Photographers of Smith County, Texas

Submitted by Scott Fitzgerald

This is a work in process whereby we research the photographers who worked in Smith County, Texas. We hope to show when they arrived in Smith County, Texas and when they departed which can include their actual move or a more permanent departure, along with any information available on their businesses and family history. This page will discuss what photos and negatives that the Society possess and if we have a collection of the photographer’s. The researchers of Smith County Texas history have a collection of wonderful research notebooks and research notes that were done by James Wilkins. James Wilkins donated this treasure trove of information to the Smith County Historical Society in 2015. These 128 notebooks cover a wide array of subjects with notebook #91 covering his research on Smith County Texas Photographers.

We are going to post individual research pages, listed below, for each photographer that will document the history of his business and the genealogy of his family. Some of the photographers have a large collection of photos and negatives that have been donated to the society; others are part of other collections. We hope to have a complete listing of all of the these holdings. If you find an entry that catches your interest we will be glad to sell you a copy of the image. If you have information or items about any of the photographers listed, we are happy to include it in our research notes or add any items to our collections. We are always pleased to add or correct any information that we have posted.

Photographers listed Alphabetically

Date Range: 1940-unknown

1940 Tyler City Directory lists the Allen Studios under Photographers at 303 Swann Bldg. (page 640). On page 57 the Allen Studios with Ezra T. Skinner as the photographer at the 303 Swann Bldg. Ezra T. Skinner’s residence is listed as 421 West Woldert (page 373)..

see Ezra T. Skinner

Daguerreotypist

Date Range: 1853- 1855

Other Known Locations: Cincinnati, Ohio (1855) | Northampton, Mass. (1849-1851) | Marshall, Texas (?-1853)

Sources:

Newspaper: The Texas Republican, May 21, 1853 (pg 2)

Date Range: 1922

Date Range: 1927-

Date Range: 1918-

Date Range: 1872-

Location:

Newspaper:Tyler Reporter, 6 Apr 1872

Date Range:

Samuel is listed in the 1870 Census records and is recorded as being a 19 year old photographer.

Date Range: 1897

Location: Gallery near I & G N Deport on Ferguson Street

 

Sources:

Newspapers: Tyler Courier, 18 Sept 1897

Date Range: 1918-

Sources: Interview

Date Range: 19__ –

Date Range: 1870

Other Known Locations: Hallsville (1871) | Upshur County, Texas (1871) | Rusk County, Texas (1875)

Sources:

Tax Records: 1870, 1871,1875

Date Range: 1904-?

Location: 105-1/2 W. Ferguson; 729 N. Broadway

Other Known Locations: Waller County, Texas (1874) | Austin County, Texas (1875) | Columbus, Colorado (1876-1877) | Brenham, Texas (1878- 1879 & 1882-1883) | San Antonio, Texas (1885- 1900)

 

Sources:

Family Data: (1847-1920)

Census: 1900

City Directory: San Antonio (1885/6, 1887/8, 1889/90, 1891, 1892/3, 1894, 1895/6, 1897, 1897/8, 1899/1900); Tyler (1904, 1910)

Business Directory & Guides: Texas (1878/9); Texas State Gazetteer (1890/1, 1892, 1896/7); Texas Universal Business Guide

Tax Records: Texas Occupation ( 1874/5)

Newspaper: Colorado Citizen (July 6, 1876) (November 9, 1876) (February 15, 1877)

Date Range: 1867

Studio: Carlyle & Smith

 

Sources:

Tax Records: Texas (1867)

Date Range: 1874-

 

Sources:

Newspaper: Tyler Democrat, 6 June 1874 “photographic artist in this city”

Date Range: __(18__?)

Notes: Tyler Newspaper (undated) possibly 1890’s

Daguerreian

Date Range: 1860-

Other Known Locations: Henderson, Texas (1857) |

General History: Born ca 1810 in South Carolina. Marriage 23 December 1858 in Smith County, Texas to Marianna Alexander. One daughter, Minnie, born around 1860.

 

Sources:

Census: Smith County, Texas 1860- Artist ; Smith County, Texas 1870

Newspaper: Tyler Reporter 1 Aug 1861- “sky light ambrotype gallery”

Marriage Records of Smith County, Texas: Volume B, page 66

Date Range: 1874-

Location: Tyler Art Gallery on north side of square

 

Sources:

Newspaper: Tyler Democrat 12 June 1875

Tax Records: Texas (1874)

Date Range: 1900(?)-

Location: At Iron’s Studio (about 1900)- back of photo

Date Range: 1910- 1920

Sources: Letter from son, Geo. Denison

Date Range: 1932

See Mary Marshall

Sources: New Encyclopedia of Texas

Date Range: 1870-

Location: Starrville

Other Known Locations: Jefferson, Texas (1870) | Sycamore, Illinois (1878)

General History: Born ca. 1838 in Georgia.

 

Sources:

Census: 1870- Starrville, age 52, born Georgia listed as “photographer”

Tax Records: 1870

See Irons, also Mims

Blog entry that discusses his family and the history of his photographic studio. 

