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.
- “A” accounts
- “B” accounts – coming soon.
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_(?)