photographer: JacobsonSan Antonio, TX
example from contributor Kevin L Mackey
photographer: Jacobson2 E Houston St., San Antonio, TX
example from contributor Kevin L Mackey
photographer: Jacobson2 E Houston St., San Antonio, TX
example from contributor Kevin L Mackey
TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHER: Samuel E Jacobson
Assembled History by Kevin L. Mackey,
President Grace Armantrout Museum
For more information see:
Museum Facebook Page
Samuel E. Jacobson was a photographer from San Antonio, Galveston, and Weimer. In his early days he worked for a time in partnership with a traveling photographer.
Mary E. Pallais was a business owner that added a photo studio ran by a photographer in Galveston. Her future husband, and then husband, was the photographer for all but one month of that time. She was also a photography business owner in San Antonio where her husband was the photographer. She was not herself a photographer.
Below I will post the narrative as well as a time line combining Samuel and Mary’s involvement in photography. We have no birth or death information on Samuel Jacobson, but do on Mary.
TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHER -- SAMUEL E. (& MARY E. JACOBSON)
By Kevin L. Mackey, President, Grace Armantrout Museum Association
(With assistance of Grace Armantrout Museum Director, Sallie A. Mackey)
Who is M. E. Jacobson? That is not a hard question for which to find an answer. It is only natural, for those that are history minded, to ask the question, “Who is M. E. Jacobson?” when they come across a cabinet card photograph bearing that as a photographer’s mark along with “San Antonio, Texas.” You expect to find out M. E. Jacobson was a photographer in San Antonio, and hope to find a name to put to the initials and a period of operation. This was an easy find with the current information on the internet, the initials stand for a Mary E. Jacobson, who was an important female photographer c1890, who was, at least partially responsible for teaching Ernst Wilhelm Raba the art of photography. You find out her husband Samuel was partnered with another well-known San Antonio photographer some ten years earlier, Henry A. Doerr, but it seems everything fell silent about him soon after. There is great consensus about these facts. The problem is, when you really start to check, very little of that is correct. My old adage is true, the history presented is only as accurate as its source, and what is known at the present moment. What I would discover, with my wife’s Sallie’s help, will rewrite most of that history.
To research Mary, I felt I needed to research her husband. To research her husband, I decided I needed to research the other photographers with whom he had partnered. That meant I needed to look into who Henry A. Doerr was, and naturally, his partners. In doing so, I came across a very enlightening article in the San Antonio Ledger, dated March 23, 1867. The article states that
Mr. Henry Doerr was “the first gentleman who took photographs in San Antonio, and has been engaged in this business over 17 years.” That would push the known operating periods for Doerr back 15 years before those that give his history have it recorded. In doing the Doerr research, I was able to narrow down the time of the Jacobson partnership to July 25, 1875 to at least the end of April 1879.
What was Samuel “Semmy” Jacobson doing before he entered the partnership with Doerr? Stereographs titled “Views of Laredo, Texas” and attributed by pencil notation “c1875” are marked as being published by “Hunziker & Jacobson.” The National Stereoscopic Association states that it is possibly the work of “John A. Hunziker, no other ref. to Jacobson found.” Hunziker is noted as a traveling photographer who took scenic photos of Texas towns, so that would be a good guess, and as I have come across only two Jacobson photographers in Texas in the 1800’s, and Semmy Jacobson being the only one in that time period, I think it would be a good guess that
Sammy was working, at least for a time with Hunziker, and we now know what S. E. Jacobson was doing before the Doerr partnership. The scenic work seen in the Hunziker & Jacobson stereographs, was carried on while Samuel was partnered with Doerr and later with M. E. Jacobson.
To take a break from S. E. Jacobson, let us look at Mrs. M. E. Pallais, who was listed in the business listing under “Photographer” in the 1881 Galveston city directory. Who is this woman? Mrs. Pallais is the ten year widow of Daniel Henry Pallais. D. H. Pallais was an early resident of the Republic of Texas, in business at least as early as 1840 in Brazoria County when his business partnership there dissolved. D. H. moved to Galveston and was in the jewelry and book business soon after that. Mary Scheug (Americanized as “Shaw”) was born May 20, 1830 in Germany followed by three siblings, brother Michael William, Jr., and two sisters, Margaret, and Catherine before her mother passed away. Her father remarried and after having two more surviving children with his second wife, Frank Daniel and Philippine, the whole family immigrated to Galveston, Texas in 1846.
