Cabinet Card Photographers: July 2021

Wednesday, July 21, 2021

James Madison Elliott

James Madison Elliott
(1842-1899)

J. M. Elliott and his brother George Rodiman Elliott were both photographers. While George moved around a lot and often worked in studios of other photographers, James established his own studio on south High Street and didn’t move much. His first documented studio was at 101 then 107 then 95 and finally 111 ½, all on south High Street. He stayed at 111 ½ south High Street from 1888 until his death in 1899

James M. Madison’s widow Idell, held on to the studio at 111 ½ High and kept it running. In 1911 she remarried to Frank Myers, she was again widowed within a year. She kept the studio until 1924 when she apparently retired at 49 and moved to California.

photographer: J. M. Elliott
95 S High St
Columbus O

reverse of card at left

Timeline
All news ads and items are from the Columbus, OH, Daily Ohio Statesman unless otherwise noted.
1842 Jan 31
James M Elliott born in Plymouth, MI
1860 (age 18)
living at home working as blacksmith
1863 Dec 03
news item list of photographers in Columbus, OH, who are making charitable donations
1864
Columbus, OH, city directory as photographer at 101 s High
1866 Sep 17
Daily Ohio Statesman mentions photographers Warner and Elliott of South High Street
1868 March through 1869 Jan
small newspaper ad, photographer at 107 High st, Columbus, OH
1869
Columbus, OH city directory as photographer at 107 s High
1875 - 1886
Columbus, OH city directory as photographer at 95 High
1886 Nov 25
ad in Cincinnati paper J. M. Elliott through with politics
1888
Columbus, OH, city directory, brother George R. is working at Elliott gallery
1888 - 1899
Columbus, OH, city directory as photographer at 111 ½ s High

1899 Sep 03
James dies at age 57 in Columbus, OH; reported by the Sandusky Star 1899 Sep 04
1900 - 1910
Columbus, OH, city directory Idell Elliott as Widow, proprietor of Elliott Gallery
1911 - 1912
Idell as Mrs Idell Myers proprietor of Elliott studio at 111 ½ s High
1912 - 1924
Mrs Idell Elliott as proprietor of Elliott studio at 111 ½ s High (changed name back)
1925 - 1926
Idell NOT in Columbus, OH, city directory residential or business section
1936 Sep 28
Idell Elliott is found on a passenger manifest for a ship sailing into New York. List includes place of birth as Nevada, OH. It also includes her 1936 address as 840 Serrano av which agrees with a city directory listing that year.
1936 Sep 13
Idell is now living in Las Angels, CA
1937 - 1938
Las Angles, CA, listings in city directory at 840 Ceranno
1940 - 1941
Las Angles, CA listings in city directory at 511 Cerrano
1941
Idell dies age 66 in Las Angles, CA (No more listings in the city directory)

This cabinet card must have been finished in that period when the studio was at 95 South High, 1875-1886.

Daily Ohio Statesman - 17 Sep 1866

Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer - 25 Nov 1886

Cincinnati (OH)Enquirer - 09 Sep 1889

Cincinnati (OH) Enquirer - 15 Sep 1888

Evening Review - 23 Feb 1899

Evening Review - 27 Apr 1899

Sandusky (OH) Star Journal - 04 Sep 1899

photographer: J M Elliott
No 107 S High Street, Columbus, OH
example from pinterest, no source credit
very poor scan

photographer: J M Elliott
113 South High, Columbus, OH
example from Harvard U

reverse of card at left

photographer Elliott
Columbus, OH
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer Elliott
Butte City, Montana Territory
example from auction site

The example at the left is by Elliot of Montana Territory. No connection has been made to Elliot of Ohio.

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.

Miller of Kansas

Photographer: photographer: Miller
Cherokee, Kansas
example from LOST GALLERY

photographer: Miller
Cherokee, Kansas
example from auction site

There were a number of photographers named Miller in Kansas during the late 19th century. E W Miller of Overbrook, J H Miller of Rock Creek, P A Miller of Arkansas City, J B Miller of Great Bend, G H Miller of Iola and E E Miller of Sylvan Grove for example.

Traveling the small towns and setting up a temporary studio for a day or a week would have been an easy routine for a photographer. One small town would not produce enough business so canvassing several small communities would be necessary to make a living income. Adding the town name in the corner of a pre-printed cabinet card blank would have been a simple enough task. When there is a city named on the card, it doesn’t necessarily mean the photographer ever actually lived there.

They could even be caught in a census if they happened to be there on the day of enumeration.

There are many small towns around Cherokee, Ks. This Miller could have been working out of Joplin, MO, which is only 25 miles southeast.

Is this the same Miller? Maybe not. Blue Rapids, KS, is more than 250 miles from Cherokee, KS. But if the two towns were both on a rail line, it's quite possible.

Also note that the chair is the same in two of the photographs.

Gaylord (KS) Herald 13 Oce 1898

photographer: Miller's Cottage Studio
Blue Rapids, KS
example from Photographer's Net

photographer: Miller's Cottage Studio
Blue Rapids, KS
example from pinterest

photographer: Miller
Arkansas City, KS
example from auction site

The example at the left would be from P A Miller of Arkansas City, KS

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.

