RYDER, JAMES FITZALLEN. (1826-1904) (USA)

James Fitzallen Ryder was born in April 1826 and he grew up in Tompkins County, near Ithaca, New York. He worked for three years as a printer’s apprentice, but met a “Professor” Brightly in 1847 and learned the most rudimentary introduction to daguerreotypy from him. Ryder then worked as an itinerant photographer throughout southwestern New York State, through Pennsylvania, and into Ohio, learning his trade. In the early 1850s Ryder then moved to Elyria, Ohio, and opened a studio there before moving to Cleveland, Ohio in 1852, where he managed Charles E. Johnson’s studio; whom he had met passing through Ithaca years before. Ryder settled in Cleveland, Ohio; and opened his own studio by 1856. Ryder kept up-to-date by bringing innovations such as the ambrotype, stereo views, the hallotype, and hand-colored portraits to Cleveland. Ryder claimed to have introduced negative retouching to America in 1868 by importing a skilled retoucher from Germany. By the end of the decade Ryder was one of the leading photographers in Ohio, the owner of a studio employing a dozen assistants, eight camera outfits and two rolling presses; which studio produced, in 1870, up to 75,000 photographs. After a fire damaged his old studio, Ryder built an elaborate new studio in Cleveland in 1872 with an innovative large plate-glass display window and an art gallery that displayed and sold art and framing supplies, paintings and prints. This latter led him to add a sideline as a publisher of chromolithographs of genre scenes, which became very successful. The most famous of these chromolithographs was Archibald Willard’s “The Spirit of 76,” which reached an international audience and lingered on in popular iconography well into the 20th century. Ryder was extremely active during the last quarter of the 19th century promoting and establishing a sense of professionalism in the American commercial photographic community. He did this by advocating causes important to that community, (Such as the fight against Cutting’s bromide patent in the 1860s.) and assisting the formation of the first two national professional organizations, the National Photographers’ Association (He helped plan and host their second, very successful, national convention and exhibition, held in Cleveland in 1870.) and its successor, the Photographers’ Association of America, and also by participating on many of the committees, the boards, and as one of the officers of these organizations. Ryder began to lecture and he also wrote many small essays and articles of an “uplifting” nature to encourage the community to develop and maintain certain standards of professional practice. As a very successful practitioner Ryder was broadly considered to be one of the top twenty photographic leaders of the period, and after the N. P. A. disbanded in factionalism and discord, Ryder had the credibility to be elected the first President of the Photographers Association of America in 1880. He held this position several times and tried to use it to advance good works, as when he persuaded the photographic community to erect a statue of Daguerre in Washington, DC or when he attempted to create a relief fund for the old photographer Jex Bardwell. In 1892 Ryder took the somewhat uncommon step of incorporating his gallery into a company, thus allowing his employees to have a greater share of the responsibilities and in the profits; then Ryder retired in 1894, successful and wealthy. He continued to be active in the photographic community, participating in the Photographers’ Association of America meetings each year until 1903, the year before he died. After retirement he began writing an autobiography, mostly consisting of anecdotes from his early years, and filled with his very real appreciation of the great growth that his country and his profession had undergone during his forty-plus years of activity. Ryder shared excerpts from these writings at P. A. A. meetings or in the journals and, incidentally, thus established himself as one of the “grand old men” of the profession. The completed autobiography was published in 1902, again, to much acclaim. He died in Cleveland on June 2, 1904.

/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
These carte-de-visites are typical examples of the daily production of James F. Ryder’s Studio during the 1860s through the 1870s.

/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
/>
This cabinet photograph is again typical of the Ryder Studio’s daily work. Cabinet photographs replaced the carte-de-visite in public popularity in the 1870s and flourished through the 1890s, and some were produced well into the 20th century before other styles of marketing commercial portraiture replaced them.

In 1862 Ryder received a major commission from the Atlantic and Great Western Railway to photograph recent construction and completed sections of its Meadville, Pennsylvania, line. This work, one of the earliest rail surveys in the United States, was intended to satisfy stockholders and inspire future investors in the enterprise by supplying the speculators with a two-volume album of 129 photographs of the landscape, towns, stations and sheds, bridges, cuts, and tracks associated with the venture. Ryder published a brief article about this project in 1904. (See bibliography.) Other photographic pages from this album are in the collections of the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

By 1886, when the photograph of the swing bridge titled “Central Viaduct, Cleveland, Ohio,” was made, James Ryder was an established owner of a large and prosperous gallery employing several “operators” (photographers) as well as about a dozen other employees in his gallery. While he may have taken this photograph himself, the odds are that it was taken by one of his employees. Fortunately, we might know who this was. In 1885 P. R. Bellsmith wrote to the Photographic Times and American Photographer to clarify a point. “I wish to correct a statement… W. J. White has charge of Mr. Ryder’s out-door work, and is not the portraitist, while I have full and sole charge of the operating room, and do all portrait work.” Very little is known about W. J. White – a condition, unfortunately, not rare in an era when, if attributions were given at all to a photograph’s maker, they were often given to the gallery rather than to the photographic employee working in that gallery. William J. White was a photographer, crayon artist and designer active in Cleveland from the mid-1880s to at least 1900. He was a member of the Cleveland Camera Club, the Art Club and the Brush and Palette Club. Known to be “…skillful in arranging artistic effects even in the most unpromising places…” (Dec. 9, 1900 Cleveland Plain Dealer.) Cited in the Cleveland Plain Dealer Apr. 30, Sept. 28, 1890; Sept. 29, 1891; Oct. 3, 1892; Dec. 29, 1895; Jan. 12, 1896; May 16, 1897; Dec. 9, Dec. 10, 1900. Cleveland Town Topics Apr. 21, 1888. (Artists in Ohio, 1787-1900: a biographical dictionary, by Mary Sayre Haverstock, Jeannette Mahoney Vance, Brian L. Meggitt, Jeffrey Weidman, Oberlin College. Library. Kent State University Press, 2000.) It is possible that he kept a studio at 8 Euclid St from 1888 to 1894, then at 73 City Hall from 1898 to 1899. (Ohio photographers: 1839-1900, by Diane Van Skiver Gagel. Carl Mautz Publishing, 1998.)

JAMES FITZALLEN RYDER BIBLIOGRAPHY,
compiled by William S. Johnson. (Revised and expanded in 2024)

[Ryder is frequently mentioned in the photographic literature of the time in many of the detailed reports written about the activities of the various photographic organizations that were rapidly expanding during this period. There were probably about a dozen or so American photographic journals in publication during that period; and it might be argued that the photographic community was better served then than it is now. Ryder was also often held up as an example or a role model of good practice in various articles and essays. I have not included citations to all of these articles in this bibliography, but I wish the reader to know that they do exist.
Today, Ryder may be one of the most underappreciated photographers from the 19th century, given the position of eminence he held throughout his lifetime. This attitude is mostly due to the unconscious biases built into the rediscovery of the medium’s history after it became an academically “legitimate art” form from the 1970s on. Scholars and critics naturally favored spectacular events or exceptional artists as they were unearthing scattered fragments from the past to create the canons for the newly constituted photographic history. Eventually, as lacunae are filled in, James F. Ryder’s important role in the medium will be better acknowledged.]

BOOKS

1856

Spear, Denison, & Co.’s Cleveland City Directory, for 1856.
Entered According to Act of Congress, in the Year 1855, by Spear, Denison & Co., in the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States for the Northern District of Ohio.
Cleveland: Published and Printed by Spear, Denison & Co., No. 49 Bank Street, Third Story., 1856. [26] 136 p. [10] 25 p. [1] [9] illus., map (folded) 23 cm.

[ “Ryder’s
Daguerreotype Rooms,
Over Merchants’ Bank,
The Oldest Establishment in the City.
Daguerreotypes,
Ambrotypes, and Photographs,
Executed in the Best Style,
in
All Kinds of Weather.
His patrons may depend upon being promptly and faithfully served.
A Large and Varied Assortment of
Cases of the Latest Styles
and
Of the Most Beautiful Finish,
Likewise
Constantly on Hand a Collection of
Gold Lockets, Breast Pins,
And all articles necessary to constitute a well stocked Establishment.
Mr. Ryder flattered by the patronage which has been extended to him for
the past year, has been induced to make improvements in his art, which can-
not help but meet their approbation and a continuation of their favors.
Jas. F. Ryder.” (n. p. [p. 14 in unpaged advertising section in front of book])
“Watches, Jewelry, and Fancy Goods.
N. E. Crittenden, at his long-established place of business, No. 29 Superior street, keeps a full and first rate assortment of Goods in his line, and deals with his customers in a strictly honorable way. No one in want of such articles as he keeps should fail to examine his assortment. Retail dealers from the country have found it for their advantage to give him a most extensive patronage, and his large stock and fair prices account for the tremendous wholesale trade he has built up. His establishment has also long received, and has well deserved the confidence and approbation of the citizens in the retail business.
—————————————
Daguerreotypes.
James F. Ryder, the Daguerreotypist, is winning for himself a worthy reputation for excelling in the art. His Ambrotypes are unsurpassed, and to those unacquainted with these beautiful pictures, we must say of them that they are superior in every respect to the Daguerreotype. Ryder’s Ambrotypes are just the pictures to please. See advertisement.
—————————————
Insurance.
The liabilities to lose property by fire, and the fact that human life is very uncertain, has made a demand for the establishment of companies to insure against loss. Brayton and Mason are agents for some of the best of these companies. The Washington Union Insurance Co., O. N. Skeels, Secretary, on the Public Square, and the Cleveland Mutual Insurance Co., at the same place, are Cleveland companies and are considered first rale companies. H. L. Hoffman, on Superior street, is agent for the Merchant’s Insurance Co., which stands among the first. Among others, we notice the Liverpool and London Fire and Life Insurance Company, W. Warren, Agent, 150 Superior Street. This company has very large capital, and a world-wide reputation for stability and promptness. See advertisement.”
————————————— (p. 5)
“Ryder, James F. daguerreotypist, 55 Superior h. Weddell house.” (p. 104)]

1871

Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year 1871. Vol. II. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1872. n. p. [999 p.]
[“List of Patents Issued from the United States Patent Office, May 16, 1871.”
“114,864.-Non-Corrosive Metal-Coated Plate-Holder.—James F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.
Claim.-A plate-holder, with the frame thereof made in part or in whole of base metal, and coated in whole or in part with gold, silver, nickel, or other non-corrodible metallic covering, for the purpose set forth.” (p. 366)]

Annual Report of the Commissioner of Patents for the Year 1871. Vol. III. Washington: Government Printing Office, 1876. n. p. [680 p.]
[“Illustrations of Patents 114, 854 -114,872.”
[Drawing of the patented object.]
“111,864. Metal-coated Plate Holders James F. Ryder.” (p. 276)]

1874

Harte, Bret. Deacon Jones’ Experience. Cleveland: J. F. Ryder, [1874] [4] p.; ill. 23 x 15 cm.
[Caption title.
[Line drawing representing the original chromo illustrating Harte’s poem [p. 1], with text of the poem [p. 2]; also (p. [3]) line drawing representing the original chromo of “Ouch!” with accompanying text by Harte.
[The chromolithographs, published and sold by Ryder, are genre scenes depicting comic situations: The first is based on Harte’s poem, of a deacon attacked by a cat while kneeling in prayer, as the various family members respond variously. The second, “Ouch,” shows a boy and girl in a farmyard, attacked by a swarm of bees. WSJ]
[ “Deacon Jones’ Experience.”
[Illustration from the chromolithograph “Deacon Jones’ Experience.”]
“Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by A M. Willard in the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.
“In Presenting This Chromo in illustration, of Bret Hartes’ Poem, (on next page,) the publisher introduces the public to a closer intimacy with the good man and his noble qualities.
In his time he could “overcome” a goodly number of “ornery mortals” with a promptness and ease that distinguished him on the river, and secured to him a certain respect among his fellows. The strong arm that pulled the heavy oar of a flat-boat was ever at the service of a friend. He was as ready to back a load of wood to the needy widow, as to join the boys for a frolic. His word was as good as “writin” his record was clear. He hated horse-thieve she knew something of Indians. He was a good neighbor and a good provider ; also, a fair operator “onto” the violin.
Mr. Willard, the artist, in his illustration strongly suggests these points of character, and has portrayed Deacon Jones and family with a power all his own. It is quite impossible to witness the Deacon’s indecision between the business in hand, and his evident desire to “snatch that kitten” without being amused.
The Chromo reproduction is by Clay, Cosack & Co., Buffalo, and is one of the best examples of Chromo-Lithography produced in this country. The size of the picture is 16×22 inches mounted upon canvass and strainers. Price, $6.00, Address orders to
J. F. Ryder, Publisher,
239 Superior St., Cleveland, O.” (p. 1);

    “Deacon Jones’ Experience.”
 (Arkansas Conference) 
     1874.

Ye’r right when you lays it down Parson,
Thet the flesh is weak and a snare ;
And to keep yer plow in the furrow
When yer cattle begins to rare
Ain’t no sure thing. And between us,
The same may be said of prayer.

Why, I stood the jokes, on the river,
Of the boys, when the critters found
Thet I’d jined the Church and the snicker
Thet, may be ye mind, went round,
The day I set down with the mourners,
In the old camp meetin’ ground!

I stood all that, and I reckon
I might at a pinch stood more
For the boys, they represents Bael,
And I Stands as the Kock of the Law,
And it seemed like a moral scrimmage,
In holdin’ agin their jaw.

But thar’s crosses a Christian suffers,
As hez’nt got that pretense
Things with no moral purpose,
Things ex hez got no sense;
Things, ez, somehow, no profit
Will cover their first expense.

Ez how! I was jesf last evenin’
Addressin’ the Throne of Grace,
And mother knelt in the corner.
And each of the boys in his place
When that sneakin’ pup of Keziah’s
To Jonathan’s cat giv chase !

I never let on to mind ’em,
I never. let on to hear;
But driv that prayer down the furrow
With the cat hidin’ under my cheer,
And Keziah a whisperin’ “sic her!”
And mother a savin’ “you dare !”

I asked for a light for the heathen,
To guide on his narrer track,
With that dog and that cat jest waltzin’,
And Jonathan’s face jest black.
When the pup made a rush and the kitten
Dropped down on the small of my back.

Yet, I think, with the Lud’s assistance,
I might have continered then.
If gettin’ her holt, that kitten
Hed’nt dropped her claws in me when
It somehow reached the ‘ Old Adam,”
And I jumped to my feet with “Amen.”

So, ye’r right when you say it, Parson,
Thet the flesh is weak and a snare,
And to keep yer plow in the furrow
When yer cattle begins to rare
Ain’t no sure thing. And between us
I say its jest so with prayer.

         Bret Harte.” (p. 2)

             [Illustration from the chromolithograph “Ouch”]

“Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by A M. Willard in the office of the Librarian of Congress, Washington, D. C.
“OUCH!”
” Helen Blazes, scatter ! ” was what he said ; his gesticulations were violent and unstudied ; his manner strange and hurried ; his eyes rolled wildly, and the perspiration started from his youthful brow.
Again he cried, ” Helen Blazes! get out of this! ” and little Helen, without further waiting, struck a bee-line for the house. At this point “our special artist,” A. M. Willard, “sketched ” Tommy Blazes” on the spot.” The sketch proves the power of the artist in portraying scenes of startling effect and strong expression with an agreeable touch of humor.
As men are children of larger growth, it is pleasant to go back, by familiar glimpses, to the days of boyish pranks, and recall the exploits enacted then. In this, as in the story of “Pluck,” the assault of the “little busy bee” upon Tommy Blazes will come home with a special force to many a man who has lost the smell of hay-fields.
The Chromo is from the house of Clay, Cosack & Co., of Buffalo, and is a fine example of first-class American Chromo art. The size of the picture is 17×22 inches, mounted upon canvass and strainers. Price, $5.00.
Address orders to
J. F. Ryder, Publisher,
239 Superior St , Cleveland, O.” (p. 3)]

1876

United States Centennial Commission. International Exhibition. 1876 Official Catalogue. Part II Art Gallery, Annexes, and Out-Door Works of Art. Department IV.—Art.
(Eleventh And Revised Edition) Philadelphia: Published for the Centennial Catalogue Company by John R. Nagle And Company. Printed at the Riverside Press, Cambridge, Mass.,1876. 170 p. frontis.
[“ PHOTOGRAPHY.
No. 104.—PHOTOGRAPHIC EXHIBITION BUILDING.
Architect, H. J. SCHWARZMANN.—Size, 242 by 77 feet.
Situated on the Avenue of the Republic, north of the Main Building, and east of
Memorial Hall. It is a one-story building, containing a single large chamber, with
screens projecting from the side walls and forming alcoves for exhibition purposes..
NO. ARTIST. TITLE. LOCATION.
1 Kurtz, W., New York, Photographs, in pastel, oil, and crayon. Screen 1, W.
2 Benerman & Wilson, Photographic transparencies for magic lanterns. Window, alcove 13.
3 Wenderoth & Co., Philadelphia, Plain and colored photographs. Screen 1, E.
4 Brady, W. [sic M] B., Washington,- Photographs, plain and India ink. Alcove 2, wall.
(Etc., etc.) (p. 145)
25 Melander & Brother, Chicago, Stereoscopic groups. Screen 4, S.
26 Newell, R., & Son, Philadelphia, Photographic views. Screen 5, W.
27 Tyson, I. G., Philadelphia, Photograph in crayon. Screen 5, S.
28 Kiloltz, B., Chicago, Plain photographs, Screen 5, S.
29 Sweeny, TT., Cleveland, Photographic views. Screen 5, E.
30 Thorn, G. W., New York, Photographic views. Screen 5, E.
31 Seibert, S. R., Washington,- Improved stereoscopic camera. Alcove 6.
32 Houseworth, Thos., San Francisco, Photographs, Yosemite Valley. Wall, alcove 6.
33 Anderson, D. H., Richmond, Photographic portraits. Screen 6, W.
34 Chase, W. M., Baltimore, Stereoscopic views. Screen 6, W.
35 Hardy, A. N., Boston, Photographic portraits. Screen 6, W.
36 Taylor, W. Curtis, Philadelphia, Photographs, plain and colored, porcelain miniatures. Screen 6, E.
37 Haworth, J., Philadelphia, Photo-apparatus and albumen paper. Main avenue.
38 Bass, P. P., Bangor, Maine, Burnisher for photographs. Main avenue.
39 Aitken, Philadelphia, Photographs in crayon. Wall, alcove.
40 Collins, Son, & Co., A. M., Philadelphia, Card mounts, in various styles, for photographs. Wall, alcove 7.
41 Bigelow, L. G., Detroit, Mich., Photographs, single and in groups. Screen 7, W.
42 Marcy, L. J., Philadelphia, Improved oil and lime-light lanterns. Screen 7, S.
43 Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Photographs in crayon, and chromo “Yankee Doodle.” Screen 7, N. wall.
44 Schriber & Son, Philadelphia, Photographs of animals. Screen 8, W.
45 Kent, J. H., Rochester, N.Y., Large photographic portraits, direct from life. Screen 8, E.
46 Gutekunst, Philadelphia, Photographs, glacé, crayon, water color, and plain. Screen 9, W.
47 Root, M. A., Philadelphia, Illustrations of photography from August, 1839, to May, 1876. Screen 8, S.
48 Pattburg & Bros., New York, Passe-partouts and velvet cases. Main avenue.
49 Entrekin, W. G., Philadelphia, Oscillating enameling machine.avenue.
50 Butterfield, D. W., Boston, Large landscape views. Screen 9, E.
51 Rau, George, Philadelphia, Photographic portraits, Screen 9, E.
52 Clemons, J. R., Sample prints on his albumen and on plain paper. Screen 9, E.
53 Hesler, A., Evanston, Ill., Portraits of babies. Wall, alcove 10.
54 Fitzgibbon, J. H., St. Louis, Collection of daguerreotypes, twenty- five years old. Wall, alcove 10.
55 Landy, J., Cincinnati,- Collection of character photographs representing the Seven Ages of Man, laughing and crying babies, and large photograph portraits. Screen 10, W. Screen 10, S.
56 Rocher, H., Chicago, Photographs, single figures and compositions, in size from 17 by 20 plate to 11 by 14; imperial, boudoir, and promenade portraits. Screen 10, E.
57 Sarony, N., New York, Photographs, plain and in crayon. Wall, alcove 11. (p. 138) (Etc., etc.)
[There are 287 photographers (American, then Foreign) listed in this portion of the catalog, and:
“No. 110. Centennial Photographic Association Building,
Architects, H. J. Schwarzmann, Hugh Kafka.—Size, 150 feet by 30 feet.
The Photographic Association have erected a one-story frame building, located north of the Main Exhibition Building, on the east side of Belmont Avenue. It contains one room for the exhibition of photographs, and three rooms for photographers, for working purposes.” (p. 145)
[This was an actual portrait studio for visitors to have their portraits taken. WSJ]

United States Centennial Commission. International Exhibition, 1876. Reports and Awards
Vol. VII. Groups XXI-XXVII. Edited by Francis A. Walker, Chief of the Bureau of Awards. Washington: Government Printing Office. 1877. 32v. in 6. Illus., diagrs. 24 cm.
[Published also in the Reports of the Centennial Commission. Washington, 1880, v.3-8. This exhibition generated multiple documents, with much overlap, so the photographer was recorded many times. WSJ]
[“ Reports on Awards.
Photographs.

283. Broadbent & Phillips, Philadelphia, Pa., U. S.
     Report.–Commended for plain photographs.
284. G. W. Pach, New York, N. Y., U. S.
     Report.–Commended for photographs of groups and horses.
285. Centennial Photographic Co., Philadelphia, Pa., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for good photographs of interiors, buildings, and engines.
286. Thomas Gaffield, Boston, Mass., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for leaf prints and photo-chemical researches.
287. Schreiber & Son, Philadelphia, Pa., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for plain photographs of animals.
288. J. W. Black, Boston, Mass., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for Arctic views.
289. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, U. S.
     Report.—Commended for skillful crayon work.
290. Thomas Houseworth, San Francisco, Cal., U. S.
     Report.–Commended for artistic excellence of landscape photographs.
291. Charles Bierstadt, Niagara Falls, N. Y., U. S.
     Report.-Commended for excellent stereoscopic pictures. (p. 76)
292. Allman & Co., New York, N. Y., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for plain photographs and cloud-pictures.
293. Henry Rocher, Chicago, Ill., U. S.
     Report.-Commended for artistic excellence in plain portraits and genre photographs.
294. D. H. Anderson, Richmond, Va., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for good plain portrait photographs.
295. C. E Watkins, San Francisco, Cal., U. S.
     Report.-Commended for artistic excellence of landscape photographs.
296. W. I. Marshall, Fitchburg, Mass., U. S.
     Report.-Commended for photographs of scenery in the Yellowstone Park.
297. Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco, Cal., U. S.
     Report.–Commended for good landscape photographs and crayon portraits.
298. A. Hesler, Evanstown, Ill., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for children’s portraits.
299. C. S. Mosher, Chicago, Ill., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for good portrait photographs.
300. Allen & Rowell, Boston, Mass., U. S.
     Report.—Commended for carbon prints.
301. N. Sarony, New York, N. Y., U. S.
     Report.–Commended for artistic excellence in plain portrait photographs and charcoal
     drawing.
302. Dr. J. J. Woodward, Washington, D. C., U. S.
     Report.-Commended for excellence of micro-photographs. (p. 77) (Etc., etc.)]

1877

Centennial, 1876. The Sentimental Song Book. By Julia A. Moore. Cleveland, O: J. F. Ryder, Publisher,1877. 62 pp., (no frontispiece). 15 cm. Grey coated paper wrapper, bearing portrait, which is frontispiece in (1) and (2), and legend, “The Sweet Singer of Michigan Salutes the Public.”
[“This is the first appearance of the title, “The Sweet Singer of Michigan.” Back cover bears advertisement of Ryder’s Trade Cabinet Photographs. On reverse of title-page: “Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1876, by Mrs. Julia A. Moore, in the office of the Librarian of Congress.”]

The Sentimental Song Book, By Julia A. Moore. With numerous Additions and Corrections by the Author. Cleveland, O: J. F. Ryder, Publisher. 1877. 60 pp., portrait facing title-page. 16 cm. Grey coated paper wrapper. On reverse of title-page: “Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1877, by Mrs. Julia A. Moore, in the office of the Librarian of Congress.”
[“J. F. Ryder, a photographer and art dealer in Cleveland, Ohio, also published in the same year two different pamphlets containing Julia Moore’s poems. These Cleveland editions had identical grey coated paper wrappers. On the front wrapper was the wood-cut portrait which had appeared in the first Grand Price 50 Cents. Centennial, 1876. The Sentimental Song Book By Julia A. Moore. Grand Rapids, Mich: C. Loomis, Book and Job Printer. 1876. Cover: Reprint (Another form omits the words “Price 50 cents”) Rapids edition, and for the first time the title “The Sweet Singer of Michigan” appears. This suggests that the title was originated by Ryder. One was a 62-page pamphlet with no portrait frontispiece. It was copyrighted by Julia Moore in 1876. The second Ryder edition was a 60-page pamphlet with the portrait frontispiece. It was copyrighted by Julia Moore in 1877.” A. H. Greenly. The Sweet Singer of Michigan. Bibliographically Considered by A. H. Greenly. New York The Bibliographical Society of America 1945.]

1878

Moore, Julia A. The Sweet Singer of Michigan : Later Poems of Julia A. Moore, Together with Reviews, Commendatory Notices, Etc,. Etc. of Her Sentimental Song Book. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eaton, Lyon & Co., c1878. 90p.; frontis., port. 15 cm.
[Illustration is a woodcut portrait of the author, probably drawn from a photo, possibly by Ryder. WSJ]
[ “Preface.”
“Friends: Through the generosity of Messrs. Eaton, Lyon & Co., I am permitted to say a few words to the public in regard to my little Sentimental Song Book.” While writing that little book of poems, I did not think of the future, or what the world at large would think of me; I wrote it in the sincerity of my heart, for the benefit of a few intimate friends; never did I think it would reach the large sale it has. Thanks to the publisher, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, it’s success is due to him. His enterprising ability has brought the sale of this book to many thousands….” (p. 5)
“ Publication Notices.
From the Rome Sentinel.
The Sweet Singer of Michigan; Cleveland, J. F. Ryder. As Americans we feel pride in the fact that the newest and most brilliant star in the literary firmament is a daugher of our own great Republic…” “….We refer, of course, to Julia A. Moore, the Sweet Singer of Michigan. The gifted lady has found an appreciative publisher in J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, Ohio. In introducing the work of the charming poetess, Mr. Ryder says of the book:
It will prove a health-lift to the evertaxed brain; it may divert the despondent from suicide. It should enable the reader to forget the “stringency,” and guide the thoughts into pleasanter channels. It opens a new lead in literature, and is sure to carry conviction. If a sufficient success should attend the sale of this work, it is our purpose to complete the Washington Monument. (p. 10) “…The queenly Julia does not look to us like a lady to be dandled in the lap of luxury or any other man, but as we speak not from experimental knowledge we may be in error. If so Mr. Ryder will correct us….” (p. 11)
“…From the Rochester Democrat.
The Sweet Singer of Michigan salutes the public. Price twenty-five cents.” This is the charming title of pamphlet from the gushing press of J. F. Ryder & Co., Cleveland, O….” (p. 13)
“…From the Hartford Daily Times.
We have received from the publisher, J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior street, Cleveland, a superior collection of lyrical verse, in a pamphlet entitled The Sweet Singer of Michigan….” (p. 25)
“…From the Connecticut Courant.
“…we quote the note of her publisher:
Cleveland, O., October, 1877.
Dear Sir-Having been honored by the gifted lady of Michigan, in being entrusted with the publication of her poems, I give myself the pleasure of handing you a copy of the same, with my respectful compliments.
It will prove a health lift to the overtaxed brain; it may divert the despondent from suicide. It should enable the reader to forget the “stringency,” and guide the thoughts into pleasanter channels.
It opens a new lead in literature, and is sure to carry the conviction :
It must be productive of good to humanity.
If you have the good of your fellow creatures at heart, and would contribute your mite towards putting them in the way to finding this little volume, the thanks of a grateful people (including authoress and publisher,) would be yours.
If a sufficient success should attend the sale of this work, it is our purpose to complete the Washington monument. Very truly yours, J. F. Ryder….” (p. 53)
“…From the New York World.
Mrs. Julia A. Moore, “The Sweet Singer of Michigan,” salutes the public in a volume of sixty pages, published by J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O….” (p. 62)
“…From the Lancaster Intelligencer.
The Sentimental song book, by Julia A. Moore, with numerous additions and corrections by the author, Cleveland, Ohio; J. F. Ryder, publisher. We are under many obligations to the publisher for a copy of the above delightful little work, by the Sweet Singer of Michigan….” (p. 68)
“…[Advertisement.] “Ryder’s Trade Cabinet Photographs
Of Humorous and Patriotic subjects are the most popular in the market.
Price, Twenty-five Cents.
List of Subjects:
Deacon Jones’ Experience.
Oh Brigham! How could you leave us.
“When in the course of Human events.”
Why, Bless My Heart, Johnny, &c.
“United We Stand, Divided We Fall “
Covill & Son, of Danbury, Conn.
What is Home without a Mother?
Pluck 1 and 2 pair.
Tasting Committee, pair.
Spelling School.
Behind the Scenes.
Yankee Doodle.
Picturesque Africa.
In this Wheat By and By.
Among the Daises.
His Honor and Bijah.
Budge and Toddie.
Brunettes.
For sale by
Knowledge is Power.
Oh! Come and see us.
“A Bird in the Hand.”
A Stitch in Time.”
“An Ounce of Prevention.”
Mrs. Grundy’s Dog.
Published by J. F. Ryder,
Cleveland, Ohio.
For sale by
Eaton, Lyon & Co.” p. 92 (inside back cover.)]

1881

1 b & w (“Eliza Ballou Garfield”) as frontispiece in: Allerdice, Mrs. E. W. Over the Hill to the White House. “Second Edition” New York: Denison & Co., 1881.
[“Artotype. Harroun & Bierstadt, N. Y. Copyright 1881 by J. H. Ryder, Cleveland.” (Commemorative poem.)]

Wilson, Edward L. Wilson’s Photographics : A Series of Lessons, Accompanied by Notes, on all the Processes which are needful in the Art of Photography. New York: E. L. Wilson, 1881. 336 p., [2 leaves of plates: ill., diagrs., ports.; 22cm. [Wilson applied a novel approach in his volume, placing his own running narrative on the upper portion of each page and placing the extensive narratives of the “authorities quoted” on the bottom. (Not exactly footnotes, rather two parallel dialogs of complementary ideas or information.)
Ryder is among the scores of “Authorities Quoted in this Volume.” He was featured on p. 60-61 in “Lesson A. Treatment of the Subject.” (p. 19-76.)
(Wilson) “…In these two moods of nature, as it were, may be found the true foundation for all authentic principles in art. And the painter or photographer will select the mood most suited to his subject, and, like the writer of history or romance, he will use his highest powers, his brightest light, or deepest shadow, or both, to give full prominence to the leading point, judiciously obscuring others. 77. In the foregoing remarks, your attention has been drawn outside the studio, and to many this may seem of little practical value as regards their every-day work. But it is not so, for the same principle prevails both within and without. As a partial proof of this truth, witness this fine copy of “The Soldier and the Laughing Girl,” by J. Van der Meer, of Delft, now in the Double Collection of Paris. It is a grand study in (p. 60) chiaro-oscuro, a model for photographic imitation, and seems to have been made for this very purpose. It will bear the closest study….” (p. 61)
(Ryder) “77. As to the study of light, I follow it intuitively. I find my models everywhere, in parlors, halls, churches, offices, shops, railway cars; wherever there are windows or gas-jets, and heads for the light to shine upon, there are my studies-sometimes more, sometimes less interesting, but studied all the same. Frequently in common conversation, or in the course of a business transaction, I give as much attention to lighting the head of my model as I do to the drift of his talk or the character of the business in hand. We may be introduced to a (p. 60) stranger, and while assuring him of the pleasure we have found in his acquaintance, and wondering if it will rain before night, we have discovered that his nose is a little out of true, and that a three-fourths face, away from the light, will suit him best.
In this study or pursuit much is to be gained. We learn to recognize the true from the false, the good from the bad. An education may be so acquired that would be obtained in no other way. We see and fix in the mind many peculiarities and effects of light that by accumulation become knowledge. There may be a lesson in the shadow thrown from a hitching-post, if we look for it, as much as there are sermons in stones.”
These hints and bits of observation, picked up in promiscuous ways and places, carried into the operating-room, give power to the possessor of them, and make him master of the situation. When we once get into this way of “trying on,” we are not likely to abandon the habit.-J. F. Ryder.” (p. 61)]

1887

Annals of the Early Settlers’ Association of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Number VIII.
Published by Order of the Executive Committee. Cleveland, O: The Williams Publishing Co., 1887. 96 p.
[“The Early Settlers’ Anniversary. July 22, 1887.”
“The Association of Early Settlers convened at Music Hall, in the city of Cleveland, July 22, 1887, and commemorated the day with a degree of interest and variety of exercises that were highly relished. The attendance was large, and many new memberships were received. The exercises were enlivened with music and song, beautifully rendered. The assemblage was called to order at half-past ten o’clock A. M. by the Hon. Harvey Rice, president of the association, and opened with prayer by the chaplain, followed by the annual address of the president….” (p. 107)
“Afternoon Session.”
“When the members of the association arose from the dining tables, they repaired, at the request of J. H. [sic F.] Ryder, the artist, to the front steps of Music Hall, and stood in a group to be photographed, which was successfully done, making a beautiful picture, true to life, and one which will be highly appreciated by those of the group, who may wish to “see themselves as others see them.” (p. 129)
[This series published every year. James F. Ryder and his wife are listed as members in most of them. WSJ]

Recipes by Ladies of St. Paul’s P.E. Church, Akron, Ohio. Compiled by Miss Harriet Angel. Akron, O: Werner Ptg. and Mfg. Co., 1887. 131 p.
[Advertisement.] “Prize Fotograf Cake.-To produce this delightful cake in the highest degree of perfection, great care must be observed at every step. The purest ingredients, the most exact proportions, the cleanest of dishes and hands are necessary. There are various designs in which to form these Cakes, Medallions, Cups, etc., being the most usual. There are various grades, also, as the Silver Cake, the Gold Cake, the Bronze Cake, etc. By way of encouraging greater skill and perfection in the art and science most useful to labor and commercial progress-in which cake baking is included-prizes have been offered for the highest degree of excellence. The great State of Ohio, the United States of America, and all the countries of the world combined, have offered prizes for superiority. In the art of Photography, James F. Ryder, of 239 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio, has been awarded Fourteen Grand Prizes from State, Nation, and World for superiority. Hence, Ryder Takes the Cake. The Fotograf Cake.” (p.100)]

1900

Lineage Book of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Volume XII. 11001—12000. 1896. By Mary Jane Seymour, Historian General. Washington, D. C. 1900. 433 p.
[“Mrs. Vena M. Hichborn Ryder. 11579
Born in Maine.
Wife of James F. Ryder.
Descendant of Thomas Hichborn and of Robert Hichborn, of Massachusetts.
Daughter of Josiah French Hichborn and Maria Treat Blanchard, his wife.
Granddaughter of Paul Revere Hichborn and Eleanor Dickey, his wife.
Gr.-granddaughter of Robert Hichborn and Susannah Ellenwood, his wife.
See No. 11036….” (p. 220)]

The New York Supplement. Volume 60. Containing the Decisions of the Supreme and Lower Courts of Record of New York State. Permanent Edition. October 5 – December 14, 1899. St. Paul: West Publishing Co., 1900. 1151 p. 24 cm.
[This seems to be the final conclusion of a long-running legal dispute in which Francis F. Ryder was involved. The case was repeated a number of times throughout in various legal documents, but I have only cited this one. WSJ]
[ Ryder V. Wall et al.
(Supreme Court, Special Term, Tompkins County. July 17, 1899.)

1. Vendor and Purchaser-Recovery of Purchase Money.
   Where, under a contract of purchase, the title which the vendors agreed to convey is defective, the rendee is justified in refusing to accept it, and is entitled to recover the purchase money advanced.
2. Same-Recovery of Money Advanced for Repairs.
   Where, under a contract to convey land, representing that the vendors had a good title thereto, the vendee has taken possession of the premises, and made necessary repairs and improvements thereon, he is entitled, on (p. 535) the failure of the vendors to convey a good title, to recover the money actually expended on such repairs and improvements.
3. Same-Misrepresentation by Vendors.
   Where several heirs state in a contract of sale that they can convey a good and sufficient title to property, and at the same time know that another heir, having rights therein, is hostile to them, and will probably refuse to join with them in a conveyance, and such heir does refuse to join, they are guilty of a legal fraud.
4. Same-Rights of Purchaser Where Title is Defective.
   Where a vendee has taken possession of land in good faith under a contract of sale, and made repairs and improvements thereon, relying on the representations of the vendors that they would convey a good title, and the vendors fail to convey such title within the time stated, he is entitled to a return of the money advanced by him towards the purchase, and for repairs and improvements, and to be restored to his former standing.
5. Costs-Defendant’s Right To.
   A defendant is entitled to costs where his defense was necessary and prevailed, though he did not do what he might have done towards aiding a settlement of the controversy out of court. Action in partition by James F. Ryder against Patrick Wall, impleaded with Philip S. Ryder and others. There was a report by a referee, which is confirmed. Newman, Blood & Banks, for plaintiff. Simeon Smith, for defendants.
   Forbes, J. This is an action in partition, brought by James F. Ryder, one of the heirs of John Ryder, late of the city of Ithaca, deceased, against Philip S. Ryder and the other heirs, who were tenants in common of said premises, and Patrick Wall, who was in possession of said real estate under a contract of purchase. The contract was made by Philip S. Ryder, for said heirs, with the defendant Wall, on the 2d day of September, 1898. Philip S. Ryder was duly authorized to make said contract in behalf of all of the Ryder heirs except one, a Miss Florence Hyman. At the time the contract was entered into on behalf of Philip S. Ryder and the other heirs, the premises were held under a lease by a tenant of the plaintiff and the Ryders. The contract was made subject to that lease, and the defendant Wall went into the immediate possession of the entire premises as a purchaser. At the time the contract was made and entered into, the Ryders were undoubtedly confident that the agreement so made could be consummated, and that a proper deed could be executed, under the terms of said instrument, conveying said property to Wall, who entered into the contract in good faith, and in the belief that Philip S. Ryder and the other contracting heirs of said deceased had a good and sufficient title to said premises, and that they then had the right to sell and convey the entire premises. The Ryders knew that Florence Hyman, a daughter of one of the deceased brothers, John H. Ryder, was the owner, by devise, of a one-eighth undivided interest in said premises. They also knew that said Florence Hyman was acting in hostility to their title, and that she had been stubbornly refusing to convey her interest to them; but still they expected to subsequently secure from her, through some source, a conveyance of her interest in said premises. These facts were concealed from said (p. 536) Wall; nor did he, at the time, know what were the real relations between the contracting heirs of said John Ryder and the defendant Florence Hyman. At the time of making the contract, the sum of $57 was paid to one Pierce, the real-estate agent who was authorized to enter into the contract between the defendant Wall and Philip S. Ryder and those whom he was authorized to represent. Philip S. Ryder had no authority to represent, nor to make said contract with said Wall, on behalf of the defendant Florence Hyman. The evidence shows that some litigation had been or was then pending between these heirs and Miss Hyman. The defendant Wall, in total ignorance of the real situation, went into the immediate possession of said premises. The tenant removed therefrom, and Wall commenced to repair the house upon said premises by raising the building, and making some additions and necessary repairs thereto, for the purpose of renting the same. He had also secured a tenant for said premises at a fair annual rent. The fact that Wall was making these repairs was well known to said Philip S. Ryder. The improvements by the defendant Wall proceeded thus uninterruptedly until he had expended the sum of $306.84, when he was finally informed by Jr. Newman, who was then acting for the Ryders, that there was some difficulty with reference to acquiring the title from Miss Hyman, and that he had better suspend making further repairs until the question of securing the title should be settled. Said repairing was then suspended. After prolonged negotiations and correspondence between the Ryders, their attorney, Jr. Newman, and the defendant Miss Hyman and her attorney, Mr. Myers, the Ryders failed to secure from Miss Hyman a deed of her interest in said premises; Miss Hyman absolutely refusing to deed to the Ryders on any terms. After such failure, Jr. Newman, on behalf of the Ryders, applied to Mr. Wall to purchase the Hyman interest for the Ryders, consenting to allow him upon said purchase, provided he would personally take the title which they had failed to get from said Hyman, the whole amount which he should be compelled to pay to secure her interest in and title to said premises. This Wall declined to do, the time for the completion of said contract having then nearly or quite expired. Miss Hyman subsequently came to Ithaca, and, as I infer from the evidence, she did transfer her title to a third person, who took it at the suggestion of the defendant Wall, and, as I think, in his interest; Wall refusing to take the title to the other seven shares, but still insisting that the contract to convey, on the part of the Ryders, must be performed. Just before or after the refusal of said wall to so take said premises this action in partition was commenced, and an answer was subsequently interposed by said Wall, setting up his equities in the premises, claiming that the defendants the Ryders had failed to complete their agreement to convey to him said premises and to give him a good and sufficient warranty deed thereof. The title which the Ryders offered to convey to Wall was defective, and therefore I think he was justified in not accepting or receiving the title which was offered to him under his contract, since he could not be compelled to bid on the sale of said premises, nor was it his duty to perfect said title. Jenks v. Quinn, 137 N. Y. 223, 33 N. E. 376. (p. 537) The real question in dispute is whether said Wall ought to recover the sum of $35, and an additional cash sum which he subsequently advanced, amounting in all to $42; and also whether, in equity, he ought to recover the amount of money which he has expended in good faith in making said repairs and improvements upon said property. It is pretty difficult to say exactly to what extent the property has been increased in value by the repairs and improvements which Wall made. Still I think that the repairs were necessary to the renting or the occupation and use of said building and premises; that they were made with the expectation at that time by said Wall that he was to have a good and sufficient title to the whole of said premises under said contract. There seems to be no question that he is entitled, as matter of law, to all of the money which he actually advanced towards said purchase price. This is clear within the case of Walton v. Meeks, 120 N. Y. 79, 23 N. E. 1115. I am also convinced that the defendant Wall is entitled, in equity, to recover that sum of money which he has actually expended in making the repairs and improvements which he put upon said-premises. Had the defendant Philip S. Ryder and those whom he represented disclosed to Wall all of the known facts at or before the time when he entered into said contract of purchase, a different rule undoubtedly should prevail. It is also clear that Wall was led to believe, and did believe, that a good and sufficient title to the whole of said premises could be obtained through said Ryders under the contract. While I do not believe that Philip S. Ryder and those whom he represented willfully and maliciously attempted to deceive Mr. Wall, still it is evident to me that Mr. Wall would not have entered into the contract, nor would he have made any repairs upon the premises, nor advanced any money on said purchase, had the real situation been disclosed to him. It is a principle of law that where one assumes to know a material fact, and intends to convey that knowledge to another, when he knows that he has no knowledge on the subject, though he believes it may be true, and does not intend to deceive, still it is a legal fraud. Marsh v. Falker, 40 N. Y. 562; Daly v. Wise, 132 N. Y. 306, 30 N. E. 837; Hadcock v. Osmer, 153 N. Y. 604, 47 N. E. 923. Since the defendants the Ryders knew of, and had reason to believe, that the hostility existing between themselves and Miss Hyman continued unabated, and that they could not probably secure the title from her directly, and still represented to Wall that they held a good and sufficient title, and were able to convey such title, to the whole of said premises, when they well knew that they could not so convey, it must, therefore, be held to be a legal fraud. Delaney v. Valentine, 154 N. Y. 692, 49 N. E. 65. The time for the execution and delivery of the deed having expired, and the Ryders having failed to secure the title which they covenanted and agreed to convey, and Wall having taken possession of the property in good faith, making repairs and improvements thereon, relying on the representations made with reference to the ability of the Ryders to give a good and sufficient deed of said premises, the equitable defense should prevail, and the said Wall should be restored to his former standing, within the following authorities: Harrigan v. Golden (Sup.) 58 N. Y. Supp. 726; Ford v. (p. 538) Knapp, 102 N. Y. 135, 6 N. E. 283; Thomas v. Evans, 105 N. Y. 601, 12 N. E. 571; Walton v. Meeks, 120 N. Y. 79, 23 N. E. 1115; In re Strasburger, 132 N. Y. 128, 30 V. E. 379; Cosgriff v. Foss, 152 N. Y. 10i, 46 N. E. 307; Stevens v. Melcher, 152 N. Y. 531, 46 N. E. 965; McGillis v. McGillis, 154 N. Y. 332, 19 N. E. 145. I am not quite satisfied, however, that Mr. Wall did all he might have done in aiding the defendants the Ryders to secure said title, and still, under the circumstances, I do not think he should be charged with costs. Since his defense was necessary, and has prevailed, he is entitled to costs, to come out of the entire property. The report of the referee and the sale are confirmed, and the plaintiff is awarded the costs of this action against all of the defendants except the defendant Wall, and judgment is ordered accordingly.” (p. 539)]

Twelve Photographic Studies No. 1.-A Collection of Photogravures from the Best Representative Photographic Negatives by Leading Photographic Artists. New York: The Scovill & Adams Company, Publishers, 1890.
Printed on Japan Paper, mounted on boards. Size 11 x 14, ornamental portfolio envelope.
[The Collection includes
“From Dawn to Sunset . H. P. Robinson.
“Childhood”… . H. McMichael.
“As Age Steals On”. J. F. Ryder.
“A Portrait Study”. B. J. Falk.
“Solid Comfort”. John E. Dumont.
“Ophelia”.. H. P. Robinson.
“No Barrier”. F. A. Jackson.
“El Capitan ”. W. H. Jackson.
“Still Waters”. J. J, Montgomery.
“Surf”. James F. Cowee.
“A Horse Race”. . George Barker.
“Hi, Mister, may we have some Apples?”. Geo. B. Wood.]
[2nd ed, 1893, 3rd ed, 1895]

1891

Annual Report of the Secretary of State to the Governor of the State of Ohio, for the Fiscal Year ending November 15, 1891. Columbus, Ohio: The Westbote Co., State Printers. 1892. 872 p. 24-25 cm.
[“ Articles of Incorporation. Miscellaneous Companies.”
“ Corporate Name Location Purpose Filed Capital Stock.
“…James F. Ryder Company Cleveland Photographic Jan. 24 50,000….” (p. 493)]

1892

The Cleveland Directory for the Year ending July, 1893, Comprising An Alphabetical List of all Business Firms and Private Citizens; a Classified Business Directory, and a Directory of the Public Institutions; Together with a Map from the Latest Surveys: and Complete Street Guide. Volume XXII..
For Sale Only by the Publishers.
Cleveland: Cleveland Directory Publ. Co., 1892. 1264 p. ill. 25-27 cm.
[“Berger, Henry. Opr. John H. Ryder. R. 881/2 Birch.” [Brother. WSJ]
“Hughes, Thomas, sec. The James F. Ryder Co. r. 178 Hough av.” (p. 438)
“Jennings, John S. vice-pres. The James F. Ryder Co. r. 51 Livingston.” (p. 457)
“Lillis, Thomas H. salesman The James F. Ryder Co. r. 183 Oregon.” (p. 552)
“Natt, Thomas. Treas. The James F. Ryder Co. r. 658 Cedar av.” (p. 657)
Ryder James F. pres. The James F. Ryder Co. r. The Langton, 1905 Euclid av.
—————————————
RYDER JAMES F. CO., THE,
Galleries of Fine Art and Photography
239 SUPERIOR STREET,
JAMES F. RYDER, Pres., Res 1905 Euclid av.
JOHN S. JENNINGS, Vice-Pres., 51 Livingston.
THOMAS NATT, Treas., 658 Cedar av.
THOMAS HUGHES, Sec., 178 Hough av.
—————————————
Ryder James F. Co. The, photogrs. 239 Superior
Ryder John, lab. r. 74 Danforth
Ryder John, quarryman, r. 2583 Leopold
Ryder John, saloon, 872 Payne av.
—————————————
RYDER JOHN H.,
High Art Photographer
211 Superior Street.
Residence, 285 Lake. [Brother]
—————————————
Ryder John H. photographer, 211 Superior…” (Etc., etc.) (p. 775)
“Stotz, Carl H. K. retoucher The Jas. F. Ryder Co.” (p. 874)
“* Art Galleries.
EUCLID AVENUE ART GALLERY,
141 and 143 Euclid av.; Uhl & Boetticher, proprs.
THE JAMES F. RYDER CO., 239 Superior.” (p. 1025)”
*Artists’ Materials.
EUCLID AVENUE ART GALLERY,
141 and 143 Euclid av.; Uhl & Boetticher, proprs.
MATTISON L. J. CO., THE,
66 Public Square and 149 Champlain; Telephone 81
McBROOM F. W.,
391 Bond; Telephone 1334
OSBORN A. T. & CO.,
Nos. 224 and 226 Seneca st.
THE JAMES F. RYDER CO., 239 Superior…” (p. 1026)
“ *Gilders.
SEE ALSO PICTURES, FRAMES, ETC.)
EUCLID AVENUE ART GALLERY,
141 and 143 Euclid av.; Uhl & Boetticher, proprs.
THE JAMES F. RYDER CO., 239 Superior. (p. 1097)
“ *Photographers.
BECKER FRANK, 821 Lorain
BECKWITH ALVA D., 166 Euclid av.
LELAND’S PHOTO GALLERY AND PLATINUM PRINTING CO., 451 Pearl; Telephone 1404
LIEBICH’S PHOTOGRAHIC ART GALLERY, 80 to 86 Euclid av.
PIFER & BECKER,
Wilshire bldg., 209 Superior
RYDER JOHN H., 211 Superior street
THE JAMES F. RYDER CO., 239 Superior
Biddle Henry, 35 Vincent
Bill & Overton, 435 Pearl
Burk A. D. & Co. 981 Woodland av.
Chase H. E. & Son, 2550 Broadway
Chesnutt Bros. 11 Euclid av.
Clark Edwin H. & Co. 2 S. Water
Clark Junius B. 563 E. Madison av.
Copeland James H. 588 Pearl
Crosier George W. 647 Pearl
Decker E. 143 Euclid av.
Didero Joseph M. 1370 Broadway
Ebinger Herbert F. 345 Superior
Edmondson Geo. W.(lantern slides), 362 Erie
Endean Theodore, 122 Euclid av….” (p. 1152)
“Freedle Vactav, 1667 Broadway
Golling Jacob, 196 Ontario
Greene Jeremiah M. 272, Erie
Hamilton Charles A. 976 St. Clair
Harrington Neal P. 472 Pearl Henrichsen John H. 232 Russell av.
Hovey Charles E. 887 Central av.
Johnson George G. 351 Erie
Koestle George, 645 Lorain
Koestle William, 533 Pearl
Korn Bernhard, 1008 Pearl
Krumhar R. H. 225 Superior
Krumhar & Stiles, 548 Pearl
Marsilliotte Louis L. 955 Lorain
Parker Thomas L. 1220 Euclid av.
Powelson I. A. 25 Griswold
Preston W. B. & Co. 352 Erie
Reeves Henry H. 1608 Hough av.
Richon William, 792 Lorain
Roberts & Brooks, 136 Ontario
Salen Peter C. 13i Fulton
Schiffer Adolph S. 603 Pearl
Sprague Ellis D. 374 Ontario
Stoll Frank R. 103 Kendall bldg.
Turton Fred. R. 576 Pearl
Weiler J.J. & Co. 136 Ontario
White William J.8 Euclid av.
Wilhelmi Frederick G. 951 Woodland av.
Young George B. 207 Lincoln av.
Zapf William P. 1686 and 1688 Broadway
Zeleny Adolph L. 423 Woodland av.
*Photographic Printers.
COE HENRY L.,
Photographic Enlargements in Platinum, 8 Euclid av….” (p. 1153)
*Picture Frames, Etc.
THE JAMES F. RYDER CO., 239 Superior (etc., etc.) (p. 1157)]

1894

1 b & w (Antranig Azhderian. Photo by James F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”) as frontispiece in: Under Oriental Skies; or, Asia Minor and her inhabitants; descriptive, historical and picturesque, by Antranig Azhderian. Cleveland, O: Williams Publishing and Electric Co., 1894. vi, [7]-277p. front. (port.), illus. 22 cm.

1895

Western Reserve Historical Society, Cleveland, Ohio. Tract No. 85. Charter and Re-Organization of the Society, 1891-2. Purchase of the Society’s Building. Patrons, Life Members and Corresponding Members, 1894. Cleveland, O.: Leader Printing Company, 146 Superior Street, 1895. 22 p. illus.
[“Patrons, Life Members, and Corresponding Members of the Western Reserve Historical Society, December 1894.” (pp. 18-22.)
“…Miss M. E. Ingersoll.
Kent Jarvis, Jr., Massillon.
Henry N. Johnson.
M. M. Jones, Utica, N. Y.
Mrs. Frederick Judson.
Herbert McBride.
John Harris McBride.
Leander McBride.
Lewis Miller, Akron.
Hon. James Monroe, Oberlin.
Capt. George W. Morgan.
William J. Morgan.
George W. Pack.
Charles Paine.
Eugene H. Perdue.
Douglas Perkins.
Edward R. Perkins.
George T. Perkins, Akron.
Jacob B. Perkins.
Joseph Perkins, Jr.
Life Members.
Frederick P. Root.
Henry C. Rouse.
James F. Ryder.
J. H. Salisbury, M.D.
Leonard Schlather.
Ferdinand Schumacher.
John F. Seiberling, Chicago, Ill.
Samuel W. Sessions.
Louis H. Severance.
Ernst J. Siller.
Stiles C. Smith.
Oliver M. Stafford.
Silas M. Stone.
Worthy L. Streator.
Charles F. Thwing, D.D., L.L. D.
John Tod.
Hon. Norton S. Townsend.
Washington S. Tyler.
Miss Anne Walworth.
Horace P. Weddell.
Rollin C. White.
L. Lewis Perkins.
William A. Price.
Mrs. William H. Price, Jr.
Henry Clay Ranney.
Harvey Rice.
Percy W. Rice.
Hon. Samuel E. Williamson.
Edwin N. Winslow.
Fred❜k W. Putnam, Cambridge, Mass.
Joseph Worden, Willoughby.
Prof. G. Frederick Wright, D.D., L.L.D., Oberlin….” (p. 20)
[Ryder is listed as Life Member in several other similar publications.]]

1896

1 b & w (“On the Old Canal. Negative by J. F. Ryder”) on p. 101; 1 b& w (“James F. Ryder”) on p. 207 in: 1796-1896… Album of The Western Reserve Centennial. Published under the auspices of the Woman’s Department. Compiled by Banquet Committee, Mrs. W. G. Rose, Chairman. Cleveland, Ohio: Edwin H. Clark & Co., Publishers, 1896. 279 p. obl 16mo. [Consists of portraits of notable citizens and views of notable buildings.]

1898

1 b & w (“A Portrait” “By J. F. Ryder”) on p. 51 in: “Chapter V. Models.” In Nature’s Image, Chapters on Pictorial Photography, by W. I. Lincoln Adams: profusely illustrated. New York: The Baker & Taylor Company. 1898. 110, [4] p. illus. 26 cm.
“Exquisitely Illustrated by the most brilliant examples of such well-known photographic artists as
H. P. Robinson-John E. Dumont-Alfred Stieglitz-F. H. Day-The Carbon Studio-W. A. Fraser-W. I. Lincoln Adams Lafayette-E. Atkinson-J. Craig Annan-E. Lee Ferguson—Alex. Keighley-H. Troth-B. J. Falk-J. K. Ryder— And Others as Well Known.”]