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Within two years, her father was dead, her younger sister, (some records show her as young as 14), and herself, were married. Margaret married Benjamin Dix Blaney, and she, at 18 years old, married jeweler D. H. Pallais on Sept. 30, 1848. He was 13 years her senior and they took her two younger siblings into their home. The 1850 census records her brother “Mike Shawe” 14 years old, as apprentice to her husband, a watch maker, and Catherine as a child in the home. D. H. Pallais it seems did well in Galveston until 1861 or 1862 when he had to take his family and business inland to protect it from the Yankee invasion of the Galveston Island.
In 1865, we find Pallas is in partnership with F. D. Shaw Co. on Congress St. in Houston, F. D. being Mary’s step-brother. 1867 ads are for “D. H. Pallais & Shaw.” While the business remained in Houston, the Pallais family, Mary E. and daughter Mary Blaney Pallais (born Apr. 1, 1849), are living in Galveston at 120 E. Market St. in 1868. A major fire destroys the area in which the Houston business was located in 1869, and the business is moved to the same address as the Pallais residence in Galveston. The 1870 Galveston city directory now records that business as M. W. Shaw, Bro. & Pallais, indicating that both Michael and Frank are partners in the business. Frank D. is residing with the Pallais family and Michael W. is living and operating a second location at “110 & 112 Tremont or 23rd St.”
In 1871, Mary is widowed with the death of D. H., and F. D. takes over the running of the business from their address, but Mary is involved in the business. The firm will continue to use the name “D. H. Pallais” and make claim to having been established in 1845, before anyone now living was in the firm, but likely the date when D.H. Pallais first opened on the Strand in Galveston.
Daughter Mary Blaney Pallais married Nicholas Sabell on Sept. 25, 1873, a man about 12 years her senior, and only 6 years her mother’s junior, the business directories list him as a carpenter. In 1874, the business in newspaper still listed Pallais, but the city directory listing had become “M. W. Shaw, & Bro.” at NW Corner of Market and Tremont. In 1877, Agnes C. Blaney, niece to Mrs. M. E. Pallais, married Adam A. Doerr at Mrs. Pallais’ home. At this time, we have found no relation to photographer Henry A. Doerr.
With the separation of businesses with her brothers, Mary bought the business of J. W. Hebert for $10,000 on Feb. 10, 1878 and opened the business under the name “Mrs. M. E. Pallais Variety Store” at 221 & 223 Postoffice Street, Galveston. Initially, her half brother, Frank D. Shaw was her manager. It focused on interior décor type items, wallpaper, window shades, cornice and moldings, pictures, and looking glasses (mirrors) but included other games, toys and amusements. In December, she changed
managers to her son-in-law, Nicholas S. Sabell, and he would then be the manager until the widowed Mrs. M. E. Pallais remarried.
In October of 1880 it was announced that Mrs. M. E. Pallais would be opening a “photographic gallery” in her business and December 1st the ad said it was open with F. W. Bartlett as photographer. He would remain the photographer all of one month, with a January 1, 1881, ad mentioning “Pictures taken at the new Photograph and Art Gallery.” Then, for some reason the gallery would close. It could be because F. W. Bartlett was charged, according to the January 1st paper, with “carrying concealed deadly weapons.” It could also have to do with the article that appeared January 2nd, and for a great number of weeks after, that photographer P. H. Rose had bought the negative collections of several photographers, including 1,000 of Frederick W. Bartlett, amassing a collection of 30,000 from which he was ready to make duplicates at a reduced rate. The 1880 business directory listed the business of Mrs. M. E. Pallais under photographers, but not meaning that she was a photographer. If she was, there would have been no reason to close the new gallery just because they lost one photographer.
Let us leave Mrs. M. E. Pallais, the lady, for a moment and go back to Samuel “Semmy” E. Jacobson for the moment.
We had left him separating from the H. A. Doerr partnership in April of 1879. What he did in the mean time is unknown, some having him dropping out of sight about that time photographically. He does appear through the rest of 1879 on the decoration committee for an event in the San Antonio German press. In 1880, he is mentioned several times as a delegate to the Bexar County Republican convention. In March of 1881, we find him in Galveston where he had been hired to work for a business called … “Mrs. M. E. Pallais.”
