James Louis Gray

photographer: J L Gray
Van Alstyne, TX
example from LOST GALLERY

Photographer: Gray - Button
124 North Travis, Sherman, TX
example from LOST GALLERY

Records for J L Gray are scarce so some personal information has been added in the timeline to show location and dates.

James Louis Gray
(1862-1936)

1862 Jan 14
Bridgeport, IL, state records, James Louis Gray is born to Philo Gray and Nancy Miller
1880 Jun 04
Hunt, TX, US census, J L Gray as farmer, living with parents at age 18
1892 Jul 06
Grayson, TX, state records, J L Gray and Lizzie Pearl Arnspiger are married
1893 Aug 28
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, son Jimmie Fay Gray is born
1895 Sep 09
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, son John V Gray is born
1897 Jun 25
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, son Dave Evans Gray is born

1900 Jun 04
Van Alstyne, TX, US census, James L Gray as photographer
1905
Sherman, TX, city directory, J L Gray as labr Car Shops; res 312 W Herron (It is quite possible that this is not the photographer, although the entry does add “Lizzie” as his wife. And other entries, before and after show James L Gray in Van Alstyne as photographer)
1907 Jul 07
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, son Neland I Gray is born
1910 May 21
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, wife Lizzy Pearl Arnspiger dies a age 48
1910 Apr 19
Van Alstyne, TX, US census, James L Gray as photographer with own studio
1912 Apr 04
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, James Gray and Amanda Elizabeth Spears are married
1912 Sep 22
Tarrant, TX, state records, child born to James Gray and Amanda Spears

1920 Jan 09
Van Alstyne, TX, US census, Jim L Gray as photographer; res Jefferson St
1930 Apr 07
Van Alstyne, TX, US census, James Louis Gray as photographer, res 3 West Jefferson St
1936 Jun 23
Van Alstyne, TX, state records, James Lewis Gray as photographer, dies at age 74

James Louis Gray lived in Van Alstyne, TX, just about 16 miles from Sherman, TX. There are no city directories for Van Alstyne available. Only a few Sherman city directories are available between 1876 and 1935 but James Gray was not in any of them as a photographer in the business pages. Only about a half dozen city directories for that period, were available for Denison, TX, also. Dennison is just fifteen miles north of Sherman.

He is in the 1880 US census, living in Van Alstyne with his parents, at age 18.

J L Gray appears in the US census for 1900, 1910, 1920 and 1930 as photographer. Of course, for at least some of those years, he might have been working for another photographer and not running his own gallery.

The name was not uncommon in Texas. There was a James L Gray, prominent businessman mentioned in the newspapers of several cities in Texas. He was in the lumber and building materials business.

The card imprinted Gray-Button may have been James Gray’s attempt to expand by taking on a partner who would operate a studio in another town. No information has been found to confirm any facts about a photographer named Button. Of course, Button may have lived at a rural address so he was not included in city directory listings. Still, no Gray-Button listings were found in the available business sections of either Sherman or Denison, TX.

So, the association of Gray and Button in a photograph gallery in Sherman, TX, was probably brief and simply was not caught in any census or other document at the time.

Dennison (TX) Daily Herald - 29 Mar 1907

This is the only area newspaper mention of
J L Gray that has been found.

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.

Benjamin E. Hughes

Photographer:
Bowman Hughes & Company
205 N. 16th St. Omaha, Neb.
example from LOST GALLERY
from 1888-1889

Benjamin E. Hughes and Charles M. Bowman were both photographers in Omaha, NE. They worked together as Bowman Hughes only a short time between 1890 and 1892.

