George W Day

Photographer: Geo. W Day
Norristown and
Phoenixvillw, PA

It appears there were five photographers named George Day in the cabinet card era. And three of them were George W. Day. While following the life of the photographer George W Day, many other men by that name were found living nearby. In Philadelphia alone there was a secretary, a laborer, a bookkeeper, a carpenter, a tailor and a roofer, all named George W Day, at the same time as photographer Day.

Timeline: US census, city directories, newspaper items as noted

1853 Mar 02
Pennsylvania George W Day is born to B Frank Day and Almira Douglass
1865 Nov 28
birth of sister in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania shows where family is located
1873
Pottsville, PA, city directory George W Day NOT listed
1874 - 1876
Pottsville, PA, city directory not available
1877
Pottsville, PA, city directory George W Day as photographer at 7 w Broad
1880
Tamaqua, PA, US census as photographer
1880
G W Day marries Annie M Taylor whose family also lives in Tamaqua, PA

1882
Norristown, PA city directory as photographer at Cope and Day, 81 e Main (with John L Cope); res Veranda House
1884
Norristown, PA, city directory as photographer at Cope and Day, 81 e Main (with John L Cope), res 525 Cherry
1886
Norristown, PA, city directory as photographer at 81 e Main, also frames and stationary; res Cherry bel Penn
1887
Pennsylvania, PA, daughter Margaret E Day is born
1888
Norristown, PA, city directory as photographer at Cope and Day, 317 DeKalb, res 325 Cherry
1890
Pennsylvania, PA, daughter Anna Day is born
1890 through 1898
Norristown, PA, city directory as photographer at 317 DeKalb also art goods; res 1206 Powell
1892
Pennsylvania son Frank D Day is born
1896 Jul 13
Philadelphia, PA, Times news item fire destroys Day gallery
1896 Sep
Pennsylvania daughter Dorothy is born
1899
Philadelphia (PA) Inquirer news item Mrs G W Day visits mother Mrs William Taylor

1900
Norristown, PA, US census as photographer; res 1222 Powell
1902
Norristown, PA, city directory as salesman; res 1222 Powell
1903
Norristown, PA, city directory not available
1904
Norristown, PA, city directory George W Day NOT listed
So sometime in or after 1903, George, wife Annie, and children move from Norristown, PA, and he apparently quits the photography and art supply business and never returns.
1904
Philadelphia, PA, city directory, only business listings available, G W Day NOT listed
1905
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as solicitor; res 1542 Ruan
1906
Philadelphia PA, city directory as superintendent; res 1542 Ruan
1907
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as collector; res 1542 Ruan
1908
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as collector; res 1516 Arrott rd

-continued in next row-

1909
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as clerk; res 1516 Arrott Fkd
1910
Philadelphia, PA, US census as collector for Electric Lighting co; res 1516 Arrott
1918, 1919
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as collector; res 1516 Arrott
1920
Philadelphia, PA, US census as collector electrical; res 1516 Arrott
1921 - 1924
Philadelphia, PA, city directory as collector; res 1516 Arrott
1925
Philadelphia, PA, city directory NOT listed
G W Day and family might possibly have moved to a rural residence as a small news item suggests. And perhaps not as it is a city address on his death certificate
1925
Philadelphia, PA death certificate George W Day dies of chronic myocarditis at age 72; address is 1203 Overington

It should be mentioned that there was also a George W Day, photographer, in Hoboken, NJ, working at 628 Washington between 1895 and 1898. This is a different photographer. There was also a photographer named George W Day in Brooklyn, NY in 1890 and 1891. These two records may be the same person but there is no indication that Pennsylvania George W Day was ever in Hoboken, NJ, or Brooklyn, NY. It looks as if it was two possibly three, separate photographers.

This cabinet card must have been finished in that period after George W Day’s partnership ended with John L Cope in 1886, and before leaving Norristown, PA, about 1900. The weight and simple printing of the card suggests the earlier part of that period.

The (Philadelphia, PA) Times - 13 Jul 1896

The Philadelphia Inquirer - 04 Jun 1899

The Harrisburg (PA)Telegraph - 05 Mar 1925

Yes, possibly the above clipping refers to a completely different George W Day. Philadelphia photographer Day had a son named Frank and the family seems to disappear from Philadelphia, PA, the same year. So, it's possible this is the same family.

The Philadelphia Inquirer - 27 Nov 1925

photographer: George W Day
De Kalb St at Main
example from contributor

photographer: George W Day
De Kalb St at Main
example from contributor

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.