Charles Philip Haas

Photographer: C. P. Haas
Fremont, O

Charles Philip Haas (06 Jul 1861 - 09 Mar 1936)
1889 Apr 14
Congressional Record, Haas petitioned congress to reduce the duty on albumen photograph papers with other photographers J. O. Durgnan and R. Grob
1900 Jun 9
Fremont, OH, US census, C P Haas as photographer
1909
Coshocton OH Daily news item says C P Haas Indicted for bribery at board of education in Fremont, OH
1916
Michigan Alumnus Vol 47, page 506, C P Haas attends Dental Class reunion
1919 Jul 24
Sandusky (OH) Star Journal iItem mentions Hass of Fremont was fire marshal visiting in Sandusky Ohio

1934
Sandusky (OH) Register news item mentions 50th anniversary and that Haas is State Highway Inspector
1936 Mar 09
Fremont, OH, Charles P Haas dies at age 74

It appears that C. P. Haas was a professional photographer for only a short time. He was busy in politics and government jobs most of his life from 1910 on.

The cabinet card on the left was probably done between 1900 and 1910. See two more examples of this photographer at
Eastman Museum 001
and
Eastman Museum 002

Photographer: C. P. Haas
Fremont, O
example from auction site

photograher: C P H aas
Example from the collection of
mj aux on Flickr

photograher: C P H aas
Example from the collection of
mj aux on Flickr

photograher: C P H aas
Example from the collection of
mj aux on Flickr

photograher: C P H aas
Example from the collection of
mj aux on Flickr

Benjamin W Drake

Photographer:
"Dake and Wife"
(see note at far right)

Photographer:
B. W. Drake
Bellville Ohio

Benjamin W. Drake
1855-1932

1855 Apr 03
Ohio, Find-A-Grave Benjamin W Drake is born to Daniel Asbuty Drake and Jane Lane
1885 - 1886
Genealogy.com Bulletin Drake as photographer in Bellville, Ohio
1885
Unknown location, 1900 US Census, B W Drake marries Nora T
1887
Ohio, 1900 US census, son Artie Drake born
1887 Mar 17
Richwood (OH) Gazette. News item says Drake, from West Mansfield, is taking picture at schools in Northwestern Ohio
1888 Nov 22
Richwood (OH) Gazette ad for Mrs Drakes millinery store
1889
Ohio, 1900 US census, son Thomas E Drake is born
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood

1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drake's millinery
1896 - 1897
Genealogy.com Bulletin Drake as photographer in Loudenville, Ohio
1898
Toledo, OH, city directory, Benjamin W Drake as photographer; res 523 Wisconsin; note: NOT listed in business pages
1899
Toledo, OH, city directory Benjamin W Drake as photographer at 922 Starr av; res 522 Wisconsin
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood
1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drakes millinery
1890 Dec 25
Richwood (OH) Gazette news item says Mr and Mrs Drake of MT Vernon (OH) are visiting Richwood
1891 May 28
Richwood (OH) Gazette small ad for Mrs Drake's millinery

1900 Jun 01
Hanover, OH, US census, as photographer
1903 May 09
Ashland, OH, Drake’s wife Elinora Templeton McCready dies
1904
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1906
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1908
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Benjamin Drake as photographer with Am Photo View Co; son Artie same address, no spouse shown
1908
Richland, OH, 1910 US census, Drake marries Hattie I.
1910
Richland, OH, 1910 US census, Drake as photographer; wife Hattie listed as “asst Photographer”
1912 Jan 03 to Jun 26
Bulletin of Photography news item says B W Drake has purchased the Rapid Studio from Charles Beach of Mansfield, OH
1912
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake as mngr Rapid Studio, 74 ½ Main; res 214 e 2nd
1912 Jan 06
Mansfield (OH) News Journal small ad for Rapid Studio at 74 ½ Main

1914 Apr 06
Mansfield (OH) News Journal, society note about Mrs B W Drake
1915, 1917, 1920
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake as photographer at 74 ½ Main; res 68 w 4th
1921 Jun 16
Medina (OH) Sentinel news item says Drake and Wife from Mansfield were operating the Forrest MCDowell business during an illness, have returned home
1922
Mansfield, OH, city directory, Drake NOT listed
1922 Jan 22
Richwood(OH) Gazette news item says B “F” Drake the photographer is suffering from a broken wrist
1922 Aug 03
Richwood (OH) Gazette small display ad for B W Drake
1925 Feb 19
Richwood(OH) Gazette small item says Drake and wife visit Drake’s nephew
1930 Apr 22
Richwood, OH, US Census Drake as photographer; res 2 ½ n Franklin st
1932 Oct 14
Ashland County, county records, B W Drake dies at age 77

The photograph at the far left was probably done around 1910 just after the marriage to Hattie I. Drake in 1908, as she is listed in the 1910 US Census as “Assistant Photographer” and not so in the 1920 Census. This is probably Drake not "Dake" as the imprint shows, and it is assumed here that the card is a miss-print. If a "Dake" ever does show up as a photographer, it will be changed here.

The near left might have been done any time between 1885 and 1908 or 1920 and 1930.

Richwood(OH)Gazette - 17 Mar 1887