Cabinet Card Photographers: September 2021

Photographer: Terry Hart
What Cheer, Iowa
Possibly finished around 1888
(There's a great page about the Hart Studio at the Ames History Museum.)

George Terrence Hart
(1867 - 30 Aug 1932)

George Terrence (Terry) Hart was born in What Cheer, IA in 1867. Different records place him at Washington, Van Buren and then his marriage in 1887 at Sigorney, IA. These rural towns are just a few miles apart.

In 1895 he is found in Oskaloosa, IA, and then in 1910 in Ames, IA. None of the family has been found in the 1900 census so their whereabouts between 1895 and 1910 is not certain. Perhaps this is the period George Hart had a studio back in What Cheer, IA.

He remains in Ames, IA, as a photographer until death in 1932.

His son Atlee Bearl Hart continues on in the field of photography mostly in Ames, IA, also.
There are still a few gaps in the photograph history of G T Hart. He seldom, if ever, used addresses in his imprints or newspaper ads. Of course some of the small towns of that era didn’t even have a street numbering system. Address were often just “Over Jim’s Grocery” or “Across from the bank” or sometimes just “East on Harville Road”.

Everyone knew where everything was.

So this timeline mostly tells the towns where Hart worked and roughly when. He apparently had studios at different times, in several locations within Blair. .

He seems to move around a lot, working mostly in Blair and other small towns in Nebraska, and then finally settling in Ames, IA, from about 1915 on. .

Ads from some other photographers are added here to show that the small towns could support the businesses of more than one photographer at a time. .

TIMELINE
George Terrence Hart
(1866 to 1932)

1866 Apr 18
What Cheer, IA, state records, George Terrence Hart is born to Daniel Mark Hart and Olive Mary Hickey Blair, NE, Pilot newspaper item says G B Riker is photographer in Blair
1880 Jun 09
Keokuk, IA, US census, at 14, George T Hart and his parents are now living in Keokuk, IA

1885 Jan 01
Keokuk, IA, state census, at 18, George T Hart is listed as artist, still living with parents
1887 Dec 22
Sigourney, Keokuk, IA, state records, G T Hart and Loraine Neff, no occupation shown
1888 Aug 04
What Cheer, IA, state records, son Earl Max Hart is born to G T Hart and Loraine
1890 Dec 06
Blair (NE) Courier item says G L Hart is “Riker’s scenic photographer” and the Ricker has hired M B Wheeler of Williamsburg, IA, as photographer
1891 Dec 10
Blair (NE) Pilot newspaper item mentions photographers Hart and Dixon
1891 Dec 19
Blair (NE) Courier, news item says H E Meservey and G T Hart are scouting Fremont, IA, for a possible locaton for a photo gallery in Blair, representing a “Strong Company”
1891 Dec 19
Blair (NE) Courier news item says Hart and Dixon, the photographers are busy, no address shown
1891 Dec 24
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says Hart and Dixon, photographers are busy

1892 Aug 11
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says Hart and others are contemplating a Photographic Institute in Blair for the education of those interested in photography
1892 Oct 01
Blair (NE) Courier news item says that G T Hart has hired an assistant to help with business
1892 Oct 01 and Dec 12
Blair (NE) Courier display ad for Mrs H Harris, “Oldest photographer in Washington County” on Washington Street, in Blair NE
1892 Dec 15
Blair (NE) Pilot news ad says Louis Mogensen is now at “Hart’s old studio”
1893 Feb 11
Blear (NE) Courier news item says a man was arrested for stealing a camera from the Hart Studio
1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier ad says Hart is the “leader in styles and quality”; address not shown
1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier display ad says “Mrs H Harris Faber” is the “pioneer” photographer of Washington County

1893 Mar 11
Blair (NE) Courier news item says G T Hart has decided to remain in Blair, NE, instead of taking a management job in Milwaukee
1893 Aug 24 (x 2)
Blair (NE) Pilot news/ad says “Prof” G T Hart has re-purchased his previous gallery in Blair, NE, and has established a branch at Craig, NE
1893 Apr 22
Blair (NE) Courier news item says G T Hart is still in business
1893 Jun 29
Blair (NE) Pilot news/ad says Photographer Hart is still in business
1894 Jan 25
Blair (NE) Pilot item says C M Purcell, photographer is visiting G T Hart
1894 Jan 26
Blair (NE) Pilot item says Hart, the photographer, is still doing business
1894 Feb 08
Blair (NE) Pilot display ad says cabinets at $2.50 per dozen from 2/5 to 2/15 (No address is given)
1894 Oct 18
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says G T Hart of Blair has opened his photography business in Oskaloosa, IA