R. L. Falkner’s Collection of negatives and photos are being inventoried and proofread. There are many steno pads that were filled with IDs and descriptions that include the subject(s) of the negatives and/or who ordered the work. It sometimes listed phone numbers and/or addresses. It could also include descriptions such as wedding, portrait, family, baby, etc. It could have a date or range of dates that gives the date(s) the work was ordered, or maybe the date it was done or completed.

Mr. Falkner’s IDs are broken into several alphanumeric listings. We have put up the first part of the listing and we will add the others as we have time.

Date Range: 1940-1990

Date Range: 1890-1891

Location: on Bois d’Arc 1890- back of photo

Other Known Locations: Minneapolis, Minn. | Albuquerque, NM (1892)

General History: Born 1839 in Vermont. Died 1893 in Albuquerque, NM of consumption.

Date Range: 1866

Location: Starrville

Other Known Location: Uvalde, Texas (1868-1869) | Medina County, Texas (1870)

Studios: Flemister & Company (1871); Flamister & Estes; Flamister & Wall

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1866, 1868, 1869, 1870

Date Range: 1900

Location: Tyler

General History: Born in 1875 in Kentucky.

 

Sources:

Census: 1900

Date Range : 1909-

Location: Tyler

General History: Born in 1838 in Tennessee.

Notes: (1837- 1925) family information- “traveling photographer”

 

Sources:

Census: 1900

Date Range: 1870-1872

Location: Tyler

Studio: Askew & Glenn

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1870

Newspaper: Tyler Reporter (April 6, 1872)

Date Range: 1900-

Location: Tyler

General History: Born in 1875 in Hungary.

 

Sources:

Census: 1900

Date Range: 1930’s-

Date Range: 1890’s-

Notes: about 1892- old photo

Date Range: 1892

Location: Tyler

Studios: Harper & Company, J. B. Willyerd

Other Known Locations: Marshall, Texas (1884-1885, 1896-1897) | Bryan, Texas  (1890-1891) | Ennis, Texas (1890-1891) | Corsicana, Texas (1892) | Waxahachie, Texas (1892) | Galveston, Texas (1900)

General History: Born in 1858 in Arkansas

Notes: “Of Tyler, Mexia & Waxahachie” date not known, but probably before 1900- old photo

 

Sources:

Census: 1900

TSG

Date Range: 1875

Location: Smith County

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1875

Date Range: 1936-

Date Range: 193_ –

Date Range: 1869

Location: Tyler

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1869

Date Range: 1889-1895

Location: Tyler

Other Known Locations: Tonica, Illinois (1867) | Santa Fe, NM (1871-1878) | Iowa (1880’s)

General History: He was run over in Lewisville, Texas in January 1895 and died in Dallas the next month. He possibly bought out Henry R Farr, Vernon, and Lewisville.

Notes:1890’s back of photo and info of Richard Ruisill of Museum of New Mexico.

 

Sources:

Individuals: Czach, Rudisill

TSG

Date Range: 1860-1869

Location: Over Kolstad’s Jewelry Store (Tyler Reporter 1861)

Other Known Locations: St. Louis, MO (1859-1860) | Rumford, Maine (1870’s)

General History: Born in 1841 in Tennessee.

 

Sources:

Census: 1860- Artist

Tax Records: 1866, 1867, 1868, 1869

Individuals: Van Ravenswaay, Darrah

Newspaper: Tyler Reporter 1 Aug 1861- “skylight photographic and ambrotype rooms”

Notes: see Chronicles of Smith County Texas, Spring 1972

Date Range: 19__(?)

Date Range: 19__

Date Range:

Census: 1860- Troup (Canton Beat) age 19

Date Range: 1892- 1897(?)

Location: Tyler

Studio: Eureka Gallery

Notes: also Eureka Gallery, about 1895-1900 known as “the Fruit Palace Photographer”

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1896/7

Date Range: 1940-

Date Range: 1872

Location: Smith County

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1872

Date Range: 1879

Census: 1880- age 27, born England.

Notes: Est. 1879.  Teagarden & Knutson, 1882.

Date Range: 19__

Date Range: 1932-

See also Mary Edwards

Date Range: 1900

Location: Smith County

General History: Born in 1873 in North Carolina

 

Sources:

Census: 1900

Date Range: 1880-

Location: Tyler

General History: Born ca. 1860 in Louisiana.

Notes: Probably in business in 1880 with O.P Knutson before Knutson joined Teagarden

 

Sources:

Census: 1880

Date Range: 1893- 1933

Location: Tyler – 112 N. Bois d’Arc (1893); 107 W. Ferguson (1910); 216 Swann Building (1933)

Studio: Eureka Gallery (dates not known) ; Mims & Rafferty

General History: Born in 1878 in Louisiana. Possibly began his career in Tyler in 1893 and moved to Denver, Colorado after 1933. In 1895 he married Elter(?) Medlin. He died on August 21, 1945.

Notes: Est. 1893- Mims & Rafferty with Frank Ernest Rafferty. Later had studio under his own name as late as 1933.