1899

The Cleveland Directory for the Year Ending July, 1899, Comprising An Alphabetical List of all Business Firms and Private Citizens; a Classified Business Directory, and a Directory of the Public Institutions; Together with a Map from the Latest Surveys: And Complete Street Guide.
Twenty-Eighth Annual Issue.
For Sale Only by the Publishers.
Cleveland: Cleveland Directory Publ. Co., 1898. 1489 p. ill. 25-27 cm.
[…“Frank, L. Richard photog. James F. Ryder.” (p.358)
“[Advertisement] “Ryder James F.,
Photographer,
121 Euclid Av., Garfield Building.
Telephone Main 2540
Residence 133 Princeton.”
Ryder, James F. photographer, Garfield bldg…..” (p. 920)
“Photographers.”
Brigden, B. A. 890 The Arcade, Euclid av. elevators
Ryder James F.,
1029 Garfield bldg.; Telephone Main 2540
Adkins Albert, 113 Laurel
Baker Lucius W. 1877 Pearl
Balazs Adolph, 533 Pearl
Bigden Charles W. 243 Superior
Bill & Overton, 176 Euclid av.
Boyd Samuel, 1208 Pearl
Burk A. D. 981 Woodland av.
Chase Harvey E. 472 Pearl
Chesnutt Bros. 50 Euclid av.
Clark Edwin H. Co. The, 46 Theresa
Clark Junius B. 563 E. Madison av.
Copeland James H. 1558 Lorain
Crosier George W.647 Pearl
Decker Studio, The, 143 Euclid av.
Dietrich John E. 157 Euclid av.
Edmonson Co. The, 275 Prospect
Eggan Ole P. 190 Ontario
Elton Fannie L. Miss, 166 Euclid av.
Endean Theo. 122 Euclid av.
Forest City Photo. Co. 1185 Hamilton
Freedle Vaclav, 1667 Broadway
Greene Jeremiah M. 181 Superior
Harrington Neal P. 2550 Broadway
Henrichsen John H. 1352 Lexington av.
Hunger C. F. & Co. 211 Superior
Jacks Frank S. 11 Euclid av.
Jenkins Bros. 239 Sheriff
Kehres Gustav C. 44. Euclid av.
Kelly Heaster G. 969 Lorain
Kennedy & Delaney, 1476 Superior
Keystone Viewing Co. 204 Ontario
Kozelewski Boleslaw, 287 Fleet
Krumhar Robert F. 548 Pearl
Krumhar R. H. 249 Superior
Kuepfer Adolph, 1220 Clark av.
Liebich’s Photo. Art Gallery, 80 Euclid av.
Lustig Samuel A. 2773 Broadway
Marquard Charles F. 473 Pearl
Marsiliotte Louis L. 430 Superior
McFarland’s Studio, 225 Superior
Miller Henry F. 1426 Woodland av.
Milstein Joseph, 234 Woodland av.
Parker Thomas L., St. Clair st. Glovle.
People’s Portrait and View Co. 1370 Broadway
Pleckenpol William H. 576 Pearl
Reeves Henry II. 721 Hough av.
Renner Karl F. 1150 Broadway
Saunders Art Co. The, 890 The Arcade
Schiffer Adolph, 7 Eagle
Schulist Jacob, 603 Pearl
Smith Alice L. Miss, 1267 Euclid av.
Snyder & Joslin, 332 Prospect
Stoll Frank R. 498 Colonial Arcade
Tuttle John M. 1672 St. Clair
Van Gastel John W. 1476 Superior
Weidenthal Photo Co. 204 Ontario
White William J. 54 City Hall
Wilhelmi Frederick G. 951 Woodland av.
Wolf Fletcher W. 1008 Pearl
Young George B. 207 Lincoln av.
Zapf William F. 1686 Broadway
Zeleny Adolph L. 423 Woodland av….” (p. 1369)]

1900

The Hour of Opportunity. By Orison Swett Marden. Author of “Pushing to the Front,” etc., and Editor of “Success” With the Assistance of Abner Bayley. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., 1900. 54 p. 19 cm.
[“What,” asks George Eliot, “is opportunity to a man who cannot use it?”
The point which I would now illustrate is this: that the preeminently successful men have been those who actually improved what opportunities they saw. In illustration of this, I will relate the experience of Mr. James F. Ryder, a photographer in Cleveland, Ohio. He happened one day to read in a German paper of a new process practiced by the artists of Bohemia, by which they touched up a negative with fine instruments, thus removing any imperfections. Reading this, he immediately sent to Bohemia for an artist, and at length succeeded in bringing the art of Bohemia into his own service. He seized his opportunity by the forelock, and secured the best aid possible in his business, and then he brought to bear the forces of an energetic mind to advertise and extend his business. In a photographic exhibition in Boston, Mr. Ryder took the prize for the best work in America. Another illustration of the point I would make is the story of the wood turner, Thomas Cook, who walked one day fifteen miles over an English road to Leicester….” (p. 30) (Etc., etc.)]

Annals of the Early Settlers’ Association of Cuyahoga County, Ohio. Volume IV. No. V.
Published by Order of the Executive Committee. Cleveland, O: The Association, 1902. 576 p.
[“Early Settlers’ Association, September 10, 1902.” “Address of Colonel Hodge.” (p. 455-463)
“…The men I have mentioned are a few of the early and old settlers, who have been prominent in making our city the “Greater Cleveland,” which it is today. The list might be multiplied many times. Among the names that come to mind which should not be forgotten in this connection, time is taken to mention Hon. William Bingham, Judge Daniel R. Tilden, Edward Hessenmueller, Col. William H. Hayward, A. P. Winslow, Joseph Turney, James F. Ryder, William A. Ingham, William Downey, the Burgess Brothers, the Dodge, the Doan, the Foote, the Hoyt, the Adams, the Walworth, the Corlett, the Watterson, the Worthington, and the Morgan families, all of whom are represented in this Association. Gen. James Barnett, the “noblest Roman of all,” is entitled to a place high up on this roll of honor….” (p. 459) (Etc., etc.
“A Complete List of Members of the Association, Since Its Organization, November 19, 1879 to August 1, 1902.” (p.532-573)
“ Name. Where Born When Born Came to Reserve Died.
“…Russell, George H. New York 1817 1834 1888
Russell, L. A. Ohio 1842 1842
Ryder, James F. New York 1826 1850
Ryder, Mrs. James F. Ohio 1837 1837
Sabin, Julia Sophia…” New York 1843 1846 (Etc., etc.) (p.563)]

1 b & w (“Artimus Ward.” “From a photograph by James F. Ryder, 1857.”) as frontispiece in: Letters of Artemus Ward tο Charles E. Wilson 1858-1861. Cleveland: The Rowfant Club, 1900. 86 p.: port; 18 cm.

1902

Ryder, James F. Voightlander and I In Pursuit of Shadow Catching. A Story of Fifty-Two Years Companionship with a Camera. Cleveland: Cleveland Printing and Publishing Co., 1902. 251 pp. 116 iIIus. [(Reprinted (1973), Arno Press.)
[This autobiography is unusual for several reasons. First, autobiographies were rare at the time. And this autobiography is actually a collection of “remembrances” of events occurring during his career, and these reminiscences are strongly focused on the early years and the narrative is comparatively much weaker about later events. Ryder also displays a becoming (and irritating) modesty, and in consequence, the book is rather weak on facts and large areas of his own chronology and professional accomplishments are left out.
The presence of the 116 illustrations, most of them by other photographers or artists, is bewildering – as there doesn’t seem to be much relationship between these images and the texts, and they don’t do much to display the range and depth of Ryder’s own work.
This is explained by the fact that Ryder’s texts were published first in serial form in The Photo-Beacon throughout 1901 and 1902 and then those pages were unchanged when reissued in book form by that magazine’s publisher.
The style of the page layouts of The Photo-Beacon as well as several of the other major photographic journals of the time, which tended to drop in scattered images by various photographers throughout their pages at random, with little context, then makes a bit more sense. The book was published only two years before his death, and he was reported to be gravely ill at times for several years before 1904, so it may be that he had intended to write about more recent events and was never able to do so.]

1903

Annual Report of the Secretary of State to the Governor of the State of Ohio, for the Year ending November 15, 1902. Columbus, Ohio: Fred. J. Heer, State Printer. 1903. 932 p. 24-25 cm.
[ “Dissolution of Ohio Corporations.”
Name of Corporation. Location Filed.
James F. Ryder Company Cleveland May 22…(p. 573)]

1905

The Making of a Man. By Orison Swett Marden. Boston: Lothrop, Lee and Shepard Co., 1905. 307 p. 191/2 cm.
[“…The pre-eminently successful men have been those who actually improved what opportunities they saw.
James F. Ryder, a photographer in Cleveland, Ohio, happened one day to read in a German paper of a new process practised by the artists of Bohemia-by which they touched up a negative with fine instruments, thus removing any imperfections. Reading this, he immediately sent to Bohemia for an artist, and at length succeeded in bringing the art of Bohemia into his own service. He seized his opportunity by the forelock, and secured the best aid possible in his business, and then he brought to bear the forces of an energetic mind to advertise and extend his business. In a photographic exhibition in Boston, Mr. Ryder took the prize for the best work in America. (p. 83)]

1908

Past and Present of Syracuse and Onondaga County, New York, from prehistoric times to the beginning of 1908,
by the Rev. William M. Beauchamp. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of Syracuse and Onondaga County. Vol. II. New York: The S. J. Clarke Publishing Co., 1908. 2 vol. fronts., plates, ports, 26½ cm.
[“Philip S. Ryder.” “It is given to but few men to command world-wide attention or even national prominence but in every community there are men whose force of character, upright principles and rules of conduct gain for them the unqualified interest and respect of their fellow-citizens and who by reason of their business ability and consecutive effort gain positions of more than local distinction. Such a one was Philip S. Ryder, for many years the veteran photographer of Syracuse and known professionally as well throughout this part of the state. For nearly forty years he figured in the business circles of Syracuse. A native of Ithaca, he was born on the 7th of April, 1837, his parents being John and Lucy M. (Crandall) Ryder. At the usual age he became a public school student, attending Lancasterian school in Ithaca. After completing his high-school course he entered business life as a clerk in the employ of Andrew Giltner & Company, of Ithaca, where he remained for several years, the length of his service being indicative of his fidelity, trustworthiness and energy. He next entered the employ of Daniel R. Young & Company, also grocerymen, but through the influence and urgent desire of his brother, (p. 182) James F. Ryder, a photographer of Cleveland, he determined to acquaint himself with the processes of photography and entered the employ of Jefferson Beardsley & Brother, who conducted a studio in Ithaca. Philip S. Ryder remained with that firm for a year and then went to Cleveland, Ohio, to complete the business with his brother, under whose direction he thoroughly acquainted himself with the best methods of photography then known. At length when he felt qualified to engage in business on his own account he established a photograph gallery in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and later conducted a studio at Indianapolis, where he remained for three years. He studied in Cleveland and in Cincinnati, Ohio, in order to perfect himself in the business, and from the latter city he returned to the east, locating in New York city, where he studied his art for several months. The year 1865 witnessed Mr. Ryder’s arrival in Syracuse and he soon became an operator for Hiram Lazier, then the leading photographer of the city. Not long afterward he began business on his own account and from the beginning was successful, continuing in this field of labor up to the time of his death. He photographed the great majority of the notable people of the United States and also some of foreign lands during their sojourns in the country. His fame as a skilled photographer spread abroad and brought him a most liberal patronage. He always kept abreast with the advance made in photography-an advance so great as to seem almost phenomenal. He recognized the value of light and shade and of contrast, employed the latest improved processes and in his business gained a measure of success that was most gratifying, being, as it was, a tribute to his merit. On the 11th of August, 1855, Mr. Ryder was united in marriage to Miss Olive Patterson, of Hartford, Connecticut, who after leaving New England became a resident of Ithaca. They had two sons, of whom Henry W., born October 18, 1860, died in November of the same year. The other son, John H. Ryder, born January 12, 1862, died on the 20th of January, 1882. He was a well known writer of Syracuse and wrote articles for the papers when but fourteen years of age. Mr. Ryder was very prominent in social circles and has an extensive circle of friends. He belonged to Central City Lodge, No. 305, A. F. & A. M., and to other branches of Masonry, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. He likewise belonged to the Knights of Pythias and the Odd Fellows and held membership relations with the Citizens’ Club and the Chamber of Commerce. His religious faith was indicated by his membership in the Methodist Episcopal church. He took a great interest in baseball and manly, athletic and outdoor sports and was manager of the first baseball team that was organized in Syracuse and became one of its stockholders in 1869. He was the originator and promoter of the famous Star Baseball Club in 1876, which was one of the greatest clubs of the country. He acted as its president, with Hamilton S. White as vice president and Edward N. Westcott, author of David Harum, as treasurer. This club was most successful, winning victories over many of the leading clubs of the country. In community affairs he was ever deeply interested and was a co-worker in many movements for the public good.” (p. 185)

1903

Notable men of central New York; Syracuse and vicinity, Utica and vicinity, Auburn, Oswego, Watertown, Fulton, Rome, Oneida, Little Falls. XIX and XX centuries. Syracuse, NY: D, J, Stoddard, 1903. 428 p. incl. front, ports. 24 cm.
[Each section has special t.-p. A collection of portraits with brief biographical inscriptions. Four portraits per page.
[Portrait] [Portrait]
“…John H. Ryder, *1861-1882 Philip S. Ryder
Photographer Photographer and Pres. Bd. of Police Com. (88-91)
Writer of Short Stories and Poems Pres. Safety Fund Ins. Co. 1889-1898.
Pres. Cen. City Building and Loan Assn. 1891-1897
[Portrait] [Portrait]
James F. Ryder John H. Ryder, *1898
Photographer and Author of “Voigtlander And I.” Photographer.
Pres. Nat. Photo. Assn. of U. S. 1870-71.
First Pres. Photo. Assn. of America 1880-1881 (p. 145)]

1918

A History of Cleveland and Its Environs. The Heart of New Connecticut. Volume III. Biography. Illustrated. Chicago and New York: The Lewis Publishing Company, 1918. 569 p. front., illus., ports. 28 cm.
[“…At the close of the war Mr. Willard entered the service of a carriage and wagon maker, E. S. Tripp, at Wellington, Ohio. The wagon makers of that day, in their competitive struggle, not only adorned their wagons with conventional colors and stripes, but frequently with still life pictures that would appeal to the popular fancy and other things being equal would count in favor of a sale. Mr. Willard ornamented many of the Tripp wagons with such drawings and paintings, and occasionally found opportunities to express his artistic tendencies in more creative work.
One of the pictures he painted while in the Wellington wagon shop attracted the attention of Mr. J. F. Ryder, a well known photographer and publisher of Cleveland. It was displayed at the Ryder art store and attracted so much attention that many copies were made from it and sold. This was the beginning of a long business and personal association between Mr. Ryder and Mr. Willard, and the royalties from the pictures sold by Ryder enabled Mr. Willard to take his first formal course in art. And in this way, too, he became a resident of Cleveland. It was while in the midst of his work producing serio-comic paintings which were marketed by Mr. Ryder, that he conceived the preliminary plan for the great painting which is his masterpiece. The Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia was just on the eve of opening and Mr. Ryder was seeking some special pictures that would appeal to the public and would be specially suitable for sale on the Exposition grounds. Mr. Ryder and Mr. Willard after counselling together determined to produce a humorous sketch under the title “Yankee Doodle,” and the artist started his work having in mind the portrayal of a group of small town musicians on a patriotic holiday, emphasizing the grotesque and humorous rather than the deeply spiritual elements of the situation. Mr. Willard made’ a number of sketches of his models of a fifer and two drummers, but was unable to produce one to his satisfaction. About .that time his father became very ill and it was known that he could not live. He had been posing as the drummer. His illness swept away from the son’s mind all ideas and suggestions of a grotesque nature, and instead he accepted the inspiration to paint a noble, realistic picture in its place. The young drummer in the picture was posed by Harry Devereux, a son of General Devereux. The fifer in the scene was posed by Hugh Mosier, a veteran of the Civil war, and a perfect type in appearance and build of the old frontiersman. Thus after many trials was completed the original “Yankee Doodle.” Photographs were made of it and thousands of them sold at the Centennial, and one day a letter came requesting that the original be sent to the Exposition, where it was exhibited, and where fame came to it and to its painter almost over night. From Philadelphia the painting was sent to Boston for exhibition. While there the request was made that a secondary title should be added as “The Spirit of ’76,” and it is b\’ that title that the picture has since been known. The original was finally purchased by General Devereux, who presented it to the Town of Marblehead, Massachusetts, where it remains today.
Besides the numberless copies that have been made of this famous painting by all the arts of the engraver and the printing press, it is especially appropriate that Cleveland should be able to own and appreciate a special reproduction made by the master hand of the artist himself. In 1912, when in his seventy-sixth year, Mr. Willard was commissioned by the city administration of which Newton D. Baker, now Secretary of War was then mayor, to paint a reproduction of “The Spirit of ’76,” and which is today given a prominent place in the City Hall….” (p. 354)
“…He also painted “The Drummer’s Latest Yarn,” “Pitching the Tune,” “Deacon Jones’ Experience.” The last has had a great deal of fame owing to the fact that the famous American author Bret Harte wrote a poem that served as an inspiration and description of the painting, and the picture and the verses were both published by the enterprising Cleveland man, J. F. Ryder. That was in 1874, before Mr. Willard had come into fame by his greatest work….” (p. 355)
“…[George Mountain Edmondson] comes from a family of artists and scholars…” “…His father, George W. Edmondson, was born in England and educated in his father’s school, but in 1865 came to America, settling at Norwalk, Ohio, and entering the profession of photography. George W. Edmondson was a photographer when the only commercial processes of the art were confined to the old daguerreotype and the ambrotype. He adapted himself to the enlarging field of the art, and did some excellent work in unexplored branches of the photographic profession. In 1889 he removed to Cleveland, and continued his work as a photographer until advanced years. George Mountain Edmondson was born at his father’s home in Norwalk, Ohio, August 23, 1866, was educated in the public schools there, and from the age of fourteen during vacations applied himself to the study of photography in his father’s studio. He then worked for his father a short time, but in 1887 came to Cleveland at the request of James F. Ryder to become assistant operator in the Superior Street studio of that veteran of the profession. It was here that his knowledge of enlarging on the then new bromide paper won for Mr. Ryder several prizes in friendly rivalry with other brothers of the class. After a year and a half Mr. Edmondson joined the forces at the old Decker and Wilbur studio in the Gaylord residence on Euclid Avenue. Mr. Wilbur retired from this partnership and Mr. Edmondson remained with Mr. Decker and after six years was taken into partnership. The business was conducted as the Decker Studio. Six years later Mr. Edmondson succeeded to the business and soon afterward moved to 1822 Euclid Avenue and a few years ago established his headquarters at 2362 Euclid Avenue….” (p. 469)
“…When [Conrad B.] Krause was fourteen years old and just through the grammar grades, he decided to leave school and go to work, and because of his considerable ability as a draughtsman and artistic tastes, he entered the employ of J. F. Ryder, art dealer and fine photographer, with whom he remained a year and it was during that period that the artist, A. M. Williard, painted the noted picture entitled “Yankee Doodle.”…” (p. 524)]

1942

Shaw, Archer H. The Plain Dealer; One Hundred Years in Cleveland. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1942. xiii p., 402, xvii, [1] p. Front plates, facsims. 24 cm.
[“…For this purpose we have secured the services of Mr. Charles F. Brown, Esq., lately of the Toledo Commercial, and who comes to us highly recommended as a scrupulously correct and diligent business man, a talented and agreeable writer….” (Etc., etc.) “…James F. Ryder, famous early Cleveland photographer, was to become one of Brown’s warmest friends. Ryder once described his first meeting with the newcomer:
On going into the Plain Dealer editorial rooms one morning I saw a new man and was introduced to him as Mr. Brown. He was young, cheerful in manner, tall and slender, not quite up to date in style of dress, yet by no means shabby. His hair was flaxen and very straight; his nose, the prominent feature of his face, was Romanesque quite violently so, with a leaning to the left. His eyes were blue-gray, with a twinkle in them; his mouth seemed so given to a merry laugh, so much in motion, that it was difficult to describe, so we let it pass. It seemed as though bubbling in him was a lot of happiness which he made no effort to conceal or hold back. When we were introduced he was sitting at his table writing; he gave his leg a smart slap, arose and shook hands with me and said he was glad to meet me. I believed him for he looked glad all the time. You couldn’t look at him but that he would laugh. He laughed as he sat at his table writing, (p. 66) and when he had written a thing which pleased him he would slap his leg and laugh….” (p. 67)
“…In mid-March 1885 an advertisement in the Leader declared that the Hollenden a “new hotel on the European plan would be open for business early in April. The Stillman and the Hollenden were the only important hotels east of the Square. Though the vista of Euclid Avenue to one looking from the corner of the Square was that of a thoroughfare pretty solidly lined with business structures, it remained true that the bulk of the city’s trading, retail and wholesale, was still done either on the Square or between it and the river. Business was moving steadily eastward, but had not yet got very far. Such houses as Hower & Higbee and E. I. Baldwin, Hatch & Co., forerunners of famous stores of the years to come, clung to their locations west of the Square. James F. Ryder, friend of Artemus Ward nearly thirty years before, still maintained his photograph gallery and his art-goods store on lower Superior….” (p. 253) (Etc., etc.)]

1945

Greenly, A. H. The Sweet Singer of Michigan. Bibliographically Considered.. New York The Bibliographical Society of America, 1945.
[“J. F. Ryder, her Cleveland publisher, was largely responsible for publicizing The Sweet Singer of Michigan throughout the East and Middle West by advertising and sending copies of pamphlets containing her poems to editors of metropolitan newspapers. The result of this distribution was widespread comment, both laudatory and caustic. Some of this comment was contained in the sixth and final pamphlet published by Eaton, Lyon & Co., (p. 12)
Ryder tells of his publication of Mrs. Moore’s poems in his book, Voigtländer and I in Pursuit of Shadow Catching, Cleveland, 1902. He says, “I arranged for the publication of the poems in a copyrighted book.” The fact is he issued two copyrighted pamphlets in 1877….” “…He sent copies of his pamphlets to all leading newspapers and famous writers of the day, with the following letter. It was probably the second pamphlet published by him because the letter is dated October, 1877:
Dear Sir: Cleveland, O., October, 1877
Having been honored by the gifted lady of Michigan in being entrusted with the publication of her poems, I give myself the pleasure of handing you herewith a copy of the same, with my respectful compliments. It will prove a healthy lift to the overtaxed brain; it may divert the despondent from suicide. It should enable the reader to forget the “stringency,” and guide the thoughts into pleasanter channels. It opens a new lead in literature, and is sure to carry conviction. It must be productive of good to humanity. If you have the good of your fellow creatures at heart, and would contribute your mite towards putting them in the way of finding this little volume, the thanks of a grateful people (including authoress and publisher) would be yours. If a sufficient success should attend the sale of this work, it is our purpose to complete the Washington Monument. Very truly yours, J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior Street. Ryder goes on to say, “Such papers as the New York Tribune, Herald, Sun; the Boston Daily Globe, Chicago Daily Tribune, Louisville Courier-Journal, and others seemed to vie with each other in getting spicy interviews with the new star in the literary firmament.” These interviews were wholly fictitious. Ryder mentions in his book “an old scrap-book made of clippings at the time.…” (p. 13)]

1950

Rose, William Ganson. Cleveland. The Making of a City. Cleveland and New York: The World Publishing Company [1950] 1272 p. illus., ports., maps. 24 cm.
[“…Residences filled Euclid Street, although not closely, and there was not a shop or store on it in 1850, according to recollections of James F. Ryder, veteran photographer. “I gave myself the pleasure many times of loitering past those beautiful homes and admiring them to my heart’s content,” he recalled. “I thanked the proprietors for the pleasure they gave me. I could hug myself with the thought that while I could enjoy as much as the other fellow, he had to pay the taxes. It was but a short distance east from the Public Square — perhaps two miles — where rail fences in zig-zag pattern bordered the highway and a toll-gate barred the passage of teams, demanding tribute for road repairs.”…”(p. 225) (Etc., etc.)
“…A dozen photographic artists had opened studios in Cleveland, including Samuel Crobaugh, who was making daguerreotypes on Ontario Street in the early fifties; James F. Ryder, who won international fame; and E. Decker, who sold his thriving business to George M. Edmondson in 1863….” (p. 283)
“…At an exhibition of photography presented by the newly organized National Photographers Association in Boston, James F. Ryder of Cleveland took top honors. His entry was a collection of photographs made from retouched negatives, the first exhibited in America by an American photographer. Ryder was honored many times, and his writings were published widely….” (p. 356)
“…”The most elegant photograph studio in this country, if not in the world” was opened by James F. Ryder on Superior Avenue, east of Seneca, August II. The building was gaily painted, and a large display window was set in a handsome, iron front. Pictures of all kinds were exhibited in spacious art galleries, with frescoed walls and ceilings. Up the broad stairs was the photographic studio, and everyone of prominence had his likeness preserved by Ryder. Sitting for a photograph was more or less of an ordeal. The subject was seated before the camera — a huge, mahogany contraption with flowing, black hood, and two adjustable prongs supported by a metal pedestal were adjusted to the back of the head. Thus the subject was held in a steady position at the desired angle, and it was no wonder that a frozen, self-conscious expression generally registered. Near the end of the century, Ryder retired and closed his famous gallery, after having photographed “over a million faces,” including those of several Presidents.
Associated with James F. Ryder for a time was his brother, John H., who later opened a photographic studio of his own near by (211 Superior, N.W.). Marking his establishment at the curb was “Smiling Solly,” a hitching post fashioned as the replica of a Negro boy’s head. Many years later, it was (p. 385) mounted on the beautiful lawn of the Western Reserve Historical Society on East Boulevard….” (p. 386)…” (Etc., etc.)]

NEWSPAPERS

[Newspapers are the best (and sometimes only) source of information for early photographers. But that is a research project which is so horribly demanding that I seldom venture into it. However, in the 1930s the Works Progress Administration put together several teams of scholars to index the Cleveland Leader and publish the results, and I have taken advantage of all that arduous labor here. A separate team of from four to seven or so individuals were each assigned a year, and a separate volume was then published for each year. Despite the ambitious title, I think that the project only got to about 1876. I searched for Ryder from 1852, (when he began photographing in Cleveland) to 1876 (when the series seems to end).
As a seasoned leader of several collaborative indexing efforts, I can testify that results can vary widely, depending upon the skills and aspirations of each team. Therefore, the fact that Ryder is completely absent or minimally present in some years might mean only that that volume’s team leader decided not to index advertisements. or that that team did not thoroughly scan the content of every article. So this project cannot be considered definitive – nevertheless it is an interesting and valuable addition to the Ryder bibliography. WSJ]

Annals of Cleveland 1818 – 1935.
A Digest and Index of the Newspaper Record of Events and Opinions.
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader
Multigraphed by the Cleveland WPA Project 14066 Cleveland, Ohio, 1937
[“A digest and index of the newspaper record of events and opinions in two hundred volumes. Written, edited, and multigraphed by the workers of [the] Works Progress Administration of Ohio, District Four, Cleveland.”
At head of title: Works Progress Administration in Ohio. District Four–Cleveland, Ohio.
[“Reference Line L June 16, ed:2/l indicates that the article following this reference was an editorial taken from the Cleveland LEADER of June 16, page two, column one. An “adv” in the reference line indicates that the abstract was made from an advertisement. The number in parenthesis at the end of the abstract indicates the number of column inches in the original newspaper article.”]

vol. 38 (1855)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1855
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2247 L Oct. 5:3/2 While strolling through the daguerreotype gallery of Ryder, located on the corner of Superior and Bank sts., we were surprised to find such a collection of superior pictures as we discovered there. “Among his pictures are two of Couldock, as Luke Fielding, which are exact likenesses…and…are particularly valuable.” (2)

2248 L Oct. 6:3/3 Ryder, daguerrean artist at the corner of Superior and Bank sts., showed us yesterday some pictures on glass that are soft, clear, and pleasing, without the glimmer of silver plate pictures. These pictures do credit to his skill as an artist

Volume 39 (1856)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1856
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2138 L Jan. 3; adv: 3/1 Having just completed a course of instructions in ambrotyping process from the unsurpassed operator, J. M. Ryder, I am now prepared to take pictures on glass. E. B. Hoffman, Hoffman’s block. (1)

2140 L Feb. 4; adv: 3/1 Ryder’s Daguerreotype and Photographic rooms Merchants Bank Building. Every style of Sun pictures in superior manner. (1)

2144 L Aug. 29:1/4 Ryder has something new at his daguerrian rooms. It is called a stereoscopic cosorama, and presents views of scenery taken from nature. This is the most complete and beautiful exhibition of landscapes that we can possibly conceive of on so small a plan. (2)

2148 L Dec. 6; adv: 3/2 Ryder, in the Merchants Bank building, was awarded the highest premium for the best portraits on exhibition at the recent state fair. He reminds the people of the advantages of giving photographs as Christmas and New Year’s presents. (1)

vol 40 (1857)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1857
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

1113 L Mar. 4:3/1 Students of the Homeopathic Medical school presented Prof. J. Brainard with a portrait of himself. This portrait is a photograph by Ryder coiored in oil by Allen Smith, jr., and is now on display in the show window of Worley and Palmer’s store. (1)

1372 1 Sept. 22; adv:3/1 J. F. Ryder has the pleasure of presenting to the public the new and beautiful wonder art of hallotype. Specimens can be seen at his gallery in the Merchants Bank building. These pictures are taken at no other establishment in Cleveland, (1)

vol. 41 (1858)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1858
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2741 L June 4, 1858; ed:3/2 The name of Ryder, in this community, is significant of superiority in daguerreotyping and photographic art. We commend him to admirers of good pictures. (2)

2746 L July 12, 1858:3/2 Mr. Ryder has taken a capital photograph of Godard and his balloon. Stop and see it. (1)

333 L Sept. 2, 1858:3/2 A large bonfire was built on St. Clair st. last night in honor of the Atlantic telegraph, and in Ryder’s windows were displayed illuminated likenesses of President Buchanan and Queen Victoria. (2)

1136 L Sept. 17, 1858:3/2,3 Another immense crowd gathered to go to the state fair at Sandusky, yesterday and loaded cars comprised the special train from Cleveland. The main features of the grounds are the same each day. We will notice some of the attractions in the way of contributions from Cleveland. Caleb Turner took the first premium for his oscillating garden engine. P. R. Kaufman, also of this city, had on exhibition a model of a printing press for cards and labels. Among the chief attractions of the fine arts hall are those fine photographs of Ryder’s, which have about them at all times a half circle of admirers. Among those on the grounds were two of the “Fancy” who were exercising their wits and hands to fleece money from verdant spectators who hadn’t seen the elephant. Owing to the roughness of the lake, the steamer ARROW did not return to Cleveland last night. She is to come down this morning and go back in time to bring a load down this evening. (26)

2748 L Sept. 20, 1858:3/3 Three silver medals, two diplomas, and $15 were awarded to J. F. Ryder for the best photographs of various styles, on exhibition at the state fair in Sandusky. The fair has just closed. (1)

2750 L Oct. 2, 1858:1/3 We have been shown an ambrotype of the Harvey children who went up in the balloon from Centralia, Ill. It was procured by a Mr. Ryder, who, ever seeking for some new attraction, keeps his eye open for all such celebrities. (2)

2735 L Dec. 29, 1858:3/2 Have all of our readers seen that life-size colored photograph in Sargent’s window? It was taken by Ryder and painted by Smith. It was taken from a small ambrotype and is truly a most magnificent picture. (2)

Vol. 42 (1859)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1859
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

Mar. 28, 1859; ed: 3/3 That picture of Colonel Ross, in Sargeant’s show window, is a splendid likeness. It is a photograph by Rider, [sic Ryder] and painted by Smith. It would be hard to excel it in expression or coloring. (1)

L Oct. 5, 1859:3/2 The county fair opened yesterday at new grounds at the corner of Kinsman and Hudson sts. The secretary’s and the treasurer’s office were busy receiving entries and selling tickets. The fair grounds presented a lively scene. There were many articles on exhibition at the fair. J. Pitkin and Company exhibited farm implements such as a corn cutter, a corn sheller, a cider mill, horse rakes, cultivators, and dog power churns. Baldwin, DeWitt, and Company exhibited a Hubbard mower and reaper and Cady’s portable saw mill. B. Martin and Company exhibited a Great Western corn sheller. I. F. Keller exhibited a fast weighing scale. The Cleveland Brush co. exhibited a large assortment of brushes. Lewis Ford exhibited four mammoth winter squashes. A. Hubbard had a good display of corn and wheat, and George C. Lodge showed a lot of apple pies, melions, onions, and tomatoes. Eight others exhibited farm produce. Lucian Phillips exhibited 22 coops of turkeys, ducks, bantams, and different varieties of fowls. T. S. Beckwith exhibited rich samples of carpets. Mrs. C. E. Wilson exhibited silk embroidery. The Cleveland Sewing Machine co. exhibited double thread machines. Solomon Brown, C.S. Gates, and B. Butts exhibited a good display of fruits. Samuel Grover of the industrial school exhibited a pencil drawing. Exhibitions of wood carvings were shown by Thomas Lupton and J. W. Turnbull. J. B. Cobb and Company exhibited pencil and work boxes and a Webster’s dictionary. Mrs. F. S. Cozad exhibited a beautiful boquet made of sea weed and plants. Ryder and Bisbee exhibited a collection of photographs, ambrotypes, and sphereotypes. (29)

vol. 43 (1860)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1860.
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

[Nothing]

vol. 44 (1861)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1861
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2506 L Jan. 1:1/5 J. F. Ryder, says: My patrons who want photographs for Christmas and New Years gifts are respectfully solicited to call soon that I may be enabled to give the necessary attention to their orders.” (1)

vol. 45 (1862)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1862
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

3401 L Jan. 6; adv: 4/2 Get your photograph at Ryder’s, 171 Superior Street, corner of Bank street.

2229 L Sept. 15:3/2,3 The state fair entries are as follows: Horses thoroughbreds, roadsters, draft, general purpose, matched horses, and mares; mules; cattle · devons, shorthorns, work oxen, steers, hogs;57 head; sheep 200 head; poultry 27 (mostly from Vermont); agricultural machinery 47 entries (23 of them plows); tools and household implements-(There will probably be a big fight between the sewing machine exhibitors); pictures a large exhibition (Ryder will make a splendid and extensive display in his branch of art); fruits; farm products 36 of butter (lively competition among men interested in sorghum); chemicals extract of tobacco for sheep wash; stoves C. Whittaker; woolen goods – Cleveland Worsted Co. and the Cleveland woolen mills; household fabrics rag carpet, quilts, and a hanging basket made of watermelon seeds. (13)

2237 L Sept. 19:3/1,2 On the third day of the state fair the grounds L were crowded all day. “The agriculture of this state must be in a healthful condition. General purpose horses were in the judges’ ring today. There were 20 stallions, fours years old or more, and seven wares. The cattle in the competition are Devons, shorthorns, Herefords, . fat cattle.
There are no premiums for Herefords. Devons are scarce. Shorthorns are the favorite breed.
At the power hall is displayed a 25 horse power engine.
The show of wool is not large. The Delaine wool shown is very fine. There is also Saxony wool and the fine cashmere wool from goats. The show at the fine arts hall is equal to any of the past. The hall is more commodious, better lighted, and better fitted to the purpose than any in the past.
Ryder and Greene have a display of photographs, plain and colored; life-sized photographs on canvas and finished in India ink; a lifesized photograph in oil by J. M. Greene. Miss C. L. Ransom has on display portraits in oil and landscapes. Mrs. George B. Senter has two oil paintings. There is also ornamental penmanship. There are stuffed birds by George Howlett, water colors of birds by W. H. Machen, and paintings and drawings by H. H. Chapman.
An embroidered ottoman by Jane Brainard took first premium.
There are two cases of stuffed birds and two cases of insects by H. Craig and various native woods of Ohio by E. C. Ferris. There are many specimens of card writing.
Mrs. William P. Fogg exhibits a handsome painting in oil, after the Rembrandt style, entitled The Chiropodist.
There are examples of sign painting, marble works, wood graining, hair work, and Lake Superior ores.
At the floral hall most of the specimens are by Joseph Perkins, H. B. Hurlbut, Leonard Case, Dr. Beaumont, Peter Hurke, and Charles Bratenhal. At the fruit hall there are 128 varieties of pears and 55 varieties of plums are displayed by Ellwanger and Barry of Rochester, N. Y. There are also 77 varieties of pears, and four of grapes by Bateban Hanford of Columbus. (33)

3404 L Oct. 17; ed:3/1 A plain photograph, nearly life size, of the Hon. Francis Granger, which attracted universal admiration, was exhibited in front of Ryder’s gallery Oct. 15. “We doubt whether any artist in the country can excel Ryder in the above line of art.” (2)

3408 L Nov. 20; ed:3/1 The New York Evening Post suggests a national exhibition by the photographers of the country. “It would be a good idea, and not the least among the collections, would be those of Ryder of this city. He need not fear to compete with any of his profession.” (1)

vol. 46 (1863)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1863
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

145 L Jan. 14:3/2 An additional story is being added to the Merchant’s block, 136 Bank st. It will be occupied by Ryder, the photographer.

1298 L Sept. 16:3/1-5 The success of the state fair is certain. At present there are 2,500 entries.
We are told that the quality of the cattle exceeded that of any previous fair. The Durham seems to be the favorite variety on exhibition. C. P. Irwin exbibits “Bernard,” a Durham bull six years old. He took the first premium at the state fair in Sandusky.
We find about a dozen entries in the department of thoroughbred horses, but it is doubtful whether many of them are able to show a pedigree, without which the term “thoroughbred” is wrongly applied.
There are 32 entries in the sweepstakes, seven in draft horses and a large number in saddle horses. Among the latter we may mention “Bob Hazzleton,” entered by Col. C. H. Sargeant of Cincinnati.
Competent judges assure us that while the showing of sheep is about the same as last year, it far exceeds it in quality. The breed most numerously represented is the Spanish Merino. The most extensive exhibitors are Ira S. and L. J. Wright of Waybridge, Vt., J. C. Hill of Cornwall, Vt., and J. L. Delano of Mount Vernon, O. The wool of the Merinos is valued for the fineness of its grain and the breed is being rapidly extended among wool growers.
The entries in the swine department were not very numerous yesterday, but the exhibition is a good one as regards quality.
The mechanics hall, under the able direction of J. Terrell, Esq. of Lorain county, is already well stocked, and many more articles are coming rapidly. Two massive lumps of Chippewa coal, four feet in diameter, strike the observers eye. D. P. Bowers has an exhibition of finely arranged and finished wash-stands, shower bath and closet, which deserves and attracts special attention. Mr. Buckley of Norwalk presents a patent house furnace. The Pioneer oil works have on hand ten barrels of the most beautifully clear oil, well displayed. The world surely will grope in darkness no longer.
E. Leavenworth of Dongola, Union county, Ill. sends three cotton plants, showing three stages of growth. E. c. Coy of Mesopotamia, Irumbull county, has an old king cheese weighing 350 pounds. Another curiosity is a specimen of “Japan Wheat” entered by Peter Houk, of Collamer. He states that 200 bushels to the acre can be raised. Although not as profitable for flour, it is very valuable for feed.
The floral hall is attractive to those who are sensitive to the claims of beauty. The building is in the form of a Greek cross, with tables running through the wings and a platform at their intersection. It is admirably presided over by Mr. Kirkpatrick as superintendent.
The fruit hall presented some fine collections of apples and grapes, but many have saved their fruit until later so that it may be fresh to the eye. Dr. Edward Taylor of the Coverdale nurseries, Rockport, is one of the largest grape exhibitors.
The fine arts hall is adjacent to the floral hall. The walls of this hall are filled with attractions for the lovers of beauty, art, and ingenious skill. At the left is a collection of cases contributed by Henry Craig, the taxidermist of the homeopathic college. Beyond this we have , Green’s contribution of widely celebrated photographs. Miss Ransom, Cleveland artist, presents some superior portraits. Ryder sets off his magnificent photographs in a tastily frescoed space, which is also in excellent light. The fine arts hall would not be recognized by visitors of former years without some of those miracles of penmanship with which Wilbur astonishes the world.
The power hall is not complete, but we could not fail to mention Babcock’s engine pump, which elevated water to any height by its own force. Its mechanism is very ingenious. (88)

1947 L Sept. 21:3/4 Mr. Ryder, local photographer, took all the first premiums in his department, five in number, at the state fair. His case of card photographs was one of the first we have ever seen. If you want a good picture, be sure and give him a call in his art gallery on the state fair grounds. (2)

vol. 47 (1864)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1864
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

1797 · L Dec. 22; adv: 4/3,4 Merry Christmas Holiday Presents and Where to Buy Them.
R. B. Douglas and Company have everything in the line of pizotograpbs, stereoscopic views, etc.
E. C. Jones has a fine collection of pictures, and that finest of “institutions,” the great baby tender.
Copies of the human face (your own), divine (hers), are inevitable gifts, and J. F. Ryder can put so fine an image on your face, or hers, as to make a transcendental egotist of you,
Next to pictures, jewelry is perhaps the most current gift. Cowles and Company have a very large stock. Langham and Bragg have the finest photograph albums in the city. There is one that an oil-prince might buy for his wife.
But the dry goods are enough to distract the female mind.
E. I. Baldwin and Company have Scotch plaids, plus cloakings, scarfs and ties of every color, delaines, wool blankets, gloves and winter hosiery….” (Etc., etc.)

vol. 48 (1865)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1865
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

Mar. 9, 1865: 4/4 J. F. Ryder, , photographer, with rooms on the upper floor of the building on the corner of Superior and Bank sts., accompanied by Charles Parker, went up to the rooms the evening of March 6, an unusual thing at night. Upon entering they found and overpowered a burglar. Taken to the police station, he gave his name as B. F. Baltzly, artist, from Wooster. Several burglarous tools were found on his person when searched. Questioning proved he was after a tube in one of Ryder’s large cameras. His examination will be made tomorrow. (9)

L Mar. 11, 1865: 4/2 · B. F. Baltzly, who was arrested for burglary in the rooms of J. F. Ryder was before police court yesterday. Examination was waived and he was bound over to the court of common pleas under bail of $1,000. (1)

L May 3, 1865: 12/2 Mr. Ryder, artist, has taken a fine photographic view of the temple where Lincoln’s remains were exhibited. The photo is on display at his show case on the corner of Superior and Bank sts.(2)

L Aug. 22, 1865: 4/2 J. F. Ryder of Western Reserve is a skillful photographic artist. He plans to commence a trip through Ohio for the purpose of retouching old and faded photographs which people cherish and want to keep. (2)

vol. 49 (1866)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1866
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

[No references found.]

vol. 50 (1867)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1867
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

[No references found.]

vol. 51 (1868)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1868
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2943 L Mar. 12:4/3 · A meeting of the photographers of the city was held on Mar. 10 at the gallery of E. Decker to consider action in cooperating with a national convention to be held in New York on Apr. 7 to oppose the re-issue of the bromide patent, and to make an effort to modify the revenue tax. J. F. Ryder was appointed a delegate to the convention. (3)

2944 L May 8:4/3 The National Photographic convention met last month in New York. Several Cleveland men were present. Mr. J. F. Ryder of Cleveland was appointed a vice-president and was also elected a member of the proposed National Union. (9)

2946 L Dec. 5:4/3 Several photographers of this city have just returned from attending the convention at Philadelphia which assembled to form a national photographic association. In the list of officers we find the following names of Cleveland artists: E. Decker, one of the vice presidents, and J. F. Ryder, a member of the executive committee. The object of the association is to improve the science and the art of photography. (5)

vol. 52 (1869)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1869
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

[No references found]

vol. 53 (1870)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1870
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

3167 L L Apr. 28:4/4 The National Photographers convention will be held in this city, commencing June 7, and continuing for five days or more.
J. F. Ryder, well known photographer of this city, is the local secretary for this division, and is making all the necessary arrangements for the convention, which is to be held at the central rink. The convention is not only for the production of art, but for the exhibition of new processes. All the latest inventions in this line which the active and restless American genius has contrived will be exhibited and their merits tested on the spot. (9)
3168 L June 7:1/8 The exhibition of the Photographers association is open today at the central rink. The association was organized at Philadelphia in December, 1868. The officers are all out-of-town people. There will be on exhibition productions from all over the world. The object of this association is to promote the art of photography and to protect the photographers. (11)

3169 L June 8:4/4,7 The national convention of photographers held its first session yesterday at the central rink in Cleveland. Mr. Abraham Bogardus of New York, president, congratulated the association on the large attendance. J. T. [sic. F.] Ryder delivered the opening address. He said: “I take my share of pride as a Clevelander that our city is honored by this meeting. I am proud to see so many in attendance here, most of whom have come hundreds and thousands of miles. I am proud, too, of our magnificent show of photographs. So large and fine a collection has never before been brought together in this or any other country…. As a citizen, and in behalf of the photographers of Cleveland, I bid you welcome.” Following the address of Mr. Bogardus, the meeting adjourned until this morning.
The feature of the meeting is the display of pictures that come from all over the world, and which were painted by the best artists. (80)

3170 L June 9:4/4-7 At the second day’s session of the Photographers convention and exhibition at the central rink yesterday morning, a collection of $700 was taken up for defraying the expenses of the association, and to further the interests of the photographic art. The morning meeting, after hearing a few reports, adjourned. Speeches by Dr. Vogel of Berlin, and Mr. Bogardus of New York, opened the afternoon session at three p.m. Mr. Youngman proposed that the association have a badge or trade-mark by which the work of members of the association should be known. This was voted unanimously. It was decided to have the insignia “N. P. A.”; National Photographers’ association. The question as to where the next meeting of the association would be held will be settled by a committee of nine appointed from the different sections of the country. The meeting adjourned until this morning. The Germania band gave a concert for the visitors last night at the rink. (88)

3171 L June 10:4/6 The Photographers association convened yesterday morning at the central rink. Mr. Bogardus, president of the association, stated that the sum collected for the indebtedness of the association amounted to $53,300. Officers were then elected for the ensuing year; they were: Abraham Bogardus of New York, president; Albert Moore of Pennsylvania, treasurer; Ed. L. Wilson of Philadelphia, Pa., secretary. F. W. Hardy of Bangor, Me.; J. Ryder of Cleveland, O., and D. K. Cady of Cincinnati, O., were among the 100 elected as vice presidents.
It was reported that the next annual meeting will be held in Philadelphia, in June, 1871. A photograph of the association was taken by Messrs. Sweeny and Johnson. The afternoon meeting was devoted to the discussion of the application of chemistry in photography. (25)

3172 L June 11:4/4 Yesterday was the last day of the Photographers convention. The morning was spent in a practical discussion of the photographical art. In the afternoon, after a short informal discussion, a series of resolutions were presented extending the thanks of the association to the press for their full and accurate reports of the convention, and to the railroads and express companies who had favored them. Farewell speeches were made by various members of the association. (15) 3173 L June 14:4/3 The total receipts of the Photographers convention and exhibition were $1,117.55. This income will pay all the expenses. (1)

2969 L Oct. 14:4/5 Dr. Jones, who was shot recently by Dr. Galentine, whose wife Dr. Jones had seduced and raped, was born in Stowe, O., on Oct. 22, 1838. He attended his first course of lectures in 1859 and 1860 at Ann Arbor, Mich., and was graduated by the Cleveland Medical college in the spring of 1861. He then married but his wife, while still a bride, died.
He entered the army as a surgeon in the 115th regiment in March, 1863, and served till the end of the war. Soon after the war he was appointed to a chair in the Charity hospital Medical college.
Several brothers and sisters survive. (Engraving by Charles Ballou of Cleveland from a photo by Ryder) (16)

vol. 54 (1871)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1871
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

3153 L Jan. 2; ady:3/1 J. F. Ryder 171 and 173 Superior street Photographer (2)

3154 L June 3:4/3 Ryder has been finishing a number of photographs for the convention soon to be held in Pbiladelphia. (1)

3155 L June 12:4/5 At the national photographers’ convention, which began its annual session at Philadelphia June 7, J. F. Ryder of Cleveland was elected vice president for the ensuing year. (3)

1472 L Oct. 25:4/4 The directors of the Northern Ohio Fair association held a meeting a few days ago.
Police Superintendent Schmitt reported that the pay of the special police detailed for duty during the fair amounted to $156, and that all during the fair only one theft was reported that of a lady’s pocketbook, containing three dollars in money, which was afterwards found on the grounds by a police officer.
The Cleveland club report on the races showed that the total receipts
were $7,841.69, and expenditures, $5,953.84, leaving a balance on hand of $1,887.85.
It was decided to award a silver cup to Miss Ransom for her exhibition of paintings, and to present J. F. Ryder with a silver medal for the fine display of photographs at the fair. (13)

vol. 55 (1872)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1872
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

1986 L July 1; adv:3/9 J. F. Ryder Photographer 171 & 173 Superior Street (2)

1987 · L Aug. 12:4/3 · Charles A. Park, so prominently associated with J. F. Ryder in the photographic profession, will remain at the old stand at the corner of Bank and Superior sts. Park is an accomplished photographer and will show up the faces of his subjects in the same admirable style that has made the establishment famous. (1)

1988 L Aug. 12:4/6 The christening of a superb establishment like that thrown open on Saturday evening, Aug. 10, by J. F. Ryder at 239 Superior is an event of no ordinary significance and interest. We shall all feel from this time forward that Cleveland has another permanent attraction, another place downtown to which a visitor may be taken with a feeling of pride. The whole design, without and within, as a monument to the taste of architect Myer, and the liberality of Ryder, who expanded upwards of $20,000 in realizing his ideal of what a photographic art gallery should be. His future success is of course secure, for he has already won it with his new art emporium. The opening reception on Saturday evening was an ovation which ought to make him proud of his work. (13)

185 – L 1 Sept. 9:4/7 A large line and assortment of fine English and French engravings, embracing over 1,000 different subjects, is now on exhibition for six days commencing Sept. 9 at Ryder’s art gallery, 239 Superior st. All are invited to view this fine collection. (2)

179 L Nov. 8:4/4 One always sees something new, choice and interesting at Ryder’s new art gallery. He has just opened some perfect gems in the way of chromos and fine imported steel engravings. Moreover, the photographs taken in his new gallery are up to the highest standard of art. His superb rooms are the most interesting place in the city to visit. (1)

181 L Dec. 11; adv: 2/7 The latest sensation in art is the painting Evangeline by Goupil. Copies of this are on sale at J. F. Ryder’s. (5)

vol. 56 (1873)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1873
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

253 L Feb. 1:4/4 The art gallery of J. F. Ryder of 289 Superior st. is open for visitors at all hours of the day. Its walls are hung round with fine steel engravings, oil paintings, Prang’s and German chromos, and photographs of distinguished individuals the world over. Photographs and crayon portraits are specialties of the establishment, and all that can be utilized in other branches of art are made a tributary to these. A reader cannot form an adequate idea of their beauty without seeing them. An invitation is extended to the public to visit the galleries.

2629 L May 31:4/7 Ryder’s is displaying some rare new pictures; also some chromos, engravings, illustrated mottoes and other gems that may apply to household art.

254 L July 26; ed: 4/6 J. F. Ryder exhibits a fine art collection. One picture which has attracted a great deal of attention is A Lake in the Woods by George H. Smillie of New York. Undoubtedly some of our wealthy citizens will wish to purchase this fine painting. ·

256 L Sept. 9; adv: 3/1 J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior st., advertises two chromos, illustrating them with two cuts each 1-1/4 x 2.” They are titled Pluck No. 1, and Pluck No. 2. The first cut shows a dog pulling two children in a wagon while chasing a rabbit. The second cut shows a wagon and the children in collision with a fallen log. The dog, still hitched to the wagon, has the rabbit in his mouth.

1248 L Oct. 2:1/7-9; 4/5,6 A crowd estimated at 30,000 persons attended the Northern Ohio fair here yesterday.
The natural history exhibit contained stuffed animals, leaves, fossils, and shells shown by E. M. Craig, N. B. Sherwin, Rev. J. A. Bates, a Mr. Weedon of Cleveland, H. G. Tryon of Willoughby, and the Rev. 0. N. Hartshorn of Mount Union college.
The fine art exhibit was under the direction of Thomas T. Sweeney who displayed 90 stereoscopic views of Cleveland. Photographs and picture collections of the following were shown: J. F. Ryder, C. A. Park, A. S. Robbins, E. P. Nock, James Moriarity, all of Cleveland. Architectural drawings were shown by Charles Wyman of Cleveland. The power hall contained a grooving machine by Frank and Company, scroll saw by B. J. Camp; and a gumming machine by F. E. Frey. Agricultural implements: Dayton Pitt’s, grain thresher; Dodge, ‘reaper; mowers and reapers by J. F. Seiherling and Company of Akron; reaper and mower, by Aultman-Miller and Company of Akron; safety lamps, by the White Manufacturing co. of Cleveland.
The poultry exhibit was slim. Albert Allen of Cleveland showed some prize birds.
Stoves were shown by L. J. Mattison and Company; C. P. Born, Gormen, Ginger-Allen and Company of Rochester, Fuller-Warren and Company. Buggies and carriages: J. T. Palmer, Heinsohn Brothers of Cleveland, Wightman and Cotteral of Willoughby, C. Wess and Company of Pittsburgh. The Younglove Architectural Iron Works co. of Cleveland displayed roof crestings, window caps, cornices, area guards, illuminated sky lights, and a 24 foot column.

260 L Oct. 20; adv: 3/1 The “Coming Chromos,” Pluck No. 1 and Pluck No. 2 are now in the course of publication, and are soon to be offered to the public. The whole story is told in two pictures. The pair are to be had only of J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior st. (Entered according to act of Congress in the year 1873, by A. M. Willard, in the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.)

vol. 57 (1874)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1874
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

209 L Jan. 5; adv: 6/3 Rich, cheap, and rare Paintings, Engravings, Chromos, Frames and Photographs at Ryder’s, the store of beautiful goods of many kinds.

210 L Jan. 5; ed: 7/2 The people who remember Morston Ream, who worked in this city as an apprentice to the profession of photography, will be interested in his exquisite piece of still life painting on exhibition in the Ryder art gallery. Since photography was not favorable to his health, he went to New York, studied to become an artist, and after five years is one of the most eminent fruit painters in America. His pieces adorn the dining rooms of the most fastidious connoisseurs of art. The exhibition at Ryder’s is a group of peaches, grapes, bananas, and plums lying about a globe containing a gold fish. ·

216 L Aug. 4; adv:6/5 Fine paintings from easels of Edward Moran, Geo. H. Storey, J. 0. Eaton, James Hamilton, Morston Ream, G. L. Clough, G. C. Lambdin, R. A. Blacklock and other noted artists on view at Ryder’s. · 217 L Aug. 13:8/1 J. F. Ryder is preparing the portraits of all former county treasurers. When completed, they will adorn the treasurer’s office in the county courthouse.

2750 PD Jan. 2; adv: 3/6 Ryder’s Photographic and Fine Art Gallery, 239 Superior Street. Photographs, Oil Painting, Engravings, Chromos, etc.

2754 L Sept. 12:7/4 Seventy-two years of activity as photographers in our midst have made the Ryder brothers so well known that it is hardly necessary to speak in commendation of them to the people of Cleveland. Within the last 20 years a number of improvements and inventions have completely transformed the art of photography, and the Ryders have fully availed themselves of every advantage thus offered. They are located at 239 Superior st. (9)

vol. 58 (1875)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1875
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

2393 L Jan. 1; adv: 6/5 Photographic work. fine collection of art work. J. F. Ryder.
2394 L Feb. 23; adv: 3/6 The Promenade is a new size and style of Photograph at Ryder’s
‘How long, How slim, How graceful they are. (4)
170 L Mar. 2:8/2 The Public Opinion of London, England, compliments J. F. Ryder and Company and Cleveland art in genera!. The paintings, Pluck and Deacon Jones’ Experience, were the objects of the praise.

171 L Mar. 3; adv: 7/5 Crayon portraits unequaled for artistic effect and excellence can be bought at J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior street.

173 L May 29; adv: 2/5 Works of Art At Ryder’s 239 Superior street.

2395 L July 1; adv: 3/3 Ryder’s 239 Superior st. Odd and Artistic Photography

388 L July 9:8/3,4 The new city council chamber was opened for business inspection. The beauty of the chandelier and the ornamentation around the galleries is the subject of general comment. The chandelier was manufactured by Cornelius and Sons, Philadelphia. It is one of the most artistically designed and elegantly finished chandeliers ever put up in the west. It weighs over 800 pounds and costs $450.
A special feature was the present of finished crayon portraits of four mayors of Cleveland. The portraits were prepared by J. F. Ryder. There is also an oil painting of John W. Willey, who held the mayor’s office from 1836 to 1837.