1895 Apr 24
Mahaska, IA, state records, son Atlee Bearl Hart is born to G T Hart and Loraine
1895
Mahaska, IA, state census, G T Hart as resident, details not available
1896 Apr 30
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says L A Mangold has purchased the Hart Gallery in Blair
1896 May 02
Blair (NE) Weekly news item says W P Viele took possession of the old Hart Gallery from W B Vandewall
1896 May 07
Blair (NE) Pilot news item says L A Mangold at the Hart Gallery straightening out the “Tangles left by W B Vandewall”;
1900 Jun 05
Springfield, MO, US census, George T Hart as “T salesman of picture H” as boarder with several other names; wife and children NOT listed; may be wrong George T Hart altogether, but there is no other listing for him or his wife available
1900
Items about George Terrence Hart are scarce after 1900

1910 Apr 16
Washington, IA, US census, G T Hart as photographer, wife “L Eliza” as assistant
1912 Mar 15
Salt Lake City (UT) Desert Evening News item says G T Hart stops there on way from Portland, OR, headed back East
1915
Ames, IA, state census, George T Hart as photographer; age given as 49
1920 Jan 08
Ames, IA, US census, George T Hart as photographer; res Grand Av; wife ”Laura” as assistant
1925 Jan 01
Ames, IA, state census, G T Hart, no occupation shown; wife “Eliza”
1930 Apr 12
Ames, IA, US census, George T Hart as photographer; wife “Lara” as photographer; res 626 6th St
1932 Aug 30
Ames, IA, state records, death certificate, George Terrence Hart dies with prostate cancer at age 66

There's a great page about the Hart Studio at the Ames History Museum.

Blair (NE) Courier - 06 Dec 1890

Blair (NE) Pilot - 10 Dec 1891

Blair (NE) Courier - 19 Dec 1891

Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Dec 1891

Blair (NE) Pilot - 11 Aug 1892

Blair (NE) Courier - 01 Oct 1892

Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Feb 1893

Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Mar 1893

Blair (NE) Pilot - 15 Dec 1892

Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Feb 1893

Blair (NE) Courier - 11 Mar 1893

Blair (NE) Courier - 22 APR 1893

Blair (NE) Pilot - 29 Jun 1893

Blair (NE) Pilot - 24 Aug 1893

Blair (NE) Pilot - 25 Jan 1894

Blair (NE) Pilot - 08 Feb 1894

Blair (NE) Pilot - 13 Sep 1894

Blair (NE) Pilot - 18 Oct 1894

Muscatine (IA) Journal - 01 Oct 1895

Blair (NE) Pilor - 30 Apr 1896

Blair (NE) Weekly Reader - 02 May 1896

Blair (NE) Pilot - 07 May 1896

Salt Lake City (UT) Deseret Evening News - 15 Mar 1912

photographer Hart (monogram says "G T H"
Monroe Block, Blair, NE
example from auction site

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.

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.

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.

Photographer: Wiseman
Upstairs in Davis and Utterback building
Dublin, Texas

William Henderson Wiseman Sr, sons William Henderson Wiseman JR and Rufus Frank Wiseman with W H Wiseman Junior’s daughter, Louisa Wiseman, were all photographers of note. Only one of them worked in Dublin, TX, for any substantial period. William Henderson Wiseman JR kept a gallery there from about 1889 to 1893 according to advertisements in the Dublin Progress newspaper. He then opened a gallery in Stephenville, TX, but there is no documentation that says he actually closed the studio in Dublin at the same time.

There were many photographers hired to run the studios in a Wiseman’s absence. The studio in Alton, IL, kept the name Wiseman Gallery and was operated by other photographers even after the death of W H Wiseman, who opened it originally.

Following is a list of Studios or Galleries that would have been named “Wiseman” and the approximate dates of operation:

Newbury, SC - 1868 to Mar 1877 (William Henderson Wiseman SR, J D Bruce takes over gallery)
Newberry, SC - 1878 (W H Wiseman, SR, briefly, apparently)
Johnson, TX - 1880 to 1889? (No activity in photography has been documented for any of the Wisemans during this period. W H Wiseman, SR, and both sons turn to farming for at least part of this period)
Dublin, TX - 1889 to 1894 (mostly by W H Wiseman, JR)
Stephenville, TX - 1894 - 1898 (mostly by W H Wiseman, JR)
Hico, TX - 1889 to 1953 (Mostly by Frank Wiseman, JR; some date speculation on this one)
Alton, IL - 1898 to 1919 (W H Wiseman. JR, who then runs a Jackson, IL, farm)
Alton, IL - Jul 1920 to Aug 1921 (W H Wiseman leases business to St Louis, MO, couple. He moves to Jacksonville, IL to work a farm)
Alton, IL - 24 Nov 1928 (W H Wiseman JR returns to photography
Alton, IL - 1928 and continues some years after the death of W H Wiseman JR’s death in 1954
Alton, IL - 17 Apr 1943 (news item shows W H Wiseman studio is still operating)

The cabinet card was probably done by W H Wiseman, Jr, around 1889 to 1894.