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READERS' FEEDBACK: Former
Photographic Studios
See: http://www.dearmyrtle.com/05/0610.htm
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From: JJouglet@aol.com
DearMYRTLE,
I wrote you not long ago about finding negatives of old photos -- specifically
one from Edward Fox studio in Chicago, IL. One of your readers emailed me that
10 years ago Edward Fox was still in business. I looked them up on the internet,
found that they are in fact in business at a new location in Chicago and phoned
them today. The manager told me they only save negatives for 5-7 years, so I
have my answer. I appreciate Myrtle's comments and also the person who informed
me they were still in business.
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From: gmjgeist@comcast.net
DearMYRTLE,
If you'd like to see an excellent example of preserving photos from now closed
photographic studios, check out the Boston Studio Project at http://www.rootsweb.com/~nebutler/dcaf/dcaf.htm.
I have family from the Butler County, Nebraska area, and will be able to see
photos I've never seen before. And the project is being handled completely by
volunteers!
NOTE FROM MYRT: This is a fantastic collection
described on the site as "The Boston Studio Negative Collection consists of
over 68,000 negatives taken by the Boston Studio in David City, Nebraska,
between 1893 and 1979. As each negative was taken, a number was assigned and
written on the negative. The negative number, the name of the person purchasing
the photo, their address, the date and occasional remarks were handwritten into
accompanying ledgers. The information contained in the ledgers has been typed
into databases. The ledgers are listed chronologically on this website and are
identified by the dates they include. The database entries in each ledger have
been sorted alphabetically to aid in searching. You can also search by using the
"Control F" command. There is not a corresponding negative for each
ledger or database entry. Over 68,000 negatives survived but many were lost due
to poor storage conditions. The final three columns on the database ("Type,
Size, Condition") refer to the accompanying negative. If there is no
information in those columns, there is no negative."
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From: ellen@barrfinancial.com
DearMYRTLE,
It all depends on what happens at the time and the inclination of the person
taking over. We were fortunate to get a photo of my grandmother's engagement
photo during the Sesquicentennial in Oconto, WI. The photographer who had taken
over the business merely took out some old negatives and printed them to put in
the photographers window. Only because women had "one good dress" and
distinctive jewelry (hers only), did they recognize and identify it. Good luck.
Do contact the studio since they are still in business in Chicago with a studio
in Wheeling, IL for certain. Check address on Google.
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From: Sewsoslow@aol.com
DearMYRTLE,
In regards to old Photography Studios. The business that took and retained the
negatives from my wedding in 1978 sold them to a competitor in the same town
when he retired less than 10 years after my wedding. This new business had the
copyright for my photos. Since then that business was sold and I heard the new
owners bought everything, and then a few years later went out of business. It
has been over 26 years from my wedding, and I know that 3 businesses had my
wedding negatives and held the copyright to them. I am unable to reproduce them
in my new home town, and I have no idea who owns them now. I've been told by a
local photo studio, that it is up to me to try to track down the sale of the
businesses to find who owns the copyrighted negatives and attain their
permission to have my local business copy them or buy through the owners (no
matter what their rates are compared to my local business.)
In answer, try to follow the photo studios in the
town, and if the photos are quite a bit older, they may have been donated to a
local museum for their use and as an income for them (selling the right to make
copies of your pictures).
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DEADFRED.com
From: Debbie Pierce dmpierce@houston.rr.com
DearMYRTLE,
Would www.DeadFred.Com
have anything on the site for like mystery photos. I have the same problem
identifying a picture from Photos in Reading, Pa., back in 1800s-1900s.
DearDEBBIE,
DeadFred is a great place for people to find lost, unclaimed photos and for
others to advertise the ones they've found. Another suggestion is to pick up
Family Chronicles' excellent photo guides:
- A Quick Guide to Dating Old Photos
- Dating Early Photos
- Dating 19th-Century Photographs
- Restoring Your Old Photos
Find out more by going to: http://www.familychronicle.com/datingoldphotos.html
Happy family tree climbing!
Myrt :)
DearMYRTLE,
6023 26th Street West PMB 352
Bradenton, FL 34207
http://www.DearMYRTLE.com | 