2397 L July 21:8/5 Postmaster General Jewell’s portrait is on exhibition at Ryder’s art gallery. It was first a cabinet photograph, but has since been enlarged to a full, life-size crayon portrait. Most of his friends say it is the best portrait ever made of him. (2)

179 L Oct. 28; adv: 6/5 Portraits. 239 Superior Street, Cleveland. Portraits by Ryder.

vol. 59 (1876)
CLEVELAND NEWSPAPER DIGEST JAN. 1 TO DEC. 31, 1876
Abstracted principally from the files of the Cleveland Leader

147 L May 17:8/2 J. F. Ryder and Company of Cleveland has issued a fine chromo of Willard’s magnificent painting, Yankee Doodle, and it is meeting with great favor on all hands. “The chromos are well executed, and are sold at a figure within the reach of all.” (3)

5491 L Nov. 13:7/2 · W. M. Root, a photographer in the employ of Ryder; Harry Haines, a clerk in M. B. Stevens’ pension office; and Frederick W. Clayton, a boarder at 15 Walnut st., were arrested on Nov. 10 on charges of violating the postoffice law.
It appears that a few days ago the trio advertised in some of the city papers for street car drivers and conductors under the name of “J. F. Ray and Co.”
Applicants were asked to mail two dollars (in some cases, four dollars) to pay for a badge, after which they were to receive situations. The affair is one for the United States to settle. (4)

5494 L Nov. 13:8/2 There is a document on display in Ryder’s show windows entitled, “The Administrators of the United States Government at the beginning of its second century.’ A century hence, it will be looked upon with as much interest as is the declaration of independence at the present day.

PERIODICALS

1853

”Daguerreotype Movements.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 5:15 (Nov. 15, 1853): 238-239. [Richards (Philadelphia, PA); G. W. Squires partnering with Thompson’s Gallery, NYC); F. A. Brown (Manchester, NH); L. Buel (OH); O. W. Horton (OH); A. R. Cole (Zanesville, OH); J. F. Ryder (OH); E. Long (St. Louis, MO); Mayall; Barnes (Mobile, AL); Webster & Brother (NYC); Gibbs (Lynchburg, VA); McClees & Germon (Philadelphia, PA) producing paper prints; O. R. Benton (Buffalo, NY); White (Atlanta, GA) shot dead.]

1854

”Daguerreotype Movements.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 5:24 (Apr. 1, 1854): 384. [Fellows & Ryder (Cleveland, OH); Richards (Philadelphia, PA); Whipple (Boston, MA).]

1856

“Personal and Art Intelligence.” PHOTOGRAPHIC AND FINE ART JOURNAL 9:1 (Jan. 1856): 30-32. [“Long description of the problems faced by the editor in obtaining the photographic illustrations for the P & FAJ. John F. Mascher; Webster & Brother; J. F. Ryder; J. Vannerson; Willard & Depew (Columbus, GA); R. A. Vance (San Francisco, CA); A. Hesler; Mechanic’s Institute Fair in Louisville, KY; Troxel; F. Langenheim; M. A. Root; White (Montpelier, VT); A. A. Turner; C. Guillou (amateur from Philadelphia, PA); J. H. Fitzgibbon; Knecht & Thompson (Easton, PA); others mentioned.”]

“List of Premiums, Awarded at the Seventh Annual Fair of Ohio, held at Cleveland, Sept. 23-30, 1856.” OHIO CULTIVATOR 12:20 (Oct. 15, 1856): 306-309. [Under the category “Paintings, Drawings and Designs – 170 entries.” (p. 308) are listed, among the animal paintings, fruit paintings, water colors, etc., the following photographers: “A. Bisbee, Columbus, daguerreotypes, diploma. A. Bisbee, Columbus, ambrotypes, commendation. J. F. Ryder—Cleveland, photographs, life and small size silver medal or diploma.”]

“List of Premiums, Awarded at the Seventh Annual Fair of Ohio, held at Cleveland, Sept. 23 – 26th, 1856.” OHIO FARMER 5:40 (Oct. 4, 1856): 158. [“Paintings, Drawings and Designs.—170 Entries…. A. Bisbee, Columbus, daguerreotypes, diploma;… J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, photographs, life and small size, commended;… A. Bisbee, Columbus, ambrotypes, commended;… “]

“Seventh Annual Fair of Ohio Fine Art Hall.” OHIO FARMER 5:41 (Oct. 11, 1856): 161. [“The display in this hall, was perhaps the best, taken as a whole, that has ever been exhibited at any previous Fair. It would, however, be tedious to specify every specimen presented for exhibition and competition; some of the more prominent features will therefore be presented…. ‘Photographs and Ambrotypes.’ North, of Cleveland, stands without a rival in this department of art. Some of his ambrotypes, are the most exquisitely executed. Ryder, Boisseau, Bisbee, Mrs. Short and Stimpson, were not without merit; some were superior. Some of these Pictures had a peculiar appearance, standing out, as it were, from the glass. ‘Photographs in Oil, (Life Size)’ In this department there were several competitors. Among these, North, Pease, Ryder, Boisseau, and Smith, stand prominent. The rivalship in coloring these photographs in oil, stands chiefly between Smith, Pease, and Boisseau, each of whom has a peculiar style. The general expression seemed to be in favor of those by Smith, though many preferred those by Pease—others, those by Boisseau.”]

Althea. “Pencilings on the Fair Grounds.” OHIO FARMER 5:41 (Oct. 11, 1856): 162. [“This is the last day of the fair, and to the gratification of thousands, the weather could not be more delightful. The immense crowd is still pressing forward to obtain an entrance to the grounds. I cast a glance over the vast area they embrace; and I find it as difficult to note all that is to be seen within its limits. or that has occurred of interest since the opening of the Fair… find myself in the Hall of Fine Arts… The specimens of Ambrotypes, Daguerreotypes, and Photographs by North and Ryder, colored by Pease, are unsurpassed. The magnet seems to be the manly, handsome face of Fremont, by North, colored by Pease. It is difficult to think it is a picture, it is so life-like in its expression. I have a fancy, perhaps it is a foolish one, that the Swiss hero, William Tell, had just such a face. Free mountaineers they both have been, and I believe would chafe equally under a tyrant’s yoke….”]”

“Personal & Art Intelligence.” PHOTOGRAPHIC AND FINE ART JOURNAL 9:11 (Nov. 1856): 350-352. [“Commentary on processes selling. American Institute Fair. (Exhibitors V. Prevost; Meade Brothers; G. N. Barnard; N. G. Burgess; A. Judson; A. Hesler; S. Root; Hawkins & Faris; J. Gurney; C. D. Fredricks; J. E. McClees; S. A. Holmes; R. A. Lewis; W. A. Tomlinson; Kertson; Hofrauch & Co., Neff; Loud; J. F. Ryder; Charles Ketchum; Bisbee; Mechanic’s Fair, (Louisville, KY); Webster & Brother; Webster; J. C. Elrod; Fasset & Cook.”]

C. “Ohio State Fair.” PHOTOGRAPHIC AND FINE ART JOURNAL 9:11 (Nov. 1856): 349. [“Friend Snelling.—Presuming that any account which chronicles the doings of Photographers and Daguerreotypists, would prove of some interest to the readers of your valuable Journal, venture to send you the following account of the Exhibition the Fine Art department of the State Fair of Ohio, held in Cleveland on the 23d, 24th, 25th, and 26th ult.
The Photographic, Daguerreotype, and Ambrotype departments were represented by Ryder, North, Boisseau, Stimpson, and Mrs. Short of Cleveland, Mr. Bisbee of Columbus, Mr. Collins of Urbana, and Whitehurst of Washington, D. C.
Mr. Ryder exhibited a large number of Photographs, life and small size, plain and colored, which were very creditable to him and his artists. His life-size plain photographs were executed with all the strength and detail of the smaller size, giving us therein a chance to judge of photography without paint. Mr. Fontayne, late of the well-known firm of Fontyane & Porter of Cincinnati, has charge of his photographic department….”

1857

“Photographs of the Stone Church.” OHIO FARMER 6:13 (Mar. 28, 1857): 51. [Miss Hopley of Cleveland, has for sale very accurate plain, and colored photographs, of Dr. Aiken’s church, recently burnt in this city. They are taken by Ryder, from a painting made some months ago by Miss Hopley. Price plain $1.50—colored $2.50. Miss Hopley’s residence is at George Kirks, Huron Street, near Erie Street.”]

“The First Life Size Photograph.” PHOTOGRAPHIC AND FINE ART JOURNAL 10:11 (Nov. 1857): 349. [“Letter, with article from the Cincinnati (OH) Gazette in 1855, by Fontayne claiming that he had made life sized portraits before J. Gurney, as previously stated. Fontayne, probably formerly of Fontayne & Porter (Cincinnati), signed his letter as “Practical Photographer at Ryder’s Gallery, Cleveland, OH.”]

1858

3 b & w (“Steamers at Anchor in Put-In Bay, Lake Erie, on Occasion of the Celebration of Perry’s Victory, Sept. 10, 1858,…”); (Picnic at Put-In Bay…”) on p. 306; (“Picnic at Put-In Bay. …Firing the Salute. From a Photograph by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio) on p. 307 in: “The Celebration of Perry’s Victory at Put-In Bay, Lake Erie, Sept. 10.” FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 6:150 (Oct. 16, 1858): 306-307. [(Outdoor crowds, views, etc.) “…The engravings we present to our readers are from views taken by J. F. Ryder, a distinguished photographer of Cleveland, and illustrate various scenes of the celebration…”]

1859

[Advertisement.] “Ryder’s Photographic Gallery of Art.” OHIO FARMER 8:1 (Jan. 1, 1859): 5. [“Corner Superior and Bank Sts, Cleveland, O. At this establishment every style of Photographic Portrait is produced in the highest style of Art and perfection. Persons having old Daguerreotypes of lost or absent friends, which they can wish to put in more permanent and effective shape, can have them copied to the size of life, and painted in Oil, equal to portraits from life. At he late State Fair, the awards on Ryder’s Photographs were Three Silver Medals, Two Diplomas, and Fifteen Dollars. At the Cuyahoga County Fair, the first premium was awarded for the best painted Photographs. Allen Smith, Jr. paints for no other Photographer in this city.
There is no more skillful Photographer than Ryder. We ask our country friends to try him—Ohio Farmer.” (Ad repeated throughout month of Jan.)]

1860

1 b & w (“William Walcutt, the sculptor.”) on p. 565, 1 b & w (“Statue of Commodore Oliver H. Perry, to be Inaugurated at Cleveland, Ohio, on September 10, 1860.”), 4 b & w (“Four Survivors of the Battle of Lake Erie.”), 1 b & w (“Public Square at Cleveland Ohio, with the Perry Statue.”) “Photographed by Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio., 5 illus. (“Portrait of O. H. Perry.”, “Medal Presented to Perry by Congress.”, “Perry’s Residence.”, ”Perry’s Monument.”) on pp. 568-569 in: “The Perry Celebration at Cleveland.” HARPER’S WEEKLY 4:193 (Sept. 8, 1860): 565, 568-570.

[Advertisement.] “J. F. Ryder’s Photographic Gallery of Art, 171 Superior St. Cor. Bank, Cleveland, O.” HARPER’S WEEKLY: A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 4:193 (Sept. 8, 1860): 576. [“At this establishment every style of portrait is executed in the highest style of art and perfection from the life size, finished in oil, to the smallest miniature or locket picture, the truthfulness of Nature is preserved equally well. Old daguerreotypes copied to the size of life, and finished in oil equal to portraits from Life.”]

5 b & w (Portraits of five of six individuals associated with the event “Dr. Usher Parsons, survivor; John Chauman, gunner; William Walcutt, sculptor; Dr. Nathaniel Eastman, surgeon; Capt. Stephen Champlin, Commander.”) on p. 262; 1 b & w (“Statue Erected in Olive Park, In Honor of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, the Hero of Lake Erie,… at Cleveland, Ohio, September 10, 1860. From a Photograph by J. F. Ryder.”) on p. 263 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 10:251 (Sept. 15, 1860): 262-263. [(Six portraits of celebrities associated with the inauguration of the Perry Monument, in Cleveland, Ohio. arranged in medallion fashion around a view of Commodore Perry’s homestead. – 1 portrait by Manchester Brothers, 5 portraits by James Ryder, Cleveland, OH.)]

1861

1 b & w (“S. F. Chase, Sec. of Treasury. Photographed by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Oh.”) in: “The Members of President Lincoln’s Cabinet.” FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 11:280 (Apr. 6, 1861): 312. [(Seven portraits, six by Brady, one by Ryder.)]

1862

1 b & w (“Brigadier-General Garfield.”)–From a Photograph by James F. Ryder, of Cleveland.” HARPER’S WEEKLY: A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 6:271 (Mar. 8, 1862): 157.

1 b & w (“Maj.-General J. A. Garfield.”)–From a Photograph by James F. Ryder, of Cleveland.” FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 13:329 (Mar. 15, 1862): 268.

1864

“The Photographic Department at the Great Central Fair.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 1:7 (July 1864): 106-108. [“When the subject of making a Photographic Department at the “Great Central Fair for the U. S. Sanitary Commission,” now being held in our city, was broached, we feared it would be a meagre one. On a visit specially to that department, however, we find how much a persevering, live committee, and a few liberal loyal photographers may do, and that the collection displayed is truly a splendid and magnificent one, and itself makes a “Fine Art Gallery” well worthy of a visit and of a very special amount of patronage. Though no one party seems to have known what the other would contribute, there appears to have been a generous rivalry for the ascendency. On the walls the life-size portraits, in crayon and India-ink, of Generals McClellan, Grant, Hancock, Meade, and Couch, are worthy of special mention, being the finest we have ever seen on exhibition, and a part of Mr. F. Gutekunst’s very liberal contribution. By the same artist we also notice some very fine Imperial Photographs in India-ink, and some of the same parties on albumen paper. For beauty and brightness the latter are ahead, but for permanency the former will excel. There are a number of other very fine specimens of art by Mr. Gutekunst whose display we must acknowledge to be the finest and the best. His collection of card photographs of celebrities was also very-fine, and attracted much attention. Messrs. Wenderoth & Taylor also make a brilliant contribution. Their “Imperial Illuminated” or Indicated Vignette Photographs were unusually fine. Those of Generals Wistar, Meade, Crawford, and Mayor Henry, we noticed particularly, though there were at least a dozen of them of other parties equal to them. Making these large pictures without the use of the Solar Camera, is becoming a feature in our growing art worthy of attention. The greatest novelty on exhibition was a colossal solar print of Lieutenant-General Grant made from life by James E. McClees. It is a fine specimen of solar printing, and in sundry ways typical of that great commander. We do not think the likeness as good as others we have seen. That view of the face is not the best by far, yet it has many good points that are not found in others. A life-size portrait of Washington in oil by Reimer was the subject of some admiration, but we cannot conceive why a good photograph should be covered with oil colors. Photography steps rather the other way. A life-size crayon of Governor Curtin by Hagaman was also much and worthily admired. Oh! what a grand place this for some less successful photographer to make up a fine collection for his own Gallery. We must not forget the numerous neatly framed and really elegant specimens from Nature by our amateur friends, Messrs. Browne, Fassitt, Graff, Borda, Corlies. Davids, and others, members of the Committee on Photography. They will vie with the productions of our most skilful professional photographers, and being from private negatives, are nowhere else exposed for sale. Some of them made in Pike County, Pa., are really very fine, and would do credit to any one. So much for the walls, and now for the counters and portfolios. Here we find two huge glass cases laden down with cartes-de-visites of celebrities from McClees, Wenderoth & Taylor, Gutekunst, Cremer, Richards, Hagaman, Newell, Germon, McAllister & Bros., and the amateurs mentioned above. In such a promiscuous collection, of course, there must be some very bad as well as some very good ones. On the counters we find a grand collection of Mr. John Moran’s justly celebrated and unapproachable views from Nature, which make decidedly the finest collection of that class on exhibition. We also find here stacks of portraits of various sizes, landscapes, copies of rare and beautiful engravings, &c, by members of the Philadelphia Photographic Society, among whom we notice Messrs. Coleman Sellers, Guillou, C. B. Meyer, Sturgis, Lafitte, Frank Maule, and Alexander Jessup, and by Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, Messrs. Nelson Wright, Cyrus J. Field, Edward L. Henry, and Fredericks & Co., of New York, John H. Simmons, Hemple & Co., Glover, and Peterson, of Philadelphia, the late Rev. T. Starr King, of California, Armersly & Ferris, of Washington, D. C, and Thomas H. Johnson, of Scranton, Pa. The portraits of Rear Admiral Dupont, by Mr. Johnson, are very fine and worthy of special remark. A special contribution of beautiful and useful card envelopes was made by the manufacturers, Morgan Bros., of Philadelphia. The portfolios, too, were laden with precious gems of art, but these, as well as the other collections, were rapidly being thinned down by numerous sales made by the obliging lady attendants. We must, in closing, congratulate Mr. Graff and his committee on their success in their peculiar line, and wish them ready sales, and God speed in the merciful object they are so earnestly and so perseveringly seeking to further.”]

1 b & w (Thomas William Kennard.) on p. 129 in: “T. W. Kennard. Portrait, Character and Biography.” AMERICAN PHRENOLOGICAL JOURNAL AND LIFE ILLUSTRATED: A REPOSITORY OF SCIENCE, LITERATURE AND GENERAL INTELLIGENCE 40:5 (Nov. 1864): 129-130. [Engineer, bridge-builder, railroads. ”Our description is based upon a very excellent photograph, by Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, furnished us by Mr. Thomas, editor of Appleton’s Railway Guide, and from which the accompanying portrait was also taken….”].]

1865

“Photographic Directory.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 2:13 (Jan. 1865): n. p., [p. ii.]
[“Wenderoth & Taylor, 912, 914, and 916 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia.
R. Newell, 724 Arch Street, . Philadelphia.
F. Gutekunst, 702, 704, and 706 Arch Street, Philadelphia.
John Moran, Landscape Photographer, 806 Coates Street, Philadelphia
A. H. Hemple, Mechanical and Landscape Photographer, N. E. corner Broad
and Hamilton, Philadelphia.
Ridgway Glover, Animal and View Photographer, 818 Arch Street, Philadelphia.
Black’s Photograph.Rooms., 163 and 173 Washington Street, Boston,
and opposite “Naval Academy,” Newport, R. I.
J: Carbutt, Portrait and Landscape Photographer, 131 Lake Street, Chicago.
J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.
M. K. Marshall, West Main Street, Circleville, O.”
[Repeated in Feb. issue, (and probably other, missing issues for the volume.) WSJ]]

“Editor’s Table: Burglary.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 2:16 (Apr. 1865): 66. [Ryder’s studio burglarized. Additional note on page 121 in July 1865 “Philadelphia Photographer.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 2:19 (July 1865): 121. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, has our sincere thanks for a little parcel of pictures of two little girls he so kindly sent us, and the value of which to us he well knows. They are fine specimens of workmanship, and in every way a success, and satisfactory. Such good work and kindness deserve and will have a large run.”]

1867

Ryder, J. F. “Meinerth’s Patent. How I was Sold.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 19:8 (Aug. 15, 1867): 120-121. [Rueful letter from J. F. Ryder, who paid $25.00 for the license to practice Meinerth’s patent, which Ryder found out was something that he himself had tried and discarded eight years earlier as being impracticable. (Ryder would later be vilified by the publisher, Ladd, who supported Meinerth’s patent.)]

“Voices from the Craft.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 4:45 (Sept. 1867): 300. [Letter from Ryder.]

Meinerth, C. “Mezzo-Tintos.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 19:10 (Sept. 15, 1867): 153-154. [“…After you have allowed Mr. Ryder’s letter to appear you will not deny me the common privilege of replying in self defense….”]

“The `Mezzo-Tintos’ Again Second Letter from Mr. Ryder.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 19:11 (Oct. 1, 1867): 173-174.

Meinerth, Carl. “Mezzo-Tintos Again.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 19:12 (Oct. 15, 1867): 184. [Response to Ryder’s second letter. Editor states he would not publish more on this issue.]

“Appalling Tragedy! Murder and Suicide. A Man Shoots a Young Woman and Cuts His Own Throat. The Affair Shrouded in Mystery. Letter Written by the Murderer -Shocking Details of the Crime. The Coroner’s Verdict. The Discovery. Discovery of the Murdered Girl. How the Crime Was Committed. The Suicide. Appearance of the Rooms. Gregory’s Confession. The Inquest.” NATIONAL POLICE GAZETTE 23:1161 (Nov. 30, 1867): 4-5, 8. 2 illus. [(Two dramatic reconstructions of the murder of Isabel Roy and the suicide of James H. Gregory in his photographic studio are on page 8, the story is on page 1.) “The annals of crime have never been stained by a more shocking tragedy than has just transpired in Cleveland, Ohio. The particulars of the sad occurrence, as we learn from the Plain Dealer, were brought to light a few days since, although the precise time of its occurrence will probably never be known. James H. Gregory, Proprietor of the photographic rooms over No. 9, Public Square, and a young woman named Isabella Roy, who was in his employ, were both found dead in the rooms above mentioned, the latter from having been shot, and the former with his throat cut in the most frightful manner… Mr. Gregory was formerly employed as an assistant in the photographic rooms of Mr. J. Ryder, on Superior street. Nearly a year ago, however, he decided to set up in business for himself, and bought the establishment known as Parker’s Rooms, situated in the third story of De Witt’s store, on the west side of the Public Square. He had a family,…” (Detailed description of a murder suicide follows.)]

1868

“Editor’s Table: Skating Pictures.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 5:52 (Apr. 1868): 134. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has succeeded in making some of the best pictures we have seen representing skating and winter scenes. Males and females, singly and in groups, are represented in most difficult, yet natural and graceful positions, and all the accessories in perfect harmony. The tone of the prints is admirably suited to the subjects. Real motion. seems to be in every figure.”]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Convention, Held In New York, April 7th & 8th, 1868.” SUPPLEMENT TO THE PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 5:52 (Apr. 1868): 135-150. [“Responding to the call published in the Philadelphia Photographer for March and April, and scattered largely by circulars, a large number of the photographers of the United States and their delegates, assembled at Room 24, Cooper Institute Building, N.Y., on Tuesday, April 7th, 1868, at 5 P.M.
The meeting was called to order by A. Bogardus, Esq., of New York, who read the call, as follows:
To the Photographers of the United States.
Gentlemen : As the result of a correspondence and consultation with many of the leading photographers of the United States, it has been deemed expedient to hold a mass convention in the city of New York, for the purpose of taking some Efficient and timely action upon several matters which Demand Our United Attention. One of the objects of this call is to see what, if any, means can be adopted to prevent the extension of Cutting’s Patent for the use of the Bromides In Photography.
This patent will expire by limitation on the 11th day of July next, and, as steps are being taken for its reissue or extension for another term of seven Years, it behooves us to Unitedly and Emphatically Protest against any Re-Issue, or Extension of said patent to any person or persons who may present such a claim at Washington.
Another matter deserving our consideration is that which relates to our share of Taxation under the existing revenue laws. It is well known that Congress, at its present session, contemplates a thorough revision of these laws, and while we do not seek exemption from taxation, but are willing to bear our part of the burdens, we feel that we have just cause for complaint, and the best of reasons for asking Relief….” (Etc., etc.) “…The time fixed for the Convention is Tuesday, April 7th, 1868, at 5 o’clock P.M., in Room 24, Cooper Institute.
Signed, J. W. Black, Boston.
G. H. Loomis, Boston
A. Bogardus, New York.
E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., New York.
Bendann Bros., Baltimore.
Wilson, Hood & Co. Philadelphia.
Edward L. Wilson, Editor Philadelphia Photographer.
* And Others….” (p. 135)
N.B. Photographers receiving this notice will please inform every member of the profession in their vicinity.” (p. 135) Mr. Bogardus nominated Mr. Henry T. Anthony, of New York, as temporary chairman, and Mr. Edward L. Wilson as temporary secretary. The nominations were unanimously confirmed by the Convention. On assuming the chair, Mr. Anthony addressed the Convention as follows: Gentlemen: In assuming the position you have so kindly assigned to me, allow me to express my thanks for the distinction. It gives me, personally, great pleasure, and, as a member of the photographic community, great satisfaction, to meet at this time so many votaries of photographic art. Many of you have traversed great distances to be present on an occasion in which every one concerned in photography takes a deep interest. You have left your business, your comfortable homes, and endured the discomforts of travel, at an inclement season of the year, for the purpose of standing side by side and shoulder to shoulder with your brethren of this city, in efforts to accomplish a common object. The exertion already made is evidence of the earnestness with which you embark on this enterprise, and is, at the same time, an earnest of success. From its exhibition, we can count upon the spirit which animates those of whom you are the representatives, and on whose behalf as well as your own you are here assembled ; and we on the Atlantic are happy to have the opportunity to say to you, and through you to our brethren of the interior and the great West, that in this matter we are of one heart and one mind, ready to go as far as the most resolute. Feeling that you are ready for action, I will not take up more of your time by these prelimimary remarks. Again thanking you for the honor you have conferred upon me, I await your pleasure in the transaction of the business before the Convention.
“…On motion of Mr. G. H. Loomis, of Boston, the chairman appointed a committee on Permanent Organization, as follows: Mr. G. H. Loomis, Boston; Mr. M. B. Brady, New York; Mr. A. Hesler, Chicago. The committee retired for a few moments, and, during their absence, the secretary read communications from photographic Societies and photographers, unable to send delegates or to be present, from many places in Iowa, Illinois, Georgia, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Minnesota, West Virginia, Michigan, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Louisiana, Mississippi, New York, Arkansas, Missouri, &c., &c., all expressing cordial sympathy with the Convention, and promising pecuniary aid in carrying out its purposes.
The committee returned and nominated the following as permanent officers of the Convention : President. Mr. A. Bogardus, New York.
Vice-Presidents. Mr. J. W. Black, Boston, Mass.,
W. E. Bowman, Ottawa, Ill.,
James Cremer, Philadelphia, Pa.,
David Bendann, Baltimore, Md.,
J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio,
E. T. Whitney, Norwalk, Conn.
Secretary and Treasurer. Mr. Edward L. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa….” (p. 136) (Etc., etc.)
“…On motion of Mr. Wilson, it was resolved that a committee of five be appointed by the chair to prepare business for the consideration of the Convention.
The chair appointed as that committee: Mr. G. H. Loomis, Boston ; Mr. John A. Whipple, Boston; Mr. B. Gurney, New York; Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio; Mr. Edward L. Wilson, Philadelphia. (p. 136)
“…Your committee would also report the following resolutions for your consideration :
Resolved, That the old adage, “In union. there is strength,” is applicable to our case.
Resolved, That the present state of isolation among photographers, leaves them exposed to the designs of any one who may prey upon them, to the mercy of the process-monger, the exactions of the patent-seeker and owner, and to suffer the degrading influences of the cheap and incompetent.
Resolved, That as nearly every profession is corporated, we should organize a National Photographic Union, to resist imposition from all sources, to promote good feeling, to add dignity to our profession, for the ventilation of useful ideas, and for mutual good.
Resolved, That we organize permanently.
All of which is respectfully submitted for your consideration by your committee.
G. H. Loomis,
John A. Whipple,
B. Gurney,
J. F. Ryder,
Edward L. Wilson….” (p. 138) (Etc., etc.)
“The voice of the Convention was taken on the resolutions separately. The address was first adopted unanimously. It was moved and seconded that the first resolution be adopted. Mr. A. Hesler, of Chicago, moved to amend, that the resolution read “bromide of potassium,” which amendment was accepted. The resolution was afterwards made to read “bromide of potassium and its equivalents in photography,” and, thus amended, was adopted, viz.: -. Whereas, A certain patent, issued 1854, to Jas. A. Cutting, to cover the use of Bromide of Potassium and its equivalents in Photography, expires by limitation July 11th, 1868; and whereas, it is alleged that an application for a reissue or extension of that patent is about to be made; therefore be it Resolved, That the Photographers of the United States will resist such extension or reissue….(Etc., etc.) (p. 138)
Mr. Anthony moved as an amendment, that the resolution read: “Resolved, That we deem it advisable to organize permanently as a National organization, and that the officers of this Convention be authorized to mature a plan, and to employ means to carry the same into effect as soon as possible.” (Etc., etc.) “…Mr. Ryder said he thought the Convention ought to meet to-morrow morning to discuss the propriety of forming a National Association more fully. The matter of permanent organization is of more importance to us as a class than that of resisting the bromide patent. Mr. Loomis urged the importance of another meeting to-morrow morning. He was utterly astonished to find as many present as there are, and hoped there would not be a hasty adjournment. Mr. Fox said if he had supposed there would be only a meeting of a few hours, he would not have come five hundred miles to attend it. He thought there ought to be a meeting to-morrow….” (Etc., etc.)
The previous question was called, and the resolution, as amended by Mr. Anthony, was carried, viz.: “Resolved, That we deem it advisable to organize permanently as a National organization, and that the officers of this Convention be authorized to mature a plan, and to employ means to carry the same into effect as soon as possible.” . The discussion as to the advisability of a meeting to-morrow was then resumed. Mr. Gurney asked what was to be done to-morrow that could not be attended to tonight, and moved that a paper be started, upon which every man shall state, after his name, what he is willing to give towards defending us against the Bromide Patent. Mr. Cremer said he did not think any gentleman present should feel himself called upon to contribute any large amount. He thought a sum should be raised to defray the current expenses of this meeting, (p. 42) (Etc., etc.)
“List of State Committees for Collecting Funds for Furthering the Objects of the Convention. “
F. F. Hale, Portland, Maine.
John S. Hendee, Augusta, Maine.
B. Carr, Concord, N. H….” (Etc., etc.)
J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. (Etc., etc.)
J. H. Montgomery, Salem, Oregon.
J. A. Winter, Eugene, Oregon.”
[Almost a hundred names listed] (p. 148)
“Contributions already received by the Treasurer “:
Name. Paid.
W. J. Kuhns, $5 00
T. Brasier, 5 00
William Huston 5 00
J. Gurney & Son (subscribed $25.00) 10 00
W. Kurtz (subscribed $25.00) 10 00
Abraham Bogardus 50 00
M. B. Brady (subscribed $25.00) 10 00 (Etc., etc.)
J. F. Ryder, for self and Cleveland Photographers, 25 00
D. H. Cross, 5 00
Bendann Bros. (subscribed $25.00),
John Carbutt, 5 00 (Etc., etc.)
E. &H. T. Anthony & Co. 100.00 (Etc., etc.)
[More than fifty names listed] (p. 149)Meeting of the Officers.
A meeting of the officers of the Convention was held at 8 P.M., April 8th, at the rooms of Mr. A. Bogardus, 365 Broadway, N. Y., Messrs. Bogardus, Bendann, Bowman, Ryder, and Wilson, being present.
A list of State agents, as collectors, was read and adopted, subject to the amendments of the Secretary, who was authorized to furnish each collector with credentials, circulars to send to photographers in their State, and receipts signed by the President, to be valid only when countersigned by the State agent receiving the funds. (p. 149) (Etc., etc.)]

[Advertisement.] “The Gold and Silver Medals” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 5:53 (June 1868): n. p. [unnumbered adv. section.]
[“ at
The Great Paris Exposition of 1867,
Were Both Awarded
To
J. H. Dallmeyer
for
The Best Lenses.
—————————————
From J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., May 14, 1868.-‘‘I have to say in favor of the Dallmeyer Lens that it improves on acquaintance. The longer I have it the more I prize it.”
From G. D. Wakeley, Washington, D.C., April 28, 1868.—“The pair of Dallmeyer Lenses you sent me are very fine. They are the most useful instruments I have.”
From H. Rocher, Chicago, February 5, 1868 —“I have used since July, ’66, a Dallmeyer No. 2 B, and am perfectly delighted with the beauty of work made with it.
Nothing satisfies me but the very best. I find this to be the best principle, for I command here the highest prices for my work.”
—————————————
For PRICE LIST and full description of the various styles and sizes of these valuable LENSES, apply to
E, & H. T. ANTHONY & CO.,
591 Broadway, New York,
Sole Agents for the United States.
—————————————
The splendid Stereoscopic Views of Wm. England and G. W. Wilson are made with Dallmeyer Lenses. All Stereoscopic Photographers should have them.
The beautiful Cabinet Card Pictures of the White Fawn, by Gurney & Son, are made by a 3 B Patent Quick-acting Dallmeyer.
The magnificent Cabinet Card Pictures made by Reutlinger, Paris, are made with a 3 A Patent Dallmeyer Lens.”
[This adv. ran several times in this volume in 1868. WSJ]

Ryder, J. F. “The National Photographic Union.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 5:56 (Aug. 1868): 250-252. [Letter supporting the organization.]

“The Bromide Patent Case. Our Expose of the Treasurer’s Account `The Galled Jade Winces’ Ryder to the Rescue! Who is Ryder?” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 20:12 (Oct. 15, 1868): 179-181. [Further attack on the Bromide defense fund, which is also an attack on Col. Wilson and the Philadelphia Photographer. Attacks Ryder as well.]

“Meinerth’s Mezzotint.” HUMPHREY’S JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY, AND THE ALLIED ARTS AND SCIENCES 20:13 (Nov. 1, 1868): 204. [Lists several photographers who purchased at $25.00 each the rights to use the process. Attacks J. Ryder for challenging the process seller previously, etc.]

1 b & w (“Mrs. Schuyler Colfax.”) on p. 183 in: “Mrs. Schuyler Colfax (Nee Nellie Wade).” FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 27:688 (Dec. 5, 1868): 183. [“…Our portrait of the bride is from a photograph taken a short time before her marriage, and is pronounced by herself and friends to be an excellent likeness…” (See Dec. 19, 1868, p. 210 for attribution. “In publishing the picture of Mrs. Schuyler Colfax, in a recent number, we neglected to state that the photograph was furnished by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio.”]

1 b & w (“Schuyler Colfax.”) and 1 b & w (“Ella M. Wade.”) in “Schuyler Colfax and His Bride Miss Wade.” HARPER’S BAZAAR 1:58 (Dec. 5, 1868): 921-922. 1 illus. [Two separate portrait side by side, with an engraving of some jewelry which was a Bridal gift from Mr. Colfax.“…The excellent photograph of him, by Fredericks, which we reproduce was taken but a few weeks since… …The fact that she has become the wife of one of the chief rulers of the nation, and is therefore a legitimate object of affectionate interest to the people, warrants us, we think, in overstepping the bounds of privacy and laying before our readers the excellent photograph obtained from Mr. Rider, [sic Ryder] of Cleveland, Ohio…”]

1870

“Northern Ohio Photographic Society.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:73 (Jan. 1870): 13. [“The Society met at A. Price’s rooms, 319 Superior Street, Cleveland, December 2d: President Ryder in the chair. The minutes of last meeting were read and adopted.
The Committee on Closing Rooms on Sunday then made their report: “They had presented the pledge to all the photographers in the city but one, and all to whom the pledge had been presented had signed it except one.”
The following are the names of the photographers who pledge themselves to close their rooms against customers on the Sabbath day: J. H. Nason, R. L. Wells, J. F. Ryder, A. Price, W. C. North, F. Tyler, J. Dennison, W. Dennison, T. L. Parker, P. C. Nason, J. M. Green, S. Crobaugh,…” (Etc., etc.) “…The Society then proceeded to discuss prices of work.
After remarks by several, on the propriety of making better work and getting better prices, the President appointed Messrs. Wells, Beckwith, and Decker as a committee to make a list of prices, and report at our next meeting in January.
The Society then adjourned, to meet at J. F. Ryder’s rooms, 170 and 171 Superior Street, Cleveland, on the first Thursday evening in January, 1870. J. C. Potter, Secretary.”]

“Second Annual Exhibition of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:74 (Feb. 1870): 33.
[“To Foreign Exhibitors. The Second Annual Exhibition of the National Photographic Association of the United States, will be held in Cleveland, Ohio, beginning Tuesday, June 2d, 1870.
Ample provision will be made for foreign exhibitors this year, and no charge will be made for space….” “…A cordial invitation is given to foreign artists to participate in this Exhibition, and every attention will be given them. Parties desiring space will please make their wants known as soon as possible. For further particulars, please address the Secretary.
J. W. Black, J. Cremer, David Bendann, J. F. Ryder, W. C. North, Executive Committee.
Edward L. Wilson, Secretary, Philadelphia, Pa.”]

“The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:74 (Feb. 1870): 48. [“Begin now to get ready for it. Think over what you want to do, and begin the work at once. Do not leave it until the last of May and then send pictures that you will be ashamed to own when you go to Cleveland and compare your work with that of others. There are several who are already at work and some pictures are actually made. Follow the example of such. Our local Secretary, Mr. Ryder, has secured a building that will accommodate an immense collection. Let it be filled. Mr. Ryder also hopes to arrange with the express companies to have all freight delivered one way free of charge. We have already arranged with the Pennsylvania Central and Philadelphia and Erie Railway Companies for a considerable reduction in fare, and in good time will give full instructions to our readers as to routes, fares, etc. Look forward to the event and begin to prepare now to go. It will be a grand affair -much to be learned-much to be seento be proud of and enjoy. It will far exceed our Boston exhibition, which was only our maiden effort. Be sure to go. And now one word to a special class, and not a few either, of our readers. This exhibition is to be held in the West. Therefore, as was resolved by the noble Western men who visited the Boston exhibition, let the West join hands and help Cleveland. Let St. Louis, Chicago, Louisville, Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Detroit, Buffalo, Columbus, San Francisco, and all our Western cities, help to make this a grand affair. Appoint your committees now to confer with the local Secretary and begin now, for the time will soon be here. Begin now. Fuller particulars in our next.”]

“The Photographic World.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:74 (Feb. 1870): 63.
“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has sent us a life-size vignette of a gentleman, printed direct from a negative made with a No. 6 Steinheil aplanatic lens. It is wonderful. Mr. W. H. Rhoads, Philadelphia, has done the same thing; also sent us an 11 x 14 picture of a rock, made in five seconds.”]

“Boston Photographic Society.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:75 (Mar. 1870): 81.
[“The minutes of the January meeting of the Boston Photographic Society did not reach us last month, but come now with those of the February meeting. The subject for discussion was, Retouching the Negative. Mr. E. L. Allen read a paper thereon, quoting from instructions that had been published. He also exhibited a number of his own retouched negatives, which were very fine….” “…Beautiful specimens from retouched negatives by Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, were exhibited, and also enamelled cards from Mr. M. G. Trask, Bangor, Maine; cartes from Prescott & White, Hartford, and photographs of animals from Schreiber & Son, Philadelphia….”]

1 b & w (“Double self-portrait”) as frontispiece in: “Our Picture. Illustrative of Retouching the Negative ” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:75 (Mar. 1870): frontispiece, 92-93. [Double self-portrait. Our picture or pictures, this month, are intended to give our readers a practical illustration of the advantages to be derived from retouching the negative. It will be observed that in one the features are coarse, all the rugosities of the face showing, while in the other the skin is smooth and even, yet natural, true, and manly. This great contrast is obtained by working upon the negative film with the lead-pencil or brush. The method has long been practised abroad, and recently has been adopted here by some of our most eminent artists. That it is advantageous no one will dispute. How to do it is the next thing. We have frequently given instructions in our pages on the subject, and Mr. Kurtz, who has practised the method for a year or more, has given very elaborate instructions in Mr. Ayres’s second edition of “How to Paint Photographs.” The following requirements must be met to enable you to prosecute it successfully. 1. You should know at a glance what your negative needs to improve it, i. e., you must know where to touch and what the effect will be in the print. 2. You should be quick to appreciate what is natural and what unnatural, so as to work with care. 3. You should have a good retouching frame. Below is a cut of one which we partly contrived, and which we like. It hardly needs an explanation. It is so made as to fold up compactly, but in the cut is represented as placed for use. A is a ground-glass on which the negative is placed. C is a silvered mirror working on pivots, so as to enable one to change its position and reflect the light wherever wanted. This latter is a great advantage, for the light can be intensified on* any part of the negative that you are working on at the time. B is a shield for the eyes. D is the frame or stand bearing the whole. When not in use the supporting rods are folded in, and the whole shuts up compactly, which keeps it always clean. E is a rest for the arm, and slides up and down. F is an adjustable support for the negative. In use, the frame is set on a table at a north window if possible. The sun should never shine on it. Faber’s pencils P, PB, and B, brands are best. We shall give further instructions as we get them, and meanwhile refer to Mr. Ayres’s work and our former papers on the subject. We hope those of our readers who are practised will give the benefit of what they know. The negatives for the pictures were made and retouched by Mr. J. P. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Ryder obtained an artist from Germany some time ago to do this class of work, and finds it a profitable investment. The negatives have been much printed from, and yet show no signs of wear. They are very perfect as negatives, and we have received the following notes concerning them from Mr. Ryder. “I use for Collodion Alcohol, 32 fl. oz.—1 quart. Ether,…22 fluid oz.—1 lb. Iodide of Ammonium,…270 grains. Bromide of Cadmium, 108 grains. Cotton (mixture of Anthony’s and Pary’s), 270 grains.
Silver Baths. From 40 to 45 grains strong, slightly acid.
Developer. Common Proto-Sulphate of iron to 1 pint of water. 1 ounce. Acetic Acid:8, 2 ounces.
The instruments used, were Voigtlander & Sons J size twin tubes, size of stops ljth inch, time of exposure 30 seconds, on a cloudy day. My light is 10 feet wide and 15 feet long, the lower end of sash 61/2 feet from floor, and stands at an angle of 45 degrees. I use neither blue frosting or groundglass — simply plain glass. Neither do I use screens inside. My background is a painted one, and stood about three feet behind the subject. My retouching artist does not employ any of the various means suggested for a biting surface. The negative is varnished with any good sample of varnish, and he works upon the smooth surface, with a hard lead-pencil, and with Prussian blue, moist color.”
The prints were made by Mr. William H. Rhoads, Philadelphia, on Trapp & Munch’s German albumen paper. Mr. Rhoads’s formula for working this paper was given in our last issue. Mr. Rhoads seems to have exceeded himself in these prints, and we hope our readers will derive much practical advantage from our illustration. The gentleman who kindly sat for the negatives is well known in photography, as many will find when they go to Cleveland next June.”]

“National Photographic Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:76 (Apr. 1870): 99-100. [(Executive Committee: J. W. Black, J. Cremer, W. C. North, J. F. Ryder, D. Bedann. Edward L. Wilson, Secretary. Announcement, rules and information of forthcoming exhibition associated with the Second National Photographic Association annual meeting in Cleveland, Ohio on Tuesday, June 7th, 1870 and following week. J. F. Ryder, Local Secretary, was the principle organizer of this meeting, and signed this invitation.)]

“The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:76 (Apr. 1870): 113-114. [“We desire to keep our readers alive on this subject, and it is delightful to know that many of them are alive on it. We have had letters from hundreds who declare they mean to go “if alive,’ 7 and although the Boston exhibition was overwhelming, we anticipate that the one in Cleveland will eclipse it entirely. The efficient local Secretary, Mr. J. F. Ryder, is doing his utmost, and will announce his arrangements fully in our next issue. The railroad companies in all directions are being appealed to, to reduce their fares, and several have assented. Effort is being made to secure this favor for all, North, South, East, and West. Let us all prepare to go, then, who can and have examples of our work there. Space will be ample, light fine, and our friend, Mr. Ryder, will gladly attend to all. Let us join hands and interests there in great numbers, and make our influence felt. There is no art that has grown as rapidly as photography, and there is none as little respected, as little protected, and as little elevated as it. This must not be so. We want to be incorporated; we want a copyright law that gives a photographer a right to enjoy the full privileges of his labor and skill without its being pillaged by engravers, lithographers, and others. We want our profession and its usefulness acknowledged and felt, and better prices for our work. We will get it too if you will rise, join hands, drop your malice and jealousy, meet together and devise and discuss the means. Come. It will pay you for any sacrifice, and we warrant you shall go home cheered, strengthened, bettered, and wiser. All photographers, whether members of the Association or not, are welcome to exhibit and be present. Join the Association, though, if you can afford it, now. Four dollars will make a photographer a member and prepay his dues from June last for a year, and two dollars will do the same for an employee. Send to us, and certificates are waiting for you. Bring all your bad and curious negatives with you. Examples of failures, and all such, will add interest to the discussions. Let all the novelties be there, and above all, be there yourself….”]

“Editor’s Table. The Exhibition Building.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:76 (Apr. 1870):142. [“We have received from the Local Secretary, Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, two 12 x 16 views of the interior of the new Central Skating Rink, where it is proposed to hold our exhibition. The negatives were made by Mr. Thomas H. Johnson, and are very fine for interiors. The place chosen by Mr. Ryder will be a grand one for the Exhibition, and will afford every convenience of light, hall for meeting, committee rooms, etc., etc. It is large. Let it be filled.”]

“The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:77 (May 1870):145-146. [“The Executive Committee of the National Photographic Association ask the attention of exhibitors to the following rules, which are substantially the same as those of last year:
The Exhibition will open Tuesday, June 7th, 1870, at the Central Skating Rink, Cleveland, O. It is unnecessary to apply for space, as there will be ample for all.
The name and address of the exhibitor should be on every picture; and, if for sale, the price may be attached.
A list of articles must accompany each lot, and a duplicate list be sent per mail to the Local Secretary, stating number of packages. All articles will be submitted to a jury for admission.
No articles shall be withdrawn until the close of the Exhibition.
Where there are several in one city or town who exhibit, it is suggested that when convenient they unite and put their articles in one package. It may be optional, however.
While there will be ample space, and it is desirable to cover it, care should be given to the quality of work sent. Send your best.
The following instructions by the Local Secretary will be insisted upon for the purpose of insuring system and good order:
Directions to Exhibitors.
Be liberal in quantity of pictures. We have a very large place for exhibition room and can accommodate all.
Take particular care in putting up your pictures; attach them with sticking-paper to the mats or passepartouts, that they do not get displaced in transportation. Much trouble will be avoided by that precaution.
Use good boxes for packing, and remember that the same boxes must be used for re-packing.
Fasten your frames into the boxes with screws and screw the covers on, that all may be taken apart without injury.
Affix to each picture or frame of pictures your name and address.
Have holes made for screw-eyes, and pack screw-eyes and cord with your pictures.
Very large frames may be sent without glass, and proper care will be taken to keep pictures clean and from injury.
Express or freight charges must be prepaid.
Photographs and all articles for exhibition will be received from June 1st to 7th; would prefer, however, to receive 3d and 4th, if shippers can so arrange. Mark:
Photographic Exhibition, Care J. F. Ryder,
Central Rink, Cleveland, O.
Send good photographs! Send a large. Lot of Good Photographs!! Come Yourselves!!!… J. F. Ryder, Local Secretary.”]

“Cleveland. The Exhibition and the Annual Meeting.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:77 (May 1870):179-181. [Further details of the arrangements made to accommodate the forthcoming annual NPA meeting. Ryder is mentioned several times concerning arrangements for hotels, cheaper fares with the railroads, etc. WSJ]
[“…The Local Secretary, Mr. Ryder, has engaged for the Exhibition the new “Central Skating Rink,” which is immense in size, is admirably lighted, and will make a grand appearance. Is not all this most tempting, and do you not see what a benefit it will be to you to be there?…” “…J. F. Ryder, Local Secretary. Arrangements have been effected with several railroad companies for excursion tickets at reduced rates, and also with express companies for the carriage of articles for exhibition. Full instructions are given on this score on another page, which those interested would do well to consult. Let every live photographer do as much as he can to contribute in giving success to the undertaking. J. W. Black, Executive Committee, J. Cremer, D. Bendann, W. C. North, J. F. Ryder, . E. L. Wilson. The Local Secretary, Mr. J. F. Ryder, has secured a reduction in railroad fares, hotel charges, expressage, etc., etc., and the following is the way matters stand up to the time of our going to press. In about five days you will receive a circulur giving you further information; after that you must apply to the Local Secretary, but do not write him if you can help it, as he will have his hands full.
Arrangement With Hotels, The (best two hotels) Kennard House will charge $3 and the Weddell House $2.50 per day, and others lower. Where there are several parties going from one city or section, if they will address Mr. Ryder ten days beforehand, he will secure them the accommodation they need.
Arrangements With the Railroad Companies. We have, in connection with Mr. Ryder, spent a great deal of time in corresponding with the passenger agents of all the railroads that we thought could aid us. With many we could do nothing. They cannot yet see that it is to their advantage to favor us. Some day they will, we hope. The following is the best we have been able to do so far, and if it does not help all who want it, be assured it is not our fault, for we tried every railroad that we thought could aid us, as we have before said. Those on the line of, or who connect with, the roads mentioned below may secure their tickets at reduced rates by obeying directions given. 1. Philadelphia and Erie Railway, running from Philadelphia to Erie, Pa., and intervening places. Write to J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, Local Secretary, who will send you an order on the ticket agent at your place for an excursion ticket at the reduced rate of two cents per mile to Erie, Pa. There you change to the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad. See No. 5. 2. Pennsylvania Central Railroad, Philadelphia to Pittsburg and intervening places. Write to the Local Secretary….”]

“Editor’s Table. A Call to the West.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:78 (June 1870): 222. [“We have before called upon the photographers of the West to assist Mr. Ryder in the labors attending the Exhibition. We hope that those who can, will go a few days before the 7th, as there will be need of their good services in hanging the pictures and arranging the hall.”]

“The Exhibition and Meetings of the National Photographic Association.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:79 (July 1870): 225-226. “…Harmony prevailed throughout the meetings, and they were pleasant in every way and doubtless profitable, judging from the crowded rooms and the number who had to stand.
The Exhibition.
The Exhibition was, in every sense, a triumphant success. Mr. J. F. Ryder, the most efficient Local Secretary, will never be forgotten by those who were there. He drove the best of bargains for everything for the benefit of the Association; he was careful alike over the interests of all concerned, and to him the success of the affair was due. Too much cannot be said in his praise, as many will testify….”]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:79 (July 1870): 226-253. [“The Second Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the National Photographic Association of the United States was held in the Central Rink at Cleveland, Ohio, June 7th to 11th inclusive, 1870. The President, Mr. Abram Bogardus, of New York, in calling the Convention to order at 3 p.m. made the following remarks: “One year ago the National Photographic Association of the United States adjourned from the city of Boston to meet in the city of Cleveland on the 7th of June, and I may say that I can call this a jubilee. (Applause.) I now congratulate those who are here with us upon the success of our organization. If we have done well in the past, it argues that we are going to do better in the future, and I will only say now that I take great pleasure in calling the Association to order.” (Applause.) p. 226.
Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, the Local Secretary, then spoke as follows:
“Mr. President and Gentlemen: I take my share of pride as a Clevelander, that our city is honored by this meeting. I am proud to see so many in attendance here, most of whom have come hundreds and some thousands of miles. I am proud, too, of our magnificent show of photographs. So large and fine a collection has never before been brought together in this or any other country. The Bromide Patent extension man, with visions of a yearly revenue of a million or more, did not start out with a view of calling into existence a powerful association with powerful prejudices against unjust patents. But now we are the offspring of his greed. He administered well for us, and we owe him much. For the good of our young but rapidly-growing art, nothing can be of more value to us than unity, that we may all pull together in the direction of improvement. That you come to Cleveland to compare your strength with that of a year ago, that you give us the second annual meeting and exhibition, is a compliment to our city that will undoubtedly be appreciated. As a citizen, and in behalf of the photographers of Cleveland, I bid you welcome.”
President Bogardus then replied:
“My Brother: I am happy to be the mouth of the Association in replying to your cordial welcome. Among my earliest recollections of Ohio was the log-cabin with its latch-string hanging out as a welcome, but now I find the busy streets and palatial residences have taken the place of the log cabin, yet the welcome is just as hearty. Personally, I can say I have not shaken hands with a man since I came here, who has not given me a hearty shake as if it came from his heart. You know what Mr. Gough says, to wit, that ‘some men shake hands so softly and coldly that you look down to see whether you are shaking a man’s hand or a dead fish.’ We come here from the North, South, East, and West, all as a common brotherhood, and by our presence and our efforts hope to lift our art higher and higher till it attains the proud eminence it deserves. This gathering is going to give a stimulus to every man here. I defy any one to look on the work exhibited and not wish to equal or excel it. Will a’ man ride in the old stage-coach when the locomotive of progress is passing along? Excuse me if I make a remark personal to Mr. Ryder. When we first met in Philadelphia, with a view to forming this Association, there were but few of us, and differences of opinion existed as to whether the photographers would sustain the Association. Mr. Ryder arose and said that he ‘could not say much but he meant a good deal.’ He advocated its formation and predicted its success, and let this gathering and exhibition say whether his predictions have been fulfilled. We called the Boston gathering a success. What shall we call this but a jubilee? You speak (turning to Mr. Ryder) of the Bromide Patent man as being the cause of our Association. He at least deserves credit for his bulldog pertinacity, for it will surprise many of you to hear that the Bromide Patent is only just dead. Any party being refused an extension of his patent can go before the Senate and ask for another hearing before the Commissioner of Patents. The bromide man has done so, and accused Mr. Wilson and myself of using money and political influence to prevent his getting an extension. He has had a hearing before the commissioners of the Senate and they have refused him another hearing. As I once said in Philadelphia, when I was a boy we used to kill a snake, and his tail would live and squirm until sundown. So did the Bromide Patent. I think the report of the Senate committee put an effectual stop to his wriggling. The cat is said to have nine lives, but I believe Mr. Wilson will think bromide patents have ninety times nine. Wherever this Association shall hold its next annual meeting, I can only ask that the photographers of Cleveland and the West shall have a welcome as hearty and a greeting as cordial as the one we have received in this city.” (Applause.)… p. 227.”
“Resolved, That the sincere and hearty thanks of this Association are due and hereby tendered to the following: To J. F. Ryder, the able and efficient Local Secretary at Cleveland, who has been indefatigable in his labors for our annual meeting and exhibition, and to whose efforts its success is largely due….” p. 251.

“Editor’s Table. The Local Secretary.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:79 (July 1870): 271. [“No one who has not been through its labors knows what a laborious task is the Local Secretaryship. Mr. Ryder seems to have been made for that post, and did admirably in every way. Of course there are always some who grumble, but if they have cause let them not lay it to any oversight of Mr. Ryder. He forgot nothing.”]

“Editor’s Table. Portraits of Dr. Vogel.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:79 (July 1870): 271. [“Mr. J. F Ryder has favored us with an admirable 8 x 10 Salomon style portrait of Dr. Vogel, which is as excellent a likeness as it is a good photograph. Dr. Vogel sat for the negative at the special request of the Association, and we are rejoiced that it is such a success. Mr. Jno. Carbutt, Chicago, has also secured a fine stereoscopic negative of Dr. Vogel, which he promises to print by Woodbury’s photo-relief process, and to sell copies for the benefit of the Relief Fund.”]