Timeline for Benjamin E Hughes taken mostly from city directories
1864 Dec 31
Jackson, OH, state records, Benjamin Edgar Hughes is born to Daniel Hughes and Caroline Mills
1884-1885
Omaha, NE, city directory Bowman or Hughes not listed
1886
Omaha, NE, city directory Hughes as photographer partnered with G Heyn
1887
Omaha, NE, city directory Ben E Hughes as photographer; Bowman as photographer partnered with J. E. North;
1888
Omaha, NE, city directory, Hughes as photographer at 1509 Douglas; Bowman as photographer at 205 N 16th;
1889
Omaha, NE, city directory, B E Hughes as photographer partners with Alvord; Bowman as photographer 205 n 16th;

1890 - 1892
Omaha, NE, city directory Hugh and Bowman as partners at 205 N 16th
1893 - 1896
Omaha, NE, city directory B E Hughes as photographer, partnered with Sandberg; Bowman not listed
1897 - 1901
Omaha, NE, city directory, Hughes as photographer partnered with Sandberg; Bowman not listed
1902
Omaha, NE, city directory Ben E Hughes partnered with Allen; Bowman not listed; business section lists Hughes and Co, 205 n 16th; Sandberg now partnered with Allen at 107 s 6th
1903
Omaha, NE, city directory NOT available
1904
Omaha, NE, city directory Ben E Hughes as photographer as Hughes and Co. but not in Bus Section; Bowman not listed; Sandberg partners with A W Allen at 107 s 16th
1905
Omaha, NE, city directory, Benjamin Hughes as photographer as Hughes and Co at 205 n 16th; Sandberg and Allen at 107 s 16th
1906
Omaha, NE, city directory Hughes NOT listed; Bowman not listed

1906
Denver CO, city directory Ben Hughes rooms, no occupation listed
1907, 1908, 1909
Denver, CO, city directory B E Hughes NOT listed
1910
Denver, CO, city directory Benjamin E Hughes as Artist; 236 Ogden
1911
Denver, CO, city directory B E Hughes NOT listed
1912
Denver, CO, city directory Benjamin Hughes as clerk; rms 1835 Champa
1913
Denver, CO, city directory Benjamin Hughes as Frame Maker for Kendrick-Bellamy Stationery co; res 2448 High
1914
Denver, CO, city directory, Benjamin E Hughes as photographer; res 2232 High; no business listing so probably working at another studio
1915
Denver, CO, city directory, B E Hughes as framer for Kendrick-Bellamy Stationery co; rms 1921 Champa
1916, 1917
Denver, CO, city directory, B E Hughes as framer for Kendrick-Bellamy Stationery co; rms 721 21st

1918, 1919
Denver, CO, city directory, Benjamin E Hughes as framer for Eugene Fried; rms 711 21st
1920
Denver, CO, city directory, Benjamin E Hughes NOT listed
1921, 1922
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory Benjamin Hughes no occupation shown; res 608 Nevada
1923, 1924
Colorado Springs, CO, city directory, B E Hughes NOT listed
1930 to 1945
Denver, CO, city directory, Benjamin Hughes apparently spends the rest of his life as a picture framer
1945
The only document found for the death of a Benjamin Hughes was in Staffordshire, England, April 1945; it is not known if this was our photographer or someone else; his farther Daniel Hughes was born there

photographer: Hughes and Alvord
Omaha, NE
example from picclick
(from later 1889)

photographer: Hughes and Sandberg
example from auction site
(finished between 1893 and 1901)

Related photographers

photographer: Heyn
Omaha, NE
example from Be-Hold.com
(this is probably the partner Heyn in 1886

reverse of card at left

photographer: Heyn
Omaha, NE
example from auction site

reverse of card a left

photographer: Heyn
Omaha, NE
example from auction site

reverse of card at left (highly resored)

photographer: Heyn
303, 315 and 317 S 15th, Omaha, NE
example from contributor

reverse of card at left

photographer: Heyn
Omaha, NE
example from contributor

photographer: Heyn
Omaha, NE
example from contributor

From the monogram this photographer appears to be A A Hughes of Humbolt, Nebraska. It is not known yet if this is connected to Benjamin Hughes

Photographer: Hughes
Humbold, NE
This cabinet card also shows an imprint monogram of A A Hughes.
example from auction site

photographer: A A Hughs
Humbolt, NE
examle from auction site

photographer: George A Hughes
Howard, KS
example from auction site

According to newspaper items George A Hughes was active photographer in Howard, KS, from about Sep 1894 to Apr of 1901.