A March 20, 1881 advertisement announced the reopening of the “New Photographic and Art Gallery” to be operated by photographer S. E. Jacobson on the 21st, managed by N. S. Sabell, and Mrs. M. E. Pallais was the owner.
I think you may have suspected that Mrs. M. E. Pallais would somehow tie in with S. E. Jacobson. By September 8, 1881, the widow, Mary E. Pallais, would be, Mrs. S. E. Jacobson or M. E. Jacobson. Sammy replaced Mary’s son-in-law as manager for the business within a week, Mary rescinding his power of attorney immediately and announcing. Nicholas Sabell was no longer employed with her business in the newspapers.
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He would take the Jacobsons to court (and win his case to the amount of one dollar) and go in a competing business. In November of 1881, the business as “S. E. Jacobson (Late Mrs, M. E. Pallais 121 and 123 Postoffice St.)” announced they were “Selling out at and below cost!” “S. E. JACOBSON” remained in business through 1882 and sold in early 1883 to J. H. Flett. March 20, 1883, Flett advertised those that had left pictures with S. E. Jacobson, needed to pick them up or they would be sold.
Let us for a moment stop to take note of what went on with the business in Galveston. Mrs. M. E. Pallais opened a business, and had managers who ran the business for her. The business added photography to their product, hiring photographers to operate that part. The Galveston city directory noted the business of Mrs. M. E. Pallais was in the photography business, not that the lady herself was a photographer. If she had been a photographer, there would have been no need to close the photo gallery when they lost their photographer until they found a new one. The business changed names when she got married, to “S. E. Jacobson” and was operated as such until they sold out. This will make understanding who, or what “M. E. Jacobson” is in San Antonio.
For the next couple of years there were legal notices in the paper, people taking the Jacobsons to court and people the Jacobsons took to court to collect rent and so on. The 1884 Galveston city directory has Semmy working as a photographer in the studio above their 221 E. Postoffice St. address and them living at 253 E. Broadway, on the corner of 20th. The San Antonio German language paper had an article in the Sep. 26, 1884 issue talking about the difficulty they were having in dealing with Mexican officials, mentioning that, presumably Jacobson, a once San Antonio photographer, now in Galveston, being charged $1.00, and required to fill out two papers. and get four stamps of approval, just to take a photo of Eagle Pass from the Mexican side of the border. It is not mentioned as a “current” happening and I suspect it was a story related to him by Semmy. when he lived in San Antonito, as he mentions keeping the papers as a souvenir. An article in November of 1886 mentions Mrs. S. E. Jacobson being one of three people who had property sold for not paying their street maintenance tax. On April 13, 1887 a “serious blaze” caused by her tenant, did a great deal of damage to her two story frame building on Postoffice Steet. The paper mentions that Mrs. S. E. Jacobson was living in San Antonio at that time.
Let us move on to San Antonio with Mr. and Mrs. Jacobson. In the photographer’s listing for San Antonio for 1887, the business of M. E. Jacobson is listed at 2 E. Houston St. The listing is for the business, just as it was in Galveston, because, Semmy Jacobson is there and working as a photographer, but is not in the listing. He is the photographer for M. E. Jacobson. In the listing of the people named Jacobson there are two. “Jacobson, Mary E. (Mrs. S. E.)” is listed as “photographer” with studio at 2 E. Houston and residence at “31 7th.” Semmy E. Jacobson is listed, no profession listed, but that he works “with M. E. Jacobson,” and 31 7th for residence. She is the business owner, it is her money behind the business just as it was in Galveston, Semmy is the “talent,” as the actual photographer. This fact is very clear when you read the German language articles and advertisements for M. E. Jacobson. They consistently mention “Herr” Jacobson’s photographs and “Herr” Jacobson’s work, “Herr” being the German equivalent to “Mr.”
The first San Antonio ad found for the Jacobsons ran from January 7, 1889 to at least into April 1890, in the San Antonio German language “Freie Presse für Texas” is the first advertisement found in San Antonio newspapers and reads, in translation, “Mr. M. E. Jacobson has the only German photographic studio in San Antonio. Good job and cheap prices. No. 2 East Houston Street next to the bridge on the ground floor.”
The Feb. 1, 1890 advertisement added, “The exhibited pictures testify to the artistic ability of Mr. Jacobson.”