1 b & w (“Exhibition of the National Photographic Association at Cleveland.”) by T. T. Sweeney, Cleveland, Ohio, as frontispiece in: “The Exhibition of the National Photographic Association at Cleveland— Our Picture.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 7:79 (July 1870): frontispiece, 276-281. [(Photograph missing from this issue.) “Having in our last number given our readers a pretty full account of what transpired at the business meetings of the National Photographic Association in Cleveland, let us now give a few details concerning the grand Exhibition. It was held in the Central Skating Rink, the floor of which is 90 by 250 feet, and which was profusely decorated with flags and evergreens festooned fancifully all around. In the centre, hanging from the roof, was a painted wreath, to which was suspended the truthful motto: ‘Elevate your art and it will elevate you.'” At the rear end of the hall was a huge scenic background, on which the different emblems of photography were painted and grouped, with the names of Niepce, Daguerre, Talbot, etc., the whole encircled by the following words in huge letters: ” Let your light so shine that others may see your good works.” All of this gave the immense interior a very tasteful and beautiful appearance. The floor being cleared of the debris of a fair which had but just closed, immense uprights were erected at certain distances apart on each side of the hall, running towards the centre and thus forming alcoves, each one being in a light almost equally favorable. On these uprights the pictures were hung, under the supervision of the Local Secretary, Mr. J. F. Ryder, and the Committee of Arrangements, Messrs. Albert Moore, W. Irving Adams, John R. Demons, V. M. Wilcox, and Edward L. Wilson. The committee occupied nearly three days and three nights in their work, and were supported by the valuable assistance of many of the photographers of Cleveland and by volunteers — photographers coming in daily to attend the meetings, etc., from all parts, all of whom promptly laid hold and helped all they could, with a will. The scene was one of great activity and earnestness, and the result was, all things were in readiness at the appointed time, and the Exhibition was thrown open to an appreciative public on Tuesday evening as advertised. Through the kindness of Mr. T. T. Sweeney, of Cleveland, who made the negatives, and of Mr. William H. Rhoads, of Philadelphia, who made the prints, and who has had to work night and day ever since to get the requisite quantity done in time, we are enabled to give our readers this month a view of a good portion of the interior as it appeared at the close of the Exhibition, though not the whole, as we desired. Owing to the peculiar arrangement of the uprights, a view from one end down the centre would not have made as satisfactory a view as the one we give, so, what was thought by several who were consulted to be the best general view, was selected, and the negatives made accordingly. Down the centre of the rink were rows of glass cases and tables, which were devoted to the display of apparatus, chemicals, lenses, etc., by the stockdealers, and which was very large and fine. We annex a list of the exhibitors, as near as we could make it during continued interruption, and if we have omitted anybody we will be glad to add those omitted in our next number. Our list begins at the left hand going in, down that side to the stage, across the stage, up the other side, and then the centre of the floor. On each side at the front was an immense pagoda (not shown in the picture), one being covered with splendid landscapes, portraits, and stereoscopic views by Mr. T. T. Sweeney, and the other by a large assortment of Braun’s carbon views, exhibited by Messrs. Wilson, Hood & Co., Philadelphia. The latter were on the left of the entrance, and following them were the cases containing Messrs. E. & H. T. Anthony & Co.’s display, and articles and pictures by Messrs. Howell, and those whose names follow his in the list, up to the handsome display of Mr. William B. Holmes, New York. In the picture are plainly seen the solar enlargements by Mr. Albert Moore, including the gold medal prize print (the one of a child, highest up, in the centre), the eighteen Steinheil lens pictures shown by Wilson, Hood & Co., the foreign pictures, which were all close together, and on the extreme upright the fine display by Mr. J. W. Black. On the left of the stage is Mr. Ryder’s splendid exhibition plainly seen. The arrangement of the other side of the hall was precisely the same, differing only in the pictures, all of which are mentioned, we believe, in the list. We tried to let none escape us. In the centre space, directly in front of the stage, Mr. John Carbutt, of Chicago, had tables erected, on which he continued to make prints by the Woodbury Photo-Relief Process during the whole Exhibition, always attracting an interested and delighted crowd; next to him Messrs. W. M. & C. C. Kohl & Co., Cincinnati, Ohio, had a large Stereoscopic Museum erected, and displayed a fine assortment of their Stereoscopes; next to them the Scovill Manufacturing Company occupied the space, and had several tables and cases of American Optical Company’s apparatus, etc. Their display was very prominent; also the well-known furniture, accessories, head-rest, etc., by Messrs. Wilson, Hood & Co. The Cleveland dealers, Messrs. Robbins and Castle, made fine displays. The large Yosemite views on the right of the picture, front, were also part of Mr. Robbins’s display, and next to these came Mr. Sweeney’s pagoda, which he unfortunately left out of the view….
List of Exhibitors.
“…J. W. Black, Boston, Mass. Portraits of many sizes, views on the coast of Labrador, interiors, groups, and landscapes. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O. A magnificent display of colored and India-ink pictures, of life and smaller size. W. S. Porter, Cincinnati, O. Daguerreotype in sections, of Fairmount Water Works, Philadelphia. Made in 1848. F. L. Stuber, Bethlehem, Pa. Portraits in Salomon style, and stereoscopic “Gems of American Life.” Fontayne & Porter, Newport, Ky. Daguerreotypes of Cincinnati. Made in 1848. J. M. Green, Cleveland, O. Oil photographs. S. Root, Dubuque, Iowa. Large portraits from untouched and retouched negatives….” p. 279.]

1871

Ryder, J. F. “The Study of Light and Lighting.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS: AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS, 1871 (1871): 15-16. [(“Written for Photographic Mosaics.)” “The study of light and lighting in relation to portrait photography, is one of too much importance to be neglected by the followers of the art. Taking for our standard what we feel to be correct, in rule and application, we may, by observation, comparison, and “trying on” a la doll’s dressmaker, learn much. So much that we may occasionally push our standard a notch higher, and this without making labor of the study; it becomes habit, and a very pleasant and entertaining one.
I speak for myself in the foregoing assertion. For some years it has been a pleasure and a profit to me. I follow it intuitively. I find my models everywhere, in parlors, halls, churches, offices, shops, railway cars; wherever there are windows or gas-jets, and heads for the light to shine upon, there are my studies—sometimes more, sometimes less interesting, but studied all the same. Frequently in common conversation, or in the course of a business transaction, I give as much attention to lighting the head of my model as I do to the drift of his talk, or the character of the business in hand. We may be introduced to a stranger, and while assuring him of the pleasure we have found in his acquaintance, and wondering if it will rain before night, we have discovered that his nose is a little out of true, and that a three-fourths face, away from the light, will suit him best.
In this study, or pursuit, much is to be gained. We learn to (p. 15) recognize the true from the false, the good from the bad. An education may so be acquired that would be obtained in no other way. We see and fix in the mind many peculiarities and effects of light that by accumulation become knowledge. There may be a lesson in the shadow thrown from a hitching-post, if we look for it, as much as there are “sermons in stones.”
These hints and bits of observation, picked up in promiscuous ways and places, carried into the operating-room, give power to the possessor of them, and make him master of the situation. Much may be gained from studying good paintings, engravings, and photographs, and we should encourage ourselves in the pursuit. When we once get into this way of ” trying on,” we are not likely to abandon the habit.” (p. 16)]

“Official List of Patents Issued from the United States Patent Office for the Week ending May 16, 1871, and Each Bearing that Date.” AMERICAN ARTISAN: A WEEKLY JOURNAL OF ARTS, MECHANICS, MANUFACTURES, ENGINEERING, CHEMISTRY, INVENTIONS, AND PATENTS n. s. 12:21 (May 24, 1871):326-327.
[Followed by two pages filled with more than 250 listings, i. e:
[114, 743.-Paper-Bag Machine.-Alfred Adams, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.
111,744.-Apparatus for Carbureting Hydrogen Gas.-Jacob Ambuhl, Morristown, Pa.
(Etc., etc.)
114,785.-Churn.-John E. Finley, Memphis, Tenn.
114,786.-Stereotype-Block.-James Fish, Chicago, Ill.
114,787.Apparatus for Carbureting Air.-R. Berkeley Boston, Mass.
(Etc., etc.)
111,850,-Type-Setting Machine.-Thomas J. Punket, New York City.
114.851.-Girder-Rest for Timbers.-Jonathan Preston, Boston, Mass.
(Etc,, etc.)
“114, 864 – Non-corrosive Metal-coated Plate-Holder. James F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.
(Etc., etc.)]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 8:91 (July 1871): 194-240. [(Ryder mentioned throughout this detailed report of the Third Annual Convention of the NPA, opened June 7th, 1871 at the Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, PA.) “….The Local Secretary, at Cleveland, Mr. Ryder, reported his total receipts at $1198.55, and expenditures $1071.37, leaving a balance of $127.18, to place in the treasury, and some unsold lumber. This report was accepted as “particularly gratifying and satisfactory.”…” p. 197. “…The Annual Election. Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, chairman of the Committee on Nominations, presented the report of that committee, as follows: For President. — A. Bogardus, New York. For Vice-Presidents. — J. F. Ryder, Ohio; F. Thorp, Ohio; Samuel Holmes, New York; Edward Anthony, New York; A. Hall, Illinois; B. Gray, Illinois; J. H. Kent, New York; F. Rowell, Massachusetts; Geo H. Fennemore, Pennsylvania; E. S. Wormel, Maine; W. S. Wilder, New Hampshire; L. A. Peirce, Vermont; C. T. Miller, Rhode Island; J. K. Bundy, Connecticut; J. Reid, New Jersey; D. R. Holmes, Delaware; N. H. Bnsey, Maryland; Alexander Gardner, Washington, D. C.; D. H. Anderson, Virginia; H. B. Hull, West Virginia; C. M. Van Orsdell, North Carolina; G. S. Cook, South Carolina; C. W. Motes, Georgia; J. H. Lakin, Alabama; S. T. Blessing, Louisiana; H. G. Fetter, Indiana; B. F. Hall, Michigan; I. B. Webster, Kentucky; W. H. Sherman, Wisconsin; E. R. Curtis, Wisconsin.; S. T. Wiggins, Minnesota; W. H. Jackson, Nebraska; Mrs. Barrett, Iowa; A. J. Fox, Missouri; W. K. French, Tennessee; W. H. Rulofson, California; H. B. Hillyer, Texas; E. E. Henry, Kansas. For Treasurer. — Albert Moore….” p. 217. “…A motion to secure the services of a “retoucher ” to explain the method before the Convention was agreed to. Mr. W. J. Baker, of Buffalo, moved a reconsideration, because retouching was a science, and could not be taught. Lost. President Bogardus. — It would be pleasant for the Association if Mr. Baker, of Buffalo, would instruct us on the subject of retouching. Mr. Baker. — We have already had so many able articles in our journals, and we have had Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, who is probably one of the best in this country, so fully explain his mode, that it is quite superfluous for me to attempt to offer anything new. I use the pencil and the pigment, and the union of the two make the third. It seems to me I have nothing to add to that….” pp. 228-229. “…The resolutions were read, when Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, objected to the date. It should be a month later, in which view Mr. Fennemore, of Philadelphia, coincided…” p. 232.]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association, held at Horticultural Hall, Philadelphia, Commencing June 7th, 1871.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:3 (July 1871): 121-136.
[ “Opening of the Convention.”
The president, Mr. Bogardus, said one year ago we adjourned at Cleveland to meet in Philadelphia to-day, and, pursuant to that adjournment, I now have the pleasure of calling the National Photographic Association to order….” (p. 121) (Etc., etc.) “..The following gentlemen were then appointed by the chair as members of the committee on nominations:– Messrs. Hall, of Chicago; Ryder, of Cleveland; Anderson, of New York; Corbett, of Philadelphia; and Bakeer, of Buffalo….” (p. 122) (Etc., etc.)
“Phonographic Reporter”
J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, moved that a phonographic reporter be added to the list of officers. W. J. Baker, of Buffalo, raised the point of order, that it was virtually an amendment to the constitution, and it was laid over under the rule. (p. 124)
The Annual Election.
Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, chairman of the Committee on Nominations, presented the report of that committee, as follows:
President-Abraham Bogardus, of New York.
Vice Presidents–J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, Ohio, Alex. Gardner of Washington, D.C. Hall of Illinois, J.H. Kent of New York, F. Rowell of Massachusetts, Fennimore of Philadelphia, E.S. Woemel of Maine, Wilder of New Hampshire, Peirce of Springfield, Vermont, Miller of Rhode Island, Bundy of Connecticut, Reid of New Jersey, Holmes of Delaware, Busey of Baltimore, Md., Grey of Bloomington, III., Thorp of Bucyrus, Ohio, Anderson of Richmond, Va., Hull of West Virginia, Van Osdell of North Carolina, Cook of S. Carolina, Moetz of Georgia, Lakin of Alabama, Fetter of Indiana, B. F. Hall of Michigan, Webster of Kentucky, Sherman of Wisconsin, E. R. Curtis of Wisconsin, Wiggins of Minnesota, Jackson of Nebraska, Blessings of Louisiana, Barrett of lowa, Fox of Missouri, French of Tennessee, Rulofson of California, Hilliard of Texas, and Henry of Kansas.
Permanent Secretary-E. L. Wilson of Philadelphia.
TreasurerAlbert Moore, of Philadelphia.
Executive Committee-V. M. Wilcox of New York, W. J. Adams of New York, W. H. Rhoads of Philadelphia, A. Hessler of Chicago, and J. Carbrutt of Philadelphia.
Committee on Progress of Photography–W. J. Baker, Buffalo, N. Y.; H. T. Anthony, of New York; J.C. Browne, Philadelphia ; J. Carbrutt, of Philadelphia.
Corresponding Members (Composing a Committee on Progress)— E. Anderson, Dr. H. Vogel, of Berlin, and G. W. Simpson….”
The Reports of the Convention.
Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, called up his amendment to the constitution providing for the appointment of a phonographic reporter. (p. 127)
The Exhibition. (p. 131-136)
“…J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., had twelve large photographs which were considered, we believe by all, to be, of this sized productions, the gems of the exhibition. They were easy, graceful and natural in the posing, most beautifully lighted, and the retouching artistic in the highest degree of perfection. There was one large print of Mr. Ryder himself, which was the finest print we ever saw from that sized negative, and the ”retouching” on it was but very slight, not occupying fifteen minutes. The prints also exhibited the proof that they came from a first-class printer, being extraordinary in tone and brilliant in finish….” (p. 134)

“The Exhibition of the National Photographic Association at Philadelphia.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 8:92 (Aug. 1871): 254-258. [“Having in the last number of our magazine, given our readers a pretty full record of the proceedings of the Convention at Philadelphia, it will be in place to say a few words concerning the very beautiful Exhibition, after which we follow with other matters pertaining to the meetings, and the papers of Messrs. Trask and Baker. Let us say first that the average quality of the work exhibited was most encouraging and gratifying, showing that those who did well before are doing much better, and that those who were behind have caught up, and are doing splendidly….” p. 254. “…List of Exhibitors. Domestic…” “…J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, Ohio. A magnificent collection of 11 x 14 portraits, from carefully retouched negatives. Excellent work….” p. 256.]

Baker, W. J., Buffalo, N. Y. “Pictorial Effect.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 8:92 (Aug. 1871): 265-268. [(Paper read at the NPA meeting.) “Mr. President and Members of the National Photographic Association: It is mentioned in treatises on optics, that light always proceeds in straight lines, and that when a ray impinges on a smooth surface, and is thrown off, the angle of incidence and the angle of reflection are equal….” p. 265. “…I will confine myself to four, the four chief; all of them should coexist in every picture. It is their harmonious union which creates artistic treatment, redeeming what would else be vulgar and trivial. In a measure they are contradictory and opposing qualities, but like discords in music, add to the resulting harmony. They are breadth, depth, solidity, transparency; let me repeat them, breadth, depth, solidity, transparency. I ought to add a fifth, delicacy, but that will appear incidentally….” p. 266. “…Next, what is solidity? We hear it said of a portrait that the head is solid. It is an effect obtained something in the same way that breadth is, by lighting in one direction, and like depth, it deepens a good deal on the amount of contrasts. It is a fine quality within limits, in excess it tends to hardness. No diagram will express it; it must be seen in the actual picture Let me without disparagement to the works of any other of our brother artists, mention Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, as obtaining in his exhibited photographs, this quality in its fullest extent. The picture of himself is solid in the head as can be, and your previous and future study of these and similar pictures, will save me the almost impossible task of further explanation. Solidity and delicacy you notice are at variance….” p. 267.]

“Report of the Invincible Photographic Society.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:4 (Oct. 1871): 157-158.
[ “Reported by Nod Patterson.”
“The fourth quarterly meeting was held at the hall of the “Invincibles,” on the night of Sept. 4, 1871. The committee appointed to visit the exhibition at Philadelphia were called upon for their report. The chairman then read their report, as follows: “Knights of the face-making art, ladies and gentlemen of the profession, silver splashers, from the artist way down to the gemist, it is with the greatest pleasure imaginable …” (p. 157) (Etc., etc.)
“…I am pleased to state the work exhibited was well worthy of the most careful study. The pictures by Messrs. Ryder, Bogardus, Anderson, Kurtz, Gurney, Howell and many others that might be named, settles the point in my estimation that photography is an art….” (p. 158) (Etc., etc. “…Deve Loper, Sec’y Invincible.” (p. 158)
[Semi-sarcastic comic report on the National Photographic Association meeting in Philadelphia. WSJ]]

1 b & w (Portrait of a Young Lady. [missing from this issue]) as frontispiece in: “Our Illustration.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:4 (Oct. 1871): frontispiece, 158-159. [“With this issue we again present our readers with a real photographic gem. This excellent production comes from the well-known establishment of Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio.
Mr. Ryder’s work at the Philadelphia Exhibition was universally admired and praised, and was so well deserving and worthy of all the praise and admiration bestowed upon it, we concluded we could no better please or suit (p. 158) our readers, than by thus placing before them specimens of the work which was considered “par excellence” at the late exhibition. Mr. Ryder was very busy when we made application to him to furnish us with a set of negatives to illustrate our book with. He was willing to do all in his power to assist and further us in our efforts to elevate the standard of the Art. He had very many negatives which would answer our purpose, but the parties they were taken from declined to allow them to be used for the purpose. He knew there would be the greatest trouble to secure a suitable subject who would be willing to thus give their countenance in the good of the cause. However, at last an amiable young lady was found, whose good sense allowed her to become the subject of our illustration in this issue. We are very much gratified to find so handsome a lady gracing our frontispiece, and one who is so greatly respected, and moves in the best and most refined society. It shows there are those who love the art, and that there are ladies whose good sense and judgment is not overpowered by vanity and mock modesty. The fraternity should feel indebted to this estimable lady, and I know they do.
The illustration is a worthy example and study for all. The lighting is superbly managed, and exhibits care, and a good knowledge of artistic effect. It will be observed the pose is simple, yet very graceful and easy; yet to arrange a lady in these simple (though effective) poses is much easier imagined than accomplished. In our January issue we spoke about the excellent and artistic retouching of Mr. Ryder’s productions, and we think our readers will fully coincide with us when they see the prints in this number. The negatives are very slightly retouched indeed. Below we give Mr. Ryder’s formula used in producing these pictures, but we trust that all will not think they can make these pictures, if they do have the formula. A writer gives us particular fits because he could not make pictures equal to Mr. Busey’s, and he had Mr. B.’s formula too, and had been in the “bizness most ten yeres.” All such let us kindly remind, that in addition to the formula given with our illustration, it is necessary to have a few grains of common sense, a love for the art above dollars and cents, a little judgment, a little (?) art knowledge, and considerable brains, all of which must come in their proper place -that’s all.
Mr. Ryder’s sky-light faces the North, is 12 feet wide by 15 feet long; no side light. The negatives were made about 11 o’clock A. M., exposure 30 seconds. A 3 A. Dallmeyer’s lens was used. The following is the
Collodion.
Ether……. … 8 ounces
Acohol………. 8 ounces
lod. Amm’a ……. 5 grains to the ounce of Coll’d
Brom. Pottasium 2 grains to the ounce of Coll’d
and Gun Cotton at the rate of one ounce to each half gallon of collodion. The negative bath used was 40 grains to the ounce; the usual common iron developer was used.
The Prints were made in the Printing Department of the National Photographic Publishing House of R. Walzl, Baltimore.
The paper used is called the 8 Kilo Dresden, Rive Albumen Paper.
Silver Solution.
4 oz. silver dissolved in 40 oz. water, add 2 oz. nitrate ammonia, 2 drams liquid ammonia and 2 oz., 95 per ct. of alcohol ; filter before using; float paper of a minute. When dry, fume 5 minutes.
Wash prints well before toning. Then tone with the following : 15 grains pure gold dissolved in 10 oz. water. (This is the Stock Solution.)
Take 32 oz. water, add from 2 to 3 oz. stock solution (according to the number of prints to be toned.) Stir with the finger, place a strip of Litmus paper therein, which will change from blue to red, add in small quantity washing soda until the litmus paper turns blue again.
Any tone can be obtained in this solution. When toned, wash, and fix in a solution of 8 oz. hypo-sulphate of soda to 64 oz. of water, a few drops of liquid ammonia added, leave prints therein (keeping them in constant motion) till they are clear in the whites, commonly termed “fixed.” Should the paper be subject to blisters add an ounce or two of table salt into the hypo-solution and it will remedy the trouble.” (p. 159)]

“Sketches of Prominent Photographers. No. 6. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:4 (Oct. 1871): 160. [“The subject of our sketch in this issue is the eminent, popular and whole souled gentleman, Mr. J. F. Ryder, whom hundreds of our readers will remember from their visit to the great Cleveland exhibition, for his untiring efforts to further the interests of the exhibition’s success. He is one of the enthusiastic lovers of our beautiful art, and he considers artistic excellence of more value than the mere getting of the filthy lucre. It is such that ennoble the art, and help to bring it up to the high pinnacle of artistic fame. He commenced as an apprentice to the Daguerrotype business in Ithaca, New York, in 1848. In a few months, (money is powerful) found himself proprietor of the establishment he had entered as an humble apprentice, his father having furnished him the $40 with which it was purchased.
Soon after this, an elderly gentleman of dignified and fine appearance, calling himself professor, wearing a good many frogs upon his artistic over-coat, and always in his “studio and “laboratory’ appearing in a handsome dressing gown, and embroidered slippers, thought he would establish himself as a neighbor.
The boy Daguerrotypist could not cope with the “Professor,” so he took the hint, and his one packing trunk, and visited various small towns, and opened “galleries,” making some progress in his photographic education, and money enough to pay his way. In 1850 he went to Ohio, and for some three years travelled about, visiting the smaller towns in the western reserve, with tolerable success. In 1853 located himself in Cleveland, where he has occupied the same rooms for 18 years.By attention to business has found success pecuniarily ; has expended much money in keeping up with the times, always buying information, instruments &c., that he thought valuable; has always been the first to introduce new styles, and improvements. Three years ago he sent abroad for an artist to retouch negatives, and the credit is really due him for introducing that work in this country.
At the Boston exhibition he showed the first work of the kind of good quality that had been made in America. He has brought from Europe three artists for finishing, and has sent for another-finding it profitable so to do.
We have hanging in our sanctum a 14×17 photograph of Mr. R. made with a 3 A. Dallmeyer, said to be the very best photograph of the size yet seen in this country. This brief sketch shows the vim and characteristics of the true man.”]

“Editor’s Drawer.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:4 (Oct. 1871): 167. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, (Cleveland, Ohio,) will please accept our heartiest thanks for the excellent mammoth picture of himself, a print which was so universally admired and praised at the late exhibition. It is good.”}

1872

“Correspondence. ‘Let There Be Light.’” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 2:1 (Jan. 1872): 28. [“R. Walzi, Esq.,
Dear Sir :-I have received and read the October number of the Photographer’s Friend which you were so kind as to send me, and for which you will please accept my sincere thanks. I was particularly interested with the leader—“Summer Ramblings,” &c.; the more so as it contains such interesting descriptions of numerous natural beauties and curiosities which, though located in my native State, I have never seen. I have just shown the frontispiece, that perfect specimen of the art of photography, the portrait of a beautiful young lady, by Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., to a bachelor friend, who vehemently exclaimed, “By the Eternal! that is lovely. I’d like to have a copy of that framed.” He sat and admired it in silence some minutes, when he said, (without taking his eyes from the picture) “Wouldn’t I be happy if I could call the original of that mine? I replied Who wouldn’t, if she is as good as indeed really beautiful, the matter of the journal is very interesting, and its typography a model specimen of the art; yet nothing in or about it pleased me so much as your most happy selection of that blessed mandate, “Let there be Light,” as your motto. It seemed to me that no words ever uttered by God or man could be more appropriate. How precious to thousands is the impress of that blessed light by which the form and features of dear departed friends are truthfully preserved, long, long after their bodies have returned to dust, and their spirits to the God who gave them life. “Let there be Light,” that blessed medium through which alone man, finite man, is able to see and admire the handy-work of the Infinite Creator. Light”-“God called the light day.” With its refracted rays He formed the glorious bow of promise.” Success to “The Photographers’ Friend;” may its numbers be multiplied until its matter shall “light” up and cheer the fireside and family circle of every lover of the lovely art. Truly yours, W.”]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 9:102 (June 1872): 163-176. [“St. Louis, Mo., May, 1872. The Fourth Annual Convention of the National Photographic Association of the United States was held in Polytechnic Hall, St. Louis, Mo., opening on the 8th day of May, 1872, at ten o’clock a m., and was called to order by President Abraham Bogardus in the following language:”
“…Afternoon Session. 3 p. m. The Convention met pursuant to adjournment. The President read a communication from J. P. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, expressing his regrets at not being able to attend the Convention….” p. 176.]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 9:102 (June 1872): 181-182. “…Mr. Southworth concluded amid applause, after which the Secretary read the following:
Retrospective and Otherwise. By J. H. Kent.
It seems but a few days since we were assembled in convention at Philadelphia, and yet most of us are nearly a year older, and all who do not dye, have added gray hairs and accumulated wrinkles; reminding us that, like unwashed photographs, we are fast fading out. Our tottering steps, too, admonish us that we are passing away, and that soon the places that now know us will cut our acquaintance forever.“…It is a question, too, whether too much is not also attempted in the direction of retouching and removing of lines and shadows from the negative; and whether it is truthful and legitimate to humor the vanity of sitters by gross flattery, in making every face round and smooth, regardless of the sacrifice to likeness. Retouching, rightly regarded and properly employed, is an improvement we cannot afford to ignore or do without, but it should not be depended on to viajce the negative, or to spoil it after it is made. It has its office, and that should be to aid the artist in producing effects he is unable to obtain without it, owing to the difficulty always experienced in controlling his light just as he wishes, and the tendency of the chemicals to portray too vividly imperfections of skin. Retouching is unquestionably a good thing, but the tendency is to do too much of it, and depending too much upon the retoucher to make negatives answer that would otherwise be considered worthless.“…When the art was in its infancy, the power to make a likeness was thought to be something wonderful and the discoverer was justly regarded as a genius; but he would himself be greatly astonished at the perfection to which his discovery has been brought at the present time. Yet no one has gone very far at once. The first who gave the hint did not know how to pursue it methodically. He worked as far as he was able, and others availing themselves of his experience have pursued it further. In fact our only road to success is in imitating others and building upon the foundation they have laid. I am myself an imitator, and am free to confess that I have borrowed much from such men as Kurtz and Notman and Ryder and Roeher, and many other shining lights in our profession. They, too, have borrowed from still others j and thus, by imitation and study, is progress made. I would not be understood as meaning imitation in its literal sense, or simply the copying of the productions of others, but to avail ourselves of the advantages that may be drawn from any and every source within our reach….” p. 182.]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 9:102 (June 1872): 201. [“…The Committee on Nominations reported as follows: Report of the Committee on Nominations. To the president and members of the National Photographic Association. Your Committee on Nominations beg leave to report the following nominations: For President — Abram Bogardus, New York. For Vice-Presidents — J. H. Liinson, Maine; B. W. Kilburn, New Hampshire; D. H. Cross, Vermont; E. F. Smith, Massachusetts; C. T. Miller, Rhode Island; E. T. Whitney, Connecticut; James Howard, New York; J. E. Smith, New Jersey; B. Frank Saylor, Pennsylvania; W. H. Curry, Delaware; N. H. Busey, Maryland; D. H. Anderson, Virginia; C. W. Yates, North Carolina; George S. Cook, South Carolina; D. W. Van Riper, Georgia; J. H. Lakin, Alabama; J. M. W. Summer, Arkansas; W. R. Phipps, Kentucky; W. H. Moyston, Tennessee; T. H. Higgins, West Virginia; E. Finch, Texas; S. T. Blessing, Louisiana; W. H. Rulofson, California; J. Lee Knight, Kansas; A. J. Fox, Missouri; S. M. Fassett, Illinois; J. Perry Elliott, Indiana; J. F. Ryder, Ohio; L. G. Bigelow, Michigan; E. L. Eaton, Nebraska; C. R. Savage, Utah; F. Thorp. District Columbia; W. H. Sherman, Wisconsin; Samuel Root, Iowa; A. F. Nesbitt. Minnesota; P. Olmstead, Davenport, Iowa. …”]

Kent, J. H. “Retrospective and Otherwise.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 2:3 (July 1872): 80-81. It seems but a few days since we were assembled in convention at Philadelphia, and yet most of us are nearly a year older, and all who do not dye have added gray hairs and accumulated wrinkles; reminding us that, like unwashed photographs, we are fast fading out. Our tottering steps, too, admonish us that we are passing away, and that soon the places that now know us will cut our acquaintance forever….” (p. 80) (Etc., etc.) “…In fact our only road to success is in imitating others and building upon the foundations they have laid. I am myself an imitator, and am free to confess that I have borrowed much from such men as Kurtz and Notman and Ryder and Rocher, and many other shining lights in our profession. They, too, have borrowed from still others; and thus, by imitation and study, is progress made. I would not be understood as meaning imitation in its literal sense, or simply the copying of the productions of others,…” (p. 81) (Etc., etc.)]

“The St. Louis Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 2:3 (July 1872): 65–94.
“…Third Session. Thursday, May 9th, 1872, 10 A. M.
The Convention met pursuant to adjournment. President Bogardus in the chair….” (Etc., etc.)
“The vote of the Association was, on motion, cast by Mr. Van Riper, and the nominations were confirmed.
President Abram Bogardus, New York.
Vice Presidents—J. J. Lamson, Maine ; B. W. Kilburn, New Hampshire; D. H. Cross, Vermont; E. F. Smith, Massachusetts; C. T. Miller, Rhode Island ; E. T. Whitney ; Connecticut ; James Howard, New York; J. E. Smith, New Jersey; B. Frank Saylor, Pennsylvania ; W. H. Curry, Delaware; N. H. Busey, Maryland ; D. H. Anderson, VirIginia ; C. W. Yates, North Carolina ; George S. Cook, South Carolina ; D. W. Riper, Georgia; J. H. Lakin, Alabama ; J. M. W. Summer, Arkansas; W. R. Phipps, Kentucky; W. H. Moyston, Tennessee ; T. H. Higgins, West Virginia ; E. Finch, Texas; S. T. Blessing, Louisiana; W. H. Rulofson, California ; O. J. Lee Knight, Kansas ; A. J. Fox, Missouri; S. M. Fassatt, Illinois ; J. Perry Elliott, Indiana; J. F. Ryder, Ohio; L. G. Bigelow, Michigan ; E. L. Eaton, Nebraska ; C. R. Savage, Utah; F. Thorp, District Columbia ; W. R. Sherman, Wisconsin ; Samuel Root, Iowa ; A. F Nesbitt, Minnesota ;P. Olmstead, Davenport, Iowa.
Permanent Secretary-E. L. Wilson, Philadelphia.
Treasurer-Albert Moore, Philadelphia.
Executive Committee-J. W. Black, Boston; A. Hesler, Chicago; W. Irving Adams, New York; W. H. Rhoads, Philadelphia ; J. H. Fitzgibbon, St. Louis.
Committee on Progress of Photography John C. Browne, Philadelphia ; Joseph Wilson, Philadelphia ; John Moran Pennsylvania; W. J. Baker, Buffalo; G. A. Douglas, Chicago; John A. Scholten, St. Louis. Counsellor at Law—E. Y. Bell, New York.” (p. 83) (Etc., etc.)]

“Another Visit.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 2:19 (July 1872): 103. [“”While at St. Louis we often heard the inquiry made, “Where is our good friend Ryder, of Cleveland? Why is he not here?” The fact is, Mr. Ryder was so absorbed in the erection of a new and handsome gallery, that he could not leave it. A tire partly destroyed it; but he is now nearly ready to open it. He has just been to New York to lay in his supplies, and favored us with a call in person, which we appreciated.”]

“Still another Art Palace.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 3:9 (Sept. 1872): 672-673. [Ryder builds a sumptuous new gallery in Cleveland.)

“Editor’s Table Mr. Ryder’s New Studio.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 9:105 (Sept. 1872): 334-335. [“It was well known in St. Louis at the Convention that our good friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, was absent, and that the cause was that he was busy building a new studio. That new studio is now open, and we have the following notes concerning it from the Cleveland Daily Herald: “The Good Taste and Enterprise of Ryder. — The name of Ryder is as familiar as household words, to all who know aught of Cleveland, and the prefix of J. F. is about as useless as that of Hon. to the name Henry Clay. For years — twenty, we presume — his photographic establishment, on the third floor at the corner of Bank and Superior Streets, has been a favorite place of resort for all who would take advantage in their likenesses of the finest touches of art and the latest improvements in photography. These many years of devotion to his profession have brought their appropriate reward, and have permitted him now to carry out a long-treasured plan, of relieving himself from cramped quarters, and of displaying his excellent taste. Last Saturday night suddenly developed the results to our citizens, and wondering eyes gazed on unexpected objects of delight, for then the uncouth covering of rough boards that had hid No. 239 Superior Street from public gaze was torn away, and in its stead appeared an iron front, the whole height of the building, of graceful design, resplendent in gilt and marble, and huge plates of clearest glass. So beautiful a front is not to be seen in the West, if, indeed, in the East, and yet the interior is equally splendid. For the space of some eighty feet the old two stories are made into one, and the walls exquisitely frescoed in most choice designs. The walls upon one side are graced with the finest specimens of photographic art in all its varieties and incidents, and upon the other with paintings of the most noted artists, all in frames themselves of wondrous richness. Among the most noticeable paintings is the celebrated White Hills of New Hampshire by A. D. Shattuck, justly celebrated as second to but few as a landscape painter. Back of this grand salon are the reception parlors, and the rooms for the storage of stock and for framing. From the front room leads a grand staircase, itself noticeable for graceful design and finish, to the waiting and operating rooms. The whole establishment is complete in all its arrangements and equipments, and the general verdict is that the public are indebted to the enterprise of Mr. Ryder for his munificent outlay and his judicious display of taste. We congratulate Mr. Ryder on his success in this matter, and hope good fortune may always attend him.”]

“The Chicago Exhibition.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 2:21 (Sept. 1872): 138. [“Last month we spoke of the Convention; we will now say something about the Exhibition. In the stock line the display was full and complete…. In the photographic department there were many evidences of improvement and artistic progress. The “Art Gallery” was especially adapted to a favorable display of the collection of pictures with which it was filled, and all interested had an opportunity to study them to the best advantage. Among the collections which commanded the most attention were those of Bogardus, Barhydt, Brand, Mosher, Rocher, Bradley & Rulofson, and Benerman & Wilson….” “… But one of the most conspicuous features of this Exhibition was the long list of absentees,—those that have always stood foremost in the art, and have heretofore been identified with each exhibition as the leaders in all that was excellent and progressive. We may be pardoned for mentioning the following as being conspicuous for their absence: Kurtz, Sarony, Gurney, Fredericks, Kent, Baker, Ryder, Landy, Van Loo, Gutekunst, and Rhoads. They doubtless all had good reasons for not being represented there, but we allude to it because they were missed; they have come to be representative men in the art, and when so many absent themselves the vacancy is very apparent. It is unquestionably true that the men who attend these Exhibitions, and make the effort to display some of their best work, retain their positions in the front rank, or soon improve sufficiently to be placed there; while those that are never seen at the exhibitions seldom acquire more than a limited reputation, and are usually a little behind in point of artistic attainments….”]

“Mr. Ryder’s New Gallery in Cleveland.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 2:21 (Sept. 1872): 139. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder has just expended about $20,000 in fitting up a magnificent art palace in Cleveland. We shall have to take the National Photographic Association there again to see it. It has a magnificent iron front. Within, the second floor has been torn out for a distance of eighty or ninety feet, so that the main room has a height of twenty-eight or thirty feet. The front has a large vestibule or recess, floored with beautiful tiles, and supported by handsome iron columns. A heavy glass door opens at either side, and the centre is an immense window of plate glass, the largest single light ever brought to this city. The main room in front is hung on one side with superb specimens of photographic art, while the opposite wall is covered with paintings. Beyond the main saloon lies the reception room; beyond that a long room, devoted to the storage of stock and the work of framing. A broad stairway leads from the reception room to the second floor, where are the waiting-room and the operating-gallery, all as elegant and perfect as can be conceived. Nothing that can add to the comfort or enjoyment of his guests has been omitted by Mr. Ryder, who now finds himself master of an establishment that would be an ornament to Broadway or Chestnut Street. The handsome walnut furniture, the beautiful gilt chandeliers, and the carpets, and the whole design, without and within, is a monument to the taste and liberality of Mr. Ryder. His future success is of course secure, for he has already won it. His opening reception, recently, was an ovation which ought to make him proud of his work.”]

“Mr. J. F. Ryder’s New Rooms.” COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS 1:4 (Oct. 1872): 8-9. [“Our good friend Mr. J. F. Ryder has recently fitted up a photographic Palace in his city (Cleveland, O.) which is in every way well worthy of the very excellent class of photographic productions, which are known as “Ryder’s”. Good work will pay, and this move of Mr. Ryder’s proves it. It has always been his motto to make first class work and demand good prices, by which means he has elevated the art, and the art has elevated him. Success is sure to such gentlemen always, and of course he will be better patronized than ever, now that he has secured a studio in keeping with the character of his productions. We are pleased to see the Press of Cleveland fully recognize, and appreciate Mr. Ryder’s new quarters. We make a few extracts from Cleveland papers, and regret we have not room for more :
Opening of Ryder’s New Art Emporium The Handsomest Front in Cleveland-Another Step Forward
In a city where business streets suffer so badly in comparison with her broad avenues, and beautiful homes, the christening of a superb establishment like that thrown open on Saturday evening by Mr. J. F. Ryder, at, 239 Superior street, is an event of no ordinary significance and interest. Though in all essential respects a business establishment, built and fitted up for the purpose of profit to its proprietor, there is something in a beautiful building stored with choice pictures, and wearing within an air of quiet elegance and refinement that in a sense, belongs to the public. We shall all feel from this time forward, that Cleveland has another permanent attraction, another place down town to which a visitor may be taken with a feeling of pride.
The city is indebted for this new ornament, to Mr. J. F. Ryder, who for the past twenty years has stood at the very head of his profession in the West. The same liberality and enterprise, which led him four years ago, to bring from Munich the first master of the new art of finishing negatives, and thereby to win the first prize at the great Boston exhibition in 1868, has now led Mr. Ryder to plan and build the finest temple to photographic art in the West, if not in the whole United States.
The Good Taste and Enterprise of Ryder.
The name of Ryder is “as familiar as household words,” to all who know aught of Cleveland, and the prefix of J. F. is about as useless as that of Hon. to the name Henry Clay. For years–twenty we presume—his photographic establishment on the third floor, at the corner of Bank and Superior streets, has been a favorite place of resort, for all who would take advantage in their likenesses, of the finest touches of art, and the latest improvements in photography. These many years of devotion to his profession have brought their appropriate reward, and have permitted him now to carry out a long treasured plan, of relieving himself from cramped quarters, and of displaying his excellent taste.
Last Saturday night, suddenly developed the results to our citizens, and wondering eyes gazed on unexpected objects of delight, for then the uncouth-covering of rough boards, that had hid No. 239 Superior street from public gaze was torn away, and in its stead appeared an iron front, the whole height of the building, of graceful design, resplendent (p. 8) in gilt and marble, and huge plates of clearest glass. So beautiful a front is not to be seen in the West, if indeed in the East, and yet the interior is equally splendid. For the space of some eighty feet the old two stories are made into one, and the walls exquisitely frescoed in most choice designs. The walls upon one side are graced with the finest specimens of photographic art in all its varieties and incidents, and upon the other with paintings of the most noted artists, all in frames themselves of wondrous richness. Among the most noticeable paintings is the celebrated White Hills of New Hampshire by A. D. Shattuck, justly celebrated as second to but few as a landscape painter. Back of this grand salon are the reception parlors, and the rooms for the storage of stock and for framing. From the front room leads a grand staircase, itself noticeable for graceful design and finish to the waiting, and operating rooms.
The whole establishment is complete in all its arrangements and equipments, and the general verdict is, that the public are indebted to the enterprise of Mr. Ryder for his munificent outlay, and his judicious display of taste.” (p. 9)]

“Mr. J. F. Ryder’s New Rooms.” COMMERCIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC NEWS 1:4 (Oct. 1872): 8-9. [“Our good friend Mr. J. F. Ryder has recently fitted up a photographic Palace in his city (Cleveland O.) which is in every way well worthy of the very excellent class of photographic productions, which are known as “Ryder’s”. Good work will pay, and this move of Mr. Ryder’s proves it. It has always been his motto to make first class work and demand good prices, by which means he has elevated the art, and the art has elevated him. Success is sure to such gentlemen always, and of course he will be better patronized than ever, now that he has secured a studio in keeping with the character of his productions. We are pleased to see the Press of Cleveland fully recognize, and appreciate Mr. Ryder’s new quarters. We make a few extracts from Cleveland papers, and regret we have not room for more:
Opening of Ryder’s New Art Emporium— The Handsomest Front in Cleveland—Another Step Forward.
In a city where business streets suffer so badly in comparison with her broad avenues and beautiful homes, the christening of a superb establishment like that thrown open on Saturday evening by Mr. J. F. Ryder, at 239 Superior street, is an event of no ordinary significance and interest. Though in all essential respects a business establishment, built and fitted up for the purpose of profit to its proprietor, there is something in a beautiful building stored with choice pictures, and wearing within an air of quiet elegance and refinement that in a sense, belongs to the public. We shall all feel from this time forward, that Cleveland has another permanent attraction, another place down town to which a visitor may be taken with a feeling of pride.
The city is indebted for this new ornament to Mr. J. F. Ryder, who for the past twenty years has stood at the very head of his profession in the West. The same liberality and enterprise, which led him four years ago, to bring from Munich the first master of the new art of finishing negatives, and thereby to win the first prize at the great Boston exhibition in 1868, has now led Mr. Ryder to plan and build the finest temple to photographic art in the West, if not in the whole United States.
The Good Taste and Enterprise of Ryder.
The name of Ryder is “as familiar as household words,” to all who know aught of Cleveland, and the prefix of J. F. is about as useless as that of Hon. to the name Henry Clay. For years—twenty we presume—his photographic establishment on the third floor, at the corner of Bank and Superior streets, has been a favorite place of resort, for all who would take advantage in their likenesses, of the finest touches of art, and the latest improvements in photography. These many years of devotion to his profession have brought their appropriate reward, and have permitted him now to carry out a long treasured plan, of relieving himself from cramped quarters, and of displaying his excellent taste.
Last Saturday night, suddenly developed the results to our citizens, and wondering eyes gazed on unexpected objects of delight, for then the uncouth covering of rough boards, that had hid No. 239 Superior street from public gaze was torn away, and in its stead appeared an iron front, the whole height of the building, of graceful design, resplendent in gilt and marble, and huge plates of clearest glass. So beautiful a front is not to be seen in the West, if indeed in the East, and yet the interior is equally splendid. For the space of some eighty feet the old two stories are made into one, and the walls exquisitely frescoed in most choice designs. The walls upon one side are graced with the finest specimens of photographic art in all its varieties and incidents, and upon the other with paintings of the most noted artists, all in frames themselves of wondrous richness. Among the most noticeable paintings is the celebrated White Hills of New Hampshire by A. D. Shattuck, justly celebrated as second to but few as a landscape painter.
Back of this grand salon are the reception parlors, and the rooms for the storage of stock and for framing. From the front room leads a grand staircase, itself noticeable for graceful design and finish to the waiting, and operating rooms.
The whole establishment is complete in all its arrangements and equipments, and the general verdict is, that the public are indebted to the enterprise of Mr. Ryder for his munificent outlay, and his judicious display of taste.”]

“Editor’s Drawer.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 2:4 (Oct. 1872): 126-129. [“…Mr. Ryder of Cleveland, Ohio, has recent-fitted up a magnificent suit of New Rooms. See notice in “Commercial News.” (p. 128) [Richard Watzel, the publisher of quarterly The Photographers Friend, began publishing The Commercial Photographic News as an appendix to each issue of the PF in 1872. The smaller CPN (16 p. per issue) consisted mostly of advertisements for Walzl’s photographic stock business or other businesses, but it did include approximately 10 pages of texts in each issue. WSJ]
[Advertisement.] “Conant’s Metallic Retouching Pencil,” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 9:107 (Dec 1872): n. p. advertising section. [(In this copy adv. section bound at the end of the volume.) “The Best and only Perfect Pencil ever yet discovered for Retouching Negatives. Full Directions in each. We ask for them a Trial. PRICE, $1.00 Per Box. A liberal discount to the Trade.
Read The Following Extracts and Letters of Reference:
From J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., June 18, 1872. — “I find pleasure in certifying to the worth of your Metallic Retouching Pencils; since they were put in the hands of my retouching artist they have been in daily use, to the exclusion of everything else,” &c.”…]

1873

“A Lofty One for Mr. Ryder.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 4:1 (Jan. 1873): 23. [“When a man in fitting up a business establishment spends twenty thousand dollars for the sake of making his establishment a delight to the eye and a charm to the aesthetic instinct of his patrons; when, moreover, he pursues his business in such a way as to keep it in advance of public taste and becomes thereby an educator, then, we hold, the public is under a palpable obligation to give to such a man and such an establishment a cordial and hearty support. Of the men to whom the above applies, Cleveland has no example so conspicuous as Mr. J. F. Ryder, the accomplished photographer, whose beautiful art gallery at 239 Superior street is now an object of pride and interest to all our citizens. Besides the photographic art which Mr. Ryder carries on in a style unsurpassed in any of the great art cities, he keeps his walls constantly aglow with the choicest chromos, English water color prints, fine steel engravings from all the great European and American engravers, original landscapes and guerre pieces from the best American artists, and a large and constantly fresh stock of carved-wood brackets, easels, and other articles of utility and taste. His preparations for the holidays are on an immense scale, and our people need no longer send to New York or elsewhere for the most beautiful presents that art can offer. Not to be a constant visitor at Ryder’s is to be behind the times. Cleveland Leader.”]

Baker, W. J. “A Call to Buffalo.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 10:111 (Mar. 1873): 66. [“” I am not a little proud of having made the only paying exhibition,” writes our former Local Secretary Ryder; an honest feeling which no man will begrudge him; a just boast, while it is the wish of your present Secretary to be able to veto friend Ryder’s further indulgence in after July. How was it done, and how can it be done again? It was accomplished first by keeping expenses down, secondly by exciting the interest of the citizens of Cleveland in the Exhibition. If done again, it must be brought about in the same way. I ask the help of every member of the Association to bring about this desideratum….”]

“Sundries.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 3:29 (May 1873): 72-73. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, the second Local Secretary of the National Photographic Association, during that grand photographic feast at Cleveland, in 1870, has recently made us a visit, and his presence with us (p. 72) brings rapidly back to our memory many of the pleasant occurrences of that time. We hope at some future day to meet Mr. Ryder again in Cleveland as Local Secretary. He is an earnest member of the Association and a most excellent photographer. His new photographic establishment at Cleveland is perhaps the most elegant one in the country. The magnificent show window on the first floor is the great attraction of all Cleveland. His new store is at No. 239 Superior Street. We wish him great success.” (p. 73)]

“A Word Further to Exhibitors.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 3:4 (July 1873): 120-121. [“But very few responses have been made to my proposition communicated in the May number of this Journal, and while they have all been heartily favorable to the plan of arrangement there suggested, they are certainly not numerous enough to enable either the Executive Committee or myself to form any opinion, as to how well the plan might meet the general sense of the Association, unless we assume the truth of the old adage that “Silence gives consent.”
We very much wish that a larger expression of opinion would be given. It is not too late yet, and it can hardly be imagined that the matter is one of such entire indifference to exhibitors as the lack of expression seems to indicate.
Will, or will not, those most interested, the exhibitors, place me in a position in which I can feel that I understand their desires?
To secure good will and entire unanimity is one of the first essentials in the conduct of our Association. To effect this the change of time was agreed to, placing the date of this
Convention in what is to Northern photographers a busy season, and suit the leisure of our Southern members.
And in consideration of the fact that the proposed arrangement of the Exhibition is an innovation on established usage, and might by some be considered an abridgment of their rights and privileges, if there should be one single exhibitor who expresses his disapproval the scheme will be laid aside for the present, till it can be discussed and acted on in a business meeting.
But in order that it can be carried out successfully, it will be necessary that all exhibitors communicate with the Local Secretary by the last of June at the latest, and inform him specially, how much space each frame will occupy, and of what class the contents of such frames are.
Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, in an answer to the May article, proposes that a “square appeal be mailed for plain photographs, with reference to making a special show of that class of work as being the test of true and pure photography, and of skill on the part of the producer.”
He goes on to say, “It is true that the retouching of negatives and prints is so universally practiced that it must be done, as surely as a tailor must press and brush a coat before it can be offered to the customer. I know that much harm is done in this way. I feel that a reaction must come; whether it is yet time is the question.”
When that time will come no one can tell; that it must come and will be a good time all will agree, and what could help it along faster than the carrying out of our friend Ryder’s proposition. His plan can be made to work if you will each send a few plain photographs, and if the several classifications cannot be carried out, there can be no dissent or lack of time for his; and it would be beyond a question the most useful feature of the Exhibition.
To greater skill in plain photography we must sooner or later come. The public will in the end tire of, and detect the falseness of so much touching. Nature and not ” finish” (p. 120) will be required of us. Then we will become “Artists” in our own right, and while we obey the same laws, will not imitate the manner and tricks of painters or engravers, but in our own section of the realm of art, practice our own methods of representation.
The appeal is to all of you to help this good time come.
W. J. Baker,
Local Secretary, Buffalo, N. Y.” (p. 121)]

“Distinguished Visitors.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 3:31 (July 1873): 100. [“Professor J. Towler, the well-known author, called upon us a few days ago on his way to Europe with his class. The Professor is as well and as genial as ever, and no doubt be and his pupils will have a good time. They sailed June 21st.
Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, also called upon us recently. He is one of our strongest convention men, and seems to be full of enthusiasm for it. Those who attended the Cleveland Convention cannot doubt his earnestness, nor will they ever forget him.”]

“Fifth Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the National Photographic Association.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 10:117 (Sept. 1873): 259-465. [“President Bogardus’s Reply.” … But, sir, in the name of the Association, I thank you for your words of welcome, your words of encouragement, and as we look at the work already done, we feel that we owe you and the working committee of the Buffalo Photographic Association a lasting debt of gratitude for the amount of labor you have performed. The Scotch boy said it was a grand time when the minister came round visiting, but it was hard on the chickens. So I think it is a grand time for us photographers to gather at these conventions, but it is hard on the local secretaries. I am glad, sir, to add your name to the roll of honor with Loomis, of Boston; Ryder, of Cleveland; Rhoads, of Philadelphia, and Fitzgibbon, of St. Louis. We anticipate a grand time for photography and all interested in it. We hope this Convention will be the means of giving it a bound upward and onward toward its high destiny….”. p.260. “…Mr. Ryder: I move that the Association tender a vote of thanks to Mr. Edward Anthony for his interest in the progress of photography. Agreed to…” p. 296.

“The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 10:117 (Sept. 1873): 465-467. [(Fifth Annual Exhibition of the National Photographic Association, held in the Rink, on Pearl Street, near Niagara.) “List of Exhibitors… Plain and Colored and in Crayon. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio,…” p. 467.]

“Proceedings of the National Photographic Association of the United States.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 3:5 (Sept. 1873): 135-140. [“The Fifth Annual Meeting of the National Photographic Association of the United States was held at Buffalo, opening on the 15th of July, 1873, at 10 o’clock A. M. The Rink was occupied as an exhibition room, and the Hall of Company “D” was used for the business session.
First Day’s Proceedings.
“President Bogardus’ Reply.”
(Etc., etc.)
“…The Scotch boy said it was a grand time when the minister came round visiting, but it was hard on the chickens. So I think it is a grand time for us photographers to gather at these conventions, but it is hard on the local secretaries. I am glad, sir, to add your name to the roll of honor with Loomis of Boston, Ryder of Cleveland, Rhoades of Philadelphia, and Fitzgibbons of St. Louis. We anticipate a grand time for photography and all interested in it….: (Etc., etc.) (p. 137)

“The Exhibition at the Rink.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 3:5 (Sept. 1873): 150-153.
[“…(Etc., etc.)
W. J. Baker, Buffalo, N. Y.–A grand collection of excellent productions from the card to 16-20, showing careful study of light and shades, also 5 life size crayon portraits.
Potter & Bro., Mansfield, Ohio.-One frame cabinet and cards and 2 whole size, excellent in every respect.
W. M. Lockwood, Ripon, Wisc.-Two cases of cards and 4 whole size plain photographs.
“J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.-Five life size crayons, elegantly framed, 6 11×14 and 2 16×20 photographic portraits, magnificent productions and equal in all respects to the very best in the rink.”
Gurney & Son, New York.-Large selection of cards, cabinets and stereoscopic portraits of celebrities….” (p. 151) (Etc., etc.)]

Advertisement.] “Pluck No. 1 Pluck No. 2.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 17:882 (Nov. 22, 1873): 1046. 2 illus. [“…The New Chromos. The subject is humorous in the highest degree; the work executed in the best manner. Size, 16×22 in.
PRICE, $10 THE PAIR.
Just the thing for a Christmas Present. Send orders to J. F. RYDER, Publisher, Cleveland, Ohio.”
[Illustrated with two small line sketches of the chronos. The adv. republished in Dec. 13, p. 1118.]

“Editor’s Table. Mr. J. F. Ryder’s New Chromos.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 10:120 (Dec. 1873): 580. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder’s New Chromos. — “Pluck No. 1,” and “Pluck No. 2,” are the titles, as will be seen by his advertisement, of two charming chromos published by Mr. J. F. Ryder, the eminent photographer at Cleveland, Ohio. What shall we say about them? It has been a long time since the walls of our sanctum have so literally been shaken by mirth as they were on the opening of this pair of chromos there a few days ago. They were placed on a table, face out, and it was a most interesting study to see visitors come in, look at those chromos, and then sit down in a perfect effervescence of laughter. The subjects are such as touch the heart and the risibles of every man. Little ‘ ‘ Pluck ” goes out with his dog-cart to take his two tiny sisters a ride. The dog sees a rabbit, and makes for it full speed. “Pluck” holds on to the lines bravely, while the smallest youngster tumbles out in the rear, head first. Just as the dog reaches the rabbit (in No. 2) a fallen tree intervenes, the cart is smashed, and destruction generally follows — of cart, children, tree, rabbit, and all — except the lines, which “Pluck” pluckily holds on to, until the end of the race. The entire scene is so full of spirit and life and so natural that every one must buy the pair. They should by all means be hung in every photographic reception-room, in order to put your sitters in a good humor. They teach a moral lesson also, i. e., he who pluckily holds on, wins. The price of this jolly pair is $9.50 and $10, See advertisement.”]

“Pluck No. 1, Pluck No. 2.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 3:36 (Dec. 1873): 177-178. [“We have not for a long time had such a jolly good laugh as when opening a parcel a few days ago we found two magnificently executed chromos, marked, “With the compliments of J. F. Ryder, publisher, 239 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio.” They were none the less than “Pluck No. 1,’ and “Pluck No. 2,” a faint glimmer of which may be had by using a magnifying-glass or
[Illustration consists of a small, one column wide, line drawing of each the chromos.]
the condensing-lens from your solar camera on the engravings above. As we shook over them we thought: “Ha! ha! our friend Ryder is certainly out in new colors to say the least. What magnificent subjects he has chosen to be sure to start his ‘new branch’ on, any way.” And what beauties (p. 177) they are too; exquisite in color and design, gotten up in the best style of chromo-lithography, and in every way choice.
Every photographer in the land can sell dozens of copies (Mr. Ryder offers special terms to the trade), and before Christmas-time the whole country will be screaming over this double demonstration of that plenteous element in the American baby-young and old-pluck! No doubt Mr. Ryder will be well repaid for the pluck he evinces in undertaking the introduction of these pictures.” (p. 178)]

1874

“Little Grains of Silver.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 4:37 (Jan. 1874): 7. [“Get a pair of Ryder’s chromos, Pluck No. 1 and No. 2. They will do you good, and cheer you up when your bath works badly, or your patience is exhausted over refractory customers. A cheerful heart, with some of the pluck exhibited there, will overcome many difficulties.” (These are the first chromolithographs published by Ryder in his new publishing venture. They consist of two genre paintings by Archibald Willard of two children harnessing a dog to a cart, then crashing as the dog runs away. They were enormously popular and apparently sold very well.)]

[Advertisement.] “The New Chromos!” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 11:121 (Jan. 1874): unpaged advertising section after p. 32. [”Pluck No. 1.” “Pluck No. 2.” Just out and ready for delivery. The above sketches show the design, and give an idea of the subject. The paintings from which the chromos are copied are of a high order of art, -from the easel of A. M. Willard, an artist of the quaint and humorous school… “…Price $10 per Pair; Unmounted, $9.50 per Pair… J. F. Ryder, Publisher, 239 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 11:123 (Mar. 1874): 95. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, called upon us a few days ago as full of ”pluck” (1 and 2) as ever, the best evidence of which is that he is willing to be Local Secretary for the National Photographic Association again if the convention wishes to go to Cleveland.”]

Loomis, G. H. “Rallying Words.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 11:127 (July 1874): 196-197. [“I find in perusing your journal, many good suggestions relative to the plans and purposes of the National Photographic Association,…” “…Having once filled a “local” position…at the same time a little of the arduous about it, just enough for me to ask Brothers Ryder, Rhoads, Fitzgibbons, and Baker, to join me in one glorious hurrah for the health and success of the present incumbent, Brother Hesler…”]

“The Chicago Exhibition.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 4: 45 (Sept. 1874): 138.
[“Last month we spoke of the Convention; we will now say something about the Exhibition….” (Etc., etc.) “…But one of the most conspicuous features of this Exhibition was the long list of absentees, those that have always stood foremost in the art, and have heretofore been identified with each exhibition as the leaders in all that was excellent and progressive. We may be pardoned for mentioning the following as being conspicuous for their absence: Kurtz, Sarony, Gurney, Fredericks, Kent, Baker, Ryder, Landy, Van Loo, Gutekunst, and Rhoads. They doubtless all had good reasons for not being represented there, but we allude to it because they were missed; they have come to be representative men in the art, and when so many absent themselves the vacancy is very apparent….” (Etc., etc.)]

