Mulligan Brothers of Columbus, Ohio

photographer: Mulligan Brothers
Columbus, OH
example from contribitor

According to City Directory listings, Terrence A and Patrick J Mulligan began with their own studio in 1887 through 1889. The two brothers joined with John A Pfiefer Studio in 1892 and then operated as “Pheifer and Mulligan Brothers” Studio until 1894.

After that, the brothers Terrence and Patrick, operated their own business as “Mulligan Bros” Studio at 262 High, in Columbus, OH, from early in 1895 through 1897. Another brother, Bernard, worked with them briefly, it appears.

photographer: Mulligan Brothers
Columbus, OH
example from contribitor

photographer: Mulligan Bros
172, 175, 177 North High Street
example from auction site

photographer: Mulligan Bros
172, 175, 177 North High Street
example from auction site

photographer: Mulligan Bros
172, 175, 177 North High Street
example from Flickr member Heckathorn

typical reverse design for Mulligan Bros cards

Pfeifer and Mulligan Bros

photographer: Pfeifer and Mulligan Bros
Columbus, OH
example from Digital Commons of Otterbein Unv

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.

J B Dettmer

Photographer: J B Dettmer
Walnut and Howard sts
Muncie, IND.

written on reverse:
Minnie Laudig

J B Dettmer

The life of photographer J B Dettmer was difficult to follow. Not only was Dettmer a rather popular name in the 19th century, there were two or three people with the name J B Dettmer in that era, living in the vicinity of Muncie, IN. There was also a street in Ohio, a hospital and a baseball player with the name.

To further complicate matters, the photographer J B Dettmer moved around a lot, had several partners and kept himself out of the newspapers. Judging from his business activities by 1880, it must be assumed that photographer J B Dettmer was born about 1860. It also appears that he never married so the photographer John B Dettmer Jr that appears in some 1920’s San Francisco, CA, city directories was probably from another family line of Dettmers.

Here then is a timeline following the Ohio photographer J B Dettmer including many notations of where he wasn’t to help establish where he could have been in some of the record gaps.

Timeline
1860
Cincinnati, OH, according to Artists in Ohio, John Dettmer is born
1875 - 1879
Cincinnati, OH, city directory NOT listed
1880
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer 100 w 4th
1881
Cincinnati, OH, city directory NOT listed
1882
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer; bds 489 w 6th
1882
Covington, KY, city directory NOT listed; Mamie Dettmer listed at 163 Madison
1883
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer with J D Skewes at 102 w 5th
1884
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer with J D Skewes; Skews also has gallery in Covington, KY, at 222 W 5th
1884
Covington, KY, city directory as photographer at 163 Madison; Mamie Dettmer at same address

- continued in next row -

1885
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer with Heckle and Dettmer (William S Heckle) at
1886
Cincinnati, OH, city directory missing pages 181-826
1886
Covington, KY, city directory as photographer (Dettmar); res Jos. Heckle’s; Mamie Dettmer at same address; Business pages as Heckle and Dettmer, 402 Freeman av
1887
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer with Heckle and Dettmer (William S Heckle) at
1888
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer at 402 Freeman; res same
1888
Covington, KY, city directory NOT listed
1889
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer at 1047 w 8th; res same
1889
Muncie, IN, city directory NOT listed in res pages or bus pages (earliest available)
1890
Cincinnati, OH, city directory NOT listed in res pages or bus pages
1890 Jul 12
Richmond (IN) Item, news item as photographer at 18 s 13th st; formerly with M H Watts

1890 Jul
Richmond, (IN) Item, four small ads for studio at 18 s 13th
1890 Nov 08
Muncie (IN) Evening Press news item “50 years ago today” says Dettmer had studio at cor of Howard and Walnut
1891 Jan 25
Muncie (IN) Evening Press news item “50 Years Ago Today” says Dettmer had studio on Walnut opposite the National Hotel (which was at 500-506 s Walnut)
1897 - 1899
Muncie, IN, city directory NOT listed
1903
Richmond, IN, city directory as photographer (Dettmar)
1908
Cincinnati, OH, city directory NOT listed in res pages or bus pages
1909
Cincinnati, OH, city directory as photographer (Dettmar) at swc Vine and Liberty; res 940 Findlay; not shown in business pages
1910
Cincinnati, OH, city directory NOT listed


The cabinet card example at the top must have been finished in that period around 1890 - 1891 when he was found in Muncie, IN, city directories.

