PHOTOGRAPHERS of MONT CTY - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Let me know if you can help with any on these folks -- Mary Jo Mensie asked me about them and I've often wondered myself so I just thought I'd make this page !! It might help someone identify photographs which is the purpose of the section!! Do you know more about any listed? More to list? PLEASE HELP !!! This may take years to finish up - my original idea was to just do the older ones but then I kept thinking of wonderful people I knew and appreciated who were photographers, such as Joe Boswell and Myron Banta, so I guess it will have about all the ones we've ever had but may take a very long time to "git 'r dun!"

Just found (May 1st, 2017) -- in Crawfordsville Star, May 10, 1877 p1 - Bramblet & Watson have just finished two large pencil sketches of John Yount, deceased, and WN Babcock, that are almost perfect to nature (now, why couldn't they have been included in that short article, huh, huh??? kbz

Source: Crawfordsville Star, July 14, 1874 p 3 - Bramblett, the Photographer, is attending a convention of this art at Chicago this week. Mr. Leon W. Lemmon has charge of rooms in his absence.

Just found this ---- W.O. Nicely has purchased the Champion Photograph Gallery and took possession today. Mr. Nicely learned the art here, but for 7 years past he has been engaged in business in Bloomington. He ranks among the leading photographers of the state. Mr. Champion is undecided as yet where he will locate - kbz

AH Champion, who retired from the photo business here last week had been off only seven days in none years since coming here from Crawfordsville.  Al is a clever fellow and expects to engage in another line of business for an Indianapolis firm but expects to remain here. He and his wife are good people and we do not want to lose them – Greensburg Standard.

Source: Crawfordsville Star 3 Aug 1882 p 1
MV Chapman, the veteran photographer, has received all his apparatus, chemicals, etc for his new photographic study in the second story of the new Sommerville block and expects to be ready to take pictures by Tuesday. Mr. Chapman is an artist of pronounced ability and having all the necessary appliances of the most improved scientific nature, a luxurious and well-lighted studio, he will furnish work of unsurpassed quality.

Chapman succeeded in taking a picture of the Pulm (sic) Street Depot without ruining one of his cameras.  An electrotype of the picture will be made, that the city papers may illustrate it.  

EUREKA. Now is the time to get a First Premium Daguerreotype; warranted 20 %.  Finer than can be found at any other Gallery in the Western country.  FRANK D. COREY has fitted up rooms in Crawfordsville expressly for and well adopted to Daguerreotype purposes and cordially invites all to come “and see Pictures as is pictures,” and to those that want a good likeness of themselves or friends he would say that he is now prepared to take Dagguerreotypes of any dimension from one for the smallest Pin to the largest size full plate Picture. Family Groupes (sic); views of Residences, Public Buildings, & c. taken in the most perfect manner; and from the encomiums with which his pictures have met wherever he had operated, he flatters himself that for naturalness of expression and life-like appearance his pictures cannot be excelled. He now has an Apparatus of the Mammoth size and improvements in Dagguerreotypeing which none others have; and pledges himself that none that sit to him for a picture shall go away dissatisfied. Instructions in the Art given on scientific principles and an outfit furnished on reasonable terms.  ROOMS on Washington Street over Stilwell & Con’s Grocery – call soon. Dec 15, 1853 (first appeared)

COUTANT -- Jodie Wilson, Crawfordsville Local History Librarian, wrote a wonderful piece on Nellie Coutant, in the Hidden History of Montgomery County, Indiana published this year, 2012. Nellie received a camera from a friend and off she went. Winning state, national and international competitions, in 1904 she was "too well known to be discussed," in the American Amateur Photographer, yet when she died in 1953, being a photographer wasn't even mentioned in her obituary. She grew up in Crawfordsville, lived at 705 South Water Street, and was the daughter of Chauncey and Isabelle Groff Coutant. She graduated at the top of her class from CHS in 1889. Although she didn't get rich as a photographer, she did indeed rack up some prize money as well as commissions. In 1900 she was listed as a "notary republic." After her brief but impressive photography career, she worked at the Supreme Tribe of Ben Hur insurance company. Sadly, much of her work has been lost to posterity and few of the pictures she did take had her name engraved as you see others had in the examples of the work here. She seemed to really like nature as it is seen in many of her pictures.

- Ladoga, Indiana - so far no luck finding anything on this photographer -- here is the back of one of his pictures and a link to see the picture's front of Andrew Grayhardt :) Thanks so very much to Harold Houpt - love 'em.