[Advertisement.] ”Pluck” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 18:929 (Oct. 17, 1874): 863. [“…is the best word in our language; the best capital in business; the best armor in battle; the best friend in health; the best cure for ills. Pluck boosts a man over many a rough spot. Pluck is an American Virtue, and should be cultivated and encouraged. The best illustration of it is given in a pair of Chromos of that name—the moral lesson of which entitles them to a place upon the walls of every house in the land. Next to the Family Bible—pluck is in order. Nor to have pluck is a misfortune. If not found at your Picture dealers, send your order, or for a circular, to the publisher, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

[Advertisement.] “These Gentlemen” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 18:931 (Oct. 24, 1874): 902. 1 illus. [“…have seen and are pleased with the chromos “Pluck,” which for their humor and fine moral lesson, as well as the excellence of execution, are the most popular chromos of the day, and should have a place in every family. Price $10 the Pair. If not found at your Picture Dealers send your order, or for a descriptive circular, to the publisher, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]
[The “Pluck” adv. republished on p. 903. “These Gentlemen” adv. republished in Nov. 7 on p.922, Nov.14, on p. 942 and Nov. 21,, on p. 962.]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 11:132 (Dec. 1874): 383-384. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., has published two more chromos, entitled “Deacon Jones’ Experience” and “Ouch!” both mirth-provoking. He will send you a circular describing them all, with woodcuts, if you ask him.”]

[Advertisement.] “Send” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 18:937 (Dec. 12, 1874): 1026. [“…for your friend a Christmas present a pair of chromos Pluck. If not found at your Picture Dealers send your order, or for a descriptive circular, to the publisher, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

[Advertisement.] “Pluck” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 18:938 (Dec. 19, 1874): 1049. [“ meets the tooth of a hard winter, and for Christmas Presents will not give odds against the field. If not found at your Picture Dealers send your order, or for a descriptive circular, to the publisher, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

[Advertisement.] “The Popular” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 18:938 (Dec. 26, 1874): 1074. [“…thing for Christmas Presents are the chromos Pluck. If not found at your Picture Dealers send your order, or for a descriptive circular, to the publisher, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

1875

[Advertisement.] “Benj. French & Co., 159 Washington St., Boston, Importers and Sole Agents For The Celebrated New Stereoscopic Lenses. PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 12:133 (Jan. 1875): unnumbered page in advertising section. [The adv. was published in every month of the PP throughout 1875. WSJ]
[“New Stereoscopic Tube and Lens, made expressly for us, marked with our name (imitation Dallmeyer), with rack and pinion, central stops, for portraits or views. Will work in or out of doors. Also, for instantaneous pictures. Four inch focus, price per pair, $31.00. By taking out back lens, and using only front lens in place of back, you get six inch focus. The great and increasing demand for all these lenses, is sure guarantee that they are the best. Read the following Testimonials.” (Testimonials from J. Landy, Cincinnati, OH, W. J. Baker, Buffalo, N. Y., E. G. Maine, Columbus, Miss., D. B. Vickery, Saverhill, Mass., Goodridge Bros., East Saginaw, Mich., D. H. Cross, Mosher’s Gal:, Chicago. and “Twenty-four years ago I bought and commenced using my first Voigtlander lens. It was a good one. Since then I have owned and used a good many of the same brand, of various sizes. They were all and always good. Some of the larger sizes that I have recently bought seem to me better than any I have ever had or seen before.”— J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, Dec. 18, 1872. “]

“The American Optical Co.’s Boxes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 5:49 (Jan. 1875): 3. [“J. F. Ryder’s Photographic Art Gallery, 239 Superior St., Cleveland, O., December 23, 1874. Scovill Manufacturing Co. Dear Sirs: The Camera Boxes (American Optical Co’s,) purchased from you recently, give perfect satisfaction. I am so well pleased, I feel like saying the above unasked. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.
We are pleased, but not surprised, to receive such a letter from our old friend Mr. Ryder, for all who know him and the superior character of his work, know that he will have only the, best of everything.—Ed.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 12:136 (Apr. 1875): 128. [“We have received from Mr. J. F. Ryder, some splendid Promenade cards, and a photograph showing what he calls his “boarded-up front.” The glass was broken in consequence of the explosion of a powder mill five miles distant. The size of the glass was 9 feet in width, 10 1/2 feet high, and seven-sixteenths of an inch in thickness — a pretty smart concussion to reach that distance. The reports were heard fifty miles. It is a pitiable sight to see such a complete wreck made of such a beautiful front as was that of Mr. Ryder’s art palace, doubtless the handsomest in America. We notice a placard on the board, which says, “We do a ‘ smashing ‘ business.’ There’s millions in it. Come in and try your luck.”]

“Society Gossip. Photographic Society of Philadelphia.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 12:136 (Apr. 1875): 146-148. [“…Mr. E. L. Wilson sent for exhibition some “Promenade Cards,” by Mr. I. W. Taber, Mr. H. Rosher, and Mr. J. F. Ryder, and some “Boudoir Cards,” by Mr. Blanchard, of London, of similar proportions to the Promenade card…”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 12:139 (July 1875): 224. [“We had heard much about it, but had never seen it until a few weeks ago we visited Cleveland, Ohio, and had the pleasure of seeing the splendid art palace of Mr. J. F. Ryder of that city. It is, indeed, handsome. The front is a noble one — a triplet of arches, with a great plate-glass bulk back of the centre one, and a doorway each side leading into a noble art gallery and reception-room filled with all sorts of works of art. Back of this are the chromos and other departments, while from the main hall rises a fine stairway leading to the waiting-room and skylight. The whole is convenient and beautiful. Mr. Ryder publishes a great many amusing photographic pictures from Willard’s (the Pluck artist) crayon drawings, and from nature. Among the former are the ‘”Spelling Bee ” (spell Kerneemiel) and ”His Honor and Rajah in Court” are the funniest. Some photographs of quaint and queer colored people are also admirable. One called “Civil Rights William,” is as splendid a Rembrandt effect as we have seen for awhile.”]

“Proceedings of the Executive Committee of the N. P. A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 12:13 (July 1875): 345. [“A special meeting was held on Friday, October 22d, 1875, at the office of the Philadelphia Photographer, present, Messrs. Adams, Chairman, Moore, Rhoads, Wilcox, and Wilson, for the purpose of furthering the interests of the Photographic Hall at the International Exposition of 1876. The Secretary read the letter of Thomas Cochran, Esq., as published in the last issue of the Philadelphia Photographer, giving the conclusion of the Centennial Board of Finance, to proceed with the erection of Photographic Hall, relying upon the good faith of the photographic fraternity to subscribe for sufficient stock to supply the funds required to pay for the hall. The statement was also made that between $3000 and $4000 of the subscriptions had already been paid in, and certificates of stock issued by the Treasurer of the Centennial Board, F. Fraley, Esq., as follows: (Followed by a list of photographers and stock-dealers, among them J. F. Ryder.)]

1 b & w (“Rev. Dr. William E. McLaren.”) on p. 169 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 41:1051 (Nov. 20, 1875): 169. [“From a Photograph by J. R. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.”]

1876

“Photographic Hall.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:146 (Feb. 1876): 58-62. 2 illus. [(The drawing is a view and the floor plan of the proposed “Photographic Hall” to be erected at the Centennial Exhibition. J. F. Ryder is on a list containing the names of scores of photographers who had already applied for space in the building.)].

“Editor’s Table. Eyelashes for Cameras.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:149 (May 1876): 148-149. [(Ryder invented a gadget, functions like a lens hood.)]

“Editor’s Table. Willard’s Yankee Doodle.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:150 (June 1876): 191. [“This is truly a Centennial picture, and was painted by a man who had carried a musket to the tune in his country’s service. His soul as well as his hand is in it. The painting is a wonder of art. It tells the story of the grand old man who, when their leader fell, and disaster threatened, himself took command; and, with drum instead of sword, led their broken forces on to victory. The picture represents a “full orchestra,” grand.-ire. sire, and son The old man, with his white locks streaming in the wind, and in shirtsleeves, has seen the crisis, and rushing into the breach seizes a drum instead of a sword, and with compressed lips and hands clenched upon his drum-sticks, evinces a determination to do or die. The son, upon one side, makes the air resound with the shrill and soul-stirring notes of the fife, while the boy-drummer on the other catches the stroke and spirit of his grandsire, and thus they lead the lately discouraged army on to victory. It is a stirring picture and exceedingly appropriate to the Centennial year. As it has been reproduced in chromo by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, it is placed within the reach of all, and doubtless many of the patriotic will avail themselves of the privilege to secure a copy. We also have a fine lantern slide of this which is sure to take.”]

[Advertisement.] “Specialties.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:150 (June 1876): unpaged advertising section. [“Quite a commotion has occurred among cameras. The new head-gear, introduced by J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, has improved the vision of many, and excited the sober consideration of others. Valuable improvements will be adopted. The farmer manures the soil for better crops. The photographer must put fine bonnets, or eye lashes, upon his camera for better results. “Yankee Doodle” Is the name of the picture, and there is very much Yankee Doodle in it. The painting is by A. M. Willard, a man who has carried a musket to the tune in the service of his country; a man whose brush tells a story with more point and power than any artist in America. This great picture hangs with the best in Memorial Halt, at the Centennial Exhibition, and excites both admiration and patriotic fire in the breasts of thousands. That all may possess a copy, a fine chromo reproduction has been made, in size 18 x 24 inches, printed in seventeen colors, and the work first-class. Every photograph gallery should have a copy. It will be the best advertisement for the price that could be used. Every photographer can turn a few honest dollars in selling them to their customers. The coming anniversary will be the hottest in patriotic fire ever known, and Yankee Doodle will be in great demand about that time. On receipt of $2, I will mail a copy to photographers so ordering. The price of the picture mounted, ready for framing, is $3.50. Send in your orders. Give vent to your patriotism, and make a little money withal Address the publisher, J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, Ohio.”]

“Photography in the Great Exhibition. II.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:151 (July 1876): 196-202. [“In continuing our journey in Photographic Hall, we will rectify somewhat the order of things from which we departed last month. The screens are numbered in order, from west to east, commencing on the north side, but we, not regarding this, commenced where the exhibits seemed most complete, and numbered the screens as we proceeded. We now propose to take the proper numbers, and continue our review in the order commenced; first noticing some exhibits which were not in place or complete last month. We notice a great improvement in the appearance of the hall within the past two weeks, and with the completion of the exhibits the number of visitors has greatly increased, so that now Photographic Hall appears not to be the least attractive feature of the Great Exhibition….” “…Turning to Screen 7, on the east side, we notice along the top a sign which reads: “Ryder (1876), Cleveland, O.” All who know Mr. Ryder, and are familiar with the excellent work he produces, might expect a fine display of plain photography, but we are not favored with a specimen. Mr. Ryder has given his attention to illustrating character and events, by a number of finely executed life-size crayons. Here is the “News Boy,” true to life; “Civil Rights Bill,” illustrated by a genuine specimen of the Southern contraband taking a snooze. “He Could Get Up and Dust,” is another wide-awake “Darkey,” apparently very happy, with a feather duster over his shoulder. Events are represented by a portrait of “Colonel A. S. Park,” of Elyria, Ohio, who, in 1820 carried the mail from Erie, Pennsylvania, to Cleveland, Ohio, on horseback;” again by another portrait of “General George S. Bangs,” who in 1875 inaugurated a means of carrying the mail over the same route, in fifty-ton lots, a mile per minute!” In addition to these are his celebrated chromo ” Yankee Doodle,” and two plain lithographs illustrating the “Declaration of Independence,” and our “Centennial Celebration.” p. 198.]

Vogel, Dr. H. “Photographic Sketches from the Centennial Grounds II.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:151 (July 1876): 234-236. Besides in the Main Building, there are photographs exhibited in Memorial Hall, especially Swedish and Norwegian, and some German (of the Photographic Society in Berlin). All others received their places in the Photographic Hall. Nearly three-fifths of the hall are filled with American photographs; and when we cast a look over the same, we notice instantly a great deference between the American and European pictures. Europe has sent, nearly exclusively, plain photographs (negative retouches not excepted), and, indeed, the plain pictures are the main exhibit of the European photographers; while America has exhibited a great number of life-size pictures, executed in crayon, pastel, and oil. We see at once that the position of the American photographer toward the public is an entirely different one from the European. From him the people expect work which in Europe would belong to the artist. In Europe, portraits in crayon, pastel, etc., are not known as productions of photographers. Now, many perhaps will make the remark that they indeed do not belong to the line of photography; but certainly it would be wrong if we would exclude these works which are ordered, executed, and delivered in the atelier of the photographer. If, in America, crayons, pastels, etc., are executed in the atelier of the photographer, we have, of course, to judge them also. The art jury has therefore to look only at the result; the way and manner of production is a question which, for the artist, is to be a secondary consideration. At the Paris Exhibition, in 1867, they would probably have excluded these photographs, executed by the assistance of a designer, from judgment, as there the jury consisted only of photographers, who wanted the plain photographs to be acknowledged. We notice, therefore, how different the point of view is from which we have to judge the photographer, as it certainly would be for a jur}^ consisting in the greatest part of artists, the most competent to judge about pictures in oil, pastel, or crayon. It must be acknowledged that the Americans show an astonishing skill in the production of these life-size pictures. In Europe we would search in vain for hands to execute the same. Such pieces in crayon as exhibited by Kurtz, of New York, must be considered as first-class work; also the charcoal drawings by Sarony. Here a fine understanding of the form of nature is visible, which assists considerably in the change into the stroke manner, so necessary for a crayon. Kurtz made in this respect a further step. He has noticed very well that there exists a difference between the tint of a photograph and .the tint of a crayon, which is so much more apparent when the photograph changes after some time. He therefore prefers to transfer, so to say, the whole picture into charcoal, and then to take prints of the same by means of a certain process. In this manner a whole picture in crayon is produced, whose durability is guaranteed, a progress not to be depreciated, though the fact, that at last nothing remains of the photograph in the picture is of no consequence. The artist judges only the final result, and does not care about the chemical composition, and just as well, as there is nothing left in the plain photograph of the original negative taken at first. It is well understood that in these crayons, and also in pastel and oil pictures, the individual differences of the artists are remarkably apparent, as the quiet, precise, artistical harmony of the whole by Kurtz; the effective, thorough work by Sarony; the peculiar inclination to sharp-pointed effects by Ryder (Cleveland); the conscientious work by Bradley & Rulofson, Gutekunst, Notman, and others. The manner of cutting out life-size photographs and pasting them on backgrounds to be worked over by drawing, seems to me to be a difficult matter; roughnesses in the contour are too easily seen. The photographer being no artist, or having no artists at his disposal, must leave this field of work to his better situated colleagues. Besides these pictures, which give a peculiar expression to American photography, there are a great number of plain photographs of all sizes, showing that the American photographers are in every respect at the highest position of the art; but what many wished and expected, a characteristic new style, is not to be seen at the Exhibition. As long as such are not existing, we still have to use the old styles, and therefore the Adam Salomon and the Rembrandt effects are as yet performing their great part at the Exhibition….”]

“Matters of the Month.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 6:67 (July 1876): 160. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, the eminent photographer of Cleveland, Ohio, has invented a very useful attachment, which he calls “a new-fangled notion.” Eye-lashes For Cameras. All photographers know that the camera is like the human eye in seeing things photographically. All know the eye sees better when protected from strong light. Many know that too much light enters the eye of the camera, and prevents its seeing and impressing the image clearly; particularly is this the case in making shadow effects, where the camera is more or less pointed toward the light. Again, when the sunlight enters the operating-room and falls directly upon the camera—even through a curtain; and again, in outdoor viewing, all have experienced the bother of the sun in the lens. This new-fangled notion meets the trouble and effects a cure. Its next value is the easy and effective means of opening and closing the camera tube. It is attached to the upper front end of the tube, and when open forms a canopy or awning, projecting sufficiently to cover the mouth of the tube when closed. The framework is of metal, and it is opened or closed by means of a spring-hinge. It is covered with black velvet, which is extended beyond the frame, and forms side-curtains to more effectually screen the lens. A touch of the hand immediately opens or closes the camera. It is always in its place, and always ready. The operator who spleens against running across the room, chasing the cap as it falls from the camera, or who finds the cloth on the floor instead of covering the lens, will take kindly to this sensible improvement. The proprietor who likes to keep his lens clean from dust and dirt, and the strong light shut out, to prevent the gradual yellow tint that strong light surely brings, and makes the lens work slower and more slow, year by year, will welcome it. Directions for Adjusting.—Slip the clasp upon-the tube and mark the width of it, at the extreme end of the tube; remove the clasp and file a gap the width and depth.”]

“Matters of the Month.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 6:67 (July 1876): 160. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, the eminent photographer of Cleveland, Ohio, has invented a very useful attachment, which he calls a “a new fangled notion.” Eye Lashes for Cameras. All photographers know that the camera is like the human eye… (Description and operation of the device follows.)]

[Advertisement.] “Ryder’s Patent,…” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 6:67 (July 1876): 167. [“…One Of The Most Valuable Modern Inventions For Facilitating The Work Of The Photographer Is The “Eye Lash” or “Cut Off” For Lenses. Price, $4.00. Send For Descriptive Circular. For Sale By Scovill Manufacturing Co., New York.”]

“Awards of the Centennial Exposition.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 6:70 (Oct. 1876): 234. [“We copy from the New York Times of September 28th, the names of the Jurors who served in Group XXVII— Plastic and Graphic Art, in the Centennial Exposition. Below is a partial list of the names of the photographers in the United States who received the Medal of Merit.
Group XXVII. Plastic And Graphic Art.
Judges. -American-Frank Hill Smith, Boston; James L. Claghorn, President, Philadelphia; Prof. J. F. Weir, New Haven, Conn.; Brantz Mayer, Baltimore; Donald G. Mitchell, New Haven, Conn.; George Ward Nichols, Secretary, Cincinnati; Prof. Henry Draper, New York. Foreign-Charles West Cope, R. A., Great Britain; Peter Graham, Great Britain; Carl Schlesinger, Germany; Prof. A. Vogel, Germany; J. Emile Saintin, France; Fritz L. Von Dardel, Sweden; P. N. Arbo, Norway ; Count of Donadio, Spain; A. Tantardini, Italy; Guglielmo de Sanctis, Italy ; Carl Costenoble, Austria ; Prof. J. V. Dablerup, Denmark; Thr. F. E. Van Heemskerck van Beest, Netherlands.
Awards To United States Exhibitors.
200 L. G. Bigelow, Detroit, Mich., Photographs.
201 N. Sarony, New York City, Photographs.
202 D. Woodward, Washington City, Photography.
205 Centennial Photograph Company, Philadelphia, Pa., Photography.
209 John Reid, Paterson, N. J., Photographs.
211 American Photo-Lithographic Co., Heliographs.
213 C. S. Mosher, Chicago, Ill., Photographs.
215 J. H. Kent, Rochester, N. Y., Photographs.
216 Carl Seiler, Philadelphia, Pa., Photographs.
217 J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, Photographs.
222 W. Kurtz, New York City, Photographs.
224 John Carbutt, Philadelphia, Pa., Heliographs.
228 Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco, Cal., Photographs.
230 Henry Rocher, Chicago, III., Photographs.
231 Thomas Houseworth, San Francisco, Cal., Photographs.
232 Charles Bierstadt, Niagara Falls, Photographs.
233 D. A. Anderson, Richmond, Va., Photographs.
234 C. E. Watkins, San Francisco, Cal., Photographs.”]

“The Centennial Awards.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:155 (Nov 1876): 321-323. [“List of American. Exhibitors in Photography receiving Awards. Bigelow, L. Q., Detroit, Mich., Photographs. Sarony, N., New York City, Photographs. Centennial Photographic Company, Philadelphia, Pa., Photography. Reid, John, Paterson, N.. J., Photographs. American Photo-Lithograph Co., New York, Heliographs. Mosher, C. J., Chicago, 111., Photographs. Kent, J. H., Rochester, N. Y., Photographs. Seiler, Carl, Philadelphia, Pa., Photographs. Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Ohio, Photographs. Kurtz, W., New York City, Photographs. Carbutt, John, Philadelphia, Pa., Heliographs. Bradley & Rulofson, San Francisco, Cal., Photographs. Rocher, Henry, Chicago. 111., Photographs. Houseworth, Thomas & Co., San Francisco, Cal., Photographs. Bierstadt, Charles, Niagara Falls, N. Y., Photographs. Anderson, D. H., Richmond, Va., Photographs. Watkins, C. E., San Francisco, Cal., Photographs. Woodward, J. J., Washington, D. C, Photographs….” pp. 321-322.]

“Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Convention of the National Photographic Association.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 13:155 (Nov 1876): 325-337. [“…next business was the election of officers… For President, W. H. Rulofson, of San Francisco. Vice-Presidents, A. S. Southworth, of Boston; I. B. Webster, Louisville, Ky; Alfred Hall, Chicago; Robert J. Chute, Philadelphia; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio….” p. 327.]

1877

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 14:158 (Feb. 1877): 63. [“Yankee Doodle. — We wish to say here that the types, by some misapprehension, have been making us charge two dollars for Ryder’s chromo of Yankee Doodle, when it should be but one dollar and a half. This is a fine picture, and we know of nothing that can excite more patriotism for the money. Discount to photographers. See advertisement.”]

“The Sphynx.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 14:162 (June 1877): 181-182. [“The advice of Mr. Sperry to W. H. L. in your journal of May 18th, to “discard the Slee mounts,” in order to avoid scratching in burnishing, hardly requires a reply from us. The fact that between five and six millions of the mounts were sold the past year, and that such names as Abram Bogardus, of New York, J. Frank Pearsall, Brooklyn, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, J. H. Fitzgibbons, of St. Louis, and a host of others, are among those using them without experiencing difficulty, is sufficient refutation of Mr. Sperry’s assertion that they are the cause of W. H. L.’s troubles. Having used them ourselves ever since their introduction, we know him to be in error. Probably most photographers using burnishers experience the same annoyance arising from various causes, dust on the burnisher, grit in the lubricator, or, as recently in our own experience, when using cabinet mounts (not prepared) with gilt edge or border, from particles of gilt adhering to the burnisher. Had they been prepared, Mr. Sperry would probably have charged the trouble to the “Slee mounts.” We are assured by photographers here and elsewhere, that they have been less annoyed by scratching in burnishing since using our mounts than before, and such has been our own experience. If Mr. Sperry will make careful investigation, he will probably find his trouble arose from some other source He should at least be sure before making so positive and sweeping an assertion. Slee Brothers. Poughkeepsie, N. Y. “]

1 b & w (Unidentified studio portrait.) on p. 29 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 45:1146 (Sept. 15, 1877): 29. [Woodcut engraving, credited “From a Photograph by Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.”]

1878

[Advertisement.] “Specialities. The Wonderful Euryscope. ” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 15:172 (June 1878): 122. [“Cleveland, Ohio, March 13th, 1878. Benj. French & Co.:
Dear Sirs. — Pardon me for saying I spleened against the term “wonderful” in connection with the Euryscope, as a sensational description. After having used this instrument for various purposes, both indoor and out, I am bound to admit that wonderful is the right word. Intelligent photographers will not be without so powerful an instrument, particularly when sold at such low prices. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.”]

1879

Partridge, D. Anson. “Society Gossip. The Chicago Photographic Association.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 16:186 (June 1879): 176-183. [“…The President announced that the reports on the Carvalho paint was in order, and Charles Aiken responded: “Mr. President and Gentlemen: I have made some experiments with this Carvalho color, but regret to state, that in my practice, facts do not support the gentleman’s theory and claims….” “…Mr. Klein. — “As I did not hear the first of Mr. Aiken’s paper, I would ask the gentleman if, in his opinion, the Carvalho paint is a failure?” Mr. Aiken. — “I found no advantage whatever in its use; in fact, think a studio better without it, as it has a tendency to produce hard shadows. It did not in my hands shorten the exposure. Such photographers as Ryder, Estabrooke, and Decker give it their approval, and as yet I am in the minority; possibly I had made a mistake, but as several here tonight have tried it, we shall see.” p. 177.]

1 b & w (“Col. John Hay, Asst.-Sec. of State.”) on p. 273 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 49:1264 (Dec. 20, 1879): 273. [“From a Photograph by J. F. Ryder.”]

1880

Ryder, J. F. “A Call from President Ryder.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:198 (June 1880): 186-187. [“The National Photographic Association, organized in Philadelphia, December, 1868, gave to photography the most substantial impetus it ever received in this country. Hundreds of its members, who profited by attendance upon its meetings and exhibitions, will bear me out in this assertion. It was the bridge over which many passed from mediocrity to excellence. It made more good photographers than any other, or all other causes, during the period of its active existence. Now, again, is felt the want of such advantages as can come only of united association, free interchange of ideas, and comparison and study of the best examples of work by public exhibition. Wide-awake Chicago takes the matter in hand, and success naturally follows. On August 23d, next, will open in that city the first annual convention and exhibition of The Photographers’ Association of America. Besides the routine business of the association, lectures by prominent scientists will be given; photographing by electric light; demonstrations in rapid work by gelatin dry-plates and other processes; also a life insurance company will be formed, under the management of the association, for the benefit of its members. A scheme for a happy ” wind up ” is also hinted at. All who have visited Chicago will want to go, those who have not should surely take this time to do it. It should not be a question of whether you can afford it, but whether you can afford to do without it. The time fixed is your dull season at home, and the natural time to go somewhere. Aside from the grandeur of her buildings, Chicago presents strong attractions in her lake front, her magnificent parks and gorgeous boulevards. While she makes no special claim to watering-place distinction, she possesses the requirements. A happy and profitable week can. be spent there. Let all make an effort to go; it is a good time to ” resume.” Respectfully, J. F. Ryder.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:198 (June 1880): 228. [“The apple-blossom printing in negatives,” Mr. North tells us, are being ordered by many photographers, and many testimonials are sent him, including one from Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland. A Chicago dealer ordered twenty-four. See Mr. North’s advertisement.”]

“The Chicago Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 10:114 (June 1880): 130-131. [Includes an announcement signed by several photographers: J. F. Ryder, Henry Rocher, A. J. W. Copelin, Alex. Hesler, Charles Gentile, C. D. Mosher calling for the formation of the Photographer’s Association of America, announcing 1st annual convention in Chicago. Editorial comment ” … The Chicago Photographers … decided that it was easier and better to form a new body, than to try to bring life and vigor into the old N.P.A. …”.]

[Advertisement.] “Excellent Photographs” FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 50:1291(June 26, 1880): 290. [“…of Gen. Garfield, the Republican candidate for President, are supplied by J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio and by Pach, 842 Broadway

“About the P. A. of A.” PHILADELP, this city.”]HIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:199 (July 1880): 245. [A meeting of the Executive Committee was held… with Mr. Hesler in the chair…(For the purpose of planning the meeting of the first Photographers’ Association of America meeting.) “Committees on reception, decoration, and hanging of pictures being necessary, the following gentlemen were appointed to act: …Committee on Decorations.—Messrs. Smith, Hartley, Ryder, Loveday, and Kraft…”]

“Editor’s Table. Pictures Received.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:200 (Aug. 1880): 258. [“…Mr. W. J. Baker, Buffalo, N. Y., sends cabinet portraits of Gen. J. A. Garfield, the Republican candidate. The pictures show three views of the subject, and are no doubt as fine likenesses as they are photographs. From Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, a large lithograph of Gen. Garfield, showing him as a youth, soldier, and statesman; on the left side, in the background, is the log cabin, from which he started, and on the right the White House, toward which he is aspiring….”]

“Editor’s Table. Gen. Garfield.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:200 (Aug. 1880): 260. [“Gen. Garfield, the Republican nominee for the Presidency of the United States, went straight from the Chicago Convention to the studio of the President of the P. A. of A., J. P. Ryder, Esq., Cleveland, Ohio, and on June 10th sat for several admirable portraits, proofs of which we have. Mr. Ryder supplies the trade, and has wisely copyrighted each negative. The professional copyist will take notice, and not copy.”]

“Matters of the Month.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 10:116 (Aug. 1880): 179. [“We have had a very pleasant call from President J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O. He is very sanguine as to the success and usefulness of the new organization in Chicago, and expects a good attendance. He is having an immense sale of his portraits of General Garfield. He looks well, and will, doubtless, be elected Permanent President of the P. A. of A. Success to all.”]

“The Chicago Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 10:116 (Aug. 1880): 179-180. [More information about forthcoming convention in Chicago on August 23rd. Discussion with President Ryder, etc. WSJ]
[“President Ryder called upon us a few days ago, and he is sanguine there will be a large attendance, at least a very fair one. He will hardly face as many photographers at Chicago this time as he did when Local Secretary at that memorable Cleveland Convention. He will doubtless inspire many to come, however, for he is a popular member of the craft and will make a good officer….”]

“Photographers’ Association of America. First Annual Convention Held in Chicago, Ill, August 23d, 24th, 25th, 26th and 27th, 1880.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:201 (Sept. 1880): 261-275. [“…Second Day, Wednesday, August 25th, 1880. “…President Ryder now read a paper on Photographic Jealousies. One of the great obstacles to business success in photography lies in the antagonisms growing out of jealousy. I am glad I can say this is not universal; but there is so much of it, and so much harm comes of it, that, as we are here for the general good of the profession, it may be well to touch upon it. It is too much a fact, that, on seeing a photograph of a party we consider a friend and regular patron, in a neighbor’s show-case, or in the albums of other friends, which were made by a competitor, we feel a pang of jealousy and a sense of injury that we have been passed by, and the other man preferred. We should outgrow that feeling as unworthy of us. It is natural that our friends should be curious to sample about, and try the other man, the same as it is for us to try another tailor, or our wives another milliner. Our competitors have just as good a right to do business as ourselves. We must not expect to monopolize whole towns or cities. If we wish to attract more business than we have, we must do it through the quality of our work and agreeable manners with our patrons. In the matter of prices, in many cases, good work — even first-class work — is sold below a price that is respectable, creditable, or profitable to the producer, and is largely damaging to the profession at large. The misguided few who practise this short-sighted policy to overreach a competitor, lose sight of the fact, that they are overreaching themselves and helping to demoralize a respectable calling. As a rule, the photographer is not sufficiently paid for his labor. He who bases the profits of his business upon such percentage above cost of material used as governs the usual manufacturing or mercantile interests, has much to learn. The man who tells his patrons it is time to pay when they get their pictures, — that he does not impose upon his customers by requiring prepayment, — simply invites imposition. He who cheerfully makes a dozen sittings, and proves them all for his customer to make a choice, — and possibly gets an order for half a dozen, — is too good a man to ever amount to anything as a business photographer. It is very difficult to make arbitrary laws, and stand squarely by them, in our profession; but we can at least look toward some general rules that could benefit all parties. We owe our patrons consideration, respectful attention, and our best efforts of skill. When we are sure we have given these, — that we have done the subject justice and ourselves credit, — -they should understand it, and our efforts to please be recognized. It should not be expected that we make resittings in a half dozen toilets, differing at each visit, without extra charge; yet, where one man in a community practises this folly, it makes trouble for all the others. The exactions of the people are much greater than formerly, and it is difficult to cater to the whims of those who really do not know what they want. The way to meet these uncomfortable requirements is by making a proper charge, to cover extra work; the way to meet it successfully is for photographers to have plain understandings with each other, and all faithfully live up to them. We see rivalries and jealousies in most professions; we hear of it in church-choirs; we remember Dickens’s showing of the “Buffs” and “Blues,” represented by the rival newspapers, the Eatonville Gazette and the Independent. We allow ourselves to comment unfavorably upon the folly of it, yet fail to see it in ourselves — do not see that the public amuse themselves, and take advantage of this weakness so palpable to all but us. Truly, it is time to get our eyes open. One of the great wants of the photographic fraternity for healthful growth is more local societies, more neighborly feeling, more friendships — more ” United we stand.” In all this great country, there are not more than a half dozen societies that report themselves to the journals; beyond that, we are not expected to know. I am glad to see in New York a move among the operative photographers in that direction, their object being mutual improvement and information between themselves and employees. I am told that they are very careful in their admissions to membership, as they want none that they cannot conscientiously recommend for positions. The society can be valuable to themselves and photographers desiring help. I would earnestly advise every man here, on his return home, to encourage the establishment of a society, and see to it that it is well attended. If there are but two photographers in his town, let the society be started all the same; take the wives and children in for members; let the meetings alternate between the two homes, and be as frequent as possible. In this way sociability will be developed, good understandings follow, and jealousies vanish. Two boys engage in throwing stones at the chimney of an old house, taking opposite sides, and at equal distances apart. Occasional ” close calls ” fall near the boys, which are at first taken as jokes, but soon take the guise of no jokes, and are met with sharp cautions, and finally with threats. At last comes a blundering stone, which cuts its way into the lip of one of the boys, and necessitates his going over to the other side, to keep his promise with the other one. After the business of his visit is accomplished, that particular side shows superior advantages as a throwing-point, and when, by mutual consent, they resume the sport, the advantage of seeing each others’ shots, avoiding blind missiles, and working together, is so palpable, a lesson is learned by them, and a society is formed on the spot. My friends, do not be above taking a lesson from an humble source, if there be merit in it. If one-half the pains were taken to be friendly and sociable with our competitors, that we take to ignore them, we could have the satisfaction of thinking better, both of ourselves and them — doubtless also of the gains from our business. If this really means any of us, let us commence now to be ashamed, and start out with an honest resolution to mend. [Applause.] pp. 268-269.

“Proceedings of the Executive Committee of the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:201 (Sept. 1880): 275-276. [“…On motion of Mr. Douglass, Mr. J. F. Ryder was chosen as Chairman of the Committee and Mr. Edward L. Wilson as Secretary, and these gentlemen assumed their duties…”.p. 276.]

Ryder, J. F. “An After Adieu.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 17:201 (Sept. 1880): 276-277. [“Cleveland, O., August 30th, 1880. To my Friends of the P. A. of A.: Having reached home in good order, my thoughts drift back to Chicago and the good time we had together. I feel like calling back to you another pleasant “adieu,” and charging you to keep in mind, every month and every week, the pleasant and profitable gathering we are bent upon for next year. Let us begin to scrape for it now. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.”]

“The Photographers’ Association of America.” BRITISH JOURNAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY 27:1065 (Oct. 1, 1880): 474. [“The first annual convention of this new Association was opened at Chicago on the 23rd of August. A movement had been on foot for some time having for its object the reconstruction of the old “N. P. A.” (or National Photographic Association) or the establishment of an entirely new organisation. The latter alternative was eventually decided upon, and notices were issued some months ago inviting the photographers of the States and Canada to meet at Chicago for the purpose of establishing on a permanent basis a new National Association for the mutual benefit and improvement of photographers. To the photographic fraternity of Chicago much of the credit is due of having not only taken the initiative in this movement, but of having carried the matter through to a successful issue.
The convention, which opened on the 23rd of August, extended over the best part of a week. In addition to the meetings, which were held daily, there was an exhibition of pictures, apparatus, and appliances, the whole of the business of the convention being transacted at the Grand Pacific Hotel, where ample space was placed at the disposal of the Association.
The greater part of the opening day was occupied in the arrangement and inspection of the exhibition, and at nine p.m. the proceedings were formally opened by a grand banquet, to which nearly two hundred ladies and gentlemen sat down.
The first meeting for business purposes was held on Tuesday morning, the 24th of August, at 10 30 a.m ,—Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, occupying the chair. The meeting having been called to order,
Mr. A. J. W. Copelin, of Chicago, the acting secretary, addressed the members, welcoming them to Chicago, and hoping that the new Association would prove to be a great success.
The Chairman, Mr. H. Rocher, and others addressed the meeting, the whole of the morning session being occupied in preliminary arrangements in connection with the appointment of officers and the formation of rules. Committees were formed to consider the questions of “credentials” and “constitution,” and a third to report upon dry plates.
At the afternoon session, after the transaction of some general business, a committee for the nomination of officers was appointed with instructions to report on Thursday morning.
On the motion of Mr. H. Klauber, the following gentlemen were elected honorary members of the Association :—Dr. H. Vogel, Berlin ; M. Leon Vidal and Prof. E. Stebbing, Paris ; Messrs. H. Baden Pritchard and W. B. Bolton, London; Dr. E. Hornig, Vienna ; Mr. H. P. Robinson, Tunbridge Wells ; and Dr. E. Liesegang, Dusseldorf. On the motion of Mr. J. H. Fitzgibbon, the names of M. E. Letellier, Paris, and Capt. W. de W. Abney, London, were added to the list.
At the morning meeting, on Wednesday, the President, Mr. J. F. Ryder, read a paper on Photographic Jealousies, after which a paper by Mr. Henry Rocher on The Relation of Photographers to the Public and the Public to Photographers was taken as read, Mr. Rocher being indisposed.
Dr. Norman Bridge, of Chicago, next gave a lecture on the subject of Poisons in Photography, and was followed by Mr. L. W. Seavey with a paper on Backgrounds.
After the reading of his paper, Mr. Seavey, in the absence of a number of accessories which he had intended to exhibit, but which had gone astray in transit, gave a practical demonstration on the black board of the principles involved in background making and the means adopted, illustrating especially a novel style of accessory
in which the sitter’s initials, together with artistic floral designs, are combined.
Mr. Mosher read two short papers on a Photographic College and a Photographic Protective Life Insurance Company, after which committees were formed to consider the suggestions put forward.
At the Thursday morning’s meeting, the committee on nominations having handed in their report, the election of officers was proceeded with, the following being the result:— President : John Carbutt.— Secretary: G. A. Douglass.— Treasurer: A. Healer. A Vice-President from each State and territory was also appointed. The executive committee consists of Messrs. J. F. Ryder, E. L. Wilson, John Carbutt, E. Klauber, G. A. Douglass, and A. Healer. After a warm discussion, it was decided to hold the next convention in New York city, in the last week in August, 1881.
At the final meeting, after some formal business had been transacted, Mr. J. R. Clemons, of Philadelphia, gave a lecture on the Treatment of Albumen Paper, Printing, Jc. Professor T. J. H. Mapes addressed the meeting, and Mr. J. C, Sunderland, of Fort Edward, N. Y., gave an address on the subject of Chemicals. Mr. Seavey also delivered a second lecture on his monogram accessories.
After votes of thanks had been passed to all who had taken part in the different meetings, the convention was adjourned until next year
On Tuesday evening Professor Mapes delivered a lecture in Fairbank Hall, which was illustrated by means of the lantern, and secured a large audience.
At two o’clock on Wednesday afternoon, on the invitation of Mr. H. J. Thompson, a party of about 250 ladies and gentlemen embarked on board the steamer “ Flora” for a trip on the lake. The weather was rather rough, and consequently the pleasure of some of the party was slightly marred by “sea sickness.” On the whole, however, it proved an enjoyable excursion.”]

“Photographers’ Association of America.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 10:118 (Oct. 1880): 224-225. [Letter from the Executive Committee of the P.A. of A. (J. F. Ryder, E. L. Wilson, E. Klauber) urging photographers to join.]

1881

Ryder, James F. “Where Do You Stand?” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS 1881 (1881): 25. [“Glancing back across the front row of photographic lights, it is possible to see some flickering. For a period longer or shorter, some one figure shows unusual brilliancy, but in time is dimmed by the growing brightness of another. A few steady burners maintain their glow, and represent the exception to fickleness. The middle ranks come jogging along, some looking to the front with eager and determined eye, but the greater part content and indifferent.
It behooves all having an ambition to shine to keep a sharp eye upon themselves as well as upon their neighbors. The ambitious and successful are studious, patient, and observing. Everything of value pertaining to their work must have its place and time; the greater care to simple details, the greater success in results.
The painstaking man finds his reward. He who too much depends upon the retoucher to make good the shortcomings of his negative is losing his grip.
Here is our lesson. If a man is not advancing, he is receding. It is hardly possible to remain at a standstill as to excellence or quality in our productions. It is dangerous to be satisfied with what we do, or persuade ourselves we are “letting well enough alone.”
Good teaching is before us all. We may learn something every day, and often from those who know less than ourselves. The good points in another man’s work is a challenge for us. We can strive to surpass or equal it. The bad points we may also take as lessons, as warnings, as things to be avoided in our own practice. Head photographic books and journals; buy the best photographs you can find, and study them; exchange work with your friends; exchange ideas with them. Often you will get the best bargain. If it chance that you become so well satisfied with your productions that they look better to you than any and all others you see, just step aside. There is a fellow at your heels ready to pass; his light is dimming yours.
Eternal vigilance is the price of success.
Where do you stand?”]

“About the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:205 (Jan. 1881): 7-9. [(Photographers Association of America.) “Cannot the Executive Committee take measures, very soon, to investigate the various advantages and expenses incident to holding our next Convention at New York or Asbury Park? It seems to me it would be a very simple way to adjust this controversy, by publishing what can be done at both these places; letting the members of the Photographers’ Association fully understand the difference in prices, expenses, and conveniences of the two respective places. I, for one, feel as if the vote at Chicago was taken blindly, and without due consideration; most of those voting for New York city because they would like to visit the place, and did not expect to, unless prompted by more than an ordinary interest. And if Mr. Ryder would also give us the terms for halls, board, etc., at Cleveland, which he could do with very little trouble, it would be an easy matter for the members of the Photographers’ Association of America to vote by postal card for whichever place seems most practical to their minds, and send it to the Executive Committee. In this way the ballot could be as * well taken as if the Convention was in session, and all the members be satisfied, as they would have the advantage of knowing what they were voting for. Cleveland, to me, seems to be better, because of its more central location; and, I think, we can make as good terms, and have more advantages, if possible, now, than when the National Photographic Association held their most successful Convention in that place. I seem to see Brother Ryder shake his head as he thinks of the hard work he might have to do if we went there; but his shoulders are broad, and his heart in the right place, and, I think, he would do much for the best good of the fraternity. Hoping these suggestions will not seem out of place, I am fraternally, Mrs. E. N. Lockwood. p. 9]

1 b & w (“Studies from the Chicago Exhibition. P. A. of A..”) by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, as frontispiece in: “Our Picture.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:205 (Jan. 1881): frontispiece, 28. [The photo consists of two single portraits of women in bonnets.) “Those who were privileged to attend the exhibition of the Photographers’ Association of America, held at Chicago last August, were sure to have their attention arrested, soon after entering the hall, by two remarkable pictures. They hung at the right, in the first alcove, among a lot of beautiful examples of unframed photographs, but always drawing the eye away from their neighbors to themselves. The eye of the photographer was first attracted by the sweet simplicity of the subjects — two young ladies, with “every-day” hats on, free from all the fancy flummeries of fashion — then next by the exquisite photographic qualities of the pictures themselves. They were about 13×16 inches in size, mounted on heavy, gilt, bevelled cards, and fastened to the upright without frame or accessory of any kind. There was no effort on the part of the photographer after fancy posing. The backgrounds were plain; the lighting was brilliant — perfectly in harmony with the subjects; the negatives were judiciously retouched, with here and there bits of whites carefully scattered among the draperies; the printing and toning rich and fine. Pace to face these gems hung, the envy, the admiration, and the wonder of all who had the love needed for such work, to understand and appreciate them. They were from negatives by the President of the Association, Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.; he whose loyalty to the fraternity is well known, and whose motto has always been progress. Often as we entered that hall, so often we turned to these gems of the exhibition for a bit of help and enjoyment from them. We expressed a wish to Mr. Ryder that everybody might see these pictures who had any feeling for his art; but, as that was impossible, would he allow them to be copied and together placed in reduced form before the photographic world through the medium of the Philadelphia Photographer? He, of course, consented at once, with his usual liberality; and they are herewith presented for your enjoyment and study. We trust they may be of great service, and that many will profit by them. The reductions were made in a similar way to those of “The Fickle Shadow,” in our last issue, viz., the prints are mounted with starch-paste upon their faces to plate-glass, care being taken to avoid all lines or marks. The copying is done in a south light, in the usual way. To get the two subjects together was a matter of no difficulty. The black line was secured by re-, moving the film with sulphuric acid, and only a small Robinson trimmer and a proper guide are needed to cut the prints with a neat, clean, turned corner. With many thanks to Mr. Ryder for his kindness, and congratulations upon his ability to produce such exquisite results, we conclude with a few words upon the paper used for our prints. It is the “New Rose-tinted Paper ” of Messrs. L. Trapp & Co., for which Mr. Willy Wallach, No. 4 Beekman Street, New York, is the trade agent.”]

“Retouching the Negative.” PHOTOGRAPHER’S FRIEND, A PRACTICAL, INDEPENDENT MAGAZINE, DEVOTED TO THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ART 1:1 (Jan. 1871): 20. [“Without doubt in the majority of cases retouching improves the photographic prints. But the question arises, is it practical; does it tend to improve and elevate the operator or not? Is the same taste and care regarded in the production of the negatives, as in those not intended to be retouched? We fear not, as observations have certainly shown us, in numerous cases, that there is a marked and emphatic difference. Recently in New York we visited a noted photographic establishment where a negative had just been made, which was somewhat below their usual production, and in relation to it, heard the following remark: “Oh, that’ll do, it’s good enough, it’s to be retouched.” At another place, where retouching was in full vogue, we were shown some new negatives, just made and ready for the retouchist.” At our request, they were compared with negatives by the same operator made two years ago, (which were made without the idea of being retouched,) the latter were much superior, being clear, brilliant and well defined, while the former plainly exhibited no painstaking, but were very indifferent; plainly telling in our minds that retouching, in numerous cases, is apt to lead to carelessness in the negative making, or in other words, that the operator is too willing to trust his reputation with the artist who does the retouching. A gentle word of caution, therefore, is necessary to arouse some of those that are perhaps unthinkingly wending their ways into a channel, which in time will surely shipwreck them. (We do not say that retouching is not beneficial, nor, that it is not an improvement; on the contrary, we claim that it is a valuable improvement to Photography.) We simply warn the class referred to above. Among the numerous specimens of both Foreign and Ameri can retouched productions we have seen, none are more pleasing in general effect than those of Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio. “A word to the wise is sufficient.” “Forwarned, forearmed.”]

Ryder, J. F. “Where Shall We Meet?” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:206 (Feb. 1881): 60-61. [“I would like to say a few words upon the subject of our next place of meeting, and without, in the least, making them uncomfortable or antagonistic to any one., My desire is for the best interests of our new Association and the avoidance of mistakes in its management. I think the selection of New York city was a mistake, and, considering the month of August as the time fixed, the mistake is emphasized. I was sorry the effort to reconsider the matter of location failed, and I would be glad to have it changed yet. I believe it would be better to follow the course that seems best for a successful and pleasant meeting than be tied to a parliamentary millstone just because it is parliamentary. Mr. H. M. Beeles, in the Photographic Times, suggests as the only way for the Executive Committee to gain possible consent from the’ members who voted upon the matter of location, for changing same, would be to address a postal card to each without argument, pro or con, and ask for a yes or no answer, and the majority result to determine whether or not the location could be changed. To me it seems that if there was no good reason for desiring a change, there would be no call for making it; if there are good reasons, then I believe they should be stated as facts or arguments. The gentlemen who so stoutly favored New York, were, in the main, new members, and unacquainted with the points favorable or unfavorable to location. They had not been through the years of experience that was gleaned by the National Photographic Association, whose officers and members always shunned New York as a place of meeting, by common consent. The parties who would naturally most profit by large gatherings of photographers, the Scovill Manufacturing Company, E. & H. T. Anthony & Company, L. W. Seavey, and others, never encouraged a meeting for New York, knowing well it must be disastrous in point of expense, and no advantage gained to justify it. Let us look squarely into the face of New York in the month of August, the hottest of the year. The daily death rate from sun-stroke and excessive heat is counted by dozens and scores. All who can afford it, have deserted the city and sought the country or cooler localities; and by tens of thousands daily do people rush down to the Island and shores for a breath of air. To pack a number of hundred photographers in some hot hall for three or four days’ work, at such a time, I believe would be unwise; to pay a very high price for such discomfort, I think would also be unwise. There is much to be seen in New York, at all times, that is desirable and important to see, but we need not necessarily hold our meetings in the city to attain that end. Within a few miles of the, city can be found a number of places where we could locate with advantages of comfort and economy over the city itself, and when the work of Convention business is finished, we can take all the time for city visiting and sight-seeing we choose, without interfering with or neglecting the real business we meet for. It is the purpose of the Executive Committee to look into the merits of various points, including New York city, in due time; and if, in the opinion of the Committee, there be found sufficient advantages in any one point over others, it will be recommended; and it is hoped, in such event, the Association may approve of, and order, or consent to the change. If not, we will carry out the will of the majority and try New York. .]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:206 (Feb. 1881): 64. [” Ryder’s Art Gallery. ” You are respectfully invited to engage in a friendly discussion with your co-workers on the evening of 31st inst., at 9 o’clock, at the Gallery. “Subject:— The Oyster: ” ‘Does it hold its own as a palatable esculent? and in what form does it put its best foot forward?’ ” Yours truly, J. F. Ryder. “Cleveland, Dec. 29th, 1880.” The above card will explain itself. We could not go, but, through the Chicago papers, we learn that the affair was a success, and the subject for discussion proved to be well relished by the guests. The banquet was given by Mr. Ryder in acknowledgment of the good feeling displayed by his employees in presenting him with a handsome gold watch and chain. The reception was well attended, and broke up on the entry of the new year, amid hearty good wishes from one to another.]

“Proceedings of the Executive Committee of the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:207 (Mar. 1881): 65-66. [“Pursuant to the call of the President of the Executive Committee, Mr. J. P. Ryder, that body met at the office of the Philadelphia Photographer, 912 Chestnut Street, on Monday, February 7th, 1881. The following members were present: Mr. J. Carbutt, President of the Photographers’ Association of America; Mr. J. F. Ryder, President of the Executive Committee; Mr. G. A. Douglass, Secretary of the Photographers’ Association of America, and Mr. Edward L. “Wilson, Secretary of the Executive Committee. The principal object of the meeting was a consultation as to the time and place of holding the next Convention. …p. 65. “…Mr. Charles Wager Hull, General Superintendent of the American Institute, met the Committee, and accompanied them to the Exhibition Building of the Institute, with a view of securing it for the purposes of the next Convention. A thorough inspection of the building, with its resources, was had; inquiry made as to others; hotel accommodations looked into, and other work done, until the afternoon, when the Committee met again, at 419 Broome Street, and were called to order by their President, Mr. Ryder. The following resolutions were offered by Mr. Douglass. Whereas, It being the will of the Association that our next Convention be held in this city in August next, it is Resolved, That the Second Annual Convention and Exhibition of the Photographers’ Association of America be held in the American Institute Exhibition Building, in this city, opening on Tuesday, August 16th, and closing not later than August 20th, 1881. Resolved, That a vote of thanks be tendered Charles Wager Hull, Esq., for his courtesies to us to-day, and for the facilities offered for our Exhibition, which will aid us much in our work.” p. 66.]

“Wilson’s Photographics.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:208 (Apr. 1881): 124-125. [Book notice. Wilson’s Photographics. Ed. and published by E. L. Wilson, 1881. (Excerpts from forthcoming book, which consists of notes, advice, ideas, etc. quoted from many photographers, among them J. F. Ryder, with an excerpt of one of his ideas printed on p. 125. “….]

“Editor’s Table. Pictures Received.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:208 (Apr. 1881): 126. [“s announced some time ago, we have in preparation — and now almost ready — a new Lesson-Book on photography, which shall bear our name, with the coined word Photographies added, as above. If we could separate author from editor, we should naturally want to praise the work to our readers. As it is, we dare not do more than to present a page or two from it below, to give the reader an impression of what it is like, and then leave it to your tender mercies for patronage, if you think it will be useful to you….” “…The following extracts arc from Lesson A, and are given to show the plan of the book….” “…77. As to the study of light, I follow it intuitively. I find my models everywhere, in parlors, halls, churches, oflices, shops, railway cars; wherever there are windows or gas-jets, and heads for the light to shine upon, there are my studies — sometimes more, sometimes less interesting, but studied all the same. Frequently in common conversation, or in the course of a business transaction, I give as much attention to lighting the head of my model as I do to the drift of his talk or the character of the business in hand. We may be introduced to a stranger, and while assuring him of the pleasure we have found in his acquaintance, and wondering if it will rain before night, we have discovered that his nose is a little out of true, and that a three-fourths face away from the light will suit him best. In this study or pursuit much is to be gained. We learn to recognize the true from the false, the good from the bad. An education may be so acquired that would be obtained in no other way. We see and fix in the mind many peculiarities and effects of light that by accumulation become knowledge. There may be a lesson in the shadow thrown from a hitching-post, if we look for it, as much as there are ” sermons in stones.” These hints and bits of observation, picked up in promiscuous ways and places, carried into the operating-room, give power to the possessor of them, and make him master of the situation. When we once get into this way of ” trying on,” we are not likely to abandon the habit. — J. F. Ryder….”]

“The Real Rip Van Winkle of Photography Discovered.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:209 (May 1881): 151-152. [“…To be “explicit,” we were the only editor there who reported the proceedings of the Convention through our own employed reporter. We offered to share the privilege with the other magazines — Mr. Fitzgibbon declined; Rip Van Winkle was asleep. President Ryder, Secretary Copelin, and our reporters can all testify to this. We only ask credit for being awake. …” p. 152

“Correspondence. From The West.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 11:125 (May 1881): 202-204. [“Dear Sir: About all you hear now, as you pass from studio to studio—from the most elegant to the obscure—is dry plates. The craze is upon the fraternity, and all are anxious to learn of them and to test their merits. With its usual enterprise, the Chicago Photographic Association took hold of the subject and devoted its last regular meeting to the discussion of the gelatine dry plate. The notice sent out by its able secretary drew a large attendance. I reached the rooms of the Association at an early hour, desiring to chat with the members before the call to order, and was well paid for my early visit. The meetings of this Association are now held in the spacious warerooms of Messrs. Douglass, Thompson & Co., who have always felt a warm interest in the welfare of this society. They are generous in providing all the necessaries for comfort and ample accommodations for exhibits and demonstrations at the meetings. I found a large wall surface entirely covered with samples of photography, plainly labeled so the observer knew all about each particular exhibit; and right here I will say a word about the method proposed for the placing ‘pictures for exhibition at the coming convention in August—the putting them up on the screens with what are known as artists or thumb tacks. Quickly put up, as quickly taken down when the exhibit is done, and they serve the purpose of study much better than by elaborate covering of mat and frame. I trust it will be adopted. Before the meeting is called to order, let us examine the work from the gelatine plates which is on exhibition. First, we have four cabinets from Ferranti, Liverpool, England; no information as to time of exposure or whose make of plates. They are fine examples of this photographer’s work, and fully equal to any done with the wet plate. Carbutt, of Philadelphia, has a fine display— that is, prints made from his plates by members of the society, interiors, outdoor views, and a few portraits. Two large interiors, contributed by Mr. Carbutt himself, are worth a large amount of study, and arc receiving a great deal of attention —one, an interior of a church, with exposure of three days; one, the parlor of a palatial residence, five hours’ exposure. Another church interior, made by Clifford, of St. Johnsbury, Vt., on the Carbutt plate, with one and three-quarter hours’ exposure. The Carbutt plate is a great favorite, I find, and for reliability stands first. The Des Moines Dry Plate Co. have a very attractive exhibit, some eighteen cabinet and card portraits and one stereo view. Time of exposure from one quarter to eight seconds. The portrait work is from the studio of Boyd, of Davenport, and the display does great credit to his skill as a photographer. W. J. Baker, of Buffalo, N. Y., had thirteen portraits from boudoir to cabinets, made on his own plates, and to say they were up to the usual standard of this photographer’s wet plate work will determine their excellence. G. W. Taylor, Sycamore, Ill., has a large head of lady made on plate of his own manufacture. Exposure, twenty seconds, with as fine results as forty with wet plate. Rocher, of our city, has cabinets made on the Cramer & Norden plates; exposures from one-quarter second to five seconds. A cabinet of a dozen one-half second exposure shows what the gelatine plate is capable of doing. This photographer is using plates as large as 17×20, and more than two-thirds of his settings are with the dry plate. Meyer, of Chicago, exhibits portraits, interiors, and outdoor views from gelatine plates of his own make — very good. Joshua Smith, the famous photographer of babies, and who is making his own plates and using them exclusively, has an exhibit that does him credit. The Howe plate, now out of the market, has some nice examples of interior, exterior, and portrait work exhibited by Messrs. Greene, Edgeworth & Gentile. The Eureka Dry Plate Co., of St. Louis, shows portrait and view work equal to any in the collection. The Eastman Dry Plate Co., Rochester, N. Y., display a large number of prints from 11×14 to cabinet size, mostly portraits from the studios of Ryder, of Cleveland, Rockwood, New York, Rocher, Beebe, and Rider, of our city. Mr. Beebe, who has followed the example of other eminent photographers and abandoned the wet process, exhibited a number of large panels made from gelatine negatives, which were noticeable for excellence in both white and dark draperies. The Cramer & Norden Plates were represented by portrait work from the studios of Scholten and Cramer, St. Louis; machinery by Bencke, St. Louis; and instantaneous stereo snow views by Elmer & Tenney, Winona, Minn. These plates also had a fine representation in the contribution made by J. F. Edgeworth, of Chicago, who had fine examples of outdoor work and machinery. This special work was also exhibited in a large collection made by P. B. Greene, of our city, on the Carbutt and Howe plates, and demonstrated the great value of gelatine dry plates for landscape and machinery work. A description of the exhibit cannot convey to your readers the value it has to those who were fortunate enough to be present, to study the examples offered. It demonstrated that even now, with the gelatine plate so little understood, it was a new power in the hands of photographers and would find its way into every studio; some to use successfully, others to reject it as a failure. The fine display was supported by an exhibition of negatives of a large number of the prints shown….”]

