Sidney Wesley Douglas

Photographer: Douglas
Evansville, IND

Sidney Wesley Douglas
(1840 - 1916)

Sidney Wesley Douglas worked in the same town all his life. Much of that career was spent at the same address; 314 ½ Upper 1st, second floor.

As stable as he was, it is odd that most of the usual sources that compile names of 19th century photographers, do not mention him.

1840 Mar 25
Sidney Douglas is born in New York
1863
Oswego, NY, city directory as artist
1865
marries Lucy Ellen Tucker
1866 Nov 23
Fulton, Oswego, NY, son James Staunton Douglas is born
1870
New York, son Dallas C Douglas is born

1876 - 1878
Evansville, IN, as photographer at 203 ½ Main; res 613 Chestnut
1880 Jun 09
US census as photographer; res 1108 First
1880
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 312 ½ upper 1st; res 6 Elam Place
1882 - 1887
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 314 ½ Upper 1st, 2dn fl; res 1108 Upper Water (probably the same as First street)
1888 - 1892
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 312 ½ Upper 1st; res 1002 Upper Water
1897 - 1900
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 312 ½ Upper 1st; res 125 Chestnut
1904
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 312 ½ Upper 1st; res 426 Upper 1st
1906 - 1911
Evansville, IN, city directory as photographer at 312 ½ Upper 1st; res 719 Upper 1st

1912
Evansville, IN, city directory as vice president of Central Trust and Savings; res 710 Upper 1st
1914 - 1915
Evansville, IN, city directory as vice president of Central Trust and Savings; res 826 Upper 1st
1916 Jan 10
Sidney Wesley Douglas dies of la grippe and pneumonia

It is a safe guess that the cabinet card presented here was done in Evansville, IN, between 1876 and 1912. If the studio address was imprinted on the card the date could be narrowed further.

Typical city directory ad

The following eleven cards are from the Pierce/Vaubel genealogy website.
Each has a different imprint and the
owner's estimate of the date it was made.

Each photograph from this excellent site has an estimated date based on the life history of the subject in the photograph.

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1890

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1885

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1877

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1890

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1890

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1903

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1885

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1888

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1918

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1890

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN
owner's estimate of date c1890

Seven additional cards from the PierceVaubel site

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas,Evansville, IN

photographer: Douglas
Evansville, IN

photographer: S W Douglas
Evanesville, IN
(slightly enhanced)
CdV from the collection of mj aux on Flickr

photographer: S W Douglas
Evanesville, IN
from the Flickr collection of Joe Schumacner

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.

William Joseph Hillman

photographer: Hillman
Richland Center, WI

William Joseph Hillman
(7 Apr 1849 - 17 Apr 1921)

Sources: US census, Wisconsin territorial census,

No city directories are available for Richland City, WI so little can be assembled about the whereabouts of this photographer.

There are however an unusual quantity of examples of Hillman’s work to be found, mostly from the Richland County Digital History Room. It is a fine website with clean scans of Hillman’s work and includes documentation on many.

The card design varies and perhaps the design might suggest a time period for a given card. The attempt here is to group some of the cards by their imprint design and include the owner’s estimate on the time period the photograph was made. Their estimate will be based on knowledge of the subject in the photograph and family lore.

Perhaps it will narrow the date range of when a cabinet card was made. Keep in mind, the owner’s estimate might be ambiguous or even completely wrong.

Consider also that Hillman might have used more than one style during a time period.

Some examples were slightly cropped when scanned.

The examples below all came from the
Richland County Digital History Room

These three are very similar but not identical.

Owner estimate of date 1878-1890

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

Owner estimate of date: 1880-1889

Note that although the imprint is the same, two are plain edge and two are deckled edge.

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1890

Owner estimate of date: 1885

Owner estimate of date: 1890

Owner estimate of date: 1897

All of this design have a smooth edge.

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1898

Owner estimate of date: 1885

Owner estimate of date: 1888

Owner estimate of date: 1890

This one shows that Hillman was in partnership with a photographer named Leonard.

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

The card at the right is the only example found with this design.

Owner estimate of date: 1880

A single decorative line above the name imprint is typical of earlier designs.

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

Owner estimate of date: 1880-1889

This is the same style as the example at the top of the page.

Owner estimate of date: 1890

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

A single decorative line again but this time with a gilded edge.

Owner estimate of date: 1878-1912

Owner estimate of date: 1883

Note "Extra Finish" in an arched design. Note also that the last example in this row has no decorative line.

Owner estimate of date:1880-1889

Owner estimate of date: 1880-1889

Owner estimate of date: 1895

Owner estimate of date: 1887

Owner estimate of date: 1883-1889

Owner estimate of date: 1882-1889

Owner estimate of date: 1882-1889

Owner estimate of date: 1885

Three different styles in this row

Owner estimate of date: 1895

Owner estimate of date: 1885

Owner estimate of date: 1890

These have a single ruled line all the way around the card.

Owner estimate of date: 1890

Owner estimate of date: 1895

Owner estimate of date: 1895

Owner estimate of date: 1896

These all have a deckled edge

Owner estimate of date: 1890

Owner estimate of date: 1894

Owner estimate of date: 1894

Owner estimate of date: 1895

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.