The Collected Library, Including Americana and Early Photography

Lot comprised of the following:

3 items identified to American daguerreotypist, Abraham Bogardus, including: Albumen photograph of Abraham Bogardus, 5 1/2 x 4 in., with facsimile signature printed on mount below image, 9 1/4 x 5 3/4 in. This image originally appeared as a tipped-in addition to the Philadelphia Photographer. -- Letter signed by Abraham Bogardus, in which he tenders his resignation as a deacon. New York, 3 January 1876. On "Bogardus Photographic Artist, New York" letterhead. -- Envelope with top right imprint of Abraham Bogardus, New York.

[With:] Albumen photograph of American inventor and pioneer Henry J. Newton, 5 3/4 x 4 in., on cardstock mount with name and publication information printed below, which credits Bogardus as the original photographer and Hugh O'Neil as printer, 9 x 5 `1/2 in. Newton specialized in developing commercial products for photographers, and during the 1870s he pioneered the preparation of ready-sensitized paper and perfected the collodion dry process. -- Six copies of "Directions for using Eastman's Solio Paper." Rochester, NY: Eastman Kodak Co., 1898. -- Partly printed, multi-page patent document issued to T.E. Sexton, 315 Market Street, Wilmington, Delaware, for inventing a new and useful "frame for Printing Photographic Pictures," 1 May 1866. 18 1/2 x 14 in. (toning, staining, fold lines, edge and corner wear to papers).

Together, 10 items.

Abraham Bogardus (1822-1908) was trained in the Daguerreotype process by George W. Prosch in New York City. By 1846, Bogardus opened a studio and gallery in New York City on 363 Broadway, and he became very successful in his work. In 1868, he helped found the National Photographic Association, serving as President of the association from 1868-1874. From 1847-1852, Bogardus was listed as a Daguerreotypist at 217 Greenwich Street. He resided in Newark, NJ from 1849-1851, but he returned to Grove Street, New York City from 1851-1852. His business became so successful that he opened a branch gallery in 1849 in Newark, NJ at 126 Washington Street, which moved in 1850 to 8 Clinton Street. His New York gallery was also moved to 229 Greenwich Street in 1851 and the Old Root Gallery at 363 Broadway, which was refitted in 1862. He went on to open a new studio as well at 1153 Broadway in 1869, but he still maintained his 363 Broadway address.

Bogardus intended to retire from photography in 1884 and ran an advertisement in the Philadelphia Photographer, offering his "well-known establishment for sale, after thirty-eight years' continuous existence in this city." He retired from photography in 1887, and in 1891, it was reported that he was about to take up residence in Stark, ND, in the interest of the Dakota Land Company. He recalled that he had made some 200,000 daguerreotypes during his 15-17 years as a daguerreotypist. (Information obtained from Craig's Daguerreian Registry, October 10, 2011.)