“Correspondence.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 11:125 (May 1881): 204. [“A Pretty “Partial Catalogue” of artists materials, to be found at the art gallery of Mr. J. F. Ryder, 239 Superior Street, Cleveland, Ohio, has been sent the Times by that gentleman. It is a model of neatness and conciseness — convenience as well — and covered with delicate pink bristol board. On the front is one of the Kendall Banknote Co.’s superb engravings on steel, which is a real work of art. It may be called “a scene above the clouds,” since a lovely combination of light and shade is given by the cloud display, through which a young moon is piercing its way. The whole get-up of this catalogue is extremely pretty and tasteful.”]

One of the Crowd. “Tramps.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:210 (June 1881): 165-166. [“Some of our fraternity seem to be so much embittered over the doings of what they are pleased to call the tramps of our profession, that I have thought that it would not be uninteresting reading to hear what one of them, at least, has to say for himself on the subject. And for fear that it maybe surmised that we are not the thorough-going Simon pure article bearing that name, we will say that all we possess photographically is on wheels, and enclosed in the traditional twenty-four feet by eight car, with a little red-room, three by four, tacked on the side. This coupled with the fact that at any moment, when business is dull, all we want is the aid of four horses, or better still mules, and fair roads to ” Fold our tent like the Arabs and as silently steal away.” This, we think, entitles us to fairly class ourselves among the Ishmaelites of our profession. How this has all come about, we can hardly say; we might wish it otherwise — perhaps envy, occasionally, the superb surroundings of some of our apparently more fortunate brothers, with their Dallmeyer lenses, their Seavey backgrounds, and their costly furniture. But this feeling is hardly uppermost in our minds as we sit, this blustering evening in March, by the side of a cozy, hard-coal stove in what we are pleased to call the reception-room (nine by eight), of our what we heard a countryman call, Dagerrian box. No, our thoughts are not of the envious kind to-night; for although we have had a hard run of work to-day, we take comfort in the fact that our bills are all paid, that we have no first of the month rent day, and no long salary list to liquidate on Saturday night. These are some of the comforts that we think balance the scale a little in our favor, and make us feel good-natured enough to give your subscribers a little insight into the way we accomplish all this, and yet be a tramp. In the first place, we read a little, especially photographic literature, and, without running amuck with all the new processes that are ever thought of, we always try and adopt any thing that we think has real merit, and try to keep in the lead with our best workers. For instance, it may startle some when we say that we don’t take tintypes; that for six months we have used nothing but dry plates; that we use acetate of lead in the washing of our prints, and aniline blue in the toning of them; and, what is more, always charge (and get it, too) as much as, and in a great majority of cases more than, the best worker in the town that we see fit to drop down in. We do not wish it understood that all of this has come easy to do, or that we turn out as fine work as Bocher, Mora, Sarony, Ryder, and a host of others. That with our facilities would be impossible; but we do say that we always try to improve on the work with which we come into competition, and make better prices. p. 166.]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:210 (June 1881): 178-179. 1 illus. [(The illustration depicts the engraved design for a certificate of membership of the P. A. of A., designed by G. G. Finn, the certificate includes Ryder’s signature as President.) “The original design for the certificate was drawn in pen and ink by Mr. G. G. Finn, Cleveland, Ohio, and is a real gem in its way. It is full of suggestions of the studio photographic, and a real work of art. Mr. Finn is recommended very highly, too, by Ex-President Ryder, as being exceedingly skilful in getting up artistic designs for photographic cards, circulars, etc., and photographers will be glad to avail themselves of his artistic services, undoubtedly. He designed the certificate at less than half price, and we hope it will bring him much patronage. A full description of its size and form will be given presently by the Committee. It will honor every one entitled to display it. “With customary enterprise, the Crosscup & “West “Wood and Photo-Engraving Company have made various sizes of it for disposal to members of the Photographers’ Association of America only, who cannot afford an original design for use on the backs of their card-mounts. It will be a beautiful thing for this purpose, and become very popular. See the advertisement. p. 179.]

1 b & w. (“A Household Goddess”) by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, as frontispiece in “Our Picture.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:210 (June 1881): frontispiece, 189-190. [(Studio portrait of a girl on a swing.) “We have been favored by Mr. J. P. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, with some negatives for “Our Picture ” this month which fairly rival everything of their class of subject that we have ever been able to present heretofore. They are all of sweet, adorable little girls, such as — bless them! — always make the photographer’s heart glad by their good behavior, and the wondrous understanding which they evince as to what is required of them. No people indeed, as a class, show more sympathy for, and give more ready help to, the photographer, while being posed, than do these same dear little girls. We always delight to see them come in, and so does everybody else. Therefore we cannot have gone far wrong in calling our picture ” A Household Goddess,” not to say ” A Gallery Goddess!” No less than five or six of these tiny blessings have helped serve our purpose this month. One of them is gracefully poised in a swing, looking as fairy-like as a fresh air-castle. Another is just doing nothing at all, except looking sweet and pretty, and allowing her tender conscience to sway her while she poses, lest she move and spoil all. A third is aggrieved over the broken doll at her feet. Friends have tried to soothe her and reassure her, and yet she chooses to grieve, as did another tiny one in St. Nicholas, as she tried to convince herself that the dead dolly must know that her own neglect had caused the dire calamity as she thus soliloquized: ” But I know that she knew it now, and I just believe, I do, That her poor little heart was broken, and so her head broke too. Oh! my baby! my little baby! I wish my head had been hit, For I’ve hit it over and over, and it hasn’t cracked a bit. “You needn’t be trying to comfort me — I tell you my dolly’s dead; There’s no use saying she isn’t, with a crack like that in her head, “lt’s just as you said, it wouldn’t be hard to take my photograph that day, And then, when the man pulled my hair most off, you hadn’t a word to say.” And still another noble little one, such as blesses many of our homes, pleasantly occupies her tiny hands with a flower while she obediently steadies herself in her most natural and graceful attitude. Such little goddesses bless many of our homes, and make us measure them with these sweet pictured ones, while we would fain sing: Our “household goddess” sweet is no dread sinecure. Her eyes — dear eyes — are gray and bright and tender. Her child love, love makes, so kind, sublime, and pure, She scatters sunshine roundabout with radiant splendor. Her cheeks like hedge-roses glow, softly blending With the olive tinting of her wondrous face, Mass up such color, as, without intending, Send even her fair tresses flying in disgrace. Such subjects as this, all will agree, compensate for the many hardships which the skylight-man must endure. The prints were made upon the extra brilliant (white) Dresden paper of Mr. G. Gennert’s importation, and were vignetted with Waymouth’s Vignette Papers, used in the manner described on page 18?. There is no excuse now for photographers making imperfect vignettes when they have such perfect means of producing them as “Waymouth’s Vignette Papers, with Singhi’s attachment, supplied to them for their use. It is hardly needful that we should say a single word of commendation for Mr. Ryder. His work is admirable, and he is especially happy in his handling of household goddesses. It is a long time since we have looked upon a series of more beautiful negatives than those used by us for this purpose. Not only this praise is due to Mr. Ryder, but much more for his willingness to aid us in bringing such admirable studies to the attention of our hungry patrons.”]

A Subscriber. “Philadelphia Photographer and Non-Subscribers.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:212 (Aug. 1881): 233. [“It is necessary for every photographer to keep himself posted in his every-day workings. He may find to his benefit an easy way to success. The Philadelphia Photographer will meet his requirements. Those who are not readers of this bright journal cannot gain a higher foothold. They are grasping from day to day, and are trying to find out what is the best chance they can get at, but they make no progress. I have been a subscriber for this journal for the last three years, and before that time I got it occasionally, as I took a notion; but on looking over its pages it cheered me up and brought me to a mind to get it regularly by being a continuous subscriber. The important feature it brings is the charming frontispiece, a study of real art taken by the best artists, who are trying to help the weaker class. Just look at the July issue. It is grand. It is from that venerable gentleman, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, who does his best to help along every one. Such work is a real gem of art. It gives us good instruction, such as we shall not fail to secure within its folds the light it obtained from the masters who every day are laboring to ascend higher. True it is our magazine has made many a one a fortune. The hints and dodges it contains will surely lead one on a straight road, for it is impossible for him to get on a cross one and get lost, and then commence to think and say, I am on the wrong road, I will have to turn back and do this over until I get it right. I say, yes, right. I do not say, “Well, I haven’t got any time to read books now.” I hear one say, as I am busy, and if I read half an hour my time is lost. No, your time is not lost.” What you read is putting more knowledge in your dark mind. It will give you light, and some day you might happen to fall in line with the same article you were reading about, which probably might have been about your bath, collodion, printing, or silvering paper. Note the change that will happen, and how easy everything will work by keeping up to time with the Philadelphia Photographer. Nine times out of ten you will never regret the small subscription price of $5.00. How often would one give that sum alone when he gets in trouble with his chemicals and light. If you are not a subscriber, draw your attention as though you are in earnest. Under any circumstance s do not lose any time, but subscribe at once. Now, Mr. Editor, as I am taking up more space in your journal than I am admitted to, I wish you a thousand more subscribers. Yours truly, A Subscriber. ….]

“The Second Annual Convention of the Photographers Association of America.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 11:128 (Aug. 1881): 288-289. [“The Second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America: First Day’s Proceedings. Tuesday, Aug. 16, 1881 Fourth Day’s Proceedings, Friday, August 19, 1881.”]

“Photographers Association of America. First Day’s Proceedings. Tuesday, August 16, 1881.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 11:128 (Aug. 1881): 287-350. [(Extensive, detailed account of the convention. Includes texts of the addresses, reports, speeches and discussions. Exhibition notices that lists exhibitors and describes their photograhs. Includes President John Carbutts address p. 290, Alexander Hesler’s wide-ranging talk on “photography under the skylight” pp. 291-294; John Clements on “blisters” pp. 294-296; Cramer on the dry plate process, pp. 296-297; “Art in a Bygone Era” p. 299 (apparently an editor’s comment by J. T. Taylor, mentioning Talbot, Daguerre and Sir. William Newton); Committee Reports: “On Gelatine Dry Plates” pp 301-302; “On the Progress of the Art of Photography,” by David Bachrach, Jr. pp. 302-305; other reports, Resolution on wishes for the recovery of Pres. Garfield “…stricken by the hands of an assassin, and now lies at the point of death…” by D. H. Carvalho pp. 305-306; “Art and Dry Plates,” by J. E. Beebe (Chicago) pp. 308-309; address on practical workings of gelatino-bromide process by Joshua Smith (Chicago, IL) pp. 309-311; “The Use of Glass in Photography,” by Thomas Gaffield pp. 312-317; “Address,” by J. F. Ryder pp. 319-322; “Making Crooked Faces Straight,” by S. V. Allen (Freeport, IL) pp. 322-327; T. C. Roche on dry plates pp. 328-329; Letter on Autoglyphs, by T. C. Roche on p. 333; “The Past and Present of Making Sun Pictures,” by E. T. Whitney pp. 345-348.) “The second annual convention and exhibition of the Photographers’ Association of America was opened this forenoon in the Exhibition Hall of the American Institute, Sixty-third Street and Third Avenue, there being a good attendance….” “…Mr. J. F. Ryder, of the Executive Committee, who accompanied a party of sixty-five from Cleveland, Ohio, has also informed us in what manner he and his friends enjoyed themselves. He says:
“In behalf of the sixty-live photographers of northern Ohio and adjacent Pennsylvania, who comprised the convention excursion from Cleveland to New York and return, I desire to express our appreciation of the liberal and courteous treatment extended us by General Passenger Agent W. B. Shattuc, of the N. Y., P. & O. R. R., for giving us advantages that enabled many to attend the convention who otherwise could not. In this kindly act we recognize the liberal policy which characterizes the man, and the company he so ably represents. Our trip down was a most delightful one. The glimpses of Lake Chautauqua (p 288) as we touched its shores in passing were charming. The beauty of scenery along the Alleghany, the Canisteo, the Chemung, the Susquehanna, and the Delaware, along whose banks the Erie Railway takes its course, is unsurpassed, and gave us continual pleasure. We shall not soon forget the enjoyment of the trip, or our gratitude to General Shattuc.”
The Meeting.
Shortly before 11 o’clock the President, John Carbutt, of Philadelphia, took the I chair and called the convention to order….” (p. 289)]

“The Second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 11:128 (Aug. 1881): 319-322. [(This is the first year that the Photographic Times provided an extensive report on the PAA annual conference. It continued to devote the bulk of each August issue to the same subject for many following years.)
“The President called the convention to order at 10.30 A. M., and introduced J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, who addressed the convention as follows:
Mr. Ryder’s Address. It is well, in an assemblage of this kind, where hundreds of interested men have met to exchange kindly greeting—to be teacher and pupil to each other, to gain light from the accumulation of a ray each from a hundred or a thousand minds— that our thoughts turn in grateful remembrance to the memory of the practical discoverer, Daguerre—that we recognize in him a benefactor to the human race in having given the means of securing and preserving the most truthful shadow image known, and in which the world finds great pleasure and satisfaction. Every photographer should carry in his heart of hearts the image of the father, and should honor him as the parent of his art. There are, no doubt, a goodly number present who practiced the art as he gave it, making the image upon the polished silver surface plate. All such feel nearer to, and better acquainted with him, than those who have practiced only the more recent methods. Without attempting to follow the step by step advance from infancy to the giant proportions of to-day, we may recognize the strength and value of our art’s position, and give attention to its continued healthy growth. What we believe necessary to that end, is a watchful care of its morals as a condition essential to progress. Every man engaged in this business owes to it, to himself, and to his neighbor certain duties in contributing to its welfare and elevation by keeping it respectable. Respectability is the cornerstone of all substantial structures of a business character, and particularly applies to ours. Its first element is knowledge. To possess a good practical knowledge of one’s business inspires confidence in the patron, who likes to be handled and managed intelligently. Most people are quick to detect an indecision or hesitation on the part of the operator that would imply a lack of skill. “Knowledge is power,” and makes a man master of the situation, even in a photographic operating room. The means of acquiring this valuable aid is within easy reach. Every intelligent and progressive photographer has his library, he reads the journals, takes a little study of art principles even outside his wants for daily practice. Most valuable of all, he studies the human face and learns much of character; he adapts what he finds of interest to the camera, and adds to his knowledge of individual character, which stands him in daily stead in managing the model to intelligent purpose. If any man within reach of my voice fails to notice the lighting and shading of the faces he looks into, day by day, wherever seen, and note mentally its peculiarities; fails to take the teachings freely given by accident or natural chance; if he does not sometimes carry in his mind the remembrance of a fine head, well poised and lighted, which may have been caught at a glimpse, or viewed at leisure; if he does not carry that image for weeks and months, sometimes for years, I must tell that man he is in the wrong business. The study of human faces becomes a habit and a pleasure to the student in portraiture, and the measure of his success depends much upon this self-imposed training. The eye becomes quick to see and recognize the correct and the beautiful; the camera, under intelligent guidance, is quick to secure it. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a pretty strong way to put it among photographers, and there is a chance of its being evaded. What the revision may have done with that command I have not learned. My interpretation of it as adapted to our profession is, that if we desire the respect of good people; if we would command uniform good prices for our work; if we prefer accumulating a little money for ourselves to spoiling the chance of our competitor acquiring any, it would be well that we have peace and good understanding with one another. If we would be good to ourselves, we must be good to our neighbors. That is a rendering that should be acceptable. The unprofitable jealousies that mark the craft may be likened to thistles among the wheat—they rankle and destroy. The strongest condemnation I can give of the almost universal unsocial condition among photographers is that it costs too much to keep it up, and is a bad investment. “Next to Godliness is cleanliness.” If photographers would embellish their walls with a neatly framed copy of that text; if they would read it daily, giving it the attention it deserves, and follow faithfully the golden hint, there would be thousands of men who from that commencement would improve the quality of their work, make themselves and their establishments more popular, and gain a better patronage. A carelessly kept photograph gallery is about as uninteresting a place as a tidy person could desire to find. I have seen such places, and it would seem as though a breath of pure air would be a surprise to it. The stale odors of chemicals reinforced by a musty, dusty, indescribable smell, faded, stained, and much worn furniture, crippled head rests worth a cent a pound for old iron, dingy walls which suggest a possible blue or leaden tint, and a whitewash brush years ago is about the thing. This is a fine place for a bride, with silken train and falling veil, or for any well dressed lady or child. When you see the proprietor of such an establishment, you recognize the eternal fitness of things—the natural law of harmony is declared; the man is suited to the place, and the place to the man. I need not undertake a description of him—you have all seen him, but I think not in this place: his education is finished. That sort of fellow is too numerous, however, for the credit of photography. A clean shirt is a voucher of respectability, and commands recognition from all well bred people; a polished boot and a well brushed coat is not overlooked or undervalued by the great majority. It makes a man look better in his patrons’ eyes, and makes him better satisfied with himself. I once had a customer to sit for a locket picture. He brought a hand trunk, and bolted the door of the dressing room, where he polished his boots, put on a clean shirt, and declared himself ready to be taken. On being told it was unnecessary to shine his boots, as only the head and shoulders would be taken, he replied that he felt more “dressed up” with them blackened, and he preferred to look and feel well when he had his picture taken. I have believed in that man since then, more than I did before. A man handling sitters should cultivate a tidy and polished appearance, both in manners and dress. I have a spleen against seeing a man work among ladies, as photographer, shabbily dressed, or in his shirt sleeves. I object to the practice of photographers calling themselves artists with the freedom many do; I cannot think it modest. The title means a good deal more than belongs to the practice of photography. I know a few artists who are photographers, and a very few photographers who have artistic tendencies. The man who may have been driving pegs into the bottom of a boot, or collecting fares on a horse car last year, is not competent to take the title of artist this year because he has engaged in the photograph business. As a rule, I cannot believe a justice of the peace to be a statesman. Occasionally we see a man who looks beyond the idea of a photograph representing a dollar, or five, as the case may be. Then the work ceases to be drudgery, and a pleasurable ambition enters into it. He may really feel something like inspiration, and the result of his efforts give him a satisfying sense of something beyond a mere likeness. That man has artistic feeling. He sees glory in the rising sun, and grandeur in his going down! Masses and waves of children’s hair are a pleasure to him; the bent figure of age may describe to him a line of beauty of peculiar tenderness, while to another it seems a mere deformity. Unconscious pictures and beautiful creations live in his mind. There is a chance—almost a danger of that photographer becoming an artist. I must tell you how I got one of the most valuable lessons, as bearing upon our business, I ever had. It came from a man who knew nothing of the peculiar perplexities of our business, in fact knew too little of human nature to succeed in business himself; but he taught me well by impressing upon my mind a fact I knew as well as he did. He came into my rooms one day for a friendly call, and inquired how I was progressing. Although young in the mysteries of daguerreotype-making, I was doing quite well, and with natural pride told him so. He said it was easily accounted for; said I had learned the valuable fact that molasses caught more flies than vinegar, and that molasses was my best capital; he referred to my competitor up the street as “Old Vinegar,” said he was driving customers away by his sour manners, and I was catching them. I was amused at this way of putting it, but I had got my lesson, and shall thank him all my life. Hundreds of times in the years after that when sorely tried by capricious and over exacting customers, and upon the point of giving way to anger and disgust, have I recalled the lesson, and by continued patience and indulgence succeeded in pleasing, and sent them away satisfied and happy, instead of angry, and as sure workers against my business. We all know how difficult it is to bear the caprices and whims of the unreasonable. We know what comfortable satisfaction it is to sometimes resent imposition, as we feel it to be at the moment; but in the serious and candid afterthought we must confess to ourselves it is damaging to have differences with our customers. We may wisely take to ourselves the fact that in all departments of business there is a certain amount of imposition to be recognized and carried. Retire, if necessary, to your dark rooms, gentlemen, and commune with yourselves; smite your brow with your clenched hands, swallow the rankle if it takes two gulps, and be sure you come out smiling. If it be clearly impossible to avoid misunderstanding, bow the party out with a smile, and put molasses in it, let them go with the conviction at heart that they have been the aggressor. They are liable to come back wiser and more amiable. A word about prices: Let an earnest, determined man fix a good, respectable, or even a high price upon his work; then let him show by painstaking tare that he makes the work worth the price, and the public will soon learn to understand and appreciate him. People, many people, prefer to have the very best, and will pay the price. We see men in the learned professions, in the higher branches of art, and mechanics whose services cost high, and we see people who will have them from preference, because they have confidence in their ability, and in the belief that they are being served in the very best manner. The man not only inspires confidence in his customers, but in himself, and aims to deserve his position of a high priced, painstaking man. I remember seeing, in a neighboring city, a little placard in the room of the hotel at which I was stopping, which read as follows: “Randall’s photographs command a higher price than any others in the city—Why?” I recognized the value of the query in the double sense that it challenged attention and sent the reader’s thoughts off upon an inquiry, the answer to which was favorable to the advertiser. If the work commanded a higher price the natural inference was that it was superior. In another city, conspicuous for the excellence of its photographic work and the very low prices that prevail, a photographer has posted at the entrance door, “No cheap photographs taken here.” Surely values determine the standard. Not only the work the man does, but the man himself is regarded in a higher sense. In elevating his art he elevates himself. How is it with the man that starts out to scoop his neighbors by degrading his prices? I care not what may be the skill and the good intentions of the man; he may claim that five, four, or three dollars per dozen for cabinets, is enough; that it gives a good profit, and he chooses to give his customers the benefit of low prices. That man will not take the pains to do good, careful work, and he will soon begin to justify himself that his work is as good as the price he gets for it. Besides degrading his own practice, he is injuring an honorable calling, and stands as a reproach to it. The man who exhibits the work of others in his show cases, thereby allowing the public to believe it to be the product of his own skill, and deceiving people by representations of the human figure, or such parts of it as are of value to medicine and surgery, with propriety. He may also, with propriety, indulge the fond parent in portraying the cherub figure of the babe, but he must beware of prostituting an innocent camera and a respectable profession to the production of lewd or improper subjects. Probably the greatest blemish to our young art is in the unfair and disreputable uses it has been put to by unprincipled practitioners. I do not revert to these subjects with pleasure, but from conviction of the duty of their emphatic condemnation. Whether on the Sabbath morning you take your prayer book for attendance to church, or saunter toward the pleasant stream, be sure the key of the gallery door is in your own pocket, and the doors locked against the boys and their friends, for little do you know what may be doing there to the injury of its good name.
Prolonged applause followed the delivery of Mr. Ryder’s address.”]

“The Second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America. Exhibits-Third Notice.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 11:128 (Aug. 1881): 332-333. [“We really beg pardon of Mr. J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, for somehow or other some of the work having so thoroughly associated him with the practice of portraiture as to not having been aware that he had even half an eye for the beautiful in external scenery—always from the camera point of view, of course. But from a number of most charming little pictures, entitled “Artists’ Studies,” we most gladly recognize in him a landscape artist of a very high type indeed. We have seldom seen any pictures that surpass in softness and delicacy a small collection by Mr. Ryder. There are also several portrait studies by this artist, which demonstrate that he occupies a foremost position among the many able artists of America….” p. 332.
(Ryder was quoted, discussed or mentioned about a dozen additional times in this volume in respect to the PAA conference.)]

1 b & w (“Mrs. James Garfield.” “Photographed by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.”) on p. 581 in: “Mrs. Garfield.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 25:1288 (Aug. 27, 1881): 581, 582.

“Photographers’ Association of America. Second Annual Convention, Held in New York City, August 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, 1881.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:214 (Oct. 1881): 289-311. [“Second Annual Convention, Held in New York City, August 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th, 1881.…” p. 289. “…Third Day. Morning Session, August 18th, 1881. The President. — The meeting will come to order. It is in order to receive Mr. Mosher’s report, if he is prepared to make it. Mr. Mosher not being present, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, will address you. Mr. Ryder then read his address as follows: It is well, in an assemblage of this kind, where hundreds of interested men have met to exchange kindly greeting — to be teacher and pupil to each other, to gain light from the accumulation of a ray each from a hundred or a thousand minds — that our thoughts turn in grateful remembrance to the memory of the practical discoverer, Daguerre — that we recognize in him a benefactor to the human race, in having given the means of securing and preserving the most truthful shadow image known, and in which the world finds great pleasure and satisfaction. Every photographer should carry in his heart of hearts the image of the father, and should honor him as the parent of his art. There are, no doubt, a goodly number present who practised the art as he gave it, making the image upon the polished silver surface plate. All such feel nearer to and better acquainted with him than those who have practised only the more recent methods. Without attempting to follow the step-by-step advance from infancy to the giant proportions of to-day, we may recognize the strength and value of our art’s position, and give attention to its continued healthy growth. What we believe necessary to that end, is a watchful care of its morals as a condition essential to progress. Every man engaged in this business owes to it, to himself, and to his neighbor certain duties in contributing to its welfare and elevation by keeping it respectable. Respectability is the corner-stone of all substantial structures of a business character, and particularly applies to ours. Its first element is knowledge. To possess a good practical knowledge of one’s business inspires confidence in the patron, who likes to be handled and managed intelligently. Most people are quick to detect an indecision or hesitation on the part of the operator that would imply a lack of skill. “Knowledge is power,” and makes a man master of the situation, even in a photographic operating-room. The means of acquiring this valuable aid is within easy reach. Every intelligent and progressive photographer has his library, he reads the journals, takes a little study of art principles even outside his wants for daily practice. Most valuable of all, he studies the human face and learns much of character: he adapts what he finds of interest to the camera, and adds to his knowledge of individual character, which stands him in daily stead in managing the model to intelligent purpose. If any man within reach of my voice fails to notice the lighting and shading of the faces he looks into, day by day, wherever seen, and note mentally its peculiarities, fails to take the teachings freely given by accident or natural chance, if he does not sometimes carry in his mind the remembrance of a fine head, well poised and lighted, which may have been caught at a glimpse, or viewed at leisure, if he does not carry that image for weeks and months, sometimes for years, I must tell that man he is in the wrong business. The study of human faces becomes a habit and a pleasure to the student in portraiture, and the measure of his success depends much upon this self-imposed training. The eye becomes quick to see and recognize the correct and the beautiful; the camera, -under intelligent guidance, is quick to secure it. “Love thy neighbor as thyself” is a pretty strong way to put it among photographers, and there is a chance of its being evaded. What the revision may have done with that command I have not learned. My interpretation of it as adapted to our profession is, that if we desire the respect of good people, if we would command uniform good prices for our work, if we prefer accumulating a little money for ourselves to spoiling the chance of our competitor acquiring any, it would be well that we have peace and good understanding with one another. If we would be good to ourselves, we must be good to our neighbors. That is a rendering that should be acceptable. The unprofitable jealousies that mark the craft may be likened to thistles among the wheat — they rankle and destroy. The strongest condemnation I can give of the almost universal unsocial condition among photographers is that it costs too much to keep it up, and is a bad investment. “Next to godliness is cleanliness.” If photographers would embellish their walls with a neatly-framed copy of that text, if they would read it daily, giving it the attention it deserves, and follow faithfully the golden hint, there would be thousands of men who from that commencement would improve the quality of their work, make themselves and their establishments more popular, and gain a better patronage. A carelessly kept photograph gallery is about as uninteresting a. place as a tidy person could desire to find. I have seen such places, and it would seem as though a breath of pure air would be a surprise to it. The stale odors of chemicals reinforced by a musty, dusty, indescribable smell, faded, stained, and much-worn furniture, crippled head-rests worth a cent a pound for old iron, dingy walls which suggest a possible blue or leaden tint, and a white-wash brush years ago is about the thing. This is a fine place for a bride, with silken train and falling veil, or for any well-dressed lady or child! When you see the proprietor of such an establishment, you recognize the eternal fitness of things — the natural law of harmony is declared; the man is suited to the place, and the place to the man. I need not undertake a description of him — you have all seen him, but I think not in this place; his education is finished. That sort of fellow is too numerous, however, for the credit of photography. A clean shirt is a voucher of respectability, and commands recognition from all well-bred people; a polished boot and a well-brushed coat is not overlooked or undervalued by the great majority. It makes a man look better in his patrons’ eyes, and makes him better satisfied with himself. I once had a customer to sit for a locket picture. He brought a hand-trunk, and bolted the door of the dressing-room, where he polished his boots, put on a clean shirt, and declared himself ready to be taken. On being told it was unnecessary to shine his boots, as only the head and shoulders would be taken, he replied that he felt more “dressed up” with them blackened, and he preferred to look and feel well when he had his picture taken. I have believed in that man since then more than I did before. A man handling sitters should cultivate a tidy and polished appearance, both in manners and dress. I have a spleen against seeing a man work among ladies, as photographer, shabbily dressed, or in his shirt-sleeves. I object to the practice of photographers calling themselves artists with the freedom many 297 do. I cannot think it modest. The title means a good deal more than belongs to the practice of photography. I know a few artists who are photographers, and a very few photographers who have artistic tendencies. The man who may have been driving pegs into the bottom of a boot, or collecting fares on a horse-car last year, is not competent to take the title of artist this year because he has engaged in the photograph business. As a rule, I cannot believe a justice of the peace to be a statesman. Occasionally we see a man who looks beyond the idea of a photograph representing a dollar, or five, as the case may be. Then the work ceases to be drudgery, and a pleasurable ambition enters into it. He may really feel something like inspiration, and the result of his efforts gives him a satisfying sense of something beyond a mere likeness. That man has artistic feeling. He sees glory in the rising sun, and grandeur in his going down! Masses and waves of children’s hair are a pleasure to him: the bent figure of age may describe to him a line of beauty of peculiar tenderness, while to another it seems a mere deformity. Unconscious pictures and beautiful creations live in his mind. There is a chance — almost a dinger — of that photographer becoming an artist. I must tell you how I got one of the most valuable lessons, as bearing upon our business, I ever had. It came from a man who knew nothing of the peculiar perplexities of our business, in fact knew too little of human nature to succeed in business himself; but he taught me well by impressing upon my mind a fact I knew as well as he did. He came into my rooms, one day, for a friendly call, and inquired how I was progressing. Although young in the mysteries of daguerreotype-making, I was doing quite well, and with natural pride told him so. He said it was easily accounted for; said I had learned the valuable fact that molasses caught more flies than vinegar, and that molasses was my best capital. He referred to my competitor up the street as ” Old Vinegar,” said he was driving customers away by his sour manners, and I was catching them. I was amused at this way of putting it, but I had got my lesson, and shall thank him all my life. Hundreds of times in the years after that, when solely tried by capricious and over-exacting customers, and upon the point of giving way to anger and disgust, have I recalled the lesson, and by continued patience and indulgence succeeded in pleasing, and sent them away satisfied and happy, instead of angry, and as sure workers against my business. We all know how difficult it is to bear the caprices and whims of the unreasonable. We know what comfortable satisfaction it is to sometimes resent imposition, as we feel it to be at the moment; but in the serious and candid afterthought we must confess to ourselves it is damaging to have differences with onr customers. We may wisely take to ourselves the fact that in all departments of business there is a certain amount of imposition to be recognized and carried. Retire, if necessary, to your dark-rooms, gentlemen, and commune with yourselves; smite your brow with your clinched hands, swallow the rankle if it takes two gulps, and be sure you come out smiling. If it be clearly impossible to avoid misunderstanding, bow the party out with a smile, and put molasses in it, let them go with the conviction at heart that they have been the aggressor. They are liable to come back wiser and more amiable. • A word about prices. Let an earnest, determined man fix *. good, respectable, or even a high price upon his work; then let him show by painstaking care that he makes the work worth the price, and the public will soon learn to understand and appreciate him. People, many people, prefer to have the very best, and will pay the price. We see men in the learned professions, in the higher branches of art, and mechanics whose services cost high, and we see people who will have them from preference, because they have confidence in their ability, and in the belief that they are being served in the very best manner. The man not only inspires confidence in his customers, but in himself, and aims to deserve his position of a high-priced, painstaking man. I remember seeing, in a neighboring city, a little placard in the room of the hotel at which I was stopping, which read as follows: ” Randall’s photographs command a higher price than any others in the city — Why?” I recognized the value of the query in the double sense that it challenged attention and sent the reader’s thoughts off upon an inquiry, the answer to which was favorable to the advertiser. If the work commanded a higher price, the natural inference was that it was superior. In another city, conspicuous for the excellence of its photographic work and the very low prices that prevail, a photographer has posted at the entrance door, ” No cheap photographs taken here.” Surely values determine the standard. Not only the work the man does, but the man himself is regarded in a higher sense. In elevating his art he elevates himself. How is it with the man that starts out to scoop his neighbors by degrading his prices? I care not what may be the skill and the good intentions of the man; he may claim that five, four, or three dollars per dozen for cabinets is enough; that it gives a good profit, and he chooses to give his customers the benefit of low prices. That man will not take the pains to do good, careful work, and he will soon begin to justify himself that his work is -as good as the price he gets for it. Besides degrading his own practice he is injuring an honorable calling, and stands as a reproach to it. The man who exhibits the work of others in his show-cases, thereby allowing the public to believe it to be the product of his own skill, and deceiving people by such misrepresentations into a patronage he might not otherwise secure, does not deserve the countenance of honest men; he is obtaining money under false pretence. The practice of copying the work of others for the purpose of putting such copies upon the market in competition with the original sittings, in a degraded form as to price and quality, may be regarded as “sharp” by the copyist, but can hardly be considered honorable by any fair-thinking man. It is possible in this city to find, within speaking distance of the establishments where the original sittings were made, copies at five cents each, while prints from the original negatives command thirty cents each. I know people, blunt of speech, who would call that sort of practice stealing. The photographer may, in the interest of medical science, by means of his art, show representations of the human figure, or such parts of it as are«of value to medicine and surgery, with propriety. He may also, with propriety, indulge the fond parent in portraying the cherub figure of the babe, but he must beware of prostituting an innocent camera and a respectable profession to the production of lewd or improper subjects. Probably the greatest blemish to our young art is in the unfair and disreputable uses it has been put to by unprincipled practitioners. I do not revert to these subjects with pleasure, but from conviction of the duty of their emphatic condemnation. Whether on the Sabbath morning you take your prayer-book for attendance to church, or saunter towards the pleasant stream, be sure the key of the gallery-door is in your own pocket, and the doors locked against the boys and their friends, for little do you know what may be doing there to the injury of its good name. Prolonged applause followed the delivery of Mr. Ryder’s address. pp. 295-298. “…And what influence did it have upon you, my brothers, when at Philadelphia, at Buffalo, at St. Louis, and at Cleveland, to see the elegant work on exhibition from Rocher, Hesler, Landy, Kent, Ryder, Scholten, Gentile, Pearsall, Gutekunst, Wenderoth and Taylor, Black, Trask, Fitzgibbon, Soeifler, Schreiber, Bell, Frank Jewell, Singhi, and last, but not least, our worthy President, John Carbutt? And now, in closing I will ask, how did you, and I, and all these I have mentioned, acquire and perfect ourselves in these beautiful arts? p. 304. “…List of Exhibitors.” From L. W. Seavey, Local Secretary.) W. Kurtz, Marc Gambier, G. “W. Pach, E. Witte, Van Sothen, E. T. Whitney, E. F. Weber, W. P. Ashe, George Murphy, L. W. Seavey and S. Horgan, New York city; G. Prank E. Pearsall, Brooklyn, N. Y.; A. M. Brown and A. E_ Durable, Kochester, 1ST. Y.; A. M. North, Afton, N. Y.; George Hayes, New York city; Douglass, Thompson & Co., H. Rocher, Barthold Meyer, Hiram J. Thompson, C. D. Mosher, and A. Hesler, Chicago, Ills.; Jas. H. Smith, Quincy, Ills.; J. A. Gorham, P. W. Guerin, Cramer & -Norden, J. C. Somerville, J. A. Scholten, and J. HFitzgibbon, St. Louis, Mo.; W. D. Gatchel, Cincinnati, Ohio; J. F. Ryder and W. R. Reid, Cleveland, Ohio; Allen Bros., Detroit, Mich.; E. L. Wilson, Gilbert & Bacon, John Wyeth & Co., John R. demons, John Carbutt, Wilson, Hood & Co., and A. M. Collins, Son & Co., Philadelphia, Pa; B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburgh, Pa.; A. M. Allen, Pottsville, Pa.; E. A. Gilbert, Meadville, Pa.; John H. Henning, Jownstown, Pa.; F. M. Spencer, Mansfield, Pa.; B. M. Clinedinst, N. H. Busey, Daniel Bendann, and D. A. Woodward, Baltimore, Md.; Benjamin French & Co. and E. J. & W. H. Partridge, Boston, Mass.; D. T. Burrell, Brockton, Mass.; M. H. Albee, Marlboro, Mass.; C. F. Richardson, Wakefield, Mass.; C. A. Schindler, West Hoboken, N. J.; August Semmendinger, Fort Lee, N. J.; J. A. French, Keene, New Hampshire; J. W. Bryant, La Porte, Ind.; P. H. Rose, Galveston, Texas; A. H. Plecker, Lynchburg, Va.; D. A. Clifford, St. Johnsbury, Vt.; W. S. Chandler, St. Albans, Vt.; Thomas, San Francisco, Cal.; E. Klauber, Louisville, Ky.; John F. Singhi, Rockland, Me.; John Stephens, Barrie, Ont.; Charles Clifford, J. S. Mason, Mr. Echard, John C. Howe, Forbes & Co., Mr. Nevis, E. C. Whitney, Mr. Pougret, Mr. Bingham, Mr. Hazleman, William Myles, Mr. Latham, Mr. Pine, W. Stine, Edward Evans, Mr. Krauss, J. E. Bilbrough, Cook Ely, Mr. Stearns, R. Benecke, Elliot & Co., Mr. Lawton, Mr. Lyons, Mr. Edwards, J. P. Blessing, A. C. Search, W. Lehman, D. S. Armstrong. p. 311.]

1 b & w (“Eliza Ballou Garfield – Mother of Our Dead President.” “Photographed by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.”) on p. 665 in: “The President’s Mother.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 25:1293 (Oct. 1, 1881):665, 666.

Ryder, J. F. “Some Clinkings for Mosaics.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:216 (Dec. 1881): 385. [“It is what the man saves that makes him rich. It is the minute quantity of silver that forms the photographic image. So, little by little, is knowledge gained; small acquirements from wide opportunities. We must read, and we may work. We may carefully note the good points of other men’s productions. We must open our ears when skilled men speak, and may pick up unexpected bits from the novice. It is of great profit to see what other men are doing, if we be ambitious of progress. The fleet roadster mends his pace at sound of other hoofs. Among the great benefits that could reach the photographer, is that which he denies himself, and which he is in turn denied — free, friendly intercourse with his neighbor. The farmer throws broadcast the good grain to the fields, and a day comes when he reaps an hundred-fold; in like manner could thousands of jealous, selfish men throw courtesies upon their neighbors, which would yield a good return. Men, as well as fields, can be cultivated and ” worked.” So mote it be!”]

“Editor’s Table. The Garfield Portraits and Obsequies.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 18:216 (Dec. 1881): 388. [“The portraits of our lamented President and his family which were most approved were made by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., and have been published by him in various sizes. For months past Mr. Ryder has been busied with his whole force in producing these pictures, and there is scarcely a picture store in the country where they are not for sale. Added to them is the interesting but sad series of pictures of the obsequies at Cleveland, and the Ohio home of Mr. Garfield. They are all valuable souvenirs and excellent photographs. A full set of them, including 13 x 16 portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Garfield, and Grandma Garfield, have been sent us by Mr. Ryder. They are admirable in every way. President Garfield was a great believer in photography, and next month we will report something he said about it in a New Year’s article for our younger readers.

1882

Muller, J. “What I Gathered at the Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS 1882 (1882): 112-117. [“I am one of those humble members of the craft who has learned to thankfully understand and appreciate the little bits of this life, without grumbling continually about what I am not permitted to have. Our lives are not made up of great grand wholes, but of little bits,—atoms of happiness and molecules of pleasure. If we measured almost anything as a whole, we would, as a rule, meet disappointment; but analyze and look into things, and you will find much good to comfort and help in them. I was very much impressed with this thought several times when quietly sitting in the late Convention, day by day. As a whole, I came to the conclusion that some might look upon it as a grand failure. It was not nearly so full of food for thought as some previous Conventions have been, but I heard a great deal that was helpful for me, and which will continue to help me for a long time to come. And knowing full well how much more we all enjoy a dish of salad which has been prepared for us, rather than one managed by our own hands, I have gathered a few leaves from the excellent report of the proceedings of the last Convention given in the Philadelphia Photographer for September and October, such as impressed me as being the most crisp and fresh, and have dressed them into shape for the readers of Mosaics to enjoy and profit by…” (This is followed by quotes and comments by a large number of individuals, including Ryder.) “…The address that did me the most good, so full of manly, fatherly words of experience, came from my old friend Mr. J. P. Ryder. I quote some of his best thoughts in one direction only: “Every man engaged in this business owes to it, to himself, and to his neighbor certain duties in contributing to its welfare and elevation by keeping it respectable.
Respectability is the corner-stone of all substantial structures of a business character, and particularly applies to ours. Its first element is knowledge. To possess a good practical knowledge of one’s business inspires confidence in the patron, who likes to be handled and managed intelligently. Most people are quick to detect an indecision or hesitation on the part of the operator that would imply a lack of skill. ‘Knowledge is power,’ and makes a man master of the situation, even in a photographic operating-room.
The means of acquiring this valuable aid is within easy reach. Every intelligent and progressive photographer has his library, he reads the journals, takes a little study of art principles even outside his wants for daily practice. Most valuable of all, he studies the human face and learns much of character; he adapts what he finds of interest to the camera, and adds to his knowledge of individual character, which stands him in daily stead in managing the model to intelligent purpose.
If any man within reach of my voice fails to notice the lighting and shading of the faces he looks into, day by day, wherever seen, and note mentally their peculiarities, fails to take the teachings freely given by accident or natural chance, if he does not sometimes carry in his mind the remembrance of a fine head, well posed and lighted, which may have been caught at a glimpse, or viewed at leisure, if he does not carry that image for weeks and months, sometimes for years, I must tell that man he is in the wrong business.
The study of human faces becomes a habit and a pleasure to the student in portraiture, and the measure of his success depends much upon this self-imposed training. The eye becomes quick to see and recognize the correct and the beautiful; the camera, under intelligent guidance, is quick to secure it.”
Here are words which come from experience, and which tell of success. They also show that the gentlemen who utter them have obtained their knowledge from actual hand-to-hand contests with work, and that the bruising, and rubbing, and polishing they have had from trial and failure, have burnished and brightened them, and made them perfect and able in their work. Moreover, the hard times they have had has made them liberal in giving of their knowledge to others, which is one of the best things of all.” (p. 117)]

“Elements of Success.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:218 (Feb. 1882): 35-37. [“Some years ago an address was made by the late President Garfield to the ladies and gentlemen of the Consolidated Business College at Washington, D. C, in which he alluded to the success of one of the prominent photographers of our country. There were so many good things in it of service to the young gentlemen and ladies, that are alike applicable to young photographers, that we have borrowed a copy from the gentleman whose photographs were praised therein, for the purpose of making some quotations. This is the season of the year when all young photographers are more or less idle, and we are firmly convinced that the future life and growth of photography will depend on them. Moreover, let us enjoin upon them kindly with the voice of experience the advantage to be gained from study. If you would succeed, and would help to hold up art in the estimation of the people and make it profitable to you as well, you should inform yourself in all the elements that bear upon the art you are practising. A good many photographers whom we have known, go by what they call ” the rule of thumb,” paying very little attention to exactitude or to the details of any formula that may be given them; as a consequence, their work may always be classed as second grade, their prices the lowest, and they themselves having very little of the respect of the community around them. These same people trust a good deal also to what they term ” the spur of the moment;” that is, they decline to inform themselves fully in any department of their art, feeling that if an emergency should arise they will in some way stumble through, and at least make a tolerable success of what they undertake. On this point Mr. Garfield has some very excellent remarks, which will come in play right here: Young men talk of trusting to the spur of the occasion. That trust is vain. Occasions cannot make spurs, young gentlemen. If you expect to wear spurs, you must win them. If you wish to use them, you must buckle them to your own heels before you go into the fight. Any success you may achieve is not worth the having unless you fight for it. Whatever you win in life you must conquer by your own efforts; and then it is yours — a part of yourself. Again, in order to have any success in life, or any worthy success, you must resolve to carry into your work a fullness of knowledge — not merely a sufficiency, but more than a sufficiency.. In this respect, follow the rule of the machinists. If they want a machine to do the work of six horses, they give it a nine-horse power, so that they may have a reserve of three. To carry on the business of life you must have surplus power. Be fit for more than the thing you are now doing. Let every one know that you have a reserve in yourself; that you have more power than you are using. If you are not too large for the place you occupy, you are too small for it. How full our country is of bright examples, not only of those who occupy some proud eminence in public life, but in every place you may find men going on with steady nerve, attracting the attention of their fellow-citizens, and carving out for themselves names and fortunes from small and humble beginnings, and in the face of formidable obstacles. Let me cite an example of a man I recently saw in the little village of Norwich, N. Y. If you wish to know his name, go into any hardware store and ask for the best hammer in the world, and if the salesman be an intelligent man, he will bring you a hammer bearing the name of D. Maydole. Young gentlemen, take that hammer in your hand, drive nails with it, and draw inspiration from it.” There is one sentence in this little quotation which is the grand central nerve of the whole, viz.: “To carry on the business of life you must have surplus power.” This “surplus power,” to photographers, means knowledge, the knowledge to be obtained not only in the studio, and from the practice which is available there, but from reading photographic books, works of art, and chemical instruction, business experience, and all that pertains to the elements which are useful in the production of good pictures. Again, the young photographer should learn to be enterprising; to put his whole heart into the work that he undertakes in every respect. On this point Mr. Garfield again gives us some very useful remarks, as follows: “Only yesterday, on my way here, I learned a fact which I will give you to show you how, by attending to things and putting your mind to the work, you may reach success. A few days ago, in the city of Boston, there was held an exhibition of photography; and to the great surprise of New England, it turned out that Mr. Ryder, a photographer from Cleveland, Ohio, took the prize for the best photography in America. But how did this thing happen? I will tell you. This Cleveland photographer happened to read in a German paper of a process practised by the artists of Bohemia — a process of touching up the negative with the finest instruments, thus removing all chemical imperfections from the negative itself. Beading this, he sent for one of these artists, and at length succeeded in bringing the art of Bohemia into the service of his own profession. ” The patient German sat down with his lenses, and bringing a strong, clear light upon these negatives, working with the finest instruments, sounding and strengthening the outlines, was able at last to print from the negative a photograph more perfect than any I have seen made with the help of India-ink finish. And so Mr. Ryder took the prize. “Why not? It was no mystery. It was simply taking time by the forelock, securing the best aid in his business, and bringing to bear the force of an energetic mind to attain the best possible results. That is the only way, young ladies and gentlemen, in which success is gained. These men succeed because they deserve success. Their results are wrought out; they do not come to hand already made. Poets may be born, but success is made.” The gentleman to whom Mr. Garfield alludes is well known to many of our readers as one of the most enterprising and successful business and art photographers of our country, and is entitled to all the fame and consideration which have been given him, not only by Mr. Garfield, but by a great many other great men. He has been informed of our desire to publish the statement made concerning him by Mr. Garfield, our excuse for so doing being a desire to encourage young photographers to follow his example. He almost entered a protest against such action. But when assured that our object was to do good, he consented, but not without considerable reluctance. We all know that Mr. Ryder is deserving of all the praise he has obtained, and will be glad to know that he is reaping the reward that is due him for the efforts he has made in behalf of photography. A short time ago Mr. Ryder received a letter from the Hon. B. F. Peixotto, American Consul at Lyons, in France, which will be read with interest by all who know him. The letter is as follows: ” Consulat des Etats Unis, ” Lyons, France, October 19, 1881. “My Dear Old Comrade: I send you to-day a copy of my translation of Mason’s life of our lamented President, General Garfield, which I am sure you will be happy to receive as a memento of an old Clevelander, the more so as you will recognize the portrait which illustrates, as taken from your photograph of the illustrious dead. The dear General sent me the original from which I had this made here at Lyons in October of last year. In the operation it was so injured that I cannot use it any more. Now I hear that you have made for the Queen of England a lovely photograph of my poor, dear friend, and I should feel under a lasting debt of gratitude, if you would kindly send me (I will not ask as large or as grand a one as that) a copy for my consulate rooms. I recall vividly the many pleasant years I passed in Cleveland, and the agreeable relations we always had, and I am vain enough to believe you have cherished a like pleasant memory. The portrait in my French Life of Garfield is pronounced the best in Europe, if not extant. To me it is the source of ever joyous, however sad reflections, when I look upon the features I loved so well while living, and mourned so deeply dead. Very sincerely yours, “Ben. Franklin Peixotto.” Thus, our young men will see the reward which is reaped by one who has always kept himself alive in his profession, has been liberal in giving out the knowledge to others, and who has encouraged every enterprise that seemed useful and valuable to him in maintaining the dignity and the standing of himself and his art. We commend what he has done to the attention of the young photographers all over the country. What more can we say to encourage them to study and improve themselves during their hours of leisure? For we desire sincerely to have them profit by the experience that we have had, and to prevent them from growing up to the time in the future years when, if this advice is not followed, they will be sorry that so much valuable time has been neglected and lost. In closing, we cannot do better than to quote the final remarks of Mr. Garfield’s address, as follows: “One thought more, and I will close. This is almost a sermon; but I cannot help it, for the occasion itself has given rise to the thoughts I am offering you. Let me suggest that, in giving you being, God locked up in your nature certain forces and capabilities. What will you do with them? Look at the mechanism of a clock. Take off the pendulum and ratchet, and the wheels go rattling down, and all its force is expended in a moment; but, properly balanced and regulated, it will go on, letting out its force tick by tick, measuring hours and days, and doing faithfully the service for which it was designed. I implore you to cherish and guard and use well the forces that God has given you. You may let them run down in a year, if you will. Take off” the strong curb of discipline and morality, and you will be an old man before your twenties are passed. Preserve these forces. Do not burn them out with brandy, or waste them in idleness and crime. Do not destroy them. Do not use them unworthily. Save and protect them that they may save for you fortune and fame. Honestly resolve to do this, and you will be an honor to yourself and to your country. I thank you, young friends, for your kind attention.”]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A. Report of the Executive Committee.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:220 (Apr. 1882): 111-115. [“…Committee on Progress of Photography. No committee on the progress of photography having been appointed at the last Convention, the President, Joshua Smith, has appointed the following gentlemen, who are requested to serve on that committee, and report at the next Convention: J. Traill Taylor, of New York, Chairman; Leon Van Loo, Cincinnati; Mr. Banks, Little Rock, Ark.; Henry Rocher, Chicago; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland. John Cadwallader, Secretary P. A. of A….” p. 113. “…To The Members of the P. A. or A. Here we are in the midst of preparations for the next exhibition. It seems but yesterday since we were in New York. In regard to that Convention permit me to say that I enjoyed it and felt amply repaid for time and expense. I am not alone in this feeling. We are beginning to forget the heat and dust of travel, the hotel bills and the thousand annoyances that made life miserable, and remember only the good things. This is as it should be. I do not believe half the things that were said about it. For five days and nights the city, with its galleries and priceless art treasures, was in the hands of six hundred as ruthless photographers as ever drew slide. Every man of them said with old Blucher as he walked through the streets of London, “My God ! what a city to sack,” and thereupon each one endeavored to carry off as much as he could with the least possible expense to himself. I believe that what ideas in art or practical photography were not picked up during that week in August were not worth taking. I was much struck by a remark made by Mr. Ryder as we passed up Broadway, stopping occasionally to admire the marbles, bronzes, or other articles of virtu exposed in the shop-windows. “Dumble,” he said, for a moment forgetting his own beautiful city, “an artist living in a large city surrounded as he is by so much to develop and cultivate his taste and imagination, other things being equal, must be pre-eminent in his profession.” The principle is true, but we must not forget seven flights of stairs, the enormous rents, the incessant pressure of the nose against the grindstone, the years of slavery before one’s reputation is made, and the never-ceasing struggle to maintain it. Great reputations do not come in a day, but after years of toil, and sweating of the brow, and it is due largely to this fact that the first men in all professions grow conservative and selfish. They live more or less aloof from their kind, and are loth to give gratis one leaf of the chaplet that has cost them so much….” “…Begin now to prepare your specimens. The finest photographer in the country only occasionally makes a portrait that he is willing to exhibit as his choicest work, and an 8 X 10 ft. case will easily hold his gems of four months. The humblest photographer is the one who has the most to learn, and the Committee has determined that his special interests will be looked after in August. Yours, A. E. Dumble. Rochester, March, 1882.” pp. 113-114.]

“Specialities. A Rare Chance.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:222 (June. 1882): advertising section following p. 192. [“Large business interests in the West requiring my attention, I desire to dispose of my photographic establishment, 44 State Street, Rochester, New York. The population is about 100,000. The city is considered one of the handsomest on the continent. It has always been a famous photographic centre on account of the excellence of its artists. My rooms are in the very heart of the city; all on one floor. Skylight, north, and one of the finest and largest in the state. Receptionroom is spacious and handsomely arranged. There is every convenience that the most fastidious photographer could wish for. Rent moderate, and skilled employes in each department, so that one entirely unacquainted with the business will find no difficulty in continuing it. Our work has always been Al. The seven years’ negatives return us the interest on $4000 or $5000 yearly. I have no desire to peddle my rooms and will accept the first man at the merely nominal sum asked. The following gentlemen have kindly allowed me to use their names as references: J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.; E. L. Brand, Chicago, Ill.; N. Curtis, Syracuse, N. Y. Enclose stamp, and address A. E. Dumble, 44 & 46 State St., Rochester, N. Y.”]

“Third Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America. The Exhibits at the Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 12:140 (Aug. 1882): 329-333. [“…A large portion of the work exhibited seemed to have been contributed by manufacturers of dry plates, to show in this manner the excellence of their manufactures. Among these Cramer & Norden exhibited a large and, in every instance, fine collection. These were by various artists, among whom we may name Mr. J. F. Ryder, whose landscapes were charming. There was a singularly fine and large-sized group picture among the Cramer & Norden exhibits. It contained a dozen figures, all engaged in the avocations peculiar to the various departments in a photographic establishment, and bore the inscription that it was presented to G. Cramer by his artists and workpeople, of whose portraits the picture consisted….” p. 332.
(This August issue is devoted primarily to a detailed report of the Photographers’ Association of America annual convention. To indicate the degree of involvement that Ryder had in the functioning of the PAA at this time, he is mentioned or his work with the PAA is mentioned or discussed seven times in this volume.)]