 

Sources:

Chronicles: Homecoming Edition 1909

TSG

Census: 1900

Newspaper: Tyler Daily Courier Times ( May 2, 1899) (December 5, 1933)

City Directory: 1893, 1910

Date Range: 1893-

Date Range: 1933-

Date Range: 19__

Date Range: 19__

see Myers & _____ (Davis?)

Date Range: 1902-

Sources: Homecoming Edition 1909

Date Range: 1911- 1953

Sources: Mrs. Nicks interview

Date Range:  1870

Location: Tyler

General History: Born ca 1822 in Georgia.

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1870

Date Range:

Census: 1870- Canton, age 39, born in South Carolina

Date Range: 1891-

Notes: Began 1891 in Tyler as photographer; Mims & Rafferty in 1893 with Ed W. Mims

Sources: Mims & Rafferty, Homecoming ed. on Ed Mims

Date Range: 1869

Location: Jamestown (Smith County)

Other Known Locations: St. Louis, MO (1859-1860) | Henderson, TX (1869) | New Orleans, LA ( 1870) | Upshur County, TX (1871) | Houston County, TX (1872) | Walker County, TX (1872) | Fayette County, TX (1873) | Harris County, TX (1874) | Limestone County, TX (1874) | Harris County, TX (1875) | Austin County, TX (1876) | Bastrop County, TX (1876) | Austin, TX (1877- 1879) | Houston, TX (1880-1888, 1898-1899)

General History: Born ca 1823 in Indiana.

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1869

Individuals: Van Ravenswaay

Date Range: 1923-

Date Range: 1884

Location: Tyler

 

Sources:

City Directory: Tyler, 1877

Date Range: 1940-unknown

1940 Tyler City Directory lists the Allen Studios under Photographers at 303 Swann Bldg. (page 640). On page 57 the Allen Studios with Ezra T. Skinner as the photographer at the 303 Swann Bldg. Ezra T. Skinner’s residence is listed as 421 West Woldert (page 373).

see Allen Studios

Date Range: 1867-1870

Location: Tyler and Smith County

Other Known Locations: Portland, Maine (during Civil War) | Cleburne, TX (1880, 1884/5, 1890- 1892, 1896-1899) |

General History: Born ca. 1833 in Missouri.

 

Sources:

Census: 1870, 1880

Tax Records: 1867, 1869

TSG

Date Range: 

Census: 1870- Starrville, age 33, born in Alabama

Date Range: 1879-1899

Location: Tyler

Studios: Teagarden & Knutson (est 1879), Teagarden & Wherry (1870’s?)

Other Known Locations: Rusk, TX (1870) | Houston County, TX (1871) | Trinity County, TX (1871) | Houston County, TX (1873-1874) | Wood County, TX (1875, 1882) |

General History: Born in late 1840’s in Ohio.

 

Sources:

Census:  1870, 1880

Tax Records: 1871,1873, 1874, 1875, 1882

TSG

City Directory: 1882, 1887

Newspapers: Democrat Reporter (July 8, 1882); Weekly Courier (June 9, 1883)

Date Range: 1879-

City Directory: 1882- Teagarden & Knutson est. 1879

Date Range: 1870-1871?

Location: Tyler and Smith County

Studios: O.B. Thigpin & Co. , Thigpin & McDonald

Other Known Locations: Kickapoo, TX (1869) |

General History: Born ca 1845 in South Carolina

Notes: 1870 census reports Hosias (Josiah?) Thigpen in Tyler and the Woldert manuscript (Tyler Public Library) notes a J.P. Thigpin in Tyler. These names may be variants, or they may possibly be relations who were the “and company”. Additionally, an ad for Askew & Glenn (q.v.) makes reference to “Professor Thigpin’s old stand,” suggesting that the latter had gone by that date.

 

Sources:

Tax Records: 1869, 1870, 1871

Date Range: 1870-

Census: 1870- age 25, born in South Carolina

Notes: 1872- “Professor Thigpen”, mentioned in ad; J. P. had studio before 1879 (Woldert Manuscript)

Date Range: 1875-

see also Curtiss & George 

Date Range: 1913

see also R. A. Denison

Date Range: 18__-

Notes: Date not known, on old photo, possibly 1890’s

Date Range: 1890’s(?)-

Notes: on old photo (1895-1910)

Date Range: 1896/7, 1900

Location: Garden Valley (1896/7); Tyler (1900)

General History: Born in 1853 in Georgia.

 

Sources:

TSG

Census: 1900

Date Range: 1934-

Date Range: 1870

Location: Tyler

 

Sources:

Tax Record: 1870

Date Range: Possibly in late 1890’s

Location: Tyler (late 1890’s?)

Studio: Yancey & Rhomberg

Other Known Locations: Austin, TX (1890-1891) | Palestine, TX (1892) |

Notes: Possibly Charles R. Yancy. Listed as a printer for Charles Rhomberg (q.v.) in Austin.

 

Sources:

TSG

City Directory: Austin, 1889/90

Date Range: 193_(?)