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.

James Albert Brush

Photographer: J. A. Brush
Hennepin Ave & Sixth St.
Minneapolis, Minn

Reverse of the cabinet card on the left

James Albert Brush
(27 Aug 1846 - 22 May 1906)

1846
Born in Detroit, MI
1862
Detroit, MI, city directory as artist at 22 Montclaire
1865
Marriage to Alice Sprague
1869 - 1874
Detroit, MI, city directory as photographer at SW cor Woodward and Larned
1875 or 1876
relocates to Minneapolis, MN
1877-1878
as Brush & Company, 301 South Washington Av, Minneapolis, MN
1878-1882
223 Nicollet Av, Minneapolis, MN
1882-1886
609 Nicollet Av, Minneapolis, MN
1887-1897
601-603-605 Hennepin Av, Minneapolis, MN
1897-1905
33-35 S 6th St, Minneapolis, MN
1906 May 22
death at 59 in Minneapolis, MN (one source says the cause was alcoholism)

This cabinet card must have been finished between 1887 and 1897

Minnesota Journal - 23 May 1906

Minnesota Journal - 01 Jul 1906

Minnesota Journal - 19 Aug 1906

Ads show that the studio name was kept after the death of James A Brush

Minnesota Journal - 16 Sep 1906

Backing example from 1887-1897

Photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis
Example from PhotoTree

photographer: J A Brush
609 Nicolette Av, Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site
probably finished between 1882 and 1886

photographer J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

photographer J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

photographer J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

The cdv at the right must have been finished before 1875 while Brush was still operating in Detroit, MI.

This is the sort of specialty card sold in the photographer's studio and at fairs and festivals for souvenirs.

Dimensions: 4 3/16 inches by 1 15/16 inches, which is slightly narrower but longer than a standard CDV.

Example from contributor Jim Gunnis

photographer Jas a Brush
corner of Woodw'd and Larned Steets
Detroit, MI

reverse of card at the left

photographer J A Brush
Minneapolis
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: J A Brush
Hennepin Ave and Sixth Street, Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

reverse of card at left
(finished around 1887-1897)

photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
from auction site

photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis, MN
example from auction site

photographer: J A Brush
Minneapolis
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.

Edgar Draper

photographer: Draper
Ord, Neb

There were two, maybe three photographers named Draper in the central Nebraska area, during the cabinet card era. Edgar Draper seems the best candidate for the originator of this cabinet card. He lived in Ord.

All data is from US census, newspaper items and municipal records. No city directories were available.

Edgar Draper
(1870 - 1927)

1870 May 04
Iowa, state records, Edgar Draper is born to William Tolbert Draper and Samantha Katherine Baker. (Some documents say 1868 for birth year)
1871 Sep 04
Iowa, state records, brother Henry Draper is born
1876
Approximate year that the family moves to Nebraska, probably Grand Island
1888
Edgar is age 18, family has moved to Central City, NE

1889
Edgar is age 19, family has moved to Ord, NE
1894 Sep 04
Valley County, NE, Edgar marries Amber E Hill
1896 Jan 24
Ord, NE, Quiz news item says the Edgar Draper photographic gallery will open Feb 03, above the Clements Bros Law office. At this point, Draper was calling his studio “Sunbeam Gallery.” (Only time “Sunbeam” appears.)
1896 May 09
Ord, NE, daughter Blanche is born (Edgar is age 26)
1897 Feb 05
Ord (NE) Journal item says H G Westburg has purchased the Edgar Draper business
1897 Feb 19
Ord (NE) journal item says Draper and family have moved to Montana (probably an error as shown by the next news clip)
1897 Jun 16
Central City (NE) Democrat display ad shows Draper has studio in Central City opposite Traver’s Hardware Store
1897 Jun 22
Central City (NE) Nonpareil news item says Draper has moved his “Photo Car” to Central city, two doors west of Desch’s Marble Works

