmer in Silver Creek, MO
1881
birth of son in Silver Creek, MO
1885 Mar 01
Kansas census as artist in Lyndon, KS
1887 May 13
newspaper item in Concordia, KS
1888
death of daughter in Concordia, KS
1888 May 01
newspaper item as photographer in Concordia, KS
1889 May 24
newspaper item as photographer in Glasco, KS and Concordia, KS
1891 Mar 26
newspaper item as photographer in Concordia KS
1892 Apr 08
newspaper item as photographer in Concordia, KS
1895 Mar 01
Kansas Census as photographer in Concordia, KS

1896 Feb 25
newspaper item as photographer in Leavenworth, KS
1896 May 01
newspaper item as photographer in Potter, KS
1898 June 24
newspaper item as photographer in Teboo, KS (unknown town)
1900 Jun 05
US census as photographer in Rock Creek, KS
1901 Nov 04
newspaper item as photographer in Atchison, KS, moving that week to Potter, KS
1904
death of son in Center, KS
1910 Apr 15
US census as no occupation in Greenleaf, KS
1914
death in Greenleaf, KS at age 74

No clues turned up documenting when Tooley was in Easton, KS. Easton is a very small community even today. He probably visited there during his stay in Leavenworth, KS, as it is very near.