Richmond (IN) Item - 12 Jul 1890

Richmond (IN) Item - ad ran four times in July, 1890

The (Muncie, IN) Star Press - 27 Apr 1913

and below, apparently a sideline ...
The Indianapolis Star Sun - 11 May 1913

The Muncie (IN) Evening Press - 08 Nov 1940
50 years ago is 08 Nov 1890

Muncie (IN) evening Press - 25 Jan 1941
50 years ago would be 25 Jan 1891

Artists In Ohio - Jeffery Weidman

Although this birth date is probably accurate, no documents have been found for support

photographer: J B Dettmer
402 Freeman Av, Cincinnati, OH
Example frin auction site

photographer: J B Dettmer
Walnut and Howard streets, Muncie, IN
example from Conkle Family Collection

photographer: J B Dettmer
Walnut and Howard, Muncie, IN
example source unknown

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.

This is a work always in progress.

Additional 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.

Clench and Hart

photographer: Clench and Hart
location not shown
example from auction site

photographer" Clench and Hart
location not known
CDV example from auction site

Here are two lovely examples of photography from the 19th century. One is a cabinet card and the other is a Carte De Viste. The photographers printed on the front of the card are “Clench and Hart”. There is no location or date shown on either card.

When were they made? Just find out when Clench and Hart were partners.

But there were during the cabinet card era, at least nine photographers by the name of Clench and at least a dozen by the name Hart.

After a great deal of research, two likely candidates were found. In the city of Lockport, New York, between the years of 1889 and 1890, both Frank Bernard Clench and William J Hart were living and operating in the same town. No documents have been found so far that positively shows them together but this is the only pair found by those names together in the same locale at the same time.

Timelines provided here will touch on the careers of both. It is fairly clear that the two must have worked together late in the 1880’s.

Here is an example showing the location on the reverse.

photographer: Clench and Hart
Lockport, NY
example from auction site
finished about 1889-1890

Reverse of card at left

William J Hart

photographer: W J Hart
39 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

photographer: W J Hart
39 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

William J Hart
(1863 - 1946)

1888
Lockport, NY, city directory, William J Hart NOT listed
1889
Lockport, NY, city directory, William Hart as picture framer
It would be at this point that Clench and Hart worked together. The following year, they both moved away from Lockport
1890
Niagara Falls, NY, city directory, William J Hart NOT listed
1892
Niagara Falls, NY, city directory, W J Hart as photographer at Lewiston ave c South ave
1893, 1894 (135)
Niagara Falls, NY, city directory. W J Hart as photographer at 1805 Main
1895 to 1907
Niagara Falls, NY, city directory, W J Hart as photographer at 1921 Main
1908, 1909
Niagara Falls, NY, city directory, W J Hart NOT listed
1910, 1911,
Niagara, Falls, NY, city directory, W J Hart as photographer at 703 Ashland Ave
1946 Jan 19
Find a Grave, Newspaper Obituary. W J Hart dies at age 82

Unknown New York newspaper -
1946 Jan 19

Frank B Clench

Frank B Clench
(1838 - 1914)

1838 Jul 17
Canada, province record, Frank Bernard Clench is born to Ralph Clench and Katherine Daly
1863
Lockport, NY, Historic Camera, F B Clench is licensed as a photographer and establishes studio
1866
Lockport, NY, city directory, Frank “F” Clench as photographer at 76 Main (probably a misprint)
1868
Lockport, NY, city directory, F B Clench as photographer at 76 Main
1870
Ontario Canada, city directory, Frank B Clench as photographer at St Paul st
1871
Lockport, NY, city directory. F B Clench NOT listed
1871, (1876 not listed)
Ontario, Canada, city directory, Frank B Clench as photographer at St Paul st; bds at Duke st