1897 Jul 09
Central City (NE) Democrat news item says Draper has moved his gallery to the vacant lot between Osborn’s shoes and Lemaster’s barber shop
1897 Aug 26
Central City (NE) Democrat item says Draper has moved his photo car to a vacant lot opposite the City Bank Building
1897 Sep 09
Central City (NE) Democrat display ad puts the Draper studio back opposite the Travers Hardware
1898 Feb 17
Central City (NE) Democrat item says Draper has purchased some sage colored Montello Mounts
1898 Apr 07
Central City (NE) Democrat news item with rather confusing message that Draper has moved to Palmer (NE) and hopes that friends in Loup Township will welcome him. The two towns are about 10 miles apart.
1898 Nov 23
Ord (NE) Semi-Weekly Journal item says Draper’s photo car has been to Palmer, Wolbach and Elba, (all of NE) and will soon move to Ashton.

1899 Feb 02
Loup City (NE) Northwestern newspaper item says Draper will leave Loup City about Mar 01
1899 Apr 07
Loup City (NE) Times Independent item says Draper will move from Lop City to Boelus on Apr 10
1899 Jun 02
Loup City (NE) Times Independent item says Draper will be in Loup City during last half of June
1899 Jul 07
Loup City (NE) Times Independent item says Draper will not be in Loup City until Jul 11 staying only three or four weeks
1899 Jul 16
Loup City (NE) Times Independent item says Draper will be in Loup City in the last half of June
1900 Jun 01
Silver Creek, NE, US census, Edgar Draper as photographer (Silver Creek is about 100 miles via rail through Grand Island, NE, to Ord, NE. According to newspaper items, Draper was in town operating his photography business from April through June (see newspaper ad timeline below)

1901 Feb 07
Central City (NE) Democrat item says Draper has bought out H F Brown Photo Gallery and will take over about Mar 15
1902 Feb 11
Newspaper item, son Virgil Lynn Draper dies in Central City, NE
1902 Dec 13
Central City (NE) Republican news item says Draper is closing his gallery and plans to spend a year on the road with the photo car
1902 – 1913 - See ad timeline below
1910 Apr 16 Loup, NE, US census as photographer (Ord and Loup are less than 50 miles apart, and even today are connected by a direct rail line.) 1912 Jan 20
Hastings, NE, state records, daughter Gwendolyn is born
1917
About here, Edgar retires from photography and moves to a Colorado farm.
1920
Magee, CO, US census as farmer
1927
Edgar dies in Haxtun, CO, at age 57

Two examples found on Ancestry.Com.

Note the difference in the card design from the above example.

Between 1903 and 1910, the newspapers carry a small ad about every other week, not always accurate, sometimes even contradictory, detailing the travels of Draper’s Photo Car. One ad even announces upcoming dates for the Photo Car to arrive and then lists dates in the previous month.

They describe the travels of the Draper Photo Car between the Nebraska towns of Ansley, Aston, Boelus, Central City, Clarks, Comstock, Elba, Fullerton, Litchfield, Loup City, Marquette, Ord, Palmer, Saint Paul, Silver Creek, Wolbach

Apparently Draper was based in Loup City, NE and used his Photo Car to work in nearby towns. Following is a timeline of the Nebraska travels of the Draper Photo Car according to more than THREE HUNDRED, mostly two or three line ads in various newspapers:

1889 – 1895 - no ads found
1896 Jan - Oct - Ord
1897 Feb - Apr - Ord
1897 Aug - Sep – Central City
1898 Jan - Apr – Central City
1898 May - Palmer
1898 Nov - Ord
1899 Mar, Apr – Loup City
1899 Apr - Jun - Boelus
1899 Jul – Loup City