An April 9, 1890 article in the “Freie Presse für Texas” in translation reads, “The last issue of the ‘Graphic’ to be released in Chicago brings an interesting account of San Antonio from February by the ophthalmologist Dr. Wm. Neiter. The artist has come up with a series of very good illustrations made from photographs taken by Mr. Jacobson."
The 1892 San Antonio city directory had an ad advertising “Jacobson’s new photographic studio” at 113 Alamo Plaza. It also listed Mary E. Jacobson in the photography business and Semmey E. working with M. E. Jacobson. In December there was an article in the “Freie Presse für Texas” mentioning that a R. A. Huffman was under $100 bond for threatening M. Jacobson and for sending threats through the mail, because Hoffman thought M. Jacobson was “seeking to have intimate rapport with his family.” If it was Mary, or Semmy, or another person altogether named “M. Jacobson,” is unknown.
The February 21, 1893 “Freie Presse für Texas” carried a small notice stating that “Jacobson’s new photographic studio” was located at 113 Alamo Plaza over Hager Moths & Breitling furniture store.
. From May 16th until at least September 23rd, a larger advertisement was carried stating to the effect (translated) that “Mr. M. E. Jacobson, well known photographer, set up a new studio at Alamo Street No. 113. In his establishment, Mr. Jacobson has applied all the innovations for photography in the modern age, and the furnishing are extremely elegant and in perfection, not inferior to any of the most prominent cities. A visit to this great studio is warmly recommended to our readers.” Once again, the initials of his wife have been applied to him, and no mention of her is in the notice. Semmey Jacobson is the one running the business, and the photographer.
In a rare advertisement in an English language newspaper, the San Antonio based Catholic paper, “Southern Messenger,” is a simple ad on August 31, 1893 that reads, “JACOBSON, The PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTIST, Alamo Plaza.”
Again in the German language newspaper, is an article mentions “S. Jacobson” providing a group photo of a German musical group, appearing in both the Dec. 23, and Dec. 26, 1893 editions. The papers then fall silent about the Jacobsons’ involvement in photography in San Antonio after that.
A few sources have noted San Antonio photographer Ernst Wilhelm Raba (1874-1951) got his start in the studio of the Jacobsons. Some attribute this to Mrs. M. E. Jacobson, while others attribute it to Mr. Samuel Jacobson. The only record I have found, thus far, of either Jacobson and Ernst W. Raba, shows a very brief connection with Mr. Samuel Jacobson, not Mary.
In the June 30, 1894 Weimar Mercury (Weimar, Texas), an advertisement ran for a “New Photograph Studio” run by Jacobson & Raba to open in mid July. On July 14, an ad ran, “New Photograph Gallery NOW OPEN. Call and see Samples. PRICES REASONABLE. JACOBSON AND RABA.” Assuming this is Ernst Raba, he would have been 20 years old at the time. The ad for July 21st, still includes Raba, but that is the last mention of him with the business.
The December 28, 1894 ad in the Mercury only list S. E. Jacobson. Jacobson would have a studio in Weimer, according to his November 23, 1895 ad, until November 30th, 1895. It gave an itemized list of things Samuel would then be selling in auction on the 30th, if not sold before. In the first part of the new year, 1896, S. E. Jacobson is still mentioned and the only photographer in the Weimer business listing in the “Mercury,” but likely, no one had taken the time to remove it.
March of 1896, a new photographer, Hermann Klockmann, was advertising he was in Mr. Jacobson’s old gallery. Of interesting note, the July 27, 1895 “Mercury,” in an article on a baseball tournament mentions that “Mr. S. E. Jacobson” took photos of their team which sold “like hot cakes.” It would be interesting to find if one of those still exists.
In 1896, “Mary E. (Mrs. Samuel) Jacobson” is listed in the Galveston city directory, living at “1804 N 1/2.” Semmy is not listed with her. Again in 1898 she is listed in the same way, “Mary E. (Mrs. Samuel) Jacobson” and residence at “1804 Ave. N 1/2,” and again Semmy is not listed. Galveston city directories list the same home address as her brother Frank D. Shaw.
Mary E. Shaw Pallais Jacobson
Born - May 1830 Lampertheim, Kreis Bergstraße, Hessen, Germany
Died - Oct. 29, 1909 (aged 79)
No birth or death dates for Samuel E. Jacobson.