1874
Lockport, NY, city directory, F B Clench as photographer at 39 East Ave; res 39 East av
1874-1875
Lockport, NY, city directory, F B Clench as photographer at 39 East ave; res 41 East av
1875 Jun 01
Lockport, NY, state census, Frank B Clench as photographer at “42” street not shown
1876
Lockport, NY, city directory, F B Clench as photographic artist at 41 East Ave; res same
1878
Lockport, NY, city directory, Frank B Clench as photographer at 39 East ave; res 41 East ave
1884
Lockport, NY, city directory, Frank B Clench as ; res 41 East Ave; no business listing; Note that photographer Ores N Ranney is photographer at 39 East Av (next door to 41 East Av)
1887
Lockport, NY, city directory, Frank B Clench as photographer; res 41 East Ave; Business Pages missing

1888
Lockport, NY, city directory, Frank B Clench NOT listed res or bus
1889
Fairport, NY, Historic Camera, Frank B Clench moves to Fairport, NY, and opens a gallery on the Deal Block of North Main
1900 Aug 11
Syracuse (NY) Post Standard, classified ad, Clench Fairpost, NY, photo studio for sale
1900
Fairport, NY, Illuminating History, F B Clench sells his studio in Fairport to William McQuivey and moves to Madison, GA
1901
Madison, GA, Historic Camera F B Clench moves to Madison, GA, and sets up a studio.
1914 Jul
Fairport, NY, Illuminating History F B Clench closes the studio in Madison and returns to Fairport, NY
1914 Nov 01
Fairport, NY, state record and FindaGrave, Frank B Clench dies at age 76

Rochester (NY) News - 02 Nov 1914

This is said to be a photograph of F B Clench himself.

photographer: F B CLench
39-41 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: F B CLench
39-41 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

photographer: F B CLench
39-41 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

photographer: F B CLench
39-41 East Ave, Lockport, NY
example from auction site

reverse design of all three cards at the left

photographer: F B Clench
Tonawanda, NY
example from auction site

photographer: F B Clench
Tonawanda, NY
example from auction site

photographer: F B Clench
Tonawanda, NY
example from auction site

photographer: F B Clench
Tonawanda, NY
example from auction site

Syracuse (NY) Post Standard -
11 Aug 1900

photographer: Clench Fairport, NY
example frpm auction site
Finished about 1889

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.

This is a work always in progress.

Additional 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.

Wasson and Sweney

photographer: Wasson and Sweney
Wellsville and Angelica, NY
example from Dawn

William Wasson
(1824-1893)

1825 Dec 07
New York, NY, State Genealogical records, William Wasson is born
1850
New York, NY, Genealogical Records, William R Wassn as Dageureotypist
1861 (earliest available)
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson NOT listed
1863
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer at 146 Court
1864
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson NOT listed
1865
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer: 73 Fulton Av
1866
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer, 487 Fulton Av; res Gates av and n Marcy
1867
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as Artist; res Gates av and Marcy av

1868
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson NOT listed
1870
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer at 73 Fulton; res Gates and Marcy
1871
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William Wasson as photographer at 73 Fulton Av and 683 Myrtle Av; res Stuyvesant av and Macon
1872
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer; res 329 Stuyvesant av
1873
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson NOT listed
1874
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as photographer at 336 Fulton; res Stuyvesant and Macon; Wasson and Torrance as photographers at 336 Fulton
1876
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as Artist, res 329 Stuyvesant; NOT listed in business pages
1877
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson, res 329 Stuyvesant (no occupation shown); NOT listed in business pages

W R Wasson apparently gets out of the photography business about here.

