ClassyArts Blog

Edgar Decker spent his entire photographic career in Cleveland, Ohio – and that career spanned nearly fifty years. One of the most interesting thing I found out about him actually pre-dated that career though. In the 1850 census, I found him living in Kingston, Ulster county, New York. The several short biographical sketches for him just mentioned he came from New York state, where he worked for a while a store clerk, and later had his own store. The interesting part come when we find who he worked as a clerk for — George North.

Cleveland historians will recognize North as the surname of two well-known Cleveland artists, William Case North and Walter Crane North, who were also connected with Kingston, New York. William was primarily a photographer, and the uncle of Walter, who was known primarily for his paintings, but also worked in photography for a while. I did some digging, and found that the George North with whom Edgar Decker was living in 1850 was in fact a brother of William, and another uncle for Walter. That 1850 census has Walter C North living with his parents, Mosier and Lucy North (other sources show Zachariah Mosier North). William North and his wife Anna are listed there too, living in a hotel run by Jane Decker, wife the Justice of the Peace, Daniel L. Decker. Edgar Decker’s parents and siblings are also listed, Davis S and Hannah Decker.

The biographies for William North say he moved to Cleveland in 1850 — if so it must have been very late in the year, since his listing in the 1850 census in Kingston NY was enumerated October 21st of that year. Walter North is supposed to have come with him to Cleveland, and his 1850 census record was enumerated November 26th.

Edgar Decker came to Cleveland in 1856 or 1857 according to those biographies — but since he married Ohio native Julia J. English on February 2nd, 1857 I suspect he must have moved there in 1856. It seems unlikely he would be marrying within a month of his arrival! Now Edgar Decker and Walter Crane North were only a couple years apart in age, and since Edgar had been working for Walter’s uncle, it seems very likely they were friends, or at the very least acquaintances. The William North biography mentions that his nephew Walter bought out his photographic studio in 1856, though he sold it back two or three years later. It seems highly probable then, that Edgar Decker worked with Walter Crane in that studio around 1856, and probably learned the photographic business there.

After William North bought back his photography business, we find Edgar Decker working for him, first as a clerk in his other (Coal and Lamp Oil) business, then operating his photographic studio. Soon afterward, Decker goes on to another studio, along with several other apparently independent operators, and styles himself photographer ‘agent’.

One biography of Decker states: “From 1883 to 1888 Decker was joined by Charles E Wilber, a talented crayon artist and retoucher…” In fact, Wilber worked for Decker from at least 1867, possibly even as early as 1865. It was not until 1883 that his name was added to the business, and that change coincided with their move to new quarters on Euclid avenue. Wilber probably contributed to the cost of equipping the new studio, and/or paid some of the rent, to warrant having his name added to the business. Another talented artist, George M Edmondson joined them in 1888, and Wilber moved to Wichita, Kansas soon after.

Most biographies seem to suggest that Decker’s career ended soon after 1900 when George Edmondson took over the business. Edmondson did take over the Euclid Avenue studio about 1901, but Decker opened another studio on Hough Avenue. And in 1904, Decker is listed as Vice-President of the B. A. Brigden Company at the Arcade. Burt A Brigden had worked for Decker for several years before opening his own studio in 1894. Edgar Decker died in 1905.

It seems each time I do extensive research into an historic photographer, I find some sort of surprising or intriguing detail. Perhaps that is because photographers have such interesting lives, interacting as they do with all sorts of people, from the rich and famous to the most average Joe. Or maybe it is a side-effect of the artistic temperament, and would apply equally to any artist.

Photographer A M Bachman of Allentown Pennsylvania seemed the least likely to arouse any special interest. One of several photographers active in Allentown, he does not seem to have been particularly successful, judging by the dearth of images surviving with his imprint. Born on a farm in Lehigh county he took up photography in the little village of Catasaqua before moving to the larger nearby community of Allentown. Married, with no children, his biography in the 1881 history of that county is modest, by the florid standards of that day.

Bachman’s photographic career in Allentown spanned 13 or 14 years, after which he moved on to Doylestown Ohio. In all those years in Allentown, he only occupied two studio locations, 716 Hamilton street, and then 629 Hamilton. It is in the purchase of that second studio that the mystery arises. The 629 Hamilton address remained popular with photographers long after Bachman left town, but I find only two imprints that seem to predate his purchase of the studio, one marked J Jeanes, and the other E D Jeanes.

I have not yet thoroughly researched the Jeanes family, who were photographers for three generations in Allentown, but J Jeanes was Joseph Jeanes and the father of E D Jeanes, Edmund D Jeanes. When I first noticed the E D Jeanes imprint with an address of 629 Hamilton, I thought perhaps it was Edmund’s first studio, and his father may still have been operating down the block at 637 Hamilton. But then I found a card with J Jeanes at 629 Hamilton, so it appears more likely he moved there from 637, and later turned the studio over to his son.

That the son soon decided to sell the studio in favor of another location does not seem too strange, and so Bachman moved from his 716 Hamilton street address, down the road to 629 Hamilton. The odd part is that Jeanes next appears at 716 Hamilton street. They switched studios. Now what’s up with that? Both seem to have been good locations, as they remained photographic studios until at least the turn of the century. So why the exchange? For now, the motivations remain a mystery — perhaps one of our readers has a clue to shed some light on the subject?