Charles Frank Smith

Photographer: Smith
Sterling, Illinois

There isn’t much about C F Smith in official records. There are only two city directory listings, 1908 and 1909, in Sterling, IL, where he lived all his life, but he is in newspaper items from the Sterling Standard and the Sterling Gazette that show him as a photographer from 1889 through 1895.

He is in the US Census of 1880 and 1900 as photographer. The 1910 US Census shows his second wife as widowed and his last child born in 1908.
Charles Frank Smith
(May 1857 - 1909)
1857
born in Iowa
1880
(US Census) as photographer in Sterling, IL
1889 Dec 14
newspaper item show he moved his studio building to the East part of town
1889 - 1895
newspaper items show him as photographer in Sterling, IL
1895 Dec 19
(Newspaper) as photographer; obit for wife Lyda/Lida
1898 Jul 29
married to 2nd wife Genevieve Pearl
1900
US Census - as photographer at 608 4th av
1908
birth of son Franklin
1909
city directory shows wife Genevieve as widowed
1910
US Census shows wife Genevieve as widowed

This cabinet card could have been done anywhere from about 1880 to 1900

photographer: Smith
cor Main & Madison streets, Peoria, IL
example from Peoria Historical Society

photographer: C F Smith
Sterling, IL
example from Curt J on Flickr

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.

Charles Henry LaRush

photographer: LaRush
example from CurtJ on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
example from CurtJ on Flickr

Charles Henry LaRush
(1850-1892)

1851
Etobiocoke Township, York, Ontario, Canada, from death certificate, Charles Henry LaRush is born to Charles LaRush and Jane E Carnahan
1861
St Vincent, Grey, Canada West, Canada, Canadian census, Charles LaRush at age 11 living with parents
1871
Nottawasaga, Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Canadian census, at age 21; note: census says age is 18
1873
Simcoe, Ontario, Canada, Charles LaRush as photographer; brother William is proprietor of Nottawa House
1875
Toledo, OH, city directory, Charles LaRush NOT listed
1877
Toledo, OH, city directory Charles LaRush as photographer; res ss Wade 3 e of Williams; NOT listed in business pages; also listed is a Charles LaRush, omnibus driver for Arms and Cox, res City Hotel
1878
Toledo, OH, city directory Charles LaRush NOT listed

1888 Nov 22
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions C H LaRush has moved his car to Ohio Station last week; note: It had apparently been parked at Prophetstown, IL, before that
1889 Jan 17
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS C H LaRush in Prophetstown
1889 Feb 14
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item says Charles LaRush spent Sunday in Prophetstown and will return to Walnut
1890 Jul 31
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS Charles LaRush husband’s condition has worsened
1890 Nov 23
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item mentions MRS LaRush has left for Canada to spend some time with her husband
1892 May 26
Sterling (IL) Standard, Prophetstown news item says news has been received of the death of Charles LaRush in Hamilton, Ontario
1892 May 14
Hamilton, Wentworth, Ontario, Canada, death certificate, Charles H LaRush dies in an asylum at age 42. "Softening of the brain" is cited as the cause of his illness.

---continued in next row---

There are a lot of gaps in the history of Charles H LaRush. It appears he was an active photographer between about 1875 and 1890. He apparently worked out of a “car”, probably a railroad car, so his cards may not show a location in the imprint.

So far documents and newspaper items have placed LaRush in Sterling, Prophetstown, Walnut, Ohio Station, all in Illinois; Hamilton, Etobiocoke Township, Nottawasaga, St Vincent, all in Canada; and Toledo, Ohio
.

Sterling (IL) Standard - 11 Oct 1888
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 22 Nov 1888
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 17 Jan 1889
(news from Prophetstown, IL)

Sterling (IL) Standard - 14 Feb 1889
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 31 Jul 1890
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 23 Oct 1890
(news from Prophetstown, IL)


Sterling (IL) Standard - 26 May 1892

Some examples are adjusted slightly to enhance their appearance on this page

Canadian Death Certificate 14 May 1892

This document has been
enhanced somewhat for legibility

The "Assistant photographer" listed on the death certificate (above) as informant (fifth line from bottom) remains a mystery. Many combinations of spellings have been tried in search engines to find this person, with no results. If anyone has any idea who this is, leave a note in the comment section.

Enlarged example of name of "informant" on death certificate. What is it?

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from CurtJ on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from CurtJ on flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from Dan on Flickr

photographer: LaRush
Artist
example from the Flickr collection of Ken

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.