Early Photography in Chicago
John Carbutt’s Photography Studios
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago
1868—Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men in Chicago.
Photographer: John Carbutt, 96 Albumen Prints, Hand-Affixed.
Author: George P. Upton and Elias Colbert. (Uncredited).
Publisher: Wilson & St. Clair, Wilson, Pearce & Co. (1876)
Date: 1868
Size: 6 x 10 inches, 692 pages.
Quantity: 450 copies were produced, however, many copies were destroyed in the Chicago Fire of 1871.
Chicagology Copy: Chicagology owns Mr. J. Young Scammon’s copy of the book, inscribed, “A E. Scammon from Father,” referring to his daughter, Arianna E. Scammon. Mr. Scammon’s residence was located at 209 Michigan, at Terrace Block which was on Michigan avenue south of Congress street.
History of the Great Conflagration, by James Sheahan and George Upton, 1871.
On Michigan avenue the fire did not reach Harrison. There were no buildings on the east side of it. The west burned slowly, the last building consumed being the Terrace block. Hon. J. Y. Scammon resided in the extreme south house, and between this and Congress street was a vacant lot. Here the fire was checked, and those living south of Harrison street breathed more freely.
Chicago, the Great Conflagration, by Elias Colbert and Everett Chamberlain, 1871.
A few items are worthy of noting down for their personal interest merely. Col. John Hay writes to the New York Tribune concerning Mr. Robert Lincoln, son of the late President:
- He entered his law office about daylight on Monday morning, after the flames had attacked the building, opened the vault, and piled upon a table cloth the most valuable papers then slung the pack over his shoulder, and escaped amid a shower of falling firebrands. He walked up Michigan Avenue with his load on his back, and stopped at the mansion of John Young Scammon, where they breakfasted with a feeling of perfect security. Lincoln went home with his papers, and before noon the house of Scammon was in ruins, the last which was sacrificed by the lake side.
Mr. Scammon’s house, it may be mentioned, was in the famous Terrace Row, spoken of in Mr. White’s sketch (Chap. V.), as were also the residences of ExLieutenant-Governor Bross, of the Tribune, and S. C. Griggs, of the book trade. It was a row of Illinois-marble fronts, five and lofty stories in height, eclipsing Buckingham Palace in elegance, according to the Rev. Newman Hall, of London.
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago.
Chicago Evening Post, December 20, 1867
Views at Home and Abroad.—Art has achieved few greater triumphs than in the discovery and perfection of Photographs—the process which draws down the rays of the sun—and makes them paint with unfailing accuracy varied scenes of nature and life, so that one can sit in his own room, and, by means of the stereoscope, visit all nations and climes. One of the most successful disciples of this art is the well-known Chicago artist, Mr. J. Carbutt, whose rooms at No. 131 Lake street, contain a multitude of proofs of his skill, gathered from far and wide. No better proof is given of the important position which photography holds in the supply of our social and commercial wants, than in the illustrating biographies and works of art with photographs. Mr. Carbutt has now near completion the largest order of portraits we have ever heard of. It numbers no less than between forty-five and fifty thousand of the new cabinet-size of portraits of between eighty and ninety of our most prominent citizens, and which are to illustrate a work shortly to be published in Chicago, and this is being done without in the least interfering with his regular portrait business, so great are the resources of his establishment.
He has made out-door views somewhat of a specialty, and has a splendid collection of views of Chicago, its streets, river, bridges, churches, and other public buildings, and of numerous places of interest on the West and Northwest, including the great rivers, the plains and the Rocky Mountains. He accompanied several excursions to Lake Superior, and over the Union Pacific Railroad.
Mr. Carbutt’s last trip was with the editorial excursion to the Rocky Mountains, and he has some thirty fine views, taken with the party and in a more extended journey among the mountains. Those who have never seen the plains or mountains of the Great West, can obtain a vivid idea of their wonder from these finely taken views. When seated in our easy chair and enjoying the wonders and beauties of nature which the stereoscope in particular reveals to us, we are not apt to consider the toil and expense the artist has to undergo in procuring them, and we are pleased to be able to state that the encouragement Mr. Carbutt meets with in the sale of his views is very flattering. Mr. Carbutt has obtained a {copy missing.}
Chicago Tribune, October 25, 1868
Before I pass to amusements abroad, let me ask you if you have seen the new book, Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago. I refer to it more particularly as a creditable book was written, illustrated, printed, bound and issued here, and in its entirety would certainly do credit to the best Eastern houses. It is a book invaluable for reference, and a very interesting history of the early days of the city, with which the biographical subjects were identified. The publishers, Messrs. Wilson & St. Clair, are to be congratulated upon their success in producing so handsome a volume.