A C Nielson

photographer: Nielson
Madison, Wis

Andrew Charles Nielson
(1859 - 1933)

Timeline sources: US census, city directories, news items as noted

1859 Aug
Madison, Wi, state records, church records, A C Nielson is born
1880 Jun 07
Madison, WI, US census as painter (living with parents)
1883 Apr 18
Stoughton WI, marriage to Mary Ann Baker
1885 - 1890
Madison, WI, city directory as photo printer for E R Curtiss;
1894
Madison, WI, city directory as photographer at 23 s Pinckney, 2nd floor
1898 - 1911
Madison, WI, city directory as photographer at 23 Pinckney, 3rd floor
1914
Madison, WI, city directory as retired photographer
1916
Madison, WI, city directory as retired
1917
Madison, WI, city directory as laborer
1919
Madison, WI, city directory as guard
1920
Madison, WI, US census as photographer
1921
Madison, WI, city directory no occupation listed
1923
Madison, WI, city directory as painter
1925
Madison, WI, city directory as vault attendant Central Wisconsin Trust
1927
Madison, WI, city directory as clerk for Central Wisconsin Trust
1931
Madison, WI, city directory as no occupation shown

1932, 1933
Madison, WI, city directory, NOT listed, wife not listed either
1933 Jun 06
Moline, IL A D Nielson dies; residence listed as Princeton, IL

Except for the last couple years in Princeton, IL, A D Nielson seems to have spent his entire life in Madison, WI. He ran his own studio from 1894 to 1911 which is when the cabinet card here must have been finished. The rest of his years were spent working for someone else.

(Madison, WI) Capital Times - 19 Jul 1919

(Madison, WI) Capital Times - 21 Jun 1918

photographer Nielson
Madison, WI
example from Slices of Time website

photographer Neilson
Madison, WI
example from Slices of Time website

photographer: Nielson
Madison, WI
example from contributor
(This is NOT a cabinet card; it is an example of work done around 1910.)

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.

B C Kinney

photographer: B. G. Kinney

reverse of the card at the left

All avenues of research known to
LOST GALLERY
have been exhausted in efforts to find anything on photographer B. C. Kinney.

The rubber stamp identification on the reverse reading "B. C. Kinney, Photographer"(or perhaos B G Kinney) might suggest that Kinney was in the photograph business only a short time. The name did not turn up a photographer in any state records or newspapers.

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.

Towles Studio

Towles Studios
65 1/2 Centre St.
Cumberland
Frostburg and Lonaconing, Md.

reverse of the card at the left

William Henry Towles (1871 - 1954)
Clarence Oscher Towles (1866 - 1937)

W H Towles and brother C O Towles appear to have been major players in their time, winning awards and serving as officers in photographer associations. One account mentions that William H owned all of the equipment used by Mathew Brady who died in 1896

W H Towles seems the more active of the two. Towles Studio was in three maybe four cities around the turn of the 19th century. A studio might have been managed by one or the other, both or neither. But “Towles Studio” is what will be printed on the card in most examples, without regard as to who was the actual photographer. Some cards might include the particular town name but most seem more generic by listing all the studios at the time such as: “Cumberland, Frostberg and Lonaconing, MD” as in the example here.

In the list below, the brother who was at the studio is included where it is documented. Note that even if neither of the brothers were present, the studio might have been managed by someone else and the cabinet card logo would still look the same.

Typical City Directory ad circa 1899

William H continues as a photographer most of his life from about 1891 to his death in 1954. Clarence starts at about 1891 but in 1901 he also begins working in the photographic supply business. Then in 1916 he quits the studio to travel for a photographic supply company. He dies in 1937

Baltimore, MD
1902, 1903
Clarence O Towles was living there but there are no records confirming he operated a studio there; by this time he was operating the J Sussman Photostock Company

Cumberland, MD
1890
NO listing
1891 - 1894
no directory available so it is unknown if there was a studio or not
1895
Towles Art Studio at 65 1/2 n Centre (apparently owned by William H, managed by Thomas Sidney)
1897
Towles Studio at 65 ½ N Centre; William H
1900
Towles Studio at 69 Decatur st; William H
1901, 1902
Towles Art Gallery at 115 Baltimore; both Clarence and William
No Cumberland listings after this date

District of Columbia
1897 - 1899
Towles Studio at 115 Baltimore, apparently owned by Clarence O and managed by William H
1906 & 1908
Towles Studio at 1107 “F” av nw; Clarence and William
1916 - 1920
Towles Studio at 1520 Connecticut av nw; William H
1927 - 1929
Towles Studio at 1526 Connecticut av nw; William H
1930 & 1931
No studio listed
1932
Towles Studio at 1526 Connecticut av nw; William H

Frostberg, MD
No city directories available
Time frame would be around 1895 to 1897, after 1897 the District of Columbia location would be included on the card

Lonaconing, MD
No city directories available
Time frame would be around 1895 to 1897, after 1897 the District of Columbia location would be included on the card

The cabinet card shown above was probably finished around 1895 to 1897.

photographer: Gerkins
Lanaconing, MD
example from Smallcurio on Flickr
Would have been finished arter 1897, when Gerkins took over the Towles studio in Lanaconing, MD

Enlarged and enhanced imprint area or card at left
"Successor to Towles"

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.

