Cabinet Card Photographers

Friday, June 9, 2023

George W Godfrey

photographer: Godfrey
146 E Main, Rochester, NY
example from LOST GALLERY

George W Godfrey
(1818-1888)

G W Godfrey was a bit older than the usual photographer of the cabinet card era. He started with tintypes and Daguerreotypes and moved on to the CdV and Cabinet card format when they became popular.

There are only a few records of the life of George W Godfrey and they are mostly city directory listings.

1818
Massachusetts, state records, George W Godfrey is born
1842 Sep 04
Middleborough, A, state records, George W Godfrey and Jane B Fuller are married
1864 – 1882
Rochester, NY, city directory, G W Godfrey as photographer (or Daguerreotypist) at 81 Main; res Dansville
1884 - 1887
Rochester, NY, city directory, G W Godfrey as photographer at 146 E Main

1888
Rochester, NY, city directory, G W Godfrey as photographer at Sunbeam Picture Gallery, 81 E Main; (this may actually be a misprint as he had been at 146 E Main for the past three years)
1888
Rochester, NY, city directory, at age 70; steady city directory listings end this year; there are no other records beyond this year;
1888 Mar 27
Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle, obit says George W Godfrey has died at his winter home in Winter Park, FL

G W Godfrey kept a gallery at 81 Main in Rochester, NY, from 1864 to 1882. Then from 1884 to 1887 he operated at 146 E Main in Rochester, NY.

Sarah L Cassidy and her sister Lodaska Cassidy, ran the galleries for Godfrey for about 20 years. When Godfrey died, they moved to Winter Park, Florida, to manage their orange grove. (See newspaper item below.)

Rochester (NY) Demcrat and Chronicle -
03 Apr 1888

Rochester (NY) Demcrat and Chronicle -
15 Apr 1888

Rochester (NY) Demcrat and Chronicle -
25 May 1888

Rochester (NY) Demcrat and Chronicle -
24 Jul 1888

photographer: Sunbeam Gallery
Geo W Godfrey and Co
81 Main St, Rochester, NY
example from auction site

reverse of CdV at left

The tintype at the left was probably not made at the Sunbeam studio. It was the practice back then to copy photographs of famous people and sell them in the lobby of the gallery.

photograpehr: Godfrey
81 East Main, Rochester, NY
example from auction site

photographer: Godfrey
145 E Main, Rochester, NY
example from auction site

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.

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Benjamin Fowler

photographer: Fowler
238 N 8th, Philadelphia, PA
example from LOST GALLEY

Benjamin W Fowler
(1868 – 1933)

1868 Oct 26
Woodbury, NJ, state records, Benjamin Wilkins Fowler is born to Benjamin Fowler and Sarah Jane Pedrick
1886, 1887, 1890, 1891
Philadelphia, PA, city directory, Benjamin W Fowler NOT listed
1890
Philadelphia, PA, 1900 US census, Benjamin Fowler and Lillian Maude Brubaker are married
1892, 1893, 1894, 1895
Philadelphia, PA, city directory, Benjamin W photographer at 238 N 8th; res 1207 Race
1896 to 1930
Philadelphia, PA, city directory, Benjamin W Fowler as photographer at 238 N 8th; res 1831 N Franklin
1931-1933
NO additional information has been found
1933 Aug 04
Philadelphia, PA, state records, Benjamin Fowler dies at age 64

So for 38 years, 1892 to 1930, B W Fowler studio was at the same address.

During 1894, he apparently had Jesse P Starr working in the studio. The imprint reads “Successor to Fowler” but that is probably just temporary hype. The association only appears that one year.

If you have a card with an imprint similar to the example at the RIGHT, you’re in luck! It was finished in 1894.

But, if you have a card that is imprinted only with the Fowler address of 238 N Eighth Street, it could have been finished any time between 1892 and 1930. Keep in mind also when dating a cabinet card, the format itself began losing favor around 1898 when great strides in photography were being made.

