FAMILY HISTORY: Traveling Photographers and Photography Studios

 Traveling Photographers and Photography Studios

Cameras help us remember our ancestors and history. To look upon a photograph is to experience the past, whether it was only yesterday or hundreds of years ago. Taking photos today is preserving the past, for tomorrow will come and yesterday will be history.

 In the last half of the nineteenth century, the development and increasing recognition of the art of photography rose to popular demand. As the techniques of photography became less cumbersome, transporting equipment became more practical. Photographers opened their own galleries or studios in towns, while some loaded their horse-drawn wagons and hit the road as traveling photographers.

 In the early days of traveling photographers, they documented scenes of everyday life as well as historical monuments and places. They sold their pictures to tourists who collected them as souvenirs of their travels. Many were photojournalists scouring the nation’s countryside searching for those interesting and important daily life images. Here are photos of my 2nd great-grandparents, David Jefferson and Christina (Hunt) Utter: 

       

Traveling photographers used many modes of transportation to get from one place to another. Some used ponies, horses, and mules to haul the camera and equipment while he walked throughout neighborhoods offering to take pictures of anyone interested. A woman recounts that her mother used a photographer and his pony when he came by their home. The man set up his equipment, sat the little girl atop the pony, and posed the pony in an appealing position, snapping the photo. It was a cherished and prized photograph. These photos are of Elijah Burton and his first wife, Mary Jane and the second is of Elijah with his second wife, Mary Magdalene.  Note the difference in the backgrounds of the photos.  

     

L.E. Deubler used a bicycle to carry his camera and equipment, riding throughout Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Texas in the early 1900s. Charles Allonby, born in England, came to the United States in 1900. He was one of the early photojournalists who was hired to travel the states finding interesting people to write about and taking photos to accompany the stories. He lived in several states before coming to Neosho, Missouri. Allonby photographed many of my family’s reunions that were held at the Big Spring Park, in Neosho. 

Fields Photography was once a leading photographer who, for many years, traveled the Ozarks taking photos of many places, events, and people. Fred Fields and his wife and son grew their business in Cassville, Missouri. Upon their deaths, the Fields Photo Archives is now housed in the Barry County Museum in Cassville. Visitors to the archives can search the files of negatives, and then order those long-gone photos. Here's one of my family line, taken at Fields Photo Shop: 

Victorian photography studios, or galleries, were a popular place to visit. From my family photo collection, I know there were many such studios in our area. Due to prolonged exposure times, photographers used special props to help keep their subjects still while sitting and waiting. 

         

         

These two photos have the same background images with more or less props. They are of the same family line, Elijah B. Utter. 

Look at your photographs and the background of them, especially those that are vintage. Many times, the backdrop features a painted outdoor scene, draperies with a window, or other interesting backdrop. Some of the Victorian photographs I own are from the Paris Art Studio and H.D. McMahan, a traveling photographer in Cassville, Missouri. Other photos are imprinted with the names of the Sims Art Studio in the Opera House block in Monett, Missouri, and the Fogel Postal Studio of Joplin, Missouri.

 

The above photo has the studio imprint at the bottom of it. It's a gorgeous print! Imprints can be found usually on the front side of photos, but at other times will have it on the back. Sometimes the photo card will have the studio’s advertisement specializing in all kinds of portraiture in crayon, ink, oil, or watercolors.  Here are a few more from my collection: 

 

Today, some photographers travel to schools and organizations. At one of our family reunions, we used a local photographer who took beloved photos of everyone gathered together. Travel photographers enjoy their career scouring the world capturing gorgeous photographs of land, animals, and people, and publishing them in magazines and other media.  

 I am fortunate to own many antique and vintage photos! In many of the pictures, I wonder if a traveling photographer snapped them. Because of the nature of the photo with the people and their location, they may have been used in various magazines and journals across the country. Many of my relatives owned cameras and patronized the local photography studios. Here are a few that show the studio’s information imprinted on the picture. My beautiful families sat for portraits with their children and their beloved pets. I’m forever grateful that they did.

 

 

DEVOTIONAL: Learning Life's Little Lessons

 My One Word for 2024 is Learn. What a solid word to focus on this year.  

2023 was full of ups and downs for me. It was in those ups and downs that I knew God got me through all of it. I have arrived at that glorious point that "it is what it is" and usually I can't do anything about it. The Serenity Prayer comes to mind. If I can change it, then I will, if I can't change it, I'll let it go. And God helps me with it. 

Now in my life, I'm extremely happy. I don't wish to travel, I don't wish for grand things, I have exactly what I need, I'm happy living by myself, and I know and love Jesus Christ the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, and my Savior.

I'm blessed. I'm content. I look forward to this New Year and what I will be learning. 2023 my learning time was filled with writing. This year it will be same because there's always something to learn! 

It is reflecting on our day that helps us learn. We renew our spirit, and we rest in that quiet sanctuary where God dwells with us. We must believe, slow down, and listen. And, don't forget to learn those little life lessons that come your way.