Source: Crawfordsville Star 25 Feb 1873 p 3

Mr. EC Hamill, who has been making for himself recently such world-wide reputation as a photographer, we notice, still continues his operations in the Gallery over the postoffice.  His superb Rembrandt photos are wonderfully attractive, and the people are constantly flocking to him for pictures of themselves and their friends. As previously announced however, Mr. H. will positively cease operations simply as photographer, on and after March 1^st and will in the future confine himself exclusively to the work of copying, enlarging and coloring, making this branch of the art a specialty. Mr. H. has a number of unsurpassed large pictures in his gallery, enlarged to almost life size of well known citizens, which should be seen by all desiring anything in his line. We understand it to be his intention now to make a thorough canvass of the town and county soon that all wishing to do so may procure those large pictures at greatly reduced prices.

===Source: Crawfordsville Review, Crawfordsville, 4 May 1861 p 1 To the citizens of Montgomery County! I return to you my most sincere thanks for your very liberal patronage to me since I have been in The Picture Trade with you, and would be much pleased to have you continue the same. I am determined that no one shall make you any better work, and none shall do it any cheaper, and you can always find the best assortment of Cases and Frames in this part of the country, at my Rooms. I am also the best prepared for “Grouping. “ I am not in receipt of the best lot of Cases and Frames Ever brought to this county and the only place you can get the genuine Elctro-Magnetic Daguerreotype, Ambrotypes, Malaineotypes, Photographs, and all kinds of Sun-light Pictures. Call and see for yourselves. Admission Free! Nearly opposite the Court House, 3d story in Empire Block. Yours, Very Respectfully, AS Hughes Oct 8, 1859 - tf

- this is the only picture that CDPL has by him

James Wiley, the alleged counterfeiter was photographed by Nicholson and then taken to Indianapolis by US Secret Detectives, EG Rathbone and Capt. Charles N. Lee, Deputy US Marshall on Tuesday evening.  He was also accompanied by his age father who was greatly distressed by his son’s arrest.

So excited, Jerry Stillings sent three pictures AND some information. 1-9-2015 - Thanks, thanks, thanks, Jerry (and yep, love Joe Boswell)

Karen – Below is my write-up about Photo Fashions Studio and Harold Stillings. You can edit it to suit yourself for your page. If you have any questions about the information feel free to get in touch. I’m also attaching three photos I thought you might be interested in. Below the write-up are captions for the pictures. Photo Fashions Studio (I was never sure why that name was chosen for the business, he didn’t do any fashion catalog photography or anything like that) was a portrait studio located in a house (the Storybook House that appears on your web page which is now on Main St.) at 115 N. Water St. (the VFW parking lot is there now) from 1952 or 1953 until the 1970’s. I don’t know the exact time it closed, I’ll explain later why. The studio was started by Harold Stillings, my dad, and Kenny Williams (who was also a Crawfordsville policeman at the time). Williams was a partner for a year or two and then he gave up his share of the business. In 1973 my dad sold the business to Joe Boswell, who was a photographer for the J & C at the time I believe. I didn’t live in Crawfordville by that time so that’s why I’m not sure when Joe closed the studio. He might have had the business until the house/lot was sold to the VFW in the mid-80’s. (I believe Joe is still in Crawfordsville so you can get more info from him on how long he had the business. I know he is still in C’ville taking pictures, at least he was a year ago May when he took my Class of ’63 pictures. Perhaps you know him.) My family (which included my mother, Mildred (Cunningham) Stillings), and me (until my marriage in 1967) as well as my dad lived in the “residential” part of the house until my parents left Crawfordsville when my dad sold the studio. Besides portraits, my dad took many wedding pictures, commercial pictures for businesses. I can remember going with him to Raybestos when it opened; and the night the new telephone office opened on Main Street (I saw the switch thrown to switch from operator placed calls to dial phones), etc., aerial photos of businesses in town, first communion pictures for St. Bernard, and many other things. So that is the information about Photo Fashions. Here’s some information about my dad’s background and career in photography. He grew up in New Hampshire and from what I know from pictures and 8mm movies he got interested in photography early in life. During WWII Harold was a combat photographer with Patton’s Third Army in Europe. He took battlefield pictures and “newsreel” type movies of the combat action. He was also Patton’s personal photographer for a while too, after the fighting ended I believe. He met my mother, she was from Crawfordsville, while stationed at camp Atterbury before going overseas and they were married in 1943. That’s how he came to live in Crawfordsville after the War. For a short period of time before starting Photo Fashions my dad work for a photographer named Hirshburg, I don’t know if it was Morris or not. Hirshburg actually moved his business to Greencastle around 1950 and my dad moved down there and worked for him for a few months. For most of the time my dad ran Photo Fashions he was also a full time staff photographer at Purdue, for 21 years. At Purdue he took all sorts of photos – portraits, group pictures for the Purdue yearbook, pictures of research projects, etc. So I guess I should add here that he was “part-time” at Photo Fashions taking portraits in the studio at night and weekends, weddings and commercial shoots on Saturdays and Sundays (there were a lot of Sunday weddings back then). He would sometimes have three or four weddings in one weekend. He enjoyed doing the weddings the most. My mother took care of the business from 9 – 5 weekdays while my dad was at work at Purdue - making appointments for portrait settings, getting orders ready for pick-up, etc. HS = a picture of Harold from probably the 60’s, taken at Purdue HS with movie camera = Harold with a movie camera like he used in Europe, I don’t know if it was taken in Europe, Camp Atterbury, or where. HS 115 Water = Harold in front of the Storybook house, about 1984 or 1985 when it was still at 115 N. Water. The Photo Fashions Studio neon sign was above where he is standing just under the gutter on the front porch, as you can see it is gone so I assume the studio was closed by then. Or perhaps moved elsewhere by Joe Boswell. I included this one since you mentioned you liked the house on your web page and I thought you’d like to see it at its original location. Of course the front porch in the picture was not moved with the house. Also, note the lean-to addition to the house at the far left of the picture (also not moved), that is where the darkroom was.