Note this Fowler is NOT the same as the Fowler that worked in Lancaster, PA.

For more on the partner mentionioned in 1885 - 1886, see Jesse Starr of Philadelphia, PA.

These are by Benjamin Fowler at 238 North 8th

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from auction site

reverse of card at left

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from auction site
(NOT a cabinet card)

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from auction site

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from contributor

reverse of card at left

photographer: Fowler
238 N Eighth, Philadelphia, PA
example from contributor

reverse of card at left

L C Fowler was established in York, PA, for a brief time around August of 1888. He moved back to Lancaster, PA.

photographer: L C Fowler
No 6 West Market St, York. PA
example from contributor
(finished about August of 1888)

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.

Charles Burton Evans

photographer: Evans
102 E Main, Kalamazoo, MI
example from LOST GALLERY

As you might expect there were many photographers named Evans. Only one photographer named Evans was found in the right place at the right time. Charles B Evans is listed in the 1880 Kalamazoo, MI, city directory as photographer for H A Brown. H A Brown studio was at 120 WEST Main, in Kalamazoo. Note that 120 East Main is the address on this card by “Evans”.

The next available Kalamazoo city directory is from 1899 and the next earlier is 1871, so not much help.

Charles Burton Evans
(1861-1924

1861 Mar 19
Kalamazoo, MI, state records, Charles Burton Evans is born to Leonard Evans and Emeline Brown
1867, 1871
Kalamazoo, MI, city directory, NO photographer Evans listed
1870 Jul 25
Kalamazoo, MI, US census, Charles Evans at age 9

1880
Kalamazoo, MI, city directory, Henry A Brown, photographer at 102 West Main; res 447 W Vine 1880 Kalamazoo, MI, city directory, Charles B Evans, photographer for H A Brown, res 505 Wheaton
1880
Kalamazoo, MI, city directory, Cullen C Packard as photographer (Strait and Packard) at 102 East Main; res 232 Cedar
(Note that the card imprint is “Evans - 102 East Main, Kalamazoo, MI”)
(Note that although Charles B Evans is listed here in the 1880 Kalamazoo city directory, he cannot be found in the 1880 Kalamazoo US census pages)
1885 Jan 08
Mendon, MI, state records, Charles B Evans and Susan Amanda Minor are married
1891 Feb 25
The PawPaw (MI) True Northerner news item tells of swindler forging C B Evans name to checks
1894
Kalamazoo, MI, state census, Chas B Evans at age 33

(No Kalamazoo city directory available for 1895 through 1898)
1899, 1901, 1902
Kalamazoo, MI, city directory, NO Evans photographer listed
1896 (no 1897)
San Jose, CA, city directory, Charles B Evans NOT listed
1898
San Jose, CA, city directory, Charles B Evans as photographer 298 S 11th
1899
San Jose, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans NOT listed
1900
San Jose, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans as clerk for H W Conkling (groceries); res 342 s 6th
1900 Jun 04
San Jose, CA, US census, Chas B Evans as grocery salesman
1901, 1902
San Jose, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans as clerk at Home Union; res 334 s 8th
1902
San Jose, CA city directory, Chas B Evans NOT listed

1910 (first available)
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans as real estate at 1245 5th
1910 Apr 28
Contra Costa, CA, US census, Chas B Evans as grocery merchant
1911
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans as real estate at 1245 5th; res same
1912
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans, real estate and furn rms, 325 5th; res same
1913, 1914
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans and wife Susan; Real Estate, 325 5th; res 329 5th
1921
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans as collector, and wife Susan; res 329 5th
1923
Richmond, CA, city directory, Chas B Evans and wife Susan; res 325 5th

1924 Apr 04
Dunsmuir (CA) News item mentions C B Evans as manager of the Ashland Golden Rule Store
1924 Aug 19
San Francisco, CA, state records, Chas B Evans dies at age 63

From this limited information one could speculate that Charles B Evans, after learning the trade working for Henry A Brown at 102 W Main, then took over the Strait/Packard studio at 102 E Main. But since there are no Kalamazoo city directories for those years, it is just speculation.