William Henry Adams

William Henry Adams
(23 Dec 1866 - 25 Jun 1936)

Only three city directories available. They show only one address change

1866 Dec 23
Ohio W H Adams is born to J P Adams
1893 Aug 01
Greenville, TX, unknown newspaper obit says this is when Adams arrived in Greenville, TX
1911, 1913
Greenville, TX, city directory as photographer at 2816 ½ Lee
1916
Greenville, TX, city directory as photographer at 2814 ½ Lee
1936 Jun 25
Greenville, TX, W H Adams dies at age 69 of coronary occlusion

William Henry Adams moved to Greenville, TX, 01 Aug 1893 and worked as a photographer until he died in 1936. No records were found to show he was a photographer before that time but perhaps he worked for another studio.

The photographer's name is embossed in the center at the bottom and is barely legible here. Unfortunately there is no studio address on the cabinet card here so the date cannot be narrowed further. The style of the card would suggest sometime between 1890 and 1900 but some blank card stock may have lasted a decade later.

unknown newspaper - 26 Jun 1936

Example from a genealogy site

example from genealogy 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.

Theodore John Hingtgen

Hingtgen Wahpeton, N Dak
(enhanced version, See Original)

Theodore John Hingtgen
(1848 - 1936)

1848 Jul 30
Oberanven, Canton de Luxembourg-Ville, Luxembouerg, Theodore John Hingtgen was born to John Hingtgen and Anna Marie Reiter
1862
immigrates to the US
1872 Feb 12
Wahpeton, ND, marries Mary Entringer
1885 Oct 22
Wahpeton (ND) Times news item Hingtgen builds own building for studio
1892 Jul 11
wife Mary Anna Etringer dies
1894 Jan 16
Wahpeton, ND, T J Hingtgen marries Katherine Gebhart
1936 Dec 08
Wahpeton, Richland County, ND Hingtgen dies at age 88

It appears that T J Hingtgen was photographer for most of his life, all in the same town and all in practically the same location. Cabinet Cards would have to be dated entirely on the style of the card and any additional information added by the owner or family.

He was also quite active in city and county politics.

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 22 Oct 1885

Purported to be Hingtgen and wife
Internet Source

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 10 Jun 1886

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 09 May 1901

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 12 Mar 1891

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 12 Sep 1889

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 13 dec 1906

Wahpeton (ND) Times - 13 Aug 1908

Additional Example from auction site

Additional Example from auction site

Additional Example from auction site

Unusual example from a genealogy site

photographer: HIngtgen
Wahpeton, N Dak
example from auction site

photographer: HIngtgen
Wahpeton, N Dak
example from auction site

photographer: Hingtgen
Wahpeton, N Dak
example from Ancestry

photographer: Hingtgen
Wahpeton, North Dakota
example from contributor

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.

Thomas Lewis

photographer: Lewis - Eureka KS,

Thomas Lewis
(1855 - 1920)

Timeline sources: US census, Kansas State census. newspaper items as noted

1855 Jun 24
Berkeswell, Warwickshire, England, Thomas Lewis born to John Lewis and Sarah Moore
1870
Tom Lewis arrives in America
1875 Mar 01
Eureka, KS, Kansas State census, as farmer at age 19; father is listed as photographer
1878 Mar 28
Eureka, KS, city records, Tom Lewis marries Kate Hogalund
1879 Mar 12
The (Eureka) Graphic news item Tom Lewis and Mr Miller dispute ownership of gallery on w 3rd st
1880 Jun 09
Eureka, KS, US census as photographer
1885 Mar 01
Eureka, KS, Kansas State census as mason (probably a mistake)

1891 Jun 19
Eureka (KS) Herald small ad mentions partnership of Howard and Lewis
1894 Dec 07
The Eureka (KS) Herald display ad for studio at “Collins Block”
1895 Mar 01
Eureka, KS, Kansas State census as photographer
1895 Nov 29
Eureka (KS) Herald display ad for studio “opposite Court House”
1897 Aug 06
Eureka (KS) Herald small ad for studio no address
1897 Aug 06
Eureka (KS) Herald small ad for studio “opposite Leedy’s”
1900 Apr 21
Eureka, KS, US census as photographer
1914 Jun 04
Eureka (KS) Herald news item about death of Earl Lewis, son of Thomas Lewis
1915 Feb 25
Eureka (KS) Herald small item announcing re-opening of gallery

1915 Mar 01
Eureka, KS, Kansas State census, as photographer
1919 Mar 01
Eureka, KS, Kansas city county census record, as resident
1920 Jan 03
Eureka, KS,, US census as proprietor of Art Gallery
1920 Mar 22
Eureka, KS, Tom Lewis dies at age 64 after a prolonged illness

The town of Eureka, KS, was too small in those days to have a city directory. The location of the gallery in Eureka is not known beyond the newspaper’s general directions such as “Opposite the Court House”.
As a consequence, this cabinet card can only be dated as finished in his professional lifetime, between about 1870 and 1920.

The (Eureka) Graphic - 12 mar 1879

But nothing was found about the outcome

Eureka (KS) Herald - 07 Dec 1894

Eureka (KS) Herald - 29 Nov 1895

Eureka (KS) Herald - 19 Jun 1897

Eureka (KS) Herald - 06 Aug 1897

Eureka (KS) Herald - 04 Jun 1914

Eureka (KS) Herald - 25 Feb 1915

Eureka (KS) Herald - 25 mar 120

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.