picture gallery" was still going strong in April of 1905 (CDJ 17 April 1905). In 1878 it was on the SW corner of Main & Market. Quite a versatile man, David Thomas Ridge was listed as a tailor; County auditor; owner of a grocery, later a general merchandising company and a paper mill worker. Goodness :) However, he must have gone back & forth into the photography business instead of having a long run at in almost every census he is listed as a tailor, as was a son to have more of his photography, that's for sure.

Note: The advertisement below is from the Feb 2, 1875 p 3 Crawfordsville Star newspaper so this puts a good possible starting date to the Ridge PHotography.

In addition to being a police officer, Kenneth was also the proprietor of Williams Studio, which coincidentally was the studio which took my senior picture when I graduated from Covington High School in 1967. I have attached the photo I sent you previously as well as several more that include Kenneth’s police ID from 1950 and him in his guise as a photographer. All the photos other than my photo of Kenneth in his police uniform were found on Ancestry.com and were submitted by a user named kenbobwill (maybe Kenneth Robert Williams?). THANKS SO MUCH DAN J :)

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, 6 March 1873 p 1 - AD Willis, the photographer, has discovered a new process by which he is enabled to take pictures without the aid of the sun, and in night time by the use of lamp or candle ligh. The specimens he exhibits are good!

Source: Crawfordsville (Indiana) Star, Jan 4, 1876 p 1 A.D. Willis, photographer of this city, assisted by two artists sat and made pictures for over 1,000 different persons during the holidays.

Source: Crawfordsville Star, March 29, 1883 p 8 - AD Willis is fitting up an excellent photograph gallery over the post office. - kbz

Source: Weekly Argus News, July 12, 1890 p 6 ---- Parker Willis has added some new apparatus for picture making to his all ready well equipped gallery and is turning out some very fine photographs.

This just found :) Source: CWJ 11 Aug 1899 p 1 c5 Cabinet photos, $1 per dozen at the Willis gallery. -- also in same newspaper "Bring the babies and get a dozen waterproof never fading cabinet pictures for $1 at the Willis gallery.

Oh, goodness - here's an addendum to the above "Cheap Photos"== Source: Sunday Star 14 Aug 1899 p 4 After the Willis gallery is in the hands of the sheriff for making fine photographs so cheap, you will regret it if you did not take advantage of the awful low prices.

Source: Waynetown Despatch 16 Nov 1896 p1 -- Lew Willis, representing the Willis Photograph Gallery of Crawfordsville, was here Monday and Tuesday taking orders for pictures of all kinds. Mrs. Willis had made pictures for people of this county for 20 years. Her gallery is on Main Street South of the court house and she would be please to have you call and see her work. (note I believe this is Louise Runyan Willis, but perhaps someone else)

OBVIOUSLY THIS AF WISE Is the same as the AH below - same wife

WISE, A.H. -- A.H. Wise had quite a thriving business in 1870. He was a newlywed (married December 7, 1868 to Lida Landsberry) with a small son. The problem is I can not find out what happened to him, nor his first name and nothing about his business, either. It is interesting the color in this time frame, however. Nifty. There are some pictures also with F. Wise's Fine Arts Studio and A.H. Wise Photography and Fine Art Gallery. Also A.F. Photo Fashion Studio, 115 N. Water, Crawfordsville. At this time, I believe they are all one in the same because of the time frame, plus there seems to be no other family by the name of Wise in the area then, but it could pan out to be more than one business. Have also included one of my all-time fav Montgomery County folks by Wise's Photographer -- Caleb Mills! Thanks so much to Suzy A for cleaning up this nasty pic - he's quite handsome NOW :) Stay tuned for any additions :)  AHHHHH what happened to Caleb?  

A note from Sue Buchanan on 9-16-2013 got me started on this fella' again. She sent two new photos taken by him and says she has a photo album with other pics he had taken that probably belonged to a Buchanan family in the area. She discovered that he passed away in 1871 and is buried in Oak Hill Cemetery under A.F. Wise -- THANKS SUE !

WISE, F.E. – Photographer (under the Topic, Artists)