TEXAS PHOTOGRAPHER MARY E. & SAMUEL E. JACOBSON GALVESTON - SAN ANTONIO - WEIMAR
Mrs. Mary E. Pallais, Mrs. Mary E. Jacobson,
Samuel E. Jacobson (Sammy and Semmey Jacobson)
circa 1875
"Hunziker & Jacobson" Stereograph card of church in Laredo - Samuel Jacobson partnered with John A. Hunziker reportedly a traveling photographer who took scenic photos of Texas places.
1875 Jul. 23 to at least the end of April 1879
Samuel E. Jacobson, (aka Semmy E. Jacobson) partnered to Henry A. Doerr at 63 Commerce Street, San Antonio
1878 Feb. 10
Widow, Mrs. Mary E. Pallais, opened “Mrs. M. E. Pallais Variety Store” in San Antonio on 221-223 E. Postoffice St., Galveston, TX
1880 Dec. 1 to 1881 Jan. 1
Mrs. Pallais added to her business at 221-223 E. Post Office St., Galveston a photographic studio -- Frederick W. Bartlett photographer
1881 Jan to Mar 21
Mrs. Pallais photographic studio was closed due to a lack of a photographer.
1881 Mar 21 to 1883 Mar 20
Mrs. Pallais’ “New Art and Photograph Gallery” re-opened on March 21 at 221-223 E. Postoffice St. Galveston -- S. E. Jacobson as photographer. He would remain the photographer until the business was closed.
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<1881 Sept. 8
Samuel and Mary are married and business was changed to “S. E. Jacobson.” It was advertised that “S. E. Jacobson” would be selling out in Nov. of 1881 but the business did not sell until March 20, 1883 to J. H. Flett.
1884
Galveston city directory has S. E. Jacobson as having a photographic studio over 221 E. Postoffice St.
1886
During 1886 the Jacobsons relocated to San Antonio.
1887–1892
“M. E. Jacobson” photography business was open in San Antonio with the studio at 2 E. Houston Street. Sammy and Mary Jacobson are both in the business though he is the one mentioned in all the articles and advertisements. Mary’s name is on the business and she is listed as a photographer. Several advertisements and articles refer to “Herr M. E. Jacobson, as in Mr. M. E. Jacobson, using the male introduction and her initials. He is mentioned, but rarely by his own initials. The confusion as to her relationship to the business is the directories list her as “photographer” as that is the business she owns, not that she takes photographs. All the work is credited to him in the articles of the time.
1892 Feb. 21 – to at least May 1893
“Jacobson’s New Photographic Studio, 113 N. Alamo Plaza.” “(Mrs. S. E.) photographer over Hager, Moths and Breitling.” Semmy is listed at the same address.
1893 Dec. 18
The last mention of S. E. Jacobson in San Antonio in connection with photography, and Mary is not mentioned for some time before this.
1894 July 21 - 1894 July 21
“Jacobson & Raba Gallery” (S.E. Jacobson) Weimar, Texas. Ads appear starting June 30 for a “new photograph studio” run by “Jacobson and Raba opening July 21. Future ads make it clear it is S. E. Jacobson in the business and the assumption is that the partner is the later San Antonio photographer Ernst Wilhelm Raba, who would have to be only 20 years old at the time. On July 21 the business opened, but Raba is not mentioned after that. All future mentions of the business is just Jacobson.
1894 July 21 - 1895 Nov 30
S. E. Jacobson Weimar, Texas. Jacobson advertises he is closing the business on Nov. 30, with a listing of times he will be selling if they don’t sell before then.
After Nov. of 1895
I find no mention of either Jacobson in the photography business. I find nothing that shows what became of Samuel E. Jacboson.
1896-1901
Mary E. Jacobson was living alone in Galveston with her step brother, Frank D. Shaw.
Mary E. Shaw Pallais Jacobson
Born May 1830 Lampertheim, Kreis Bergstraße, Hessen, Germany
Died Oct. 29, 1909 (aged 79)
20 Jan 1880
San Antonio (TX) Daily Express -23 Jul 1875
23 Oct 1878
1881-1882
Galveston (TX) Daily News -27 Nov 1881
1882
Galveston (TX) Daily News -31 Dec 1882
01 Feb 1890
Weimar (TX) Mercury - 21 Jul 1894
Weimar (TX) Mercury - 14 Jul 1894
05 Jan 1895
Weimar (TX) Mercury - 19 Nov 1895
28 Mar 1896
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.
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