It can only be shown that Chas B Evans was photographer in Michigan from around 1880 to possibly 1897. Then in 1898, Chas B Evans, with wife Susan, is found in San Jose, California again as photographer. In 1900 he is in the grocery business and no record places him in photography after that.

Paw Paw (MI) True Northerner - 25 Feb 1891

San Francisco (CA) Recorder - 23 Aug 1924

Modesto (CA) Evening News - 25 Aug 1924

San Francisco (CA) Recorder - 02 Oct 1924

photographer: C C Packard
120 East Main, Kalamazoo, MI
example from contributor
See timeline at 1880

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.

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Fidel Eggel

photographer: F Eggle
Coleman, TX

Very little has been found on the life of Fidel Eggel.

He was a photographer, apparently learning the trade in Brown’s Gallery in Hopkinsville, KY. Then, about 1869, he moved to Nashville, TN, and opened a studio. In 1880 he has a studio in Lexington, TN. By 1900 he has moved to Coleman, TX where spends the rest of his life. His studio is crushed in the collapse of a neighboring building the following month after his death.

His son, Anton, apparently was in the photography business but only a short time. News items indicate that he was not well regarded.

Any information or tips would be appreciated.

Note that Fidel Eggel worked most of his photographic career in Coleman, TX. His son Fidelle Eggel, also a photographer, apparently did NOT work in Coleman, TX. No newspaper items have been found that mention Fidel Eggel. Several were found about Fidelle Eggel.

Fidel Eggel
(1830 – 1905)

1830 Mar
Germany, death records, Fidel Eggel is born
1868
Nashville, TN, city directory, Fidel Eggel NOT listed
1869
Nashville, TN, city directory, Fidel Eggel listed as photographer with studio in business pages only.
1870
Nashville, TN, city directory, Fidel Eggel NOT listed
1878
US census of 1900, marriage to Elizabeth Reed
1880 Jun 10
Lexington, TN, US census, Fidel Eggel as photographist
1881 Jul 11
Waynesboro, TN, state records, daughter Minnie Eggel is born
1884 Feb
Tennessee, state records, son Anton Isaac Eggel is born

1895 Nov 02
Tennessee, state records, son Fidelle Reed Eggel is born
1900 Jun 09
Coleman, TX, US census, Fidel Eggel as photographer
1902 Jul 30
San Angelo (TX) Press, item says son Anton T Eggel is opening a cleaning and dyeing plant on Chadbourne St
1902 Aug 27
San Angelo (TX) Press, advertisement for son A Eggel Tailoring Co
1904 Feb 11
Houston (TX) Post, news item is BOLO for Anton Eggel mentions experience in tailoring, clothes cleaning and photography and printing trades
1905 Feb 20
Coleman, TX, state death record, Fidel “Eggle” dies of heart failure at age 75
1905 Mar 17
Fort Worth (TX) Record, item says building has collapsed crushing the Eggel photograph studio

San Angelo (TX) Press -
27 Aug 1902

San Angelo (TX) Press -
26 Nov 1902

Houston (TX) Post -
11 Feb 1904

Fort Worth (TX) Record and Register -
17 Mar 1905

Coleman TX - unknown newspaper

photographer: Eggel
Coleman, TX
example from pinterest

photographer: F Eggel
Coleman, TX
example from pinterest

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.

Friday, June 2, 2023

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.

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.

Friday, June 9, 2023

George W Godfrey

Thursday, June 8, 2023

Benjamin Fowler

Charles Burton Evans

Tuesday, June 6, 2023

Fidel Eggel

Friday, June 2, 2023

Dougherty Brothers

Old stuff here...

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