Instant Relatives--19th Century Ohio Photographs
Matthew E. Liebson
Instant Relatives--19th Century Ohio Photographs
Among my other hobbies, I hunt for 19th century photographs made by Ohio photographers. They're suprisingly common and CDV and cabinet card photos are
frequently available for $1 or less apiece at antique shops, malls, and other such places. Not only are the photos themselves of
interest (for period dress, etc), but it's also fun to try and find as many different photographers as possible. Diane VanSkiver
Gagel recently published Ohio Photographers 1839-1900(Carl Mautz Publishing 1998), which serves as an excellent
reference point. This group of belles was photographed by Evans&Brothers, located at Portsmouth (Second Street, between
Market and Court), probably in 1864 or 1865.
The backs of 19th century photos aren't always devoid of interest. Civil War era photos will usually include a revenue stamp (photographs were taxed, along with other documents and paper items); the one on the left below bears a 2-cent "proprietary" revenue with the handstamp cancellation of Toledo photographers North&Oswald.
Other, later photographers used the reverse of their photos to place elaborate identifications of themselves; the example on the right is from John Koella of Toledo and dates to 1873-1888.
Many people like to collect by topic--babies (like this circa 1890 little guy from Urlin&Pfeifer, Columbus) are a favorite of mine! Of course, most photos are of people but the photographers did venture out to catch buildings and other such items; such photos tend to be much scarcer and more popular, as would be photos of Civil War soldiers and such.
If you have any "instant ancestors" from Ohio, do let me know. I have some duplicates that I can trade, or I will pay reasonable prices. Remember, this is a sideline hobby for me! :)