“Matters of the Month.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 12:140 (Aug. 1882): 341. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder and family, en route for the White Mountains to escape the sweltering summer heat and to recreate, tarried for a brief while in New York, and Mr. Ryder came to see us. In the city of Cleveland, Ohio, where he is proud to make his home, and which fully reciprocates that feeling, he reports the number of amateur photographers as being on the increase. Like any other great artist, Mr. Ryder has no feeling of jealousy for those who are taking their first instruction in the art beautiful. Not only so, but he himself takes pride in teaching those who care to secure outfits through him from reliable makers.”]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Proceedings of the Third Annual Convention Held in Indianapolis, Indiana, August 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th, 1882.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:225 (Sept. 1882): 257-287. [“ Mr. a. Hall, of Chicago. — Mr. President and Gentlemen: Your Committee on Location and Nomination have attended to their duties, and beg leave to submit the following: that the next Convention meet on the first Tuesday of August, 1883, at Milwaukee. The following names we propose as candidates for officers: For President, Joshua Smith, of Chicago. Mr. Smith. — I would rather it would have been somebody else. Mr. Hall. — For Vice-President, one from each State, (list read.) For Secretary W. H. Sherman, of Milwaukee; for Treasurer, Joseph H. Reed, of Clinton, Iowa; Executive Committee, J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, and A. E. Durable, of Rochester, N. Y.; Committee on Progress of Photography, E. L. Wilson, J. H. Fitzgibbon, J. Traill Taylor, and T. C. Poach. All of which your Committee respectfully submit. On motion, the report was adopted and the Committee discharged.” p. 265.]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Proceedings of the Third Annual Convention Held in Indianapolis, Indiana, August 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th, 1882.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:226 (Oct. 1882): 289-313. [“…The President. — Gentlemen, we will now proceed to the election of the Executive Committee, and the Secretary will report the names. The Secretary (reading). — J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio; A. E. Durable, Rochester, N. T. A Member. — I move that the Secretary be instructed to cast the unanimous vote of the Association for the Executive Committee. Mr. A. E. Dumble. — It will be impossible for me to serve on that committee the coming year; I should like to do so if I could be of any use to the Association. It IS possible that I shall be away next summer. I shall have to decline. A Member. — I move that the name of W. A. Armstrong be substituted. Adopted. The President. — The Secretary will cast the ballot for the gentlemen named. The Secretary. — I have the pleasure to announce that Messrs. J. F. Ryder and W. A. Armstrong have received the unanimous vote of the Association as members of the Executive Committee. …” p. 300.]

“The Indianapolis Convention. List of Exhibitors, Indianapolis, August, 1882.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:227 (Nov. 1882): 336-337. [“H. Pietz, Springfield, Ill.; Elmer & Tenney, Winona, Minn.; Louis DePlanque, Corpus Christi, Texas; S. J. Dixon, Toronto, Can.; C. F. Kichards, Leominster, Mass.; Thomas Charles, St. Catherines, ‘ Ont.; Wm. H. McComb, Muskegon, Mich.; J. C. McCurdy, Booneville, Mo.; K. W. Dawson, Little Rock, Ark.; Karl Klauser, Parmington, Conn.; Strauss & Bros., St. Louis, Mo.; W. H. Jackson, Denver, Col.; C. W. Motes, Atlanta, Ga.; H. Taylor, Berlin, Wis.; C. W. Taylor, Sycamore, Ill.; W. H. Potter, and D. E. Clark, Indianapolis, Ind.; J. E. Beebe, Chicago, Ill.; Cramer & Norden, St. Louis, Mo.; A. Boyd, Des Moines, la.; B. Poole, St. Catherines, Ont.; D. H. Cross, Grinnell, la.; F. A. Place, Warsaw, Ind.; Campbell & Camp, Mansfield, O.; A. H. Plecker, Lynchburg, Va.; Edy Bros., London, Ont., Can.; G. Prank Pearsall, Brooklyn, N. Y.; C. H. James, Philadelphia, Pa.; J. F. Couer, Troy, N. Y.; E. F. Tattershall, Hamilton, O.; H. Lieber & Co., Indianapolis, Ind.; C. A. Schindler, W. Hoboken, N. J., Douglass, Thompson & Co., Chicago, Ill.; J. W. Bryant, Laporte, Ind.; Hiram J. Thompson, Chicago, Ill.; Lawton’s Absorbent Cotton, S. A. Drummond, Evanston, Ill.; Willis & Clements, Philadelphia; Taylor’s Dry Plates, Chicago; J. M. Adams, Terre Haute, Ind.; T. J. Robinson, Oxford, Miss.; M. Meyerhuber, Adrian, Mich.; J. A. Collins, Lynn, Mass.; Thomas H. McCollin, Philadelphia, Pa.; Photo-Mechanical Printing Co., Chicago, Ill.; John Carbutt, Philadelphia, Pa.; James M. Lombard, Boston, Mass.; Quincy Show Case Works, Quincy, Ill.; Mallinckrodt Chemical Works, St. Louis, Mo.; James H. Smith, Quincy, Ill.; Mullett Bros., Kansas City, Mo.; E. Long, Quincy, Ill.; Beebe Dry Plate Co., Chicago; E. A. Gilbert, Meadville, Pa.; D. H. Cross, Des Moines, la.; Jordan & Sheen, Cincinnati, O.; J. C. Somerville, St. Louis, Mo.; Charles Clifford, Newton, la.; B. French & Co., Boston; W. H. Cooper, Chicago, Ill.; D. A. Clifford, St. Johnsbury, Vt.; N. C. Thayer, Chicago, Ill.; Walkup Bros., Indianapolis, Ind.; J. Landy, Cincinnati; G. Gennert, New York; L. W. Seavey, M. Gambler, and W. A. Ashe, New York; F. W. Guerrin, and C. H. Spurgeon, St. Louis; W. A. French, H. N. Calkins, C. T. Burrell, Boston, Mass.; George Smith, London; H. P. Robinson, Tunbridge Wells; William England, B. J. Edwards, Rouch & Co., E. W. Thomas, A. L. Henderson, and C. F. Shadbolt, London; C. Heitel, Germany; M. Loshe, Alexandria, Egypt; F. M. Good, London; A. Liebert, Paris; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.; Joshua Smith, Chicago; J. H. Reed, Clinton, la.; C. Chadbourne, Fond du Lac, Wis.; and E. Klauber, Louisville, Ky. “ p.337.]

“The Analogy Between Sound and Color.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:227 (Nov. 1882): 338-340. [“The Analogy between Sound and Color and the Art of the Future, is the title of a little work written by Mr. Guert Gunsevoort Finn, late of Cleveland, Ohio, whose sad death is announced in our editorial this month. It has been prepared in book form by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, and is sold for the benefit of the estate of the deceased. The doctrines which it advances are a little in advance of those usually held by others, and yet who can tell but that they will in time be accepted by all? Mr. Finn starts out with the following sentiment in his prelude: Prelude I. ” Science is an accumulation of facts relating to the laws or operation of nature put together, or arranged in a systematic order. ” Exact science seems to be a definite knowledge of natural laws. ” Speculative science is the preliminary reaching after, or searching for a knowledge of laws or truths, which we feel must exist by reason of our intuitions, or by certain effects we observe which are analogous to effects of already known laws. However thoroughly we may be grounded in our faith of the truth or fact of the existence of a law, it must necessarily remain speculative until it is grasped and formulated.

“Editor’s Table. Pictures Received.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:227 (Nov. 1882): 347. [“…From Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, a set of magnificent dry-plate landscapes, which were exhibited by him at the Indianapolis exhibition, and noticed elsewhere…”]

“Editor’s Table. Obituary.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 19:227 (Nov. 1882): 352. [“The many friends of Mr. G. G. Finn, the talented artist who designed the certificate of membership for the Photographers’ Association of America, will be grieved to learn of his sudden death at his father’s home in Elyria, Ohio, some few weeks ago. While superintending the interior decorations of Brainard’s music rooms, he fell some four feet from a step-ladder, receiving, it was thought, but slight injury; but such was not the case. Death followed the accident, and art lost one of its most promising votaries. Mr. Finn for many years also had the reputation of being one of the most finished musicians in the State of Ohio. During his later years he devoted much time to the study of color, and since his death our good friend Mr. J. F. Ryder, has published a neat little monograph, written by Mr. Finn, entitled “The Analogy Between Sound and Color, and the Art of the Future.” We shall presently make up an article including a portion of this precious little work, that our readers may share some of its advantages, or rather that they may all of them fall in love with it, and be tempted to send to Mr. Ryder fifty cents and secure a copy before his edition is gone. The product of the sale is entirely for the estate of Mr. Finn, and we hope it will be purchased liberally.”]

1883

Ryder, J. F. “Stand by the Price.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS 1883 (1883): 83. [“Stand firm! Make the highest figure possible, and stand by it squarely. Let it be a matter between your judgment and your conscience. Make your work so carefully and of such excellence that you know you are entitled to a good price. If you are honest with yourself and your customers, your high figure must be a constant incentive to keep the quality up to your price.
You can feel more respect for yourself, and will challenge the respect of your patrons.
Teach the public to understand there is a value in your productions; that skill and painstaking care must be paid for. It is too much a fact that many people think photographs cost nothing worth mentioning, and are regarded as common as toothpicks upon a bar counter. If you have a few overprints in filling an order better throw them into the waste-basket than toss them carelessly to the customer to make “good measure.” You are cheapening your production, and teaching the recipient to put a low estimate upon them. The road to a better condition in our pursuit will be found in increased and firmly held prices. Take it!”]

[Advertisement.] “What Photographers Think of the Plaque.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1883 (1883): 153. [“At the time this page was prepared The Plaque had only been offered to photographers a little over a month, yet I am selling outfits at the rate of six to ten per day, and without a single exception, so far as I have heard, buyers and users are delighted and satisfied, and are having success at once with the Plaque. From among others, I add a few –
TESTIMONIALS,
“Send me the complete apparatus with full instructions for making, also 400 mounts.”-F. W. Guerin, St. Louis, Mo.
“Send me the outfit immediately.”-ALVA PEARSALL, Brooklyn, N. Y,
“The style is quite worthy of admiration. Please send me a full outfit.”C. M. FRENCH, Garretsville,
“I think them very nice.’ Send me the outfit with instructions.”—E. R. CURTIS, Madison, Wisconsin.
“Your Plaque is new, neat, and nobby. Send me the outfit. I like them very much.’ .”-CHARLES W. BUELL, Warsaw Ñ. Y.
“I want to make Plaques. ‘Send me the outfit.””-L. R. EVANS, Scranton, Pa.
“I like the style very much, and believe as a novelty that they will take a good run. I would be glad io introduce them in my business. Please give me all the necessary information.”—J. F. RYDER, Cleveland, O.
“ The more I look at them the more I wish to know about them. Send me the outfit with full details.”-J. J WOLFE, Lancaster, O.
“I think them quite pretty and nice, and they will, no doubt, prove a desirable novelty.” .”-E L. BRAND, Chicago, II.
“They are fine. I would like to have the exclusive right of my town. Send me the outfit at once.”-J. H. REED, Clinton, Iowa.
“I think them very nice.”-CHARLES AKIN, Evanston, Ill.
“They are very neat. Your style of mounting them is original.”-E. D. ORMSBY, Oakland, Cal.
“They are very pretty and I want them. Send outfit promptly by first express.”C. C. PACKARD, Kalamazoo, Mich.
“I amʻgone struck’ with the idea, and desire that you will at once grant me permission to take them, even before your patent is issued.”-E. POOLE, St. Catherine’s, Ontario
“Send me the outfit with full details and stock of cards.”-R. E. ROCKWOOD, Union Square, N. Y.
More are pouring in each day, but these are enough to prove that The Plaque is bound to become the leading picture for 1883.
A mosaic of 16 Plaque reductions is “Our Picture” in both The Philadelphia Photographer and the Photographic Times and American Photographer for December, 1882.
F. B. CLENCH, Lockport, N. Y.
Outfits and Card Mounts For Sale by all Dealers.” ]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:230 (Feb. 1883): 33-34. [“At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Photographers’ Association of America, held at the Plankinton House, January 9, 1883, the following members were present: J. E. Beebe, President; J. H. Reid, Treasurer; TV. H. Sherman, Secretary; J. F. Ryder, and W. A. Armstrong. On motion, Mr. J. F. Ryder was elected Chairman, and Mr. J. H. Reid, Secretary. Secretary Sherman reported that he had been before the Executive Committee of the Exposition Company, and secured the refusal of space in their building sufficient for all needs. …” “…On motion, Mr. Ryder was appointed a committee of one to solicit exhibits….”]

Ryder, J. F. “The Outlook for Milwaukee.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:230 (Feb. 1883): 50. [“Friend Wilson: That portion of the Executive Committee residing in other cities than Milwaukee, with grateful hearts thank Mr. Sherman, our worthy Secretary, for calling the meeting at the Plankinton House, rather than the Newhall. Until twelve o’clock on the night of the 9th, we were in session, devising for the success of the August meeting. Four hours later, while we were safely sleeping in our good beds, nearly or quite a hundred lives were perishing by the tortures of fire, and the crushing of bones upon the hard pavements, from leaps of fifty to one hundred feet above, at the doomed hotel a little distance away. After breakfast on the morning of the 10th, we went to view the Exposition Building, where, if nothing happens to prevent, will be held the crowning triumph of Photographic Conventions. The building is a grand structure, conveniently situated, and admirably adapted to our wants. The Main Hall is very large. In the centre is a fountain that projects a stream of water one hundred feet high, which cools and freshens the air in the hottest weather. In the south end is erected a mammoth organ, whose grand voice confesses to no equal west of Boston or New York. In the north end is a Corliss engine to balance the organ, and the floor space between is ample to exhibit the wares of all the mammoth stock-houses and manufacturers who will show the enterprise to plant their standards there; and I, as a committee of one on soliciting exhibits, respectfully invite all, in the name of the Association, to help fill that vast floor. On either side of the main entrance, before reaching the main hall, are large assembly rooms, five exhibition halls, and committee-rooms, all and more than all can use. There is also a conservatory or glasshouse, which by the aid of screens can readily be converted into a splendid temporary studio, or succession of studios, for sittings and group-making. There will be ample facilities for developing and practical work in operating. All photographers having outfits for viewing should, by all means, bring them. There are architectural beauties, both exterior and interior, to command the interests of their cameras, and enable them to get practice in good company, and carry home with them souvenirs of the profitable and happy week they are sure to have. Connected with the main hall is a good restaurant, where all may feed who desire. In the galleries and spacious halls a thousand photographers could comfortably pitch their cots and establish camp, after filling the hotels. A permanent department of the exposition building is an art museum, containing works of art by the old and modern masters, which will interest all to examine. Milwaukee is one of the pleasantest cities upon the chain of lakes. A finer selection could not have been made for such a gathering as we will have. An enthusiasm such as I have not seen in others, or felt myself before, assures me that we will have at Milwaukee a meeting far surpassing any former one. That it prove so is the sincere wish of Yours truly, » J. E. Ryder.”]

1 b & w (“The Flood at Cleveland, Ohio-View from the Great Western Dispatch Freight-House, Scranton Avenue.—From a Photograph by J. F. Ryder.”) on p. 109 in: “The Season of Snows and Rains.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 27:1365 (Feb. 17, 1883): 109-110.

Ryder, J. F. “How to Do It.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:231 (Mar. 1883): 65. [“In the course of regular practice, it often happens that an exceptionally good portrait is made, a result the maker is well satisfied with, or justly proud of. Commence now with all such happy hits, making an extra print beyond the order of the customer, and put it carefully away in a drawer or portfolio marked Milwaukee. As the stock increases, take these mounted prints and arrange them in suitable groups upon pulp boards, which can be procured of good size, nearly or quite thirty by forty inches; they are cheap, and of a tint to show the photographs to good advantage and in good effect. I suggest this as an easy and inexpensive means of getting up a good exhibit without special effort. Just plant the germ now, and a well-grown exhibit will be at hand in good time. It will be compact, easy to carry, and not bulky to ship, and readily put in shape on arrival at Milwaukee. All my friends and acquaintances under whose eyes this falls will please take it as a personal solicitation to contribute their might or “mite” to what will be the grandest meeting of photographers this world has ever known. Those whom I have not the pleasure of knowing, I respectfully invite in the name of the Photographers’ Association of America to join in the exhibition with a collection of their work, and in person to unite with us in membership, and all its advantages of instruction and social pleasures. Let it be a daily thought and aim to prepare for and attend the coming meeting. J. F. Ryder.”]

Beebe, J. E. “The Forthcoming Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:148 (Apr. 1883): 183-184. [“…That the matter of exhibits is in the hands of so well-known a man as Mr. J. F. Ryder, is a guarantee of that department being a success…” p. 183.]

“Editor’s Table. A Card. In the Interest of Honest Art.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:233 (May 1883): 159. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, the leading photographic artist of the West, ex-President of the Photographers’ Association of America, in the annual address delivered before the National Convention in New York, thus speaks of some of the prevailing practices among the unscrupulous charlatans of our profession, which should now serve as a warning to the public here. ” How is it with the man that starts to scoop his neighbors by degrading his prices? That man will not take the pains to do good, careful work, and he will soon begin to justily himself that his work is as good as the price he gets for it. The man who exhibits the work of others in his show-cases, thereby allowing the public to believe it to be the product of his own skill, and deceiving the people by such misrepresentations into a patronage he might not otherwise secure, does not deserve the countenance of honest men — he is obtaining money under false pretence.”]

Wilson, Edward L. “Large Cameras: Their Advantages and Their Use.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:149 (May 1883): 199-200. [“In conversation with one of our large manufacturers of photographic apparatus a short time ago, I was pleased to learn that “the demand for large cameras is increasing very rapidly.” I look upon this as a healthy sign of the times. I know that there are many photographers whose ideas have been that “it would not pay to employ a camera larger than, perhaps, whole size, or 8 x 10 inches.” The principal objection seemed to be always that it involved the expense and keeping in order of a large bath. This being no longer the case since the introduction of the emulsion plate, there is more disposition on the part of those who have for a long time been “on the fence,” to inquire whether their trade would support a large camera or not. The fact is, even the most humble photographer can afford to support a large camera—at least much larger than he has heretofore possessed. The advantages of having such a camera in the studio are many. One of the greatest of these is in enabling the photographer at odd moments, or at times set for the purpose, to practice on large work. Any man will make better small work by being able to secure good results on large plates, and it should be the ambition of every photographer to practice in this direction. I have cited before the example of the celebrated Berlin photographers, Messrs. Loescher & Petsch. It is the habit of these gentlemen to keep a large camera, not only for such demand as might be made upon it by their patrons from time to time, but also to invite models to come to their studio, and, after a careful study, and the purchase of some new and appropriate accessories, they would set to work…” “…Not only is this plan applicable to studio work, but tooutdoor work as well. There is the same opportunity for the display for culture and art-knowledge and technical skill out of doors as there is indoors, and the same sort of routine practice should be followed. Particularly at the coming season of the year would this be found most enjoyable and profitable as well. Many will remember the gems of this kind shown at Indianapolis last year by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland….” p. 199.

“Invitations.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:149 (May 1883): 233. [“To all Manufacturers, Importers, and Dialers in Photographic Goods. Dear Sirs: The Photographers’ Association of America, to meet in Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 7th next, at Milwaukee, Wis., cordially and earnestly invite you to be present and enjoy with them the pleasures in preparation. The Association believe their annual conventions to be equally advantageous to the manufacturer, importer, and dealer, as to the consumer, and that a more suitable occasion for friendly and business meetings could not happen. You are also earnestly invited to make exhibits of your goods. Spacious floor room awaits you, and large exhibits are desired. Yours respectfully, J. F. Ryder, Ex. Com.
To all Photographers.
Dear Sirs: The Photographers’ Association of America, to meet in Convention on Tuesday, Aug. 7th next, at Milwaukee, Wis., cordially and earnestly invites you to be present and participate in the pleasures and benefits to be gained from its teachings and influence. Particularly does the Association desire you to make an exhibit of your work. Do not hesitate on the ground of not being able to make a large exhibit, small ones will be gladly received. Yours respectfully, J. F. Ryder, Ex. Com.”]

1 b & w (“The Late Amasa Stone.” “Photographed by J. F. Ryder.”) on p. 324 in: “The Late Amasa Stone.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 27:1379 (May 26, 1883): 324, 327.

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:234 (June 1883): 161-162. [(Three announcements about forthcoming P. A. of A. annual conference at Milwaukee, each signed by J. F. Ryder, Chairman of the Executive Committee.)]

Wilson, Edward L. “The East in the West.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:234 (June 1883): 163-164. [(Letters to and from Edward L. Wilson about a forthcoming lecture at the P. A. of A. annual conference; signed by and addressed to J. F. Ryder, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Photographers’ Association of America.)]

“The Plaque Picture.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:234 (June 1883): 183-186. [“[Note. — Having taken it upon ourselves, led by our judgment, to recommend Mr. Clench’s new ” Plaque” picture as worthy of being ‘pushed and giving a chance to get better prices, it is only just that we should give him space to defend himself against attempted blackmail and libel. “While we do this, we wonder at his gentleness. “Were he a Jehyleman Shaw, he would hold Mr. St. Clair for libel, and Mrs. Fitzgibbon for attempt at blackmail in the law courts. As it is, we aver again that he has a good thing — a genuine invention — altogether different from Mr. Kocher’s, and gives his licencees a means of producing an elegant picture. Mr. St. Clair’s articles are full of mis-statements, and we doubt if he ever saw a Clench ” Plaque,” or knows what Mr. Clench’s three patents, or any of them, are for. “We are sure of it, unless he purposely intends to deceive. At the studio of Mr. F. Gutekunst, in this city, a few days ago, we saw a Clench “Plaque” elegantly colored. It was very stylish. Next month we shall publish all the Clench and Rocher patents. — Ed. P. P….” p. 183. “…In the first place, the plaque is not a “glaze” picture; no “glaze” samples have ever left my studio. Second. The old “glaze” pictures are not patented by me under a new name, nor do I claim any patent for a reversed cameo picture, neither do I claim any circular shape. Third. Any old glaze-press, with the dies changed to circular will not make my Plaques. Mr. Ryder, of Syracuse, [This may be J. F. Ryder’s brother.] had this talked to him by a patentee of one of the best old glaze presses made. A sample of what this press would do was brought to me by Mr. Ryder; it consisted of a plain vignette with the embossing a quarter of an inch from the centre of the card, and a pinhole stuck through to the back as a guide where to place it in the press in order to have the embossing true; and notwithstanding this pinhole the correctness of the embossing was a failure. Mr. Ryder afterwards bought one of my outfits. Mr. E. L. Wilson also received one of these old glaze-press samples — he can speak for himself….” p. 184-185.]

1 b & w (“The Proposed National Monument to Garfield.” Photographed by J. F. Ryder from the Architect’s Design.”) on p. 453 in: “The Garfield Monument.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 28:1438 (July 12, 1883): 453-454.

Ryder, J. F. “The Tide for Milwaukee.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:236 (Aug. 1883):240. [“Is setting strong, and for many it will doubtless prove, “if taken at the flood,” the prosperous one that shall lead to a better understanding of methods in the way of successful work, “which is the road to fortune and to fame.” Erom old friends, and from people I have never seen or known, come letters of inquiry bearing upon their avowed intention of attending the Milwaukee meeting. Because of my inability to answer all such inquiries separate and apart, I ask my correspondents, and all whom it may concern, to “follow me” here. From present indications the attendance at Milwaukee will be very large, far exceeding any former meeting. The great stride in dry-plate practice awakens alike the interest of those who have practised much, and those who have practised little, both being anxious to gain more knowledge of the sometimes fickle gelatine. Never has an opportunity offered equal to the present to see what has been, done, and learn what may be done. All visitors will he welcome. All will be entitled to make an exhibit of their work, and share in the teachings and entertainments free of charge, beyond the simple fee to membership, or the payment of yearly dues, which for proprietors is two dollars, and for employes one dollar. It will he better to send or bring your exhibits without frames, thereby saving injury or breakage to frames or glass, and cost of boxing and express charges. Yes; there is abundance of room for all. Exhibits large or small will be welcome, and will be well placed. Exposition Building, in which will be held our meetings and exhibition, is a grand structure, and admirably adapted to our wants. To those who have attended former meetings let me say, don’t miss this one. It will be so important you can’t afford to lose it. If you have not attended former ones, treat yourself to a profit and a pleasure — Take This One In. If necessary, cut off a few coupons. Mortgage your farm. Sell paper, rags. Go! Respectfully, J. F. Ryder.”]

“A Reminiscence of the Past.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:236 (Aug. 1883): 253. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, in a private letter to us recently, said: “In. the past week I have visited Kirtland, Ohio, twenty-two miles from here, where has been held a conference of Mormons in their first temple, built fifty years ago, by their first prophet Joseph Smith, Jr., the son of the first Joseph, and the descendants of a large and very intelligent class, among whom was a photographer, a preacher, a Mr. Merriam, of Mo. This section of the Latter-Day Saints is entirely averse to polygamy. I took some views of the temple, and send you samples. When I first came to Ohio, thirty-five years ago, as a travelling daguerrotypist, I visited Kirtland; and, as the temple was a deserted building, and open to the public, I unpacked and set up my little camera, screwed my clip-rest to a chair-back, and commenced work at one of the tall windows. In the years since then, I have often wished for a view of the old pile, and at last I have it. I send you copies. I must hurry and make my claim of priority. I can swell up and reach my eye over all the photographers of this earth, and smile a smile of superiority over them all; for I alone had a Mormon temple for a photographic studio.” Certainly all of us would be the last to rob Mr. Ryder of his well-earned honor, particularly as he has favored us with some admirable views of the interior and exterior of the old Mormon structure, together with a splendid view of the surrounding country. The latter shows the temple towering above all the surrounding buildings. One of Mr. Ryder’s magnificently taken trees graces the foreground.”]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Milwaukee Convention. Daily Proceedings. PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:152 (Aug. 1883): 378-426. [(Ryder mentioned several times. The report is similar to that presented in more detail in the Philadelphia Photographer for this year.)]

“Fourth Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America. The Exhibits at the Convention. Photographers’ Exhibits.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:152 (Aug. 1883): 431-434. [“To do justice to the photographs exhibited in Milwaukee would require a more generous allowance of space than has yet been made by the publishers of this journal….” “…J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.—The work of Mr. Ryder needs no note or comment from us. It is always of the first order. The special size of landscape views displayed by Mr. Ryder, about 10 x 18 we should judge, are exceedingly attractive. Those of the old mill wheel, and some of glens and caverns were without a superior in the vast array….” p. 433. (This August issue is devoted primarily to a detailed report of the Photographers’ Association of America annual convention. To indicate the degree of involvement that Ryder had in the functioning of the PAA at this time, he is mentioned or discussed thirteen times in this volume: praised for organizing efforts on pp. 183, 199, 233, reports as member of the Executive Committee, pp. 378, 379, 405, elected Treasurer, on p. 407, mentioned on pp. 426, 428, 433, 560, 587 and 657.Thisis usual for the number of mentions Ryder was receiving in the photographic literature during this period of his active participation in professional organizations.”]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Fourth Annual Convention held in Milwaukee, in the Exposition Building, August 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, 1883. PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:237 (Sept. 1883): 251-307. [“…Mr. Ryder will now read the report of the Executive Committee….” p. 258.]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Fourth Annual Convention held in Milwaukee, in the Exposition Building, August 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th, 1883. List of Exhibitors.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:237 (Sept. 1883): 307-311. [“…J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. — The work of Mr. Ryder needs no note or comment from us. It is always of the first order. The special size of landscape views displayed by Mr. Ryder, about 10 x 18, we should judge, are exceedingly attractive. Those of the old mill-wheel, and of his glens and ice-caverns, and so on, are without superior….” p. 308.]

1 illus. (“The Cleveland Fire. -View of the Conflagration from Howe Street.-Drawn by Schell and Hogan from Photographs and Sketches by J. F. Ryder.”) on p. 614 in: “The Cleveland Fire.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 28:1448 (Sept. 20, 1883): 614, 617.

Ryder, J. F. “After the Convention.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:238 (Oct. 1883): 325. [“Cleveland, Ohio, August 13, 1883. Friend Wilson: Being, as it were, ” in a corner ” with nothing better to do, I aim my pencil Philadelphiaward. I arrived home yesterday morning, safe and well. Some five or six hours later I had my legs knocked from under me by an unseen stroke, like a blow from a sledgehammer in the lower region of my back. What promised a good case of paralysis has dwindled to common-place lumbago with a few days in bed to recover from. Here in bed, surrounded by photographs given me by friends at Milwaukee, I am enjoying over again the pleasures I found there in the hearty greetings of hundreds of friends, and the beautiful things I saw in photography, the foremost of which were your magnificent views of Egypt. For years I have felt much pride, and secretly wore a championship belt (in my mind), over the Cleveland Meeting, in ’70, but I have unbuckled it and passed it over (again in my mind) to Sherman and Armstrong. The Milwaukee meeting has proclaimed the glory and might of photography. The P. A. of A. rode into and sailed out of the Cream City upon a higher wave of success than had been reached before. I trust Cincinnati will not allow the boom to subside. I wonder, does the average photographer appreciate the advantages offered by these meetings, where he may meet the best workers in the profession, ready and willing to impart knowledge of the best methods, and devices freely given and demonstrated? No secrets or mysteries. No robbing of an ignorant beginner of his last dollar for a pretended and sometimes worthless process or improvement. Allow me to take by the hand some of these men comparatively new to the business and lead them back thirtyfive or thirty-six years, when little was known by the best skilled in the new art of photography, then practised in the name of daguerrotype. Every advance step in progress, if not worked out by the operator himself, was taken at an expense of from $5 to $50. The big fish ate the little ones — the shark and the sucker story is an old one. If there was a point of excellence noticeable beyond the common average in a man’s work, there was supposed to be a secret something lurking about his buff, his coating-boxes, or mercury bath, and it took a bank-note to fathom it, the poor, blind workers gladly paying for supposed advantages which in many cases they never got. In those days I paid many dollars for processes and dodges which in fact were worthless, but in fancy were supposed to be valuable. The first few years of my practice I repeatedly took full instructions from men in advance of me. Now, a man has c nly to throw himself in the way of it, open his eyes and ears, and take in all he can hold,/ree of cost. I am thinking of Chautauqua and the advantages that would come of it as a permanent place of meeting, where, with our own buildings, a model operating-room, all the facilities for work and demonstrations on a limited or extended scale, competent instructors in all departments to be retained through the season, the place open through the hot months, and members free to come and go as they pleased; where friends from remote places could arrange to spend a few days or weeks by special arrangement; where photographic practice and recreation could be blended, profit and pleasure captured at once. “We shall talk more of this again. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.”]

“Meetings of Societies. Chicago Photographic Association.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:154 (Oct. 1883):559-560. [“The regular monthly meeting of the Chicago Photographic Association was held at their rooms, No. 2S9 State Street, on the evening of October 3d. In the absence of President Da Vies, Vice-President Gentile took the chair. Mr. August Brown, of Wheatland, Iowa, exhibited a dark tent for field work, made of rubber gossamer….” “…On motion, the Secretary was instructed to send the thanks of the Association to Messrs. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland; J. H. Scotford, of Kansas City; Walker, Reid & Inglis, of Rochester: Cramer, of St. Louis; and the Scovill Manufacturing Co., for pictures received….”]

“Wilson, Edward L. “Westerly Wanderings.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:155 (Nov. 1883): 586-587. [“When I sit down to tell you of photographic affairs in the West, I become overwhelmed by the magnitude of the task. In the beginning, then, let me ask that no one may feel hurt in case I fail to connect their names with the great growth of photography there, for in the flying visits I have made, I could not see a tithe of those who are laboring honestly and constantly to uphold our art among their fellow men, and to keep up the proper girth of their shekel bags by the practice of photography. My first halt was at Buffalo, N. Y., where Messrs. D. Tucker & Co. dispense the appliances and requisites for photography far and wide among the members of the craft. Mr. Tucker was in Colorado when I called, on a trip for rest, but his partner, Mr. Butts, was at home, and gave me a good account of the extensive business done by this firm. I can almost, to a certainty, give you a formula for finding out the extent of a stock dealer’s trade, as follows: Go see what stock of dry plates he keeps on hand, and it will pretty surely indicate what the rest of the business is….” “…From Buffalo I went to Cleveland. There the chief dispensers, and indeed the only ones, of articles photographic are Messrs. Sargent & Co….” “…Of course, when any photographer thinks of Cleveland, he thinks of our mutual friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, in the same breath. Few in our art have such handsome quarters as those he presides over.and he has just been making them more attractive by the addition of a new art exhibition saloon. As I approach the portals of his Bradford. As I shall presently give you an article on “Photography as an Art Helper,” when I shall allude to Mr. Bradford again, let us pass upstairs, where Mr. Ryder has just fitted up a new and splendid reception room, presided over by his amiable brother. The double studio (including one where Decker formerly was) is, of course, accoutred, regardless of expense, with everything needed to create the most artistic productions. Long live the head of this splendid establishment. Messrs. Decker & Wilbur have recently fitted up a parlor studio among the palaces of Euclid Avenue, and have a most complete and cosy place of business. Their work is in harmony therewith, and surely they should be both prosperous and happy in such a model atelier. There are other notable studios in Cleveland, but I could not take them all in, and moreover my space is exhausted before I have said half what I wanted to….” p. 587.]

“Mosaics for 1884.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 20:240 (Dec. 1883): 409-411. [Book review. Photographic Mosaics for 1884. Edited by E. L. Wilson, 1884. (Description and excerpts from the work.) “…J. F. Ryder shows some of the miseries of the art of retouching in ” How d’ye like the Building.”…”p. 411.]

“Photographic Societies of America. Photographers’ Association of America.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 13:156 (Dec. 1883):657. [“—President, J. H. Kent, Rochester, N. Y.; Secretary, Leo Weingartner, Cincinnati, O.; Treasurer, W. A. Armstrong, Milwaukee, Wis.; Executive Committee, E. Klauber, Louisville, Ky., J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., and the Officers of the Association. Meeting for 1884 to be held in Cincinnati, exact date not yet determined.”]

”Patents Granted December 18, 1883.” OFFICIAL GAZETTE OF THE UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE vol. 25 (Oct. 2 Dec. 25, 1883):1083-1188. [“290,558. Oil-Tank Protector. John L Finn, Elyria, assigner of one-half to James F. Ryder;, Cleveland, Ohio. Filed July 9, 1888 (No model.) [Drawing of the object.] (p. 1166) “Claim-1. In oil-tanks for the purpose specified, the combination there with of a siphon consisting of the pipes B and C, the pipe B extending down the outside of the tank and terminating remote therefrom, and the pipe C passing down into the tank, and provided with a longitudinal slot or slots, or with a series of perforations, with the float, and flexible sleeve enclosing the pipe C above the float, constructed and arranged to operate substantially in the manner as herein described. 2. In combination with an oil-tank, the dome H, having therein a perforated diaphragm, siphon, float, and flexible sleeve, constructed and arranged substantially in the manner as described, and for the purpose set forth.” (p. 1167)]

1884

“A Talk about the Last Year.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1884 (1884): 9-44. [“…Mechanical photography is one thing; artistic photography is another.
In the December issue of the Philadelphia Photographer, Miss Adams gives an able critique of all the pictures for the year.
Landscape art and portraiture out of doors with natural scenery have both been demonstrated in the highest style by Messrs. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, and H. P. Robinson, of Tunbridge Wells, England. I wish everyone could have opportunity to study some of their works.
Mr. G. Cramer, of St. Louis, the eminent photo-artist, also gave us something to look up to in his “Lili,” published in the Philadelphia Photographer, a real, useful study indeed….” (p. 23) (Etc., etc.)]

Ryder, J. F. “How D’ye Like the Building.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS 1884 (1884): 95-96. [“A young man from a country town called upon me one day to throw in my way the opportunity to secure his services as negative retoucher. He had mastered the business in three months, and informed me he was first-class. To remove any lingering doubt in my mind, he invited my attention to a package of specimens of his work. I looked them over, one after another, without comment, when, impatient at my lack of enthusiasm, he asked, “How d’ye like the building?”
Thinking I had passed unseen a view of the court house, or other prominent structure in the village where he had become ” an artist,” I ran through the package again, and finally confessed I could not find it. The young “artist” then informed me, gently, kindly, and with a dash of pity in his manner at my ignorance, that he had reference to the manner in which he built up the negatives with lead. While that “pileron” of galena may not have gotten over thinking what a blasted fool I was, I, too, am thinking of the base practices that are permitted and employed in the name of fine finishing of the most delicate structure of film, bearing the finest gradation of light and shadow possible. A shadow image of man, in all the perfection and truth camera and chemicals can give, is turned over as a foundation for that sort of “first-class” (heaven save the mark) retoucher to build upon. He will annihilate every little value to the character of a strong head; he will exterminate the fine points of likeness; he will sheet-lead the entire flesh surface, giving a result in the print that will look something like the man who sat, and a good deal like an inflated bladder. There is enough of that kind of work turned upon the public to make progressive men regret that negative retouching was ever introduced. (p. 95)
I beg pardon of about one in a hundred negative retouchers, assuring him he is not the man I refer to. This one might draw a head, or hand, showing some knowledge of anatomy and modelling, and do it with a clean intelligent touch. He is artist enough to retouch a negative with some judgment and skill. I am glad he exists occasionally.
To all who may take exceptions to my talk, I refer them to a photograph in Dr. Vogel’s admirable book, Progress in Photography. It is a head made by electric light, unretouched, and printed upon plate paper with ink.
The negative was made by Wm. Kurtz, and the printing by Bierstadt. It is delicately and beautifully rounded, details full and perfect, hair and beard silky fine, and is altogether a marvellous example of plain photography. It is worth the price of the book, and to a man sick of the abuses of lead building, it is a relief and a comfort to look at.” (p. 96)]

[Advertisement.] “Wilson’s Photographics” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1884 (1884): 178.
[“ By EDWARD L. WILSON.
It is respectfully suggested to employers of Photographic Help,
Wives of Amateur Photographers, Relatives of Pho-
tographers Practical, that no more acceptable
present can be found than
WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHICS.
NEARLY 4,000 COPIES HAVE BEEN SOLD.
CONTENTS.
A. Treatment of the Subject: B and C. The Needful Apparatus; D. The Dark Room; E. Preparation of the Glass; F. Chemicals and Solutions; G The Manipulations; H Manipulatory Miseries; I. Retouching the Negative; J. The Glass Studio: K Accessories and Light; L Managing the Model; M. Printing on Albumen Paper; N. Printing on Plain Paper; O General Remarks on Printing; P Printing on Various Surfaces; Q Printing Perplexities; R. Art in Printing; S. Mounting and Finishing; T. Photography Outside; U Bromo-Gelatine Emulsion Work; V. Vogel’s Collodion Emulsion; W Enlargements and Lantern Slides; X. Phototypes, Platinotypes, and Collodion Transfers; Y. Wastes and their Worth; Z. Metrical Measuring; &. Concluding Confab-Index.
BROTHER EDITORS SAY:
We cannot recommend it too highly to our colleagues.-MONS. LEON VIDAL,
Editor of the Paris Moniteur.
The success of this latest gem of photographic literature will, no doubt, be as great as the merit of the work deserves. Among the photographic writers of America Mr. E L. Wilson stands without a compeer.-Dr. H. Vogel, Editor of the Photo. Mitth.
By far the best photographic book ever published in America. It is written with great elegance and masterly handling of the subject.-DR. E. HORNING, Editor of Photographic Correspondez, Vienna.
Photographics is the most imposing book devoted to photography I have ever seen.-J. RYDER, Cleveland.
Photographics looks fine, and is selling well. We are doing our best to push it.W. IRVING ADAMS, New York.
The plan of the book is novel. Mr. Wilson could hardly fail by this plan in making a useful and practical publication —Anthony’s Bulletin, New York.
It is the very best text-book upon our beloved art -JOHN R. CLEMONS, Phila.
It is a complete library.-W. D. GATCHEL, Cincinnati.
It demands a position in the library of every photographer, and this position it will assuredly attain as soon as its merits become known.–Editor Photographic Times and American Photographer.
Photographics hits the nail right on the head. I would rather have it than all the other books on photography put together The idea is capital, as it is original, and gives us the whole thing in a nutshell.-B. W. KILBURN, Littleton, N. H.
$4.00-WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHICS-$4.00
Will be sent to any address on receipt of $4.00.”
[This adv. published in this journal for several years.]

“Mr. Ryder’s New Art Gallery in Cleveland.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:241 (Jan. 1884): 2-3. [“We had the happiness, during a visit to Cleveland, to be present at the opening of Mr. J. F. Ryder’s new art gallery, recently completed and added to his already extensive establishment. It is well known that Mr. Ryder some months ago embodied the Decker establishment, on Superior Street, with that of his own, making the most extensive photographic establishment in the west. He then found that his growing business as caterer to art tastes of the people of Cleveland required him in make still further additions and alterations. This having been done, he finds himself in possession of not only new and handsome reception-rooms — a floor lower than his old one — but also a new ground floor art exhibition parlor, devoted to the display of oil paintings and other works of art, destined to be a favorite resort of the art lovers of the city. There can be but one opinion as to the advantages of such a noble gallery in a city like this, for Cleveland is not only the home of a great number of artists, but also of a great many collectors of paintings and sculpture with other things beautiful and rare in literature and art. No one has been more useful in catering to the finer tastes of the public than has Mr. Ryder, both by encouraging home talent and in providing for the wants of the people in this direction. His new art gallery is certainly one of the most complete and splendidly accoutered in the west. It is excellently lighted, tastefully adorned, and splendidly furnished. During the week we had the pleasure of looking in upon it several times. The principal portion of the work exhibited on the walls then was that of Mr. William Bradford, the American Polar Sea artist, whose name is known to all of our readers. We allude to Mr. Bradford and his work in another portion of our issue, and merely have to add now our congratulations to Mr. Ryder upon at last reaching his desires in the opening of such an establishment. Lovers of art will certainly avail themselves of it, though we have no doubt that Mr. Ryder states it truly when he says, that “the work of interesting people in the matter of line art is an educational one and an up-hill one.” The true artist always wonders and queries why it is that so little interest is taken by the public, and why we find so few cultivated artistic minds able and willing to receive that which is beautiful and reject that which is bad. But such is the state of affairs, and those who have the real art feeling must continue to work along without hesitation, and the results are sure. We hope Mr. Ryder may reap an abundant reward for his enterprise, and as a return for his extensive investment. He is personally one of the most genial of men, very popular among the people, and will not be overlooked.”]

“The Paintings of Mr. William Bradford, of New York.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:241 (Jan. 1884): 7-8. [“A few hours after the visit by us to the new art gallery of Mr. Ryder, at Cleveland, described on another page, we found in our box at the hotel the following: “Mr. Ryder’s compliments, and requests the pleasure of your company to a private view of the paintings of Mr. William Bradford, of New York, from sketches taken by him on his several extensive visits to the polar regions. During the evening Mr. Bradford will give a short lecture with photographic illustrations of the wonders of that mysterious land, the same as those given by him before the Royal Institution and the Royal Geographical Society of London, and also the Geographical Society of New York, on Thursday evening, October 18, 1883, at eight o’clock.” To such a splendid offer as this we could make but one answer, namely, that we would take advantage of the offer. And in due course we put on a thick overcoat, repaired to the scene of action, and propose now to tell our readers a little of what we saw. Entering Mr. Ryder’s art gallery we found Mr. Bradford in evening dress, meeting his guests. He is a courteous, quiet, rather timid gentleman, highly cultivated, and is a delightful conversationalist. Some twenty or thirty of his magnificent paintings of the Polar regions and the Yosemite Valley were hanging upon the wall in great variety of color and subject. Not being a professional art critic, it would be unbecoming in us to do much more than express our delight at such a treat. Mr. Bradford’s reputation as a Polar Sea painter has been long established by his lovely reproductions of the picturesque scenery along the Nova Scotian and Labrador coasts. He is what may be called a truthful painter, following nature conscientiously, adorning her, or changing her but little, except where her arrangements do not suit the limits of his canvas. All this excellency of Mr. Bradford’s work is easily accounted for when we know the man, noble, generous, broad in his views, full of the intensest, tenderest art feeling, with a quick perception of what is beautiful and effective. As we have said, his pictures present a great variety of the natural bits, which have been caused by pushing and driving and dragging, and discharging and upheaving of nature’s forces, creating glaciers and icebergs, and drifts and masses, and pictures grand to look upon, all inspiring, and creating in the breast most earnest desires to see and know more about where they grew. Not only do we have these lovely bits of nature, which fill the mind with a most profound and poetic feeling and aspiration, but we see here and there, locked up among them, the noble vessel which carried our traveller and his party into the region of coldness. Here and there groups of travellers and natives, snow-bound or ice imprisoned, or else again engaged in the active pursuit of the huntsman, fighting for life with the great monsters which are seen in those strange regions. We of course became greatly interested in Mr. Bradford’s pictures, and could fill our magazine this month in their praise, and in descriptions of them, but perhaps a few details concerning his excellent lantern exhibition will interest our readers the most. We will leave his masterly paintings to the imagination, knowing full well that we cannot give any idea of their intrinsic value or beauty. After the exhibition of his paintings, Mr. Bradford delighted his audience for nearly two hours, exhibiting to them from photographic views made by himself, nearly one hundred splendid transparencies of the people in the cold regions named, of their houses, their means of living, and, above all, the magnificent scenery which is to be found among the ice kings and frost fairies of the fiord and berg. Mr. Bradford is not only a splendid painter, but an enthusiastic photographer. He was one of the first painters to perceive the value of photography as a helper to the painter. As early as 1863 he fitted out an expedition to the Arctic regions, taking with him two of our old subscribers, Mr. John B. Dunmore, of Black’s studio, in Boston, and Mr. George B. Critcherson, of Worcester, upon that eventful occasion. More than seven hundred negatives were made of studies of the coast scenery, of the people, of the fleet, of the travellers, of animals, and the eccentricities of the icebergs, and what not, pertaining to the perilous life in the Arctics. In conversation with Mr. Bradford he admitted most gladly the great service which photography had been to him. He commented upon the systematic scouting at the idea that photography could help them, indulged in by artists a few years ago, very .severely, and, as he warmed up to the subject, he said enthusiastically, ” Why, my photographs have saved me eight or ten voyages to the Arctic regions, and now I gather my inspirations from my photographic subjects, just as an author gains food from his library, and I could not paint without them.” ” Only a short time ago,” he .said, “I employed a steam yacht, and followed a whaler from New Bedford a great many miles out to sea, making instantaneous views of her in various positions and changes of light and shade, and gathering into my stock studies which will be worth their weight in gold, to say the least.” The more we conversed upon this subject, the more enthusiastic Mr. Bedford became, and he seemed to exhibit his lantern transparencies with the pleasure and enthusiasm of a real photographer, describing them eloquently, as he did the production of his own special genius spread over the canvas in the art gallery below. Mr. Bradford’s example has had much to do with inspiring other painters with respect for photography as a help to them, so that now it would be a little difficult to count the number of artists who employ our art to assist them in the production of their splendid results. It is therefore but proper that this fact should be recorded and sent down to posterity within the pages of the photographic magazines. Certainly we are very glad to add our praise, not only, but our thanks for the persistence with which Mr. Bradford has for so many years stood up for the advantages of our art.”]

“Editor’s Table. A Great Curiosity.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:241 (Jan. 1884): 29. [“A few weeks ago, Mr. J. F. Ryder presented us with a little piece of wood, about sixth size, upon which was curiously printed the picture of a lady. The wood had backed an ambrotype for a number of years, and during those years the image had been printed upon it by the action of the light through the ambrotype. A curious occurrence is also visible here; a little label of paper seems to have been placed between the ambrotype and the wood, and here, of course, the image is much more faint than the rest, and the shape of the paper plainly appears. Moreover, the oval size of the picture is distinctly shown, many shades darker than the original wood, though not so dark as the blacks upon the paper itself. The whole thing is a photograph on wood against its will, evidently, but a curiosity. It may be seen at our office. We do not know how many years were required to complete this process, but no doubt it is too slow for general adoption.”]

“Facts and Fancies.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:2 (Feb. 1884): 87. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder is on a trip eastward, to pick up the novelties of the season, and exchange greetings with hosts of friends.”]

“Our Visitors.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:2 (Feb. 1884): 88. [“Messrs. Eastman and Monroe, two dry plate manufacturers of Rochester, have favored us with a friendly call since our last issue, and also Mr. Cope of Philadelphia, Mr. J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, and Mr. J. P. Bass, of Bangor. M. M. Gallet, the representative of the great house of Blanchet, Freres & Kleber, manufacturers of the celebrated Rive photographic paper, has braved the dangers of the Atlantic at this inclement season to confer with his transatlantic customers, who have been generous patrons of that house.”]

“Stamp Portraits.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:244 (Apr. 1884): 103-104. [“Mr. C. H. Tonndorff, 1423 Chestnut Street, St. Louis, Mo., has introduced a novelty lately which promises to be very acceptable to photographers. The novelty consists in portraits being made of about the size of a postage stamp, some twenty-five to a sheet, perforated and gummed the same as postage stamps, and the uses of which will be suggested to any party who owns a lot of them and tries to use them. Of course, they cannot be used as a substitute for postage stamps, but they can serve a useful purpose for business cards, letter heads, or an extra safety seal to an envelope, for advertising purposes, and a thousand other useful objects, which will increase in number as the tiny novelty becomes popular. Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has become agent for Mr. Tonndorff, and will supply circulars and prices on application. In order that our readers may see more fully exactly what the new thing is, we have secured from the new manufacturer sufficient examples to supply each of our readers with a copy. They will find it on the back of our cover in the shape of a portrait of Mr. G. Cramer, the well-known and popular dry-plate manufacturer. For further particulars, send for circular and see advertisement.”]

“Editor’s Table. Pictures Received.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:244 (Apr. 1884): 127. [“…From Mr. C. T. Stuart, Hartford, Conn., two excellent pictures of our friend Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio. We think we never saw a better picture of our friend than the larger one sent us….”]

[Advertisement.] “Specialties. C. H. Tondorff’s Stamp Portraits.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:244 (Apr. 1884): advertising section p. 153. [(Ad. ran in several issues.) “O. H. Tonndorff’s Stamp Portraits, Furnished in Sheets of 25 or 100. Perforated And Gummed Like Postage Stamps. Prices to Photographers, “With 33 1/3 per cent Commission. For each Hundred, $1 50. For Five Hundred from same picture, $7 50. For One Thousand, from same picture, .$12 00. Larger quantity as per arrangement. Stamp portraits are taken from cabinet bust photographs. Light and black backgrounds give very good effects. It is a recopying process, with an artistic design in form like postage stamps, made by a patent instrument. 2 . Regular customers can have special designs made when they wish their work done, with name and address on design. The charge for such design is $6.00. I furnish also Stamp Portraits to order with no name on. I also furnish name and address free of charge to parties ordering ten thousand in one order. All orders must be accompanied by the cash, or goods sent C. O. D. Letters of satisfaction received from such leading firms as John A. Scholten, F. W. Guerin, G. Cramer Dry Plate Works, all of St Louis; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland; P. S. Ryder, Syracuse, N. Y.; G. Gennert, New York; Latour, Sedalia; R. Uhlman, St. Joseph; Theo. Lilienthal, New Orleans; Uhlrich, New York, and others. Address, C. H. Tonndorff, Original Inventor of the Stamp Portrait, 1423 Chestnut Street, St. Louis, Mo.]

“The Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:5 (May. 1884): 212. [“At a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Photographers’ Association of America, there were present:
J. H. Kent, President.
Leo. Weingartner, Secretary.
W. A. Armstrong, Treasurer
E. Klauber,
J. F. Ryder, Ex. Com.
Mr. Kent called the gentlemen to order, and on motion of Mr. Ryder, Mr. Klauber was invited to take the chair, and Mr. Armstrong to act as Secretary.
The Secretary was empowered to employ a stenographer to report the Proceedings of the Convention and furnish copies to the journals who apply for them
On motion of Mr. Ryder, in view of the increased expense attending the coming Convention, the Treasurer was instructed to urge on all dealers, manufacturers and importers the necessity of notifying the Secretary without delay the amount they are willing to subscribe.
After considerable effort the Convention prevailed upon Mr. Kent to give practical demonstrations in the posing of a sitter; and as Mr. Kent stands at the very pinnacle of his profession these experiments will attract widespread attention. Several other prominent members will demonstrate under the light, but at present the Committee can not give their names.
The platform upon which these demonstrations will be made will be 30 by 50 feet, and the Committee will have everything in shape so that those desiring to make sittings can do so. Please notify the Secretary of P. A. of A. (Leo Weingartner, Cincinnati, Ohio) at once.
As it is a matter of the greatest importance at the present time, the Executive Committee prevailed on Mr. Ryder to address the Convention upon the business management of photography.
Yours fraternally, Leo Weingartner, Sec’y P. A. of A.”]

“A Discussion on Prices.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:245 (May 1884): 149-153 (Long article on this topic, which includes a number of letters from other professional photographers. J. F. Ryder’s letter is on p. 150.) “…I believe the dignity, respectability, and success of photography find their pulse in price. They influence the quality of the work and ambition of the worker. The tendency is to lower prices, which means, among other things, poorer work. Many good men are pulled or pushed into meeting prices made by their inferiors; and many of our proudest cities and prominent photographers are a reproach to themselves in this matter. It has been shown that it is out of the power of our Association to regulate the evil. Men will not be dictated to, or be controlled by legislation. In the language of Tillman Joy, we can “Resolute” till the cows come home, without effect, while an appeal to pride or shame might reach. My idea is to publish the names of photographers, and the prices they get for cabinet-size photographs. “Whether it would be wise to take them city by city, in continuous numbers of The Philadelphia Photographer, or to embody the matter in pamphlet form at once, and offer it for sale, I am not competent to say; but that it would be good information and salable, I do believe I think it would be of more interest than a description of prominent galleries, and I believe such a book would be largely bought. Where I think the chief benefit would come, would be in stimulating a pride that would bring the lower strata right up. My idea was, that for such cities as were cited, the top and bottom prices be given, with the names of the parties, It would at once stand as a roll of honor and a black-list. Most men have pride — some have shame. I think those getting honorable prices would feel applauded and strengthened in having their names given in a matter that would reflect credit upon them. I think many who are working for disreputable prices might be induced to reform through a desire to rise in the scale of respectability — a few might be shamed into it. No better or surer means could be taken of showing the status of the art throughout the country. The showing it, I think, might be a means of starting an improvement. True, the low-priced men, desirous of advancing their prices, might find advantage in having the list of first-class prices to refer their customers to. You have correspondents in all cities you would care to cite, who would readily give you a list. I feel pleased that you take my suggestion as worth something; it confirms me in the value of the project as a means of getting at a great evil, and of doing something to reform it. I will be glad to do all I can to help push. J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, O. p. 150.]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” Meeting of the Executive Committee.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:245 (May 1884): 155-156. [(Ryder mentioned in meeting planning the forthcoming annual conference, prevailed upon to give a lecture on business practices there. A letter from Ryder published on p. 156. “ The Executive Committee meeting held on April 8th, at Cincinnati, to arrange for the coming Convention was very satisfactory. Music Hall, where the Convention and Exhibition will be held, is a grand edifice, giving ample room for all our wants. The floor of the great auditorium, which seats five thousand persons, will be occupied by manufacturers, importers, and dealers, in displaying their goods. The session-room is all that could be desired. The photographic exhibits will be made in the large and well-lighted corridors, and can be arranged to suit the tastes or whims of the exhibitors. Arrangements were made for the construction of an ample skylight, and a platform thirty by fifty feet upon which to demonstrate lighting and posing of the figure. President Kent and other prominent photographers will each day handle the camera and sitters, giving all an opportunity to see. All of the leading dry-plate manufacturers will have their own developing-houses, and the Association will also have one for the accommodation of its members. These preparations tend to practical work on a better scale than heretofore given. Our Secretary, Mr. Weingartner, is hard at work getting everything in trim for the meeting. The Association is very fortunate in having the assistance of Mr. D. K. Cady, the “old reliable” stockdealer of Cincinnati, to help push the business of preparation. The liberal prizes offered by plate manufacturers for best collections of photographs upon their respective plates, will doubtless bring out a grander exhibit than ever before seen in this country, and the Cincinnati Convention is expected to outrank all former efforts. Yours truly, J. P. Ryder.]

“Editor’s Table. Stamp Portraits.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:245 (May 1884): 159. [“r. C. H. Tonndorff, of St. Louis, Mo., finding the advantage of advertising in the Philadelphia Photographer, repeats his picture on the outside cover this month. This little picture is bound to attract a good deal of attention. We were in error last month in stating that Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, had undertaken the exclusive agency for these pictures. Mr. Ryder is only the agent for Cleveland. As will be seen by his advertisement, Mr. Tonndorff has arranged with other parties for agencies in different pares of the country. We are asked to call attention to the advertisement jointly of Messrs. Tensfeld & Kuhn, in which it will be seen that they have combined on a list of prices.”]

[Advertisement.] “Specialties. French’s Ornamental Relief Borders.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:245 (May 1884): advertising section p. 193. [(Ad. ran in many issues.) “Testimonials….” “… “I am much pleased with your Border Negatives for cabinets. The designs are very pretty and novel, and the effect charming. I shall want more if future designs take as well as these we have.” — J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., April 10, 1884.”]]

