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.

Dougherty Brothers

photographer: Dougherty Brothers
32 and 34 So Main, Dayton, OH
example from LOST GALLERY

Charles W Dougherty
(1853-1944)
Hugh Dougherty
(1862-1931)

1853
Ohio, state records, Charles William Dougherty is born to Patrick Dougherty and Elizabeth Sherrod
1862 Nov 29
Ohio, state records, Hugh Dougherty is born to Patrick Dougherty and Elizabeth Sherrod
1870 Jul 13
Warren, OH, US census, Hugh and Charles Dougherty as farm labor on family farm
1888, 1889, 1890
Dayton, OH, city directory, Hugh Dougherty, Charles Dougherty, NOT listed
1895
Dayton, OH, city directory, two Hugh Dougherty’s listed, one as Painter and the other as a carpenter; Charles NOT listed
1896
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at 32 S Main; Charles: res same; Hugh: res same

1897
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at 32 S Main; Charles bds 81 S Walnut; Hugh: bds 81 s Walnut
1898
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at 32 S Main; Chas: res bds 419 E 5th; Hugh: res Columbus
1898
Columbus, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 74 ½ High; Hugh Dougherty, res same; Charles W Dougherty res New Philadelphia, OH (only 1903, 1907 and 1921 available)
1899
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at 32 S Main; Chas: res same; Hugh: res Columbus, OH
1899
Columbus OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 74 ½ High, Hugh, res same; Chas res Dayton;
1900
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at “34” S Main; Chas: res same; Hugh; res Springfield, OH

1900
Springfield, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros, Hugh Dougherty, NOT listed
1900
Indianapolis, IN, city directory, Dougherty Bros NOT listed
1901
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 32 S Main; Chas and Hugh: res same; (son) Clement L Dougherty as photographer, rooms 32 S Main; (Margaret B as widow of Hugh, 51 E Stewart)
1901
Indianapolis, IN, city directory, Dougherty Bros photographers at 6 ½ E Washington
1902
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographer at 32 S Main; Chas and Hugh; res Indianapolis (Margaret B as widow of Hugh, res 51 E Stewart)
1903
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros photographers at 34 S Main; Chas res: 34 S Main; Hugh res: Indianapolis (Margaret Dougherty, widow of Hugh, res 51 E Stewart

1904
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros photographers at 34 S Main; Chas W res: Indianapolis; Hugh res 34 S Main; (Margaret Dougherty, widow of Hugh, res 127 5th)
1904
Indianapolis, IN, city directory, Dougherty Bros photographers at 6 ½ E Washington
1905, 1906
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 34 S Main; Chas W and Hugh: res 34 S Main; Margaret, widow of Hugh res 127 W 5th
1907, 1908, 1909, 1910
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 34 S Main; Chas W and Hugh: res 34 S Main;
1911
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers at 34 S Main; Chas W and Hugh AND John Dougherty res 32 Main

--About 1911 the Dayton gallery was closed and according to the 1920 US census, both brothers appear to have moved to Warren, OH, living with their sister Rebecca and her husband. This was probably a temporary arrangement.

1912 on
Dayton, OH, city directory, Dougherty Bros as photographers NOT listed; Chas and Hugh and John NOT listed
1919
Warren, OH, city directory, Charles Dougherty and Hugh Dougherty NOT listed

1920 Jan 17
Warren, Ohio, US census, Charles W Dougherty as photographer, Hugh Dougherty as photographer; both living with sister, Rebecca M and her husband Jesse Bowman

1925, 1927, 1930
Warren, OH, city directory, Hugh Dougherty NOT listed
1930 Apr 10<br/> Warren, OH, US census, Hugh Dougherty as retired;
1931 Sep 06
Tuscarawas, OH, Hugh Dougherty dies at age 68
1944 Sep 12
Muskingum, OH, Charles Dougherty dies at age 91

After leaving Dayton, OH, in 1911, records on the Dougherty brothers get rather sketchy. But by then the Cabinet Card format had all but disappeared losing favor to easel backs and die cut matted mounting. The format was still done but not in the thousands like in the mid 1890’s.

KNOWN BRANCH GALLERIES
The Dougherty brothers established branch locations from time to time but kept the gallery in Dayton, OH, from 1896 to about 1911. Branch locations included Columbus, OH, Warren, OH, and Indianapolis, IN, and possibly others on a quite temporary basis.

1898 – New Philadelphia, OH, operated by Hugh Dougherty
1898 to 1899 – Columbus, OH, operated by Hugh Dougherty
1901 to 1904 - Indianapolis, IN operated by Charles Dougherty

Dayton (OH) Daily News -
15 Mar 1899

Dayton (OH) Herald -
15 Jun 1909

Dayton (OH) Herald -
26 May 1910

Dayton (OH) Herald -
09 Jul 1910

Dayton (OH) Herald -
18 Juo 1911

Greenville (OH) Daily Advocate -
08 Sep 1931

Dayton (OH) Herald -
08 Sep 1931

LaFayete (OH) Journal/Courier -
26 Sep 1944

photographer: Dougherty Bros
32 & 34 So Main, Dayton, OH
example from auction site
(note off-center mounting)

photographer: Dougherty Bros
32 & 34 So Main, Dayton, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Dougherty Bros
32 & 34 So Main, Dayton, OH
example from auction site
(embossed border and logo is difficult to read)

The card at the right is probably by James Dougherty, another brother of Charles and Hugh.
Note that it is an example of a later edition of cabinet cards, perhaps as late as 1920. Bucyrus, OH, is just over 100 miles from Dayton.

photographer: J Dougherty
Bucyrus, OH
example from auction site

photographer: Dougherty
Waterloo, NY
example from auction site
(No connection to the Dougherty Bros of Dayton, OH, has been found)

photographer: W B Dougherty
Guthrie, OK
example from OK History
(No connection to the Dougherty Bros of Dayton, OH, has been found)

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.