DEVOTION: Blessings of the Heart

 BLESSINGS OF THE HEART: A CHRISTMAS DEVOTION

            Is your heart happy and healthy?  Do you feel good, celebrating your life the way you intend? Is your heart filled with love, grace, and hope? Or is your heart stony, one that is crowded with internal and external chaos? Do you suffer from loss or betrayal? Is your heart filled with fear, anger, or disappointment? Is it broken?

            Maybe your heart needs to be restored and rejuvenated. You need blessings, my friend.

            The word blessed is described in the dictionary as: made holy; consecrated. Synonyms for blessed are holy, hallowed, sanctified, dedicated, and revered.

            A few years back, God gave me three words. Those words were Believe, Slow down, and Listen. I pondered what they meant for me. I had no idea how they would impact my life. Through the years, I related many meanings to the words. I thought about each word separately and the group of words as a whole.

            Over time, through life’s ups and downs, I learned lessons. I suffered from grief when my husband unexpectedly passed away and I found him. Grief crippled me. Here I am today living with a heart full of blessings. Oh sure, some days aren’t easy. But today I’m learning how to embrace grace, renewal, and hope.  

            Let’s consider each word. Then we will explore ways to gather blessings.

            The word Believe. Believe in what or who? I believed in God, no doubt there. As the years passed, I learned that though I believed, I asked myself how deep did it go. In myself. In family and friends. Was I committed to believing? I had work to do.

            The words Slow Down. I’ve rushed through life, not stopping until my tasks were finished. Many people have the responsibilities of a spouse, children, family, and a day job. Days are filled from morning to night with work. Rushing is not a healthy way to live. This was hard for me to embrace. I had work to do.

            The word Listen. I was confident I listened well. The truth is I did not. I heard what others said, but I interrupted them by inserting my feelings and experiences on the matter. While they talked to me, I fidgeted, I doodled, I wasn’t a good listener. To God. To others. To myself. I had work to do.

            Here are ways I learned to find blessings to restore and revive my heart.

            BELIEVE. Communicate with God daily. Talk, laugh, cry, pray, and pour out your feelings. Open your Bible or a devotional guide and read. I made many mistakes, only to finally and fully believe that God is in control. He is in control of you, me, and the universe. Exercise faith that God is waiting to hear you and help you. In the good and bad of life, God is but a breath away.

            We have choices to make every day. Choose to believe. Believe in yourself. You are created by God. Your family is created by God. Even through the rotten times, believe that good things are going to happen! Jesus tells us in Scripture, “And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.” (Mark 11:24 NKJV). Practice believing through faith, trust, and hope.

            SLOW DOWN. Prioritize your day, your week, and maybe an entire month. Rest a bit after you have accomplished something. Celebrate your success! Make lists of things to do. Lists are an organizational skill that keeps you on track. I make lists of where I am going and what I need to do.

            Say a prayer and be thankful for all that you have. Memorize a Bible verse to help you turn your thoughts heavenward and give your heart a calming boost.

            Learn to say “no” to things that steal your time. Take time for yourself. Do something that refreshes you and fills you with joy. Life is hard sometimes! Practice slowing down by taking a break, filling your thoughts with honor, comfort, and gratitude.  

            David writes, “Truly my soul silently waits for God; my salvation comes from Him. Truly He is my rock and my salvation; He is my fortress; I will never be shaken.” (Psalms 62:1-2 NKJV).

            LISTEN. Listen to yourself.  Listen to others. Listen to God. Learn to listen to the sounds around you and to those speaking. Find a picture of something or someone and focus on it for a few minutes. Go outdoors to focus on what you hear. Close your eyes and enjoy the moment. Is there silence? Do you hear animals or the sounds of daily life? Play a CD and pay attention to the words of the song. Ponder what the words mean to you. 

            Learn to listen to yourself. Our actions and words come from our hearts. Are we respectful, full of love and grace? Are we living our lives in a worthy manner? Listen deeply and make changes if they are needed. Let the Lord lead you.

            The next time someone talks to you, focus on the conversation. Look at the speaker, open your ears, and hear. Respond very little, giving them your full attention and respect. Practice listening in love, encouragement, and grace.

            In the words of James, the brother of Jesus, he states, “So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath.” (James 1:10 NKJV).

            This Christmas give yourself a gift of blessings. Be willing. Be encouraged. Be consistent. Be faithful to yourself! The Bible teaches that we go through storms of life. We will make mistakes, suffer loss, and encounter hurt. But our life walk is much better if we believe, slow down, and listen. Jesus tells us in the Book of Luke 11:9, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (NKJV).

            God speaks to us in the Book of Ezekiel 36:26, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (NKJV).

            These are only a few suggestions to help you gather blessings. While you are resting, think of other ways to bless yourself and other people this Christmas season. Believe, slow down and listen. In the Spirit of Christmas, let’s remember how the Grinch’s heart grew again after practicing forgiveness and kindness.

            Fill your heart with blessings! Merry Christmas!