The Evening Post, October 28, 1868
The Leading Men of Chicago.
One of the most commendable features of the biographical sketches of the leading men of Chicago, recently issued from the press, is the fact that, like the fortunes of the sturdy men whom it commemorates, it is, from first to last, an off-shoot of Chicago enterprise. As a specimen of typography, this elegant work would be hard to beat in any country; and when it is understood that the type-setting, stereo-typing, binding and photography are all the products of Chicago art, the result may be looked upon with becoming pride. That a city capable of turning out such specimens of its practical industries has been built up feom a seething swamp within half the life-time of its oldest inhabitant, is the marvel of the world; and if there are any skeptics across the water into whose hands this book will fall, regarding either the destiny of the great Republic or the future of its chief Western city—a future of as promising of wonders as the past has been fruitful of them—this beautiful work will cause the scales to fall from their eyes.
We but repeat the assurance of a former notice, when we say that the enterprising publishers of the Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago deserve the thanks of her citizens for this monument of her progress. Without doubt it will adorn the library of every man whose interests and pride are inseparably linked with the development and progress of the beautiful city of his adoption.
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago Contents, 1868
1876 Second Edition:
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men in Chicago.
Photographer: John Carbutt, Copelin & Son
Author: TBD
Publisher: Wilson, Pearce & Co.
Date: 1876
Size: 6 x 10 inches, TBD
Quantity: Unknown.
Chicago Tribune, October 29, 1875
“LEADING MEN OF CHICAGO.”
How Mr. Hesing Found His Way Among Them.
In the year 1868, the firm of Wilson & Clair (now Wilson, Pearce & Co.) published a volume entitled “Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago,” and illustrated with photographs of many of the notables of the city. The plan of the work was unique; it did not depend on its sale for its success, and in point of fact only a small edition was published. Its paying qualities were differently developed; the projectors, having gathered a list of the principal men of the city, proceeded to represent them in turn the advantages of immortality to be procured by the insertion of a sketch of their lives in the “Leading Men.” Such as accepted paid, for a short sketch with portrait, $100; for a long biography and portrait, as high as $300; and these sums, when consolidated, paid the expenses of the book, and a presumably a handsome profit.
Among the other gentlemen of the city, who sought the glow-worm of fame through this means was Mr. A.C. Hesing, and the liberal space and choice assortment of adjectives lavished on him leads to the belief that his “assessment” was not less than the highest highest figure named. It is understood that the article as printed was mainly dictated by Mr. Hesing himself, and was afterward dressed up and rounded off by some more skillful hand. The portrait was of course one which the subject sat for for the “Leading Men.” The article at the price named cost the subject about $2 per line.
Now that Mr. Hesing finds himself in a position not altogether agreeable he turns for comfort to the “Leading Men,” and causes his energy to be copied out and printed in both his German and English papers, and then trumpets it forth with no ,mild sound as an indorsement of a man who may or may not have fixed it up after Mr. Hesing himself had dictated it.
To put the matter more clearly, it may be stated an advertising puff, and paid for the same at the regular charge of $2 per line; and then, with a display of cheek never equalled by an American, calmly prints what he said of himself as the indorsement of a man, a newspaper, and even a party.
There is only one parallel case in the whole history of advertising dodges. That is furnished by a quack doctor in this city, who not long ago inserted an advertisement in the Times, and then at once caused the same glowing puff to be published “reading notices” of the different country papers with this preface:
- The Chicago Times of the ————— inst. has the following highly flattering encomium of Dr. —————splendid success.
It would be just as fair to count Hesing’s self-indited panegyric as an indorsement as it would the advertisement referred to, and no fairer. Of the two tricks, that of the quack doctor, is a trifle more respectable than that of the politician.
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago
1876
Inner Ocean, April 6, 1877
About 3 o’clock yesterday afternoon Simeon W. King’s room, on East Washington street, was broken into and a volume containing 130 photographs, and entitled “Leading Men of Chicago,” a seven-shot Smith & Wesson revolver, and some clothing stolen.