1899 Oct - Nov – St Paul
1900 Feb - Fullerton
1900 Apr - Jun – Silver Creek
1900 Nov - Clarks
1901 Feb - Dec – Central City
1902 to Dec 12 – Central City
1902 Dec – Silver Creek
1903 Jan 12 – 25 - Clarks
1903 May - Palmer
1903 Jul, Aug – Wolbach
1903 Sep - Elba
1903 Sep, Oct – St Paul
1904 Apr – Loup City
1905 Jun - Comstock
1906 April – Loup City
1906 May 28 thru Jun 15 – Loup City
1906 Nov 24, 25 and 26 - Ansley
1907 Apr 11 to Apr 20 - Ansley

1907 Jun 08, 09 and 10 - Ansley
1907 Aug 24, 25 and 26 - Ansley
1907 Oct 12, 13 and 14 - Ansley
1908 Feb 08, 09 and 10 - Ansley
1908 Mar 14, 15 and 16 - Ansley
1908 Apr 11, 12 and 13 - Ansley
1908 May 23, 24 and 25 - Ansley
1908 Jun 27, 28 and 29 - Ansley
1908 Sep 26, 27 and 28 - Ansley
1908 Sep 29 and 30 - Litchfield
1908 Oct 29 and 30 – Litchfield
1908 Nov 26 and 27 – Litchfield
1908 Nov 28, 29 and 30 - Ansley
1908 Dec 19-30 – Litchfield
1908 Dec 26, 27 and 28 - Ansley
1908 Dec 29 and 30 – Litchfield
1909 Mar – Dec – Ansley
1910 Feb - Dec – Ansley & Loup City

1911 Feb – Litchfield
1911 Dec – Sargent
1912 Jun – Sargent
1913 Apr 05, 06 and 07
1913 May 3, 4 and 5 – Ansley
1913 May 23-27 - Ansley
1913 Jul 05, 06 and 07 – Ansley
1913 Aug 03, 04 and 05 - Ansley
1913 Aug 27-30 – Ansley
1913 Sep 27, 28 and 29 – Ansley
1913 Oct 25, 26 and 27 – Ansley
1914 Feb 28 and Mar 01 - Ansley
1914 Mar 28, 29 and 30 – Ansley
1914 Apr 25, 26 and 27 - Ansley
1914 May 22, 23 and 24 – Ansley
1914 Jun 04, 05 and 06 - Ansley
1914 Jul 03, 04 and 05 – Ansley
1915, 1916, 1917 - No ads

A few of the hundreds of small ads tracing the location of the Draper Studio

The Ord (NE) Quiz - 24 Jan 1896

Ord (NE) Journal - 13 Mar 1896

Ord (NE) Journal - 05 Feb 1897

Central City (NE) Democrat - 16 Sep 1897

Central City (NE) Democrat - 26 Aug 1897

Central City (NE) Democrat - 17 Feb 1898

Central City (NE) Democrat - 07 Apr 1898

Ord (NE) Weekly Journal - 23 Nov 1898

Loup City (NE) - 10 Feb 1899

Sherman County Times Independent -
07 Apr 1899

Sherman County Times Independent -
02 Jun 1899

Sherman County Times Independent -
16 Jun 1899

Silver Creek Times - 06 Apr 1900

Silver Creek Times -
01 Jun 1900

Silver Creek (NE) Enterprise -
29 Jun 1900

Clarks (NE) Enterprise -
09 Nov 1900

Central City (NE) Democrat -
07 Feb 1901

Central City (NE) Nonpareil - 14 Mar 1901

Central City (NE) Democrat - 18 Dec 1902

Clarks (NE ) Enterprise - 09 Jan 1903

Litchfield (NE) Monitor - 25 Dec 1908

Ansley (NE) Argosy - 23 Oct 1913

Ansley Argosy and Chronicle Citizen -
18 Jun 1914

Sargent (NE) Leader - 03 Oct 1912

These two clippings clearly contradict others that show Draper continuing in the photography business until at least 1914.

The answer is possibly that his studio name was continued by other photographers who merely operated the studio for a fee or a percentage.

Ansley (NE) Argosy - 09 Jan 1913

Sherman County (NE) Times - 22 Jul 1927

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.