1878 Brooklyn, NE, city directory, William R Wasson as “segars” 377 Fulton; res 329 Stuyvesant
1879, 1880, 1881, 1882
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as “cigars” Atl and Flatbush; res 329 Stuyvesant
1879 Nov 29
Brooklyn (NY) Daily News, item says W R Wasson, 329 Stuyvesant, is doing jury duty
1880 Jun 9
Brooklyn, NY, US census, W R Wasson as tobacconist
1883
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as “cigars” 583 and 725 Fulton; res 484 Maco
1884
Brooklyn, NY, city directory, William R Wasson as “cigars”; res 337 Stuyvesant
1892 Feb 16
New York, MY, New York State census, William R Wasson as photographer (son William R Wasson as “Clerk”)
1893 Mar 23
Brooklyn, NY, state records, William R Wasson dies at age 69

Brooklyn (NY) Eagle - 19 Mar 1868

Brooklyn (NY) Eagle - 30 Mar 1886

Brooklyn (NY) Eagle - 20 Dec 1890

Brooklyn (NY) Eagle - 23 Mar 1893

New York (NY) Eagle - 22 Feb 1908

Brooklyn (NY) Daily Times - 02 Apr 1909

Although Wasson was partnered with T H Sweney for some time, nothing has been found, so far, to show exactly WHEN that was.

Note also that there was a J Sweney, photographer working in Montgomery, AL, about the same time.

photographer: Wasson and Sweney
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Sweney and Wasson
Wellsville, NY
example from contributor Dona

photographer: Wasson and Sweney
Wellsville, NY
exa,ple from auction site

T H Sweney
(1859-1929)

1859 Sep 13
Pennsylvania state records, Thomas H Sweney is born to Ross and Sarah Sweney
1880 Jun 04
New Cumberland, PA, US census, Thomas H Sweney as Laborer
1887 May 11
Wellsville, NY, T H Sweney and Louise Mack are married
1892 Feb 16
Wellsville, NY, New York State census, Thomas Sweney as photographer
1894 Feb 07
Coudersport, PA, newspaper story, Thomas Sweney as photographer
1895 Jun 06
Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise, newspaper item for T H Sweney of Wellsville (NY) starts studio in Oswayo, (PA)
1895 Jun 26
Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise, newspaper item says T H Sweney has opened a gallery in Oswayo (PA)
1895 Sep 18
Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise, newspaper ad says T H Sweney will be at his gallery in Oswayo (PA) Oct, 7, 8 and 9

1895 Oct 02
Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise, newspaper ad says T H Sweney will be at his gallery in Oswayo (PA) Oct, 7, 8 and 9
1895 Nov 27
Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise, newspaper item says Sweney’s gallery in Oswayo will be open Dec 2, 3 and 4
1900 Jun 13
Wellsville, NY, US census, Thomas H Sweney as photographer
1905 Jun 01
Wellsville, NY, state census, Thomas Sweney (misspelled “Sweeney”) as photographer
1910 Apr 18
Wellsville, NY, US census, Thomas Sweney as proprietor of Art Shop
1917
Wellsville, NY, from Obituary, T H Sweney discontinues his photography business
1921
Wellsville, NY, from Obituary, T H Sweney is elected Mayor of Wellsville, NY
1920 Jan 16
Scio, NY, US census, Thomas Sweney as farmer
1929 Jan 19
Wellsville, NY, Findagrave, Thomas H Sweney dies at age 69

Coutersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 07 Feb 1894

Coudsport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 06 Jun 1895

Coudersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 26 Jun 1895

Coudersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 18 Sep 1895

Coudersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 02 Oct 1895

Coudersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 27 Nov 1895

Coudersport (PA) Potter Enterprise - 04 Mar 1896

Cuba (NY) Patroit and Free Press - 21 Jan 1929

Boliver (NY) Breeze - 1929 Jan 21

Elmira (NY) Star Gazette - 21 Jan 1929

photographer: Sweney
(very faint imprint)
example from Kate Keller on Flickr

photographer: Sweney
successor to Wasson and Sweney
Wellsville, NY
example from auction site

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.

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.