First edition was published in 1868 and a second edition in 1876. However, the second edition should be treated as a new work as the changes and additions are so substantial.
For example, the text has been entirely reset and indeed largely re-written with the entries brought up to date (e.g. the 1871 fire is mentioned on numerous occasions) and the number of individual biographies extended from 107 to 187. The only aspect of the first edition which does not appear to have changed is the inclusion of the fine portrait photographs by English-born pioneer photographer John Carbutt. Carbutt maintained a studio in Chicago for most of the 1860s, but sold to Thomas Copelin and moved back to Philadelphia in 1870, after the Drake Block fire. Thomas Copelin, initially operating with a partner as Copelin & Melander, dissolved the partnership in 1871 when he took his son Alexander Copelin into the business. Alexander is the subject of one of the photographs in the present work (see opposite p.246). It is reasonable to assume that the photographs that were not in Carbutt’s original 1868 edition, are in part, if not all, by the photographers of the gallery of Copelin & Son.
Biographical Sketches of the Leading Men of Chicago Contents, 1876, (To Be Confirmed)
A FAILED ATTEMPT.
Chicago Evening Post, December 1, 1868
To the Editor of the Evening Post:
The subjoined paragraph, taken from Harper’s Weekly, will give you an idea of the origin of a work we propose to publish, and which we shall be glad to have you notice in a friendly way.
We inclose an advertisement of the same, to be inserted daily for twelve months in a conspicuous column of your vary valuable paper.
To remunerate you for this, as well as the favorable notices of the work you will undoubtedly given we propose to to insert the biographies of the leading gentlemen connected with your independent an unbiased journal, without charge.
- The Chicago Times states that the lives and likenesses of one hundred and ten of the leading citizens of Chicago have been published by an enterprising concern in that city, in a volume of 700 pages, at $20; also an edition without the portraits at $7.50. It may be presumed that somebody will before long publish the ‘lives and likeness’ of the remainder of the ‘leading citizens’ of Chicago.
As you will discern we are the “somebody” referred to by Harper.
Very truly yours,
Chicago Evening Post, December 1, 1868
In consequence of the unexampled success of a work recently published in this city, entitled “The Leading Men of Chicago,” the undersigned have decided to issue a new and enlarged edition of a similar work in eight hundred volumes, quarto, profusely illustrated in the highest style of art, and printed and bound without regard to expense.
By an examination of the City Directory for the year 1868, it is found that something over eighty-two thousand (82,000) of our leading citizens whose names should appear in a work of this kind, were omitted in the first publication.
Thousands of our most remarkable men, equally entitled to be handed down to posterity, with those so happily brought to the notice of their fellow citizens by the work alluded to, are equally emulous of that distinction.
With the design of meeting this want, the publishers of this enlarged work beg to inform the citizens of Chicago that they have secured the services of Sylvanus Cobb, Jr., George Francis Train, and many other biographists of acknowledged ability, and that they are now prepared to furnish and publish, in the volumes about to be issued, biographical sketches of its patrons, on the scale of prices herewith annexed:
As it is the design of this work to establish the commercial, as well as the social, standing of the subject of each sketch, (so as in a manner to supersede the bulky volumes of Bradstreet, and works of a similar character), no biography of a citizen can be admitted whose published income does not exceed ten thousand dollars. To give character and standing to the work, the lives of few of our best known citizens will be inserted, whose incomes may not come up to the prescribed standard, but in all other cases this rule will be strictly adhered to, As the modesty of this class is generally in proportion to their worth, it is always difficult to obtain the necessary information on which to found a biographical notice, hence we shall be compelled to make the sketches of their lives somewhat brief.
Any citizen who has acquired a prominence by reason of the prejudices or ill natured charges of any of our judges, needs not hesitate to become one of our patrons on that account, as we have made special arrangements with the Board of Trade to review the action of the courts in all such cases, and make everything honorable and without reproach to the subject of the sketch.
Special rates will be made and left at the different hotels for gentlemen who have been residents but for a few days, and who have not yet decided to become citizens.
As nearly two years will expire before we will be able to print all the volumes, gentlemen who are at present residents of other cities, but who design making this their future home, can have their biographies written and inserted, by addressing a letter to the publishers, stating place and date of birth, height, weight, size around the waist, color of hair, and amount of the last published income; also the amount they desire to expend, as per schedule.
As we have a large stock of photographs of distinguished men on hand, we will furnish portraits of ancestors without any extra charge.
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