Peedix. “Western Notes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:6 (June 1884): 260-262.
[“My next stopping place was Cleveland, O. Here one could very well occupy him-self with street and harbor photography, if he chose. The combinations of subjects are in many cases peculiar. As usual, when at home, “the prophet is without honor,” and only some of the finest views have been made the subjects of photographs by the local artist. Whoever visits Cleveland should endeavor by all means to spend half a day in Ryder’s famous gallery, and if as in my case they have the good fortune to become acquainted with either Mr. Ryder Sr. or Jr. they will have a pleasure the travelling amateur rarely meets. Most photographers know that this establishment is an art house literally. I will endeavor at some other time to send you a note on the gallery, dark rooms, etc.; here I can only mention that Mr. Ryder, with the old enthusiasm still burning brightly, has since become an amateur photographer, and, taking up his portable camera and box of dry plates, starts out upon his vacations with an eye to the beautiful. Last summer he spent the season in New York, and has now as a result of his labors a large number of landscapes on 10 by 16 plates from the Cascadilla Creek. As specimens of landscape photography they appear to me to be really unsurpassed. One of them represents a bank of old hemlocks overhanging the river, and is full of artistic feeling, while chemically and optically it is all the most exacting professional could desire. The work was exceedingly difficult because of the over hanging trees, which made long exposure absolutely necessary even with the most rapid plates which were procurable. Even under these disadvantages Mr. Ryder has introduced into several of the pictures groups of children wading across the stream or flaying in the water, and these although it was necessary to give them quite protracted exposures are as natural in pose as could be desired, and they add very materially to the interest of the photographs. One or two of the landscapes, including one view across a little pond, have been vignetted at the edges; the result obtained in this way, and by forcing the printing in certain portions is highly satisfactory, and is worthy of the attention of amateurs, who are very fond at printing the negative for all it is worth out to the very corners. Many a negative has a beautiful centre, which is not at all improved by a mass of uninteresting rubbish toward the edges of the plate.
From Cleveland I went to Dayton, and from Dayton to Cincinnati…. (p. 261) (Etc., etc.)]
“Correspondence.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:6 (June 1884): 282-283
The following correspondence explains itself. We are pleased to publish these letters in response to some insinuations that have recently appeared in the journals:
Cleveland, O., May 23d, 1884,
Ed. Photography.
Dear Sir: As in your issue of the 15th inst. you give prominence to ” hearsay, ” and indulge freely in comment on the strength of such uncertain material, I feel called upon, as a member of the Executive Committee, to reply.
You tell us there is grumbling among those who contributed liberally toward the expenses of the last convention, P. A. of A., because no proper statement of expenditures was made, and that a prominent house will not contribute one cent for the expenses of the future until such statement is forthcoming, and this stubborn stand is taken in the face of our invitation to ” Pony up. “
Since this house, which clamors for a report, did not contribute one dollar to the fund last year, its resolution is amusing.
As every manufacturer of photographic requisites, and every dealer in photographic goods is supported in his business by the working photographer; as the yearly conventions and exhibitions are quite as much in the stock dealers’ interest as in the photographers’; as the P. A. of A. is a ship of (p. 282) the stock dealers’ launching and lading — a ship whose “coming in” means profit to him — I believe it very proper that he help pay the expense of sailing.
As an individual, I will not undertake to make a report — which belongs to the committee to do — but I will promise the grumblers that the rottenness in Denmark may come to the front at the next convention, when a report can show who the contributors were, and,if necessary, who failed in that important matter. If it be shown that the executive committee have feasted on sweetcake at the stock dealers’ expense, they must be frowned down. In the meantime contributions are in order. W. A. Armstrong, treasurer, Milwaukee, will be glad to receive contributions from parties entitled to make them, and dues from members. It costs money to run conventions, and the treasury is not bursting. Respectfully, J. F. Ryder.” (p. 283)]

“From an Old Photographer.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:246 (June 1884): 168-169. [(Burnham apparently working in Cuba, writes a long, rambling letter during a rainy day. Mentions people and events in the past, including meeting Ryder in 1857.) “It is good to hear from these old photographers sometimes. Our friend, Ex-President Abraham Bogardus, entertained the members of the Photographic Society, in New York, a short time ago, with an account of what he called “thirty -seven years behind the camera.” It is published in several other magazines, so we do not repent. There are but few of these forty-year old veterans left now,… “Forty years ago, in the City of Bangor, Me., I learned to make daguerreotypes from Mr. A. B. Vinning and wife, of Massachusetts, who, with an old French tube, made the first pictures that were gilded with gold. A man by the name of Roper had a short time previously made a few daguerrotypes, “… p 168. “…know very few of the leaders of our business. Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, whose place I visited in 1857, kindly sent me, two years since, some samples of his work, and they were beautifully done….” p. 169.]

[Advertisement.] “Specialties.Wilson’s Photographics. What is Said by Its Readers.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:246 (June 1884): advertising section p. 154. [(Ad. ran in many issues.) “…Photographics is the most imposing book devoted to photography I have seen. – J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

“A Discussion on Prices.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:246 (June 1884): 185-186. [“…(Continued from page 153.) Y. — To be Continued until there is a Reformation. The answers from the audience say more for the cause this month, and say it better than we can. We are glad to see this interest, and shall have more to say in our next. You will be blessed by the photographers of the higher class if you will continue to strive towards their getting better prices for their photographs….” “…Such men as Gilbert & Bacon, Sarony, Mora, Rocher, Max Platz, Ryder, Taber, Grutekunst, etc., are the ideal men in our profession, and such I am pleased to call my friends — at least I am sincerely theirs. These parties all obtain good prices and enjoy a liberal trade. It may be well for some to say, ” They can do so, for they are well up in their art.” Certainly they are; and why is it they are well up? Is it because they charge living prices for their work? Certainly not! It is because they love the art, and have no sympathy towards anything that has a tendency towards degrading it….”]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:246 (June 1884): 186-188. [(Letter from Ryder on pp. 187-188.) “SOME SPLENDID WORK, resulting from the tempting prizes offered by dry-plate manufacturers for superior productions, will be shown at Cincinnati. A prominent feature of the meeting will be the attractive exhibition. Since the aim of all is to improve upon the quality of their productions, if any way behind in that important point, or to hold their own, if in the front rank, a sharp strife may be expected. The exhibition of work is important as a spur and an educator. “Talk” has its value in describing processes and methods, where a single sentence of half a dozen words dropped upon the ear of an earnest worker will sometimes prove a key to the unravelment of mysteries. But “Work” speaks for itself — tells its own story, and carries conviction. It is believed that the Cincinnati gathering will surpass all former ones. Secretary Weingartner is awake and pushing. The accommodations are all that could be desired, and nothing stands in the way of a large attendance and successful meeting. Every member should make it a matter of pride and duty to be on hand with his exhibit. With the glorious success of last year at Milwaukee yet fresh in our minds, let us determine to outdo it at Cincinnati. J. F. Ryder.”]

“Editor’s Table. P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:246 (June 1884): 191. [“Cincinnati now rings in the ears of all live photographers as does the music of the birds in the ears of the world at large. Everybody who is alive will go. Enthusiastic and urgent remarks are made on the subject by Messrs. Ryder, Kent, and Weingartner in proper place, and we can only add our mite in extenuation of what they say. We hope to be present at the Convention as usual, and to see most of our subscribers there. Be sure to come.”]

“Fifth Annual Convention and Exhibition of the Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:7 (July 1884): 336-337. [“To be held in Music Hall, Cincinnati, O. July 29th to Aug. 1st, 1884.
Officers: J. H. Kent, President;
Leo Weingartner, Secretary; W. A.
Armstrong, Treasurer.
Executive Committee: J. F. Ryder and E. Klauber.
The Convention will open at 10 o’clock a. m. on Tuesday, July 29th, and continue until Friday afternoon, August 1st. Sessions will be held at the same hour each morning, chiefly for the transaction of regular business.
The President, Mr. J. H. Kent, will give demonstrations in the posing of a sitter and the management of the light.
Mr. J. F. Ryder will read a paper before the Convention on the subject of the management of the studio; and from his well known reputation as a photographer and writer, the members may expect not only to be entertained, but also instructed. The entire programme will be duly announced.
Dark rooms will be erected in the hall by the different dry plate manufacturers, with suitable light, water supply, and the best facilities for the development of the plates. Neither chemicals nor plates need be brought. (p. 336) Picture! placed on exhibition must remain until the final adjournment of the Convention. Several prizes are offered by the dry plate manufacturers.
Photographers and others interested in the study of photography are invited to join the Association. Dues, two dollars a year. No initiation fee is required. All wishing to become members are requested to forward the sum specified to the Treasurer. Each member having paid his dues will receive a badge, that will admit him at all times to the meetings and the exhibition.
The prices of hotel accommodations are reduced. The Secretary will have an office in the Music Hall during convention week, where he will give information to those in need of it.
The two dollar annual dues are very urgently needed by the Treasurer. In fact, it is next to impossible that the P. A. of A. can be properly conducted without a timely remittance from all of its members.” (p. 337)]

“Mr. Ryder’s Gallery.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:7 (July 1884): 337. [“Mr. Ryder of Cleveland has just added an art gallery to his establishment. It is about twenty feet wide by thirty-eight feet in length, and is furnished with a very fine top light. At the time of our visit a few weeks ago there were more than one hundred pictures on the walls, most of them oil paintings, though there were a few engravings, some fine colored photographs, and one or two new chromos.
An hour or two can be very delightfully spent in this gallery by the visitor. Much of the work was by local artists, and speaks well for the talent of the town as well as for its patronage. The framing of the pictures was something superb. In the entire lot there were scarcely two pictures framed alike, except, of course, those intended for companions. Many of the frames are unique in design, and all of them exceedingly artistic and appropriate to the subject of their pictures. The mirror framing was especially noticeable for its beauty and artistic effect. The prices for these frames are surprisingly low, especially to those accustomed to the figures asked for first-class work in New York City. In most cases, New York people could do as well by sending to Cleveland for fine frames and having them sent by express as in the best on Broadway or Fifth Avenue, and at prices entirely below the ordinary run of fairly good work.
As most of our readers know, Mr. Ryder has an artistic photographic establishment in a double sense, not only keeping photographs and doing a general photographic business, but having also engravings, pictures of all kinds and artists’ materials for sale.
In addition to the regular picture gallery, which is on the third floor, Mr. Ryder has, on a level with his operating room, a large room with a top light in which exhibitions of pictures or statuary can be very conveniently given, and he has found it very useful for this purpose. It was formerly, we believe, his reception room. The latter, however, has been removed to a floor a few steps further down. The office is a sort of half-way house between the upper and lower floors, situated above a landing overlooking the store, and, like the reception room, is very prettily furnished. From it a very pleasant view of the store with its art treasures can be had. The stairway is a sort of gallery of rare foreign photographs, both colored and plain. Many of them are masterpieces of modern artists.”]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:247 (July 1884): 215-216. [“Hitch Your Horses And Come In. True friendliness and hospitality are here expressed. With all the heartiness of the honest farmer or the frontiersman, for friend or stranger, the management of the P. A. of A. bids the photographer, whether great or small, prominent or obscure, welcome to the Cincinnati meeting. Much has been done in preparation for a grand success, and nothing short of that figure will do. Members should promptly remit two dollars to pay their dues. Merchants and manufacturers of photographic goods, who believe in encouraging progress and are friendly to the “boys,” should send their check to the treasurer, W. A. Armstrong, 389 Broadway, Milwaukee, Wis. Respectfully, J. F. Ryder, of Executive Committee.

“Specialties. ‘And Don’t You Forget It.’” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:247 (July 1884): advertising section p. 227. 1 illus. [(The illustration is a drawn cartoon of two caricature men face to face, with one shouting “And Don’t You Forget It!” at the other. This is an unusual advertisement, in that this type of P. A. of A. promotional material was often published in the text pages of the PP for free. The late date may have meant that that month’s copy was already set and that Ryder could only get space in the advertising section. Again unusual, the P. A. A’s annual Treasurer’s report –published in the Dec issue—has a note of a payment of $6.50 to Ryder, which may have been them repaying him for buying this ad.) “…The Fifth Annual Convention of the P. A. of A. opens July 29th, and continues until August 1st. It will be held at Music Hall, Cincinnati.
It Will Be A Stunner.
The finest exhibition of dry plates ever known will be there. The best methods and the highest skilled experts to demonstrate them will be there. A Thousand Photographers will be there. The best opportunity ever offered for securing knowledge will be given. Solid sociability will run high. Some fun will be had.
Don’t Miss This Chance— Go!
J. P. Ryder, of Executive Committee.”]

“Fifth Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America. The Report.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:8 (Aug. 1884): 347-380.
[“…The President. I regret that we could not have had the Governor here to deliver the opening address as it was expected, and, as has been intimated by Mr. Weingartner, that we could not have had the Mayor also. It is to be regretted that neither of these could have met with us and given us an address of welcome; but I congratulate you upon having escaped a long address from your President or Secretary in consequence of being disappointed by these distinguished gentlemen. Without any other formality I will now announce the Convention open for business….”
(Etc., etc.) “…I am able to remember the names of my most intimate friends; for instance, I can remember our friend and co-worker here, Mr. Ryder (I think that is his name), and whom I shall never forget; also I can remember our friend Mr. Weingartner, and our distinguished friend here, Mr. Wilson, whom nobody will forget, if he can help it. And, too, here is our vigilant and faithful ex-president, who has so peculiar a name I am unable to recall it at this time….” (p. 347) (Etc., etc) “…The President. The next business is the appointment of a committee for the nomination of officers, and, as I suppose, to include the nomination of a place for the next meeting. Is that not so? I am now informed by Committeeman Ryder it is not usual to include the place of meeting in the report of the committee….” (p. 350) (Etc., etc.)
“…The President. To-morrow we shall have an address from our friend Ryder, on the business management of photography. It will be the most interesting document presented at this Convention. I promise you that in advance….” (p. 354) (Etc., etc.)
“…The President. I will inquire if the chairman of the committee on nominations is here, Mr. Carbutt. While we are waiting for that committee we shall have the pleasure of listening to the address of Mr. Ryder on the subject of the ” business management of photography.”
Mr. Ryder then came forward and read the following addiess:
On the Business Management of Photography.
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen:
As a rule, men think well of themselves and don’t care to be told what they already know. There is probably not a man here who doubts his ability to run the photographic business. You will please understand, therefore, that I feel embarrassment in so delicate a matter as undertaking to tell you you don’t understand your business, and if you will only listen I will tell you all about it. I do not take such a liberty, but if you will tolerate me a few minutes I will give you my convictions upon the subject.
The first necessary requirement — the foundation stone — is a thorough knowledge of every department of the work. An intelligent understanding of one’s business is solid capital. The more of that element a man carries the greater is his strength. As we have no established system of apprenticeship, no regular course of study or practice of our young art, the learner is dependent upon a hap-hazard chance, his aptness at catching an idea, with a natural handiness in taking to new work, a taste for art, even in a small way, prove his good friends in grasping photography.
Considering the many intricate points in chemical requirements, the judgment necessary to be exercised at every stage of the work, the many handlings and processes which depend one upon another and all necessary to the proper production of a finished photograph, it is really a matter of surprise how successfully it is accomplished with the small chances the workman has had for acquiring knowledge. I say this believing the instances where photographers are really educated in the art-science of the profession they claim to be masters of, are very few. I hope the time is near when regular schools of photography will be established and sustained in this country, where the learner may have the benefit of good teaching under competent professors, where study shall be necessary, that he should be compelled to pass a rigid examination in chemistry, optics, physics, light, lighting, composition and drawing, before he should be entitled to a diploma, which should be his voucher for competency.
Then we could expect intelligent skill in our employes, and the public could feel assured they were being served in a proper manner.
Truly knowledge is power. It is recognized and respected by the learned and ignorant alike.
The colored servant of a surgeon, explaining why his master charged twenty-five dollars for the performance of an operation in surgery which took but ten minutes to do, said he charged five dollars for the work and twenty dollars for the know-how.
In all departments of the arts, the sciences or in mechanics, a man of recognized high attainments commands the confidence of his patrons, and the right to be well paid for his services.
To fit ourselves in the best way for the pursuit of our art, which is becoming yearly more an art, and more closely allied to science, buy books, subscribe for journals, magazines and papers upon the subject; make your collection of photographic literature a special library, then make its acquaintance, the more intimate the better. In this way you become master of the requirements of your business, which is a rock-bottom foundation upon which you may build with all confidence and security.
Educate your help, teach them in the little (p. 357) points and in the greater ones, train them to your ways, give them your ideas and listen fairly to theirs— you may sometimes get the best end of the bargain in such exchange.
Make a collection of studies and encourage yourself, and your operator to frequent examination of them.
I have large specimen books, the leaves of which are of tar-board 22 x 28 inches. To these tar-boards on both sides I glue mounted photographs, the best examples of work I can find. I purchase and I exchange, I have the work of friends and of strangers. It is a valuable collection for reference. They are kept where my operator has constant access to them, and among chem he can find almost every style of lighting and posing, as well as the peculiarities of many noted operators.
A man who takes interest and pride in his work likes to know how he stands as compared with others; it is a spur to him, and keeps him on the alert.
Next in value to superior quality in your productions is a safe and careful system in all the various departments, from writing an order for a sitting to delivering the finished picture into the hands of your customer. Such system should be observed. The soul of that system should be order and cleanliness.
There may be to some an affectionate interest in collections of antiquated relics of good old days, whose dust-coated and deepstained fronts attest to long years of service, and certify to the claim of old stager. Many a well-meant operating room harbors in its corners and along its side-walls collections of crippled head -rests, rickety camera stands, faded chairs with long-fringed upholstery, broken balustrades, old camera boxes, etc., which are in no sense ornamental or advantageous.
It is a mistake to make a museum or a junkshop of the operating room. Remove the old trash, give the scrubbing brush, the paint pot and the whitewash tub a chance. If there be a worse smell than the atmosphere of a justice’s office, it is the musty odor sometimes encountered in a slovenly kept photograph gallery.
The man who satisfies his conscience that he cannot afford to expend money in thoroughly renovating as often as once a year, and refurnishing when needful, is a poor manager, and works against his own interest. Nothing commands more prompt respect than tidyness. A seeming of prosperity soon brings the reality; people like to patronize a prosperous man, and naturally avoid a poor or an unfortunate one, all which shows an air of thrift; and systematic order should be practiced and enforced. Keep your show of specimen pictures fresh by frequent changes. Your customers will visit you oftener if you have new attractions. They will take pride in you and make your establishment one of the places to be visited by strangers and their visiting friends, among whom you will find good customers.
How to treat with customers. Here comes the place for exercise of judgment, for real generalship. To be polite, attentive, genial and at the same time firm in adhering to safe rules for your own protection is a difficult thing to do, yet it can be done. A correct start saves often misunderstandings which are to be avoided by all means. It is a great mistake to have serious differences with your patrons; you must remember that great consideration is due your sitter. Perhaps you sometimes sit yourself and find you are whimsical and exacting; you like to try again, for some reason you can’t quite explain. Perhaps when you go to your tailor you are not at once suited with the fit or hang of your coat; his telling you it is all right does not quite convince. Remember these things and be patient; you can make another sitting as quickly as you can make an argument. The sitting would perhaps convince them, your argument would not. Make your prices sufficiently high to justify the use of a number of plates, and a half hour’s time if necessary. You can afford this occasionally. If the exactions of your sitter be too great you are entitled to charge for extra service; state it pleasantly but firmly; sugar-coat your words where the subject is disagreeable.
In bargaining or arranging the details for a sitting, have everything clear and distinctly understood. If additional styles beyond what is described in your order are asked for, then is the time to mention the additional price, and to stand by it.
It is the good-natured follows who can’t say no, and who in their anxiety to please the dear ladies get most imposed upon.
It is not an uncommon thing for a lady to have a dozen dresses and as many toilettes photographed before an order is given to finish. She gratifies her curiosity as to how they will take and the more sittings she has the more undecided she is which to order. Is the lady to blame? By no means — the man has (p. 358) helped her to impose upon him and is helping to establish the custom of having his neighbors imposed upon
I believe it entirely fair to make for all sitters two good negatives, differing in position, that they may have a choice. If they desire more plates used it is very proper they be required to pay extra for them, particularly should sitters be made to understand a change of dress or toilette means an extra charge for new sittings.
Don’t be too obsequious to your aristocratic customers and domineering with those of modest means, who are generally sensitive. Be polite to all. Remember where you get one dollar from the capitalist you get ten from the middle class, the working people. Be prompt as possible in finishing and delivering your work; make no promises on that point except you are sure of keeping them. Impress your customers with the fact that your word is to be relied upon.
Never put off the securing of an order for another time; clinch it on the spot.” It is never too late in the day to make a sitting — that is to take a man’s order for a sitting. Many a time have I written orders for sittings by gaslight and given my client into the hands of the operator. With his money in the till he is sure to come for his proof in the morning and well satisfied to try again on learning last night’s effort was not entirely a success. Had I told him it was too late in the day and advised his coming again, I should probably not have seen him more. With a desire for sitting while his mind was upon it he would probably try my next door neighbor, who with more enterprise than I had shown would gobble him.
The time to take money is before the sitter goes into the operating room; particularly should this apply to strangers and parties regarded doubtful. All photographers who fail in this important rule are practicing an injustice upon themselves. Prices for photographs have become greatly demoralized. Many of our prominent and good men have been led or driven, I might say ” clubbed,” into this great wrong. I will venture to assert that four in every five who have fallen into low prices are ashamed of it, and would be glad to get back to more respectable figures and a more respectable standing among their fellows. Low prices are in everyway degrading; the work is carelessly made, the standard of excellence is lowered, in fact, is lost; ambition sinks to indifference; enthusiasm is killed. The work becomes drudgery, devoid of interest or pleasure.
It is an injury and an insult upon our young art. It is a shame to the men who have helped bring it about.
Is there a remedy? Let us see. In all places where photography is practiced are men and women who want the best that can be made, and will pay good prices for what they believe to be superior work. It is possible for photographers to invest their business with a tone and dignity that will be recognized by the people. There are many prominent instances to prove my assertion. This good city of Cincinnati stands at the front as an example to all other cities and to all other photographers of this country. The gentlemen who practice photography here are not devising schemes for decorating the fences with the skins of their neighbors; they are so wise as to be on the best terms with each other, both in a business and a social sense; they are quite willing each other should live and thrive. They are prosperous; they are honored.
What is possible to Cincinnati is possible to all other cities. I think it is a fitting time and place to bring this fact to your attention.
The curse of our business is this curse of low prices. There is no good reason for it. There is no wisdom or advantage in it. It is a wrong to yourself, your neighbor and to the art you should be proud of, and which you should feel bound to protect.
Year by year this blotch is growing blacker and deeper. In many instances photographs are sold at prices which show that it is not possible for the proprietor to pay his help or his stock bills and make a profit on his work. This means folly, ruin and death to photography as a means of securing a livelihood.
Reform must come. I heard when a child that the city of Rotterdam, in Holland, was the cleanest city in the world, and the way it came about was from everyone scrubbing his own door-step. I have always remembered it. My friends, the way to bring about reform in the abuse we are talking of, is not to wait for your neighbor, but to commence scrubbing your own door-stone.
If you are a skilled and competent photographer straighten up and assert yourself ! Put your establishment in proper train for an advance to a higher grade of work and a higher scale of prices. The public recognize your progress, will follow you; if your neighbor (p. 359) will follow also, so much the better for you both. If he will not, you have by your act proved yourself his superior, and will hold the advanced ground you have taken. Elevate your art and it will elevate you. Make your prices high and make your work worth all you charge for it.
This, gentlemen, is the road to success. Look about you and prove its truthfulness. The men who have been fortunate in our business have been faithful to the course I have here laid down.
Mr. Bellsmith. Mr. Ryder has struck the key note, I think, on the subject of greatest importance before this Convention. There are fifty thousand photographers in this country whose eyes are turned towards Cincinnati, and who are depending on this Convention for an action that will amount to something; I therefore urge upon the Convention to treat the subject as one of importance, which everyone must recognize that it bears towards our business; and as the time seems to be opportune at present I move that the subject be taken up for discussion; that all the arguments be concentrated, and that as much influence may be brought to bear upon the subject as possible….” (p. 360) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Inglis. I think that Mr. Ryder’s address should be published in pamphlet form, and I would move that the members of this Association each contribute fifty’ cents or a dollar, and send the pamphlets to the fraternity for the benefit of those who are not here. …” (Etc.,etc.) “
“…A Member. I move, as an amendment to the motion that is before the meeting, that this Convention shall have this address to which we have listened printed in pamphlet form, not that it should not be printed in all the journals, and that we as an Association shall give it gratuitously to the photographers throughout the country, that they who have not been able to be here shall have the benefit of that address, which has struck the foundation, as he has given it to us to-day. Let us lake the advice he has given to us here ; let each one of us begin to scrub our own doorstep and stand upon our own bottom; let every man assert his manhood and charge a price that is a living price, and see if he cannot do better in one year than he has done at this miserable price of a dollar a dozen.
The President. The amendment being in the line of the resolution I shall consider it in order. Is it seconded ?
The motion was seconded.
Mr. Ryder. While I am deeply grateful to my friends who think well of the little thing I have written, I feel a little delicate about its being embodied especially in a pamphlet; it will go through all the journals, and every word that I have said is (p. 361) as well known to every man here as it was before I said it. I am very sensible of the compliment, but I would be glad if Mr. Inglis would withdraw his amendment.
Mr. Inglis. I will not withdraw my amendment. It is the best thing I have ever heard ; I have never heard the subject discussed better….(p. 362) (Etc., etc.)
Mr. Wilson: “I believe if we could go around as missionaries, those who are here would confess that their prices are not :what they desire. Our Brother Ryder has discussed the thing thoroughly, and this little pamphlet will follow it up. Remember that we are sick; let us begin to sweep the door-steps now….” (p. 363) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Ryder. Ladies and gentlemen : In the matter of Mr. Seavey’s demonstration to-morrow I will further announce that he has a special model, a very beautiful young lady, who will be draped in the Greek costume, and it will be a great treat to all to see the effects that Mr. Seavey purposes to show and produce at the time mentioned, 2 30. I hope that he will have a fine audience, as his demonstration will be something rather attractive and interesting to every one….” (p. 363) (Etc., etc.)
“…Resolved, that this Association accept with thanks the kind invitation of Director-general Burke of the World’s Exposition, and that the Committee named below be appointed with power for the purpose of securing a national representation of photography at the New Orleans Exposition. Edward L. Wilson, Philadelphia ; J. F. Ryder. Cleveland ; V. M. Wilcox, New York ; F. W. Guerin, St. Louis ; James Landy, Cincinnati ; James Mullin, Lexington ; S. T. Blessing, New Orleans ; S. H. Harper, Brooklyn, with power to add to their committee if necessary to do the work….” (p. 370) (Etc., etc.)
“…The President. Is the committee on nominations ready to report ?
Mr. Weingartner. The committee on nominations offer the following names for the ensuing year: President, James Landy ; Permanent Secretary, W. H. Potter ; Treasurer, G. M. Carlisle; Executive Committee. Joshua Smith and W. A. Armstrong, and recommend as the next place of meeting Buffalo, New York. For Local Secretary, H. McMichael….”
The President. The President will be first voted for….” [Followed by several “honorary” nominations: W. F. Guerin, St. Louis…E. Klauber, Louisville…]
“A Member. I nominate Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland.
The President. If the candidates are all nominated we will proceed to ballot.
A ballot was then taken with the following result. Guerin 83, Landy 72, Klauber 31, scattering 5.
It was then moved and seconded that the one receiving the lowest number of votes be dropped. Carried.
There being no election a new ballot was ordered to be taken. It resulted as follows : Landy 85, Guerin 53. Klauber 20. It was then moved and seconded that the election of Mr. James Landy be made unanimous. Carried….” (p. 372)]

Ryder, James F. “On the Business Management of Photography.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 14:164 (Aug. 1884): 407-410. [“[A Paper read before the P. A. of A.] Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: As a rule men think well of themselves and don’t care to be told what they already know. There is probably not a man here who doubts his ability to run the photograph business. You will please understand, therefore, that I feel embarrassed in so delicate a matter as undertaking to tell you that you don’t understand your business. I do not take such a liberty, but if you will tolerate me a few minutes I will give you my convictions on the subject. The first necessary requirement—the foundation stone—is a thorough knowledge of every department of the work. An intelligent understanding of one’s business is solid capital. The more of that element a man carries the greater is his strength. As we have no established system of apprenticeship, no regular course of study or practice for the acquirement of our young art, the learner is dependent upon a hap-hazard chance, his aptness at catching an idea, a natural handiness in taking to new work, a taste for art even in a small way, prove his good friends in grasping photography. Considering the many intricate points in chemical requirements, the judgment necessary to be exercised at every stage of the work, the many handlings and processes which depend upon one another, and all necessary to the proper production of a finished photograph, it is really a matter of surprise how successfully it is accomplished with the small chances the workman has had for acquiring knowledge. I say this believing the instances where photographers are really educated in the art science of the profession they claim to be masters of, are very few. I hope the time is near when regular schools of photography will be established and sustained in this country, where the learner may have the benefit of good teaching under competent professors, where study shall be necessary, and he should be compelled to pass a rigid examination in chemistry, optics, physics, light lighting, composition and drawing, before he be entitled to a diploma which shall be his voucher for competency. Then we could expect intelligent skill in our employees, and the public feel assured that they were being served in a proper manner. Truly knowledge is power. It is recognized and respected by the learned and ignorant alike. The colored servant of a surgeon, explaining why his master charged twenty-five dollars for the performance of an operation in surgery which took but ten minutes to do, said he charged five dollars for the work and twenty dollars for the “know how.” In all departments of the arts, the sciences, or in mechanics, a man of recognized high attainments commands the confidence of his patrons and the right to be well paid for his services. To fit ourselves in the best way for the pursuit of our art—which is becoming yearly more of an art and more closely allied to science—buy books, subscribe for journals, magazines and papers treating upon the subject; make your collection of photographic literature a special library, then make its acquaintance, the more intimate the belter. In this way you become master of the requirements of your business, which is a rock bottom foundation upon which you may build with all confidence and security. Educate your help, teach them in the little points and in the greater ones, train them to your ways, give them your ideas and listen fairly to theirs—you may sometimes get the best end of the bargain in such exchange. Make a collection of studies and encourage yourself and your operator to frequent examination of them. I have large specimen books, the leaves of which are of tarboard 22 by 28 inches. To these tarboards, on both sides, I glue mounted photographs, the best examples of work I can find. I purchase and I exchange, I have the work of friends and of strangers. It is a valuable collection for reference. They are kept where my operator has constant access to them, from them he can find almost every style of lighting and posing as well as the peculiarities of many noted operators. A man who takes interest and pride in his work likes to know how he stands as compared with others; it is a spur to him and keeps him on the alert. Next in value to superior quality in your productions is a safe and careful system in all the various departments— from writing an order for a sitting to delivering the finished picture into the hands of your customer. System should be observed and the soul of that system be order and cleanliness. There may be to some an affectionate interest in collections of antiquated relics of good old days, whose dust-coated and deep-stained fronts attest to long years of service. Many a well-meant operating room harbors in its corners and along its side walls collections of crippled headrests, rickety camera stands, faded chairs with long fringed upholstery, broken balustrades, old cameras, etc., which are in no sense ornamental or advantageous. It is a mistake to make a museum or a junk shop of the operating room. Remove the old trash, give the scrub brush, the paint pot and the white-wash tub a chance. If there be a worse smell than the atmosphere of a justice’s office, it is the musty odor sometimes encountered in a slovenly photograph gallery. The man who satisfies his conscience that he cannot afford to spend money in thoroughly renovating as often as once a year, and refurnishing when needed, is a poor manager, and works against his own interest. Nothing commands more prompt respect than tidiness. A seeming (t prosperity soon brings the reality; people like to patronize a prosperous man, and naturally avoid a poor or an unfortunate one; all which show that an air of thrift and systematic order should be practised and enforced. Keep your show of specimen pictures fresh by frequent changes. Your customers will visit you oftener if you have new attractions. They will take pride in you and make your establishment one of the places to be visited by strangers and their visiting friends, among whom you will often find good customers.
How to treat with customers: Here comes the place for the exercise of judgment, for real generalship. To be polite, attentive, genial, and at the same time firm in adhering to safe rules for your own protection, is a difficult thing, yet it can be done. A correct start often saves misunderstandings, which are to be avoided by all means. It is a great mistake to have serious differences with your patrons; you must remember that great consideration is due your sitter. Perhaps you sometimes sit yourself and find you are whimsical and exacting; you like to try again for some reason you can’t quite explain. Perhaps when you go to your tailor you are not at once suited with the fit or hang of your coat; his telling you it is all right does not quite convince. Remember these things and be patient, you can make another sitting as quickly as make an argument. The sitting would perhaps convince and satisfy, your argument would not. Make your prices sufficiently high to justify the use of a number of plates and a half-hour’s time if necessary. You can afford this occasionally. If the exactions of your sitter be too great you are entitled to charge for extra service; state it pleasantly but firmly; sugar-coat your words where the subject is disagreeable. In bargaining or arranging the details for a sitting have everything clear and distinctly understood. If additional styles beyond what is described in your order are asked for, then is the lime to mention the additional price, and to stand by it. It is the good-natured fellows who can’t say no, and who in their anxiety to please the dear ladies, get most imposed upon. It is not an uncommon thing for a lady to have a dozen dresses and as many toilets photographed before an order is given to finish. She gratifies her curiosity as to how they will take, and the more sittings she has the more undecided she is which to order. Is the lady to blame? By no means; the man has helped her to impose upon him and is helping to establish the custom of having his neighbors imposed upon also. I believe it entirely fair to make for all sitters two good negatives differing in position, that they may have a choice. If they desire more plates used it is very proper they be required to pay extra for them, particularly should sitters be made to understand a change of dress or toilet means an extra charge for new sittings. Don’t be obsequious to your aristocratic customers and domineering with those of modest means, who are generally sensitive. Be polite to all. Remember where you get one dollar from the capitalist you get ten from the middle class—the working people. Be prompt as possible in finishing and delivering your work; make no promises on that point except you are sure of keeping them. Impress your customers with the fact that your word is to be relied upon. Never put off the securing of an order for another time; clinch it on the spot. It is never too late in the day to make a sitting—that is to take a man’s order for a sitting. Many a time have I written orders for sittings by gas-light and given my client into the hands of the operator. With his money in the till he is sure to come for his proof in the morning, and well satisfied to try again on learning last night’s effort was not entirely a success. Had I told him it was too late in the day and advised his coming again, I should probably not have seen him more. With a desire for sitting while his mind was upon the subject he would possibly try my next neighbor, who with more enterprise than I had shown would secure his patronage. The time to take money is before the sitter goes into the operating room, particularly should this apply to strangers and parties regarded as doubtful. AH photographers who fail in this important rule are practicing an injustice upon themselves. Prices for photographs have become greatly demoralized. Many of our prominent and good men have been led or driven, I might say “clubbed,” into this great wrong. I will venture to assert that four in every five who have fallen into low prices are ashamed of it, and would be glad to get back to more respectable figures and a more respectable standing among their fellows. Low prices are in every way degrading, the work is carelessly made, the standard of excellence is lowered, in fact is lost, ambition sinks to indifference, enthusiasm is killed. The work becomes drudgery, devoid of interest or pleasure. It is an injury and an insult upon our young art. It is a shame to the men who have helped to bring it about. Is there a remedy? Let us see. In all places where photography is practiced, are men and women who want the best that can be made and will pay good prices for what they believe to be superior work. It is possible for photographers to invest their business with a tone and dignity that will be recognized by the people. There are many prominent instances to prove my assertion. This good city of Cincinnati stands at the front as an example to all other cities and photographers of this country. The gentlemen who practice photography here are not devising schemes for decorating the fences with the skins of their neighbors; they are so wise as to be upon the best terms with each other, both in a business and a social sense; they are quite willing each other should live and thrive. They are prosperous; they are honored. What is possible to Cincinnati is possible to all other cities. I think it a fitting time and place to bring this fact to your attention. The curse of our business is this curse of low prices. There is no good reason for it. There is no wisdom or advantage in it. It is a wrong to yourself, your neighbor, and to the art you should be proud of and which you should feel bound to protect. Year by year this blotch is growing blacker and deeper. In many instances photographs are sold at prices which show that it is not possible for the proprietor to pay his help or his stock bills and make a profit on his work. This means folly, ruin and death to photography as a means of securing a livelihood. Reform must come. I heard, when a child, that the city of Rotterdam, in Holland, was the cleanest city in the world, and the way it came about was from every one scrubbing their own door step. I have always remembered it. My friends, the way to bring about reform in the abuse we are talking of is not to wait for your neighbor, but to commence scrubbing your own door stone. If you are a skilled and competent photographer, straighten up and assert yourself! Put your establishment in proper train for an advance to a higher grade of work and a higher scale of prices. The public, recognizing your progress, will follow you; if your neighbor will follow also so much the better for you both. If he will not, you have, by your act, proved yourself his superior, and will hold the advance ground you have taken. Elevate your art and it will elevate you. Make your prices high and make your work worth all you charge for it. This, gentlemen, is the road to success. Look about you and prove its truthfulness. The men who have been fortunate in our business have been faithful to the course I have here laid down.”
(Ryder is mentioned thirteen more times in this volume, in relation to the PAA annual conference.]

“Portrait Work for the Amateur.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:9 (Sept. 1884): 414-415. [“Every amateur has an ambition at some time in his photographic career to take portrait?, but is usually discouraged in doing so by the difficulties which he encounters and the want of instruction in the methods by which they may be overcome….” (Etc., etc.) “…To avoid this the amateur must have recourse to a device which, we believe, is original with Mr. Ryder of Cleveland. It consists of a round or square frame or hoop about fifteen inches in diameter, covered with white tissue paper. It should be mounted on the end of a stick four or five feet long. In the centre of the tissue paper a round hole about four inches in diameter is cut. The use of this frame is to shade the side of the face toward the light and at the same time to allow a small beam to strike upon the features, so as to give brilliancy to the high lights….” (p. 415) (Etc., etc.)]

Wilson, Edward L. “P. A. of A. Cincinnati Convention Correspondence.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:249 (Sept. 1884): 257-277. [(Ryder mentioned frequently throughout this report.) “…By this time nearly four hundred had become seated in the hall, and the number was being continually added to….” The routine business being called, the roll-call and reading of the minutes were dispensed with. “ (p. 257) “…but the one I speak of has troubled me all my life, and I regret to say that it does not decrease with my increasing years; I refer to my inability to remember names and faces. I am able to remember the names of my most intimate friends; for instance, I can remember our friend and coworker here, Mr. Ryder, I think his name is, and whom I shall never forget; also I can remember our friend Weingartner; and our distinguished friend here Mr. Wilson; he, I think, will never forget me — if he can help it. (President J. H. Kent.) p. 258. “…Mr. J. F. Ryder, the veteran and faithful Associationist, read a brief report, as Chairman of the Executive Committee, depicting a healthful, cheerful outlook for the Association, which he declared to be growing in numbers and influence, holding its position abreast the noble art-science which it advocates. (p. 263.) “…The President announced that to-morrow ex-President J. P. Ryder would be the orator of the day, and deliver his address on the “Business Management of Photography.” (p. 266.) “…”Mr. J. F. Ryder, the orator of the day, was now called forward, and made the following address: On the Business Management of Photography.” pp. 268-271. (To find full text of this paper, see the Aug. 1884 Photographic Times and American Photographer reference.) “… (p. 271). “ “…Mr. Ryder said: In the matter of Mr. Seavey’s demonstration to morrow, I will further announce that he has a special model, a very beautiful young lady who will be draped in the Greek costume, and it will be a great treat to all to see the effects that Mr. Seavey purposes to show and produce at the time mentioned, 2.30 p.m. I hope that he will have a fine audience which will be something rather attractive and interesting to everyone.” (p. 273)]

Wilson, Edward L. “The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:249 (Sept. 1884): 277-281. [(J. F. Ryder is not listed as being in this exhibition; a fact that I find impossible to believe. Perhaps some of the following statements explain this lapse.) “…Divided as my time was between duties at the meetings of the Convention and the calls of the grand exhibition, it was impossible for me to make a complete list of the exhibitors. So, seeing how I was prevented from making a complete list of the exhibitors, I beg those whose names are omitted below to be lenient, knowing that I will quite willingly add all that are sent to me hereafter in my next issue. There is no intentional slight; though I know the list is very imperfect….” p. 277.]

“H. T. Anthony. In Memoriam.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 15:10 (Oct. 1884): 453-461. [(Obituary for Henry Anthony, with scores of letters of condolence from photographers, etc., among them J. F. Ryders’.)
“Cleveland, O., Oct. 14, 1884.
Edward Anthony, Esq.
My Dear Sir : I am shocked at the news of your brother Henry’s death, which came to me this morning.
I offer my respectful sympathy to your family and to the house. Personally, I feel bereaved at the loss of a noble and true friend, such as in this world are seldom found.
Very truly yours, J. F. Ryder.” (p. 457)]

“Press Particulars.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:250 (Oct. 1884): 290-294. [(Reports on the P. A. of A. annual conference.) “…Every available inch of space is occupied, even Horticultural Hall and the intervening courts being utilized. Just here, between Horticultural and Main Hall, nine splendid dark-rooms have been erected, each suitably supplied with water, shaded light, and every facility for the development of plates. At the west end of Horticultural Hall, beautiful and picturesque with its plants, vines, and living fountains, a spacious platform has been provided. The arching skj’light is thus made to do service, and with the curtain, screens, and backgrounds, the appearance is given of a mammoth photographic gallery, which it really is, and where demonstrations will be given each afternoon by President J. H. Kent, Messrs. J. F. Ryder, W. A. Armstrong, and other celebrities in the handling of ” sitters” and the management of lights….” p. 292.]

“The Report of the Treasurer of the Photographers’ Association of America.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:251 (Nov. 1884): 335-336. [(This report lists the “Receipts-1883” for a total of $3792.30. This includes $1553.00 in dues from members. “Expenditures1884,” mostly for the annual convention, totaled $3792.30. The odd line item is “Paid J. F. Ryder, advertising…$6.50.” I believe that the unusual ad published in the July PP may have been purchased by Ryder, and then the P. A. of A. reimbursed his expenses.)]

Albee, M. H. “In the Matter of the Last Convention.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 21:252 (Dec. 1884): 360-361. [I hoped with an unfaltering trust that the P. A. of A. would put themselves on record at this Convention, in regard to this most unpleasant subject, price, but I am sadly disappointed….” p. 360. “…I am sure there will be a kind rememberance of you and your work among us of this day and generation, after the heat of the battle is over, for having led us to pleasant camping grounds; and Mr. Ryder will not be forgotten for stepping down to greet us, in words that will make us step to the front if we heed them; one and another grasp us by the hand to help us on if we will but go; and thus the stronger in their might make the path of the weak brighter as they sink in the mire of despondency, when but a little more courage would have kept them on sure footing, as all who succeed testify. And now, my dear friend, please find enclosed fifty cents for Robinson’s new book on Picture Making, as he seems to have a gift of letting us see when we thought we were blind. p. 361.]

1885

“The Year of Photography the Last.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1885 (1885):2-37. [“It would be untruthful to say that the outlook for photography is particularly cheerful at present. Neither can it be claimed that there has been much advancement since the last issue of Mosaics.
Growth there always is. Photography is bound to grow until the millenium. But each year more photographs will be needed to make a dollar, than were expected for that sum the year before, and we might all of us just as well make up our minds to it. Battling against “low prices” is equivalent to the antique “kicking against the pricks.” “Cheap Johns” are no more. There are too many of our craft compelled now to produce good work at very low prices, to apply that opprobrious term to them. It cannot be helped, for the present at least, and we must make the best of it….” (p. 2) (Etc., etc.)
Convention Cullings.
The proceedings published in all the photographic magazines must have been read by everyone who will see these pages, yet, lest they be forgotten, we add a few good things from what was given there, right here:
How to See.
The visitor in my house, who by his conversation seeks to interest me, or who I am trying to entertain as becomes the host, is turned to account as a study upon whom I am at work, (p. 31) discovering the most favorable point of view, and the best direction to light from: I do not feel I am taking an unfair advantage of him. I am simply studying from force of habit, and because I cannot help it. Whether in the business office, the private house, the church, the street car, wherever the light falls from a given point, and particularly if favorable to developing strong characteristic points of a head or face, immediately the work commences.
The unconscious model gives, without the asking, naturalness and ease of pose, which would be sought for in vain with a camera pointed toward him. Then is the time to pursue the study, to observe carefully each point of vantage, and to store up the knowledge for future use. Accidental findings are as good as knowledge sought for at a cost of much labor. Good teaching in free lessons is constantly offering itself. Those who choose may profit; it is only a question of seeing or not seeing.-J. F. Ryder.” (p. 32) (Etc., etc.)]

Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Ohio. “A True Story.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1885 (1885): 117-118. [“HE young man was an inmate of the Asylum for the Insane at Cleveland, Ohio, his mind unbalanced from over-study. He was classed as an incurable, his future to be a blank through life.
One day the attendant of his ward, who gave some of his odd time to the pleasures of photography, as an amateur, noticed (p. 117) the “incurable” to show a gleam of interest in his work with the camera. As a skilled angler would challenge and strive to interest the wary trout, the attendant strove to capture the attention of the patient—at last he succeeded.
Through fields, across streams, and wherever picturesque spots were to be found, the attendant led his patient, for a month, until sanity was fully reclaimed, when he was sent home to his family a happy man.
Moral: Professionals, amateurs, laymen, when worn with fatigue, nervous from much confinement at the treadmill desk, before the brain fires, or softens ; when the poisonous drug or deadly revolver begin to crowd themselves upon your notice as possible friends, put on your hat, shoulder the seductive camera, and take a stretch over the fields. Swallow some country air; take a health lift for the weary brain such as the doctors cannot give.” (p. 118)]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:254 (Feb. 1885): 53-55. [“Genesee House, Buffalo, N. Y., Jan. 12, 1885. Executive Meeting called to order. Present: J. Landy, W. Armstrong, Joshua Smith, Leo Weingartner, H. McMichael, J. F. Ryder (By invitation.)…”

Albee, M. M. “About Prices.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:255 (Mar. 1885): 91-92. [“….It has come to this: that every man in business has got to sweep his own doorstep, as friend Ryder has rightly said;…”]

“Systematic Instruction for Photographers.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:6 (Mar. 28, 1885): 161-163. [“I wish I could have had a chance to learn something of science when I was a boy ” are words that were uttered recently in our presence by a wellknown photographer. How often we hear them spoken by various members of the photographic fraternity. When we stop to think of their meaning and the origin of the feelings that called them forth, we are not surprised that we hear them so frequently. The art of photography to-day is not what it was forty or fifty years ago; the men that practice it are not working with the same simple principles that were then known. At that time but a few leading minds paid any attention to the development of the scientific study of photography.,…” (p. 161) (Etc., etc.)
“…Independently of how it is attained the kind of education that we have mentioned is indispensable to the rising photographer. Having acquired this elementary knowledge of matter and force, he should then take up the more intricate parts of those sciences that are most necessary in the pursuit of the photographic art. Mr. Ryder, at the Cincinnati Convention, put this in a very few words, and as we most heartily agree with him, we repeat them here for the benefit of our readers. He says:
“I hope the time is near when regular schools of photography will be established and sustained in this country, where the learner may have the benefit of good teaching under competent professors, where study shall be necessary; that he should be compelled to pass a rigid examination in chemistry, optics, physics, light, lighting, composition and drawing, before he should be entitled (p. 162) to a diploma, which should be his voucher’ for competency.”
The regular schools of instruction in photography mentioned by Mr. Ryder, do not seem to us at the present time to be within the limits of our hopes, however desirable they may be in the future. But a systematic course of instruction in our various institutions of learning is entirely within their scope, and, we are glad to note, has already been started in several of them. Columbia College has for many years had a well-equipped photographic laboratory, with a thoroughly competent gentleman in charge of it; and it needs very little suggestion to her progressive Board of Trustees, if there is need of systematic instruction in photography, for them to organize such a system. The Boston Institute of Technology has already made some progress in this direction; Lehigh University is now fitting up a regular photographic laboratory; and we hear the same of several other institutions….” (p.163) (Etc., etc.)]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:258 (June 1885): 185-186. [“Editor Philadelphia Photographer: Dear Sir: Having just returned from Buffalo, and looked over the ground touching the progress and outlook toward the coming Convention, I am able to say through you to the thousands who are interested in the success of our Association, that the promise of a great meeting never looked better. Secretary McMichael has everything in the best possible shape, and upon a true business plan. The great drill-room of the State Arsenal, some 200 by 140 feet, without pillar or post for obstruction to the great floor, is laid out like a young city in avenues and squares, where every manufacturer and merchant in photographic requirements rents a block upon which to place his exhibit, and open his office. Every man gets a corner lot, for which he pays fifteen cents per square foot, the same as his neighbor. All being served alike none can be dissatisfied. Nearly all the space for floor exhibits is taken already, which insures the largest display of goods ever brought together, representing the photographic business. The capacity for hanging space is larger than we ever had, and the prospect is good for a big show in photography, many having applied for space, and others signified their intention of doing the same. All things considered, the Association is in splendid condition, and Buffalo will have the honor of calling together a larger gathering of photographers than have ever assembled before. It is no longer necessary to urge upon the fraternity the importance of participating in our meetings. They understand and will be there. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.” p. 186.]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Sixth Annual Convention, July 14 to 18, Music Hall, Buffalo, N. Y.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:11 (June 13, 1885): 331.
[“To the Photographers Association of America: The time is near at hand for our sixth annual convention, and I hope every photographer who has an interest in our beautiful art is preparing an exhibit for Buffalo. Our local secretary, Mr. McMichaels, has been indefatigable in his efforts to make the convention a success. We may expect a wonderful display of fine photographs. The most celebrated photographers of this country have promised to exhibit.
Mr. Gennert is now in Europe, and intends to secure some fine work from there for exhibition. Interesting papers of practical value will be read by Messrs. J. Traill Taylor, E. L. Wilson, J. F. Ryder, and many others eminent in the profession, including prominent photographers from England, and a novel lecture by Mr. Lafayette W. Seavey on lighting and posing.
Our programme for proceedings of each day, railway and hotel rates, etc., will be published in detail July 1. Every member of this Association has a part to perform. The success of the convention is not wholly dependent upon the Executive Committee; but each one should do his duty by making an exhibit, and taking an active part in the proceedings. Fraternally, J. Landy.”]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Sixth Annual Convention, July 14 to 18.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:11 (June 13, 1885): 331-332.
[“ Cleveland, O., May 22, 1885.
Dear Bulletin — I was in Buffalo a couple of days ago, and was much gratified at the careful and complete preparations of Secretary McMichael for the coming convention.
In two months from to-day (my opinion is), a thousand or more photographers will be saying: “The Buffalo Convention just closed was the best ever held.”
The great floor of the State Arsenal, where our Exhibition is to be held, measures 52,000 square feet. For the purpose of the Exhibition this great space is divided off in blocks, with avenues and walks running at right (p. 331) angles. Through the main central part will be found the manufacturers and merchants, with a fine display of goods, and their business offices.
On the right, running the entire length, a space thirty feet wide and two hundred and sixty feet long, in the best light, is the photographers’ exhibition place.
On the left will be found the army of back-ground and accessory exhibitors.
No pillar or column to break or obstruct this immense space. Already most of the space is taken, which ensures the success of a grand exhibition.
The Assembly Hall, just back and one flight up, is spacious, and well provided with the necessary requirements of a great meeting of photographers.
There are to be valuable educational offerings made, which will be interesting and instructive to all.
Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.” (p. 332)]

“Programme. Sixth Annual Convention, July 14 to 18, Inclusive.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:12 (June 27, 1885): 361-363. [“To be held in New State Arsenal, Buffalo, N. Y.
Tuesday, July 14. Morning Session, 10 o’clock:
Address of Welcome, by Secretary McMichael.
Address and Opening of the Convention, by the President.
Roll Call of Members.
Report of Standing Committees, consisting of Chairman of Executive Committee, by W. A. Armstrong, and Progress of Photography, by C. Gentile.
Appointing Committees to nominate Officers and to select Location for next Convention.
Miscellaneous Business.
Annual Report of the President, consisting of a Review of the Progress, Needs and Benefits of Photography.
Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock:
Paper by E. L. Wilson, Philadelphia, Pa.: “The Dignity of Photographic Art.”
Discussion: “The Deterioration of Gelatine Dry Plates.”
Paper by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio: “How to See.”
Discussion: “The Best Method of Lighting the Dark Room.”
Paper by J. L. Hurd, Providence, R. I.: ” Photographic Portraits vs. Camera Pictures.”
Paper by J. Burton: ‘ ‘ Development.”
Wednesday, July 15. Morning Session, 10 o’clock:
Business Meeting.
Reports of Committees: Nominating and Locating.
New Business.
Excursion to Niagara Falls, 2 o’clock.
Thursday, July 16. Morning Session, 10 o’clock: Business Meeting. Reports of Committees. New Business.
Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock:
Lecture by Dr. Garrison, Chicago: “Dry Plates.”
Paper by W. H. Potter, Indianapolis, Ind.: “Handling and Developing Dry Plates.”
Opening of Question Box.
Paper by J. Traill Taylor, New York: “Certain Defects Incident to the Construction and Use of Combination Lenses.” (p. 361)
Paper by W. A. Armstrong, Milwaukee, Wis.: ” Our Mistakes; let us Correct them. “
Paper by Col. Stuart Wortley, England.
Friday, July 17. Morning Session, 10 o’clock:
Business Meeting-.
Reports of Committees.
Election of Officers.
Selection of Location for next Convention.
Afternoon Session, 2 o’clock:
Paper by J. Landy, Cincinnati, Ohio: ‘ ‘Prices.”
Paper by J. Robinson, Tunbridge, England.
Paper by G. M. Carlisle, Providence. R. I.: “Backgrounds, their Use and Abuse.”
Paper by W. M. Ashman: ” Portable Support for Washing Plates.”
Discussion of Prices.
Paper by G. A. Douglass, Chicago.
Saturday, July 18. Morning Session, 10 o’clock:
Unfinished Business. Closing Ceremonies,
Photo Exhibit for Convention.
Mr. Winters, Syracuse, N. Y., 200 sq.ft.
Frank Robbins, Oil City, Pa., 150
Mr. Clark, Indianapolis, lnd., 100
Mr. Potter, ” “
W. A. Armstrong, Milw’k’e, Wis.,
David Samult, Philadelphia, Pa., collection of porcelains finished in oil.
A. G. Marshall, Canandaigua, N. Y., 50 square feet.
H. F. Nelson & Co., twenty-five (16×19) views of Niagara Falls.
G. A. Douglass, Chicago, 111., large collection of photos.
J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., large collection of photos.
S. Wardlaw, Rochester, N. Y., 200 square feet.
Geo. Baker, views of Niagara Falls; wants 360 square feet.
Sarony, New York, large collection of his celebrated studies.
J. Landy, Cincinnati, large collection.
G. Cramer, St. Louis, 700 square feet.
Gurin, St. Louis, 360 square feet.
Pearsall, Brooklyn, N. Y., large collection.
Kent, Rochester, N. Y., large collection.
H. McMichael, Buffalo, N. Y., 400 square feet.
Sholton, St. Louis, 360 square feet.
Benecke, St. Louis, 360 square feet.
Nier & Wettlin, Rochester, five life-size heads.
Large collection from France.
Secretary H. McMichael has just received word from Germany that the following exhibits are promised for the coming Photographic Convention from the following firms:
I. — Franz Hanfstangl, Munich. Kunstanstalt and pigment papier fabrik. One fac-simile fabrik Klosterhecht. One imperial fabrik Prosit. Ten portraits, all made in carbon prints.
II. — Th. Creifelds, Cologne.
Photographische and Lichtdruck Anstalt.
Five large size photographs, silver prints, negatives made on gelatine dry plates.
Five boudoirs, Lichtdruck process negatives, made on Fanen collodion dry plates.
III.— Paul Schmidt, Frankfurt. Four 18 x 22 figures. One 18×22 large head. One group large Tyrolen Kirmess (own composition).
Four boudoir pictures. Ten cabinets.
IV.— P. Miiller, Munich. One lot of pictures (not specified). (p. 362)]

Ryder, J. F. “How to See.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 15:201 (July 24, 1885): 416-417. [See full text in Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin 16:14 (July 25, 1885): 423-426.]

Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, O. “How to See.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:14 (July 25, 1885): 423-426. [“Read before the Photographers’ Association of America.”
“A good deal may be seen by an observing man by simply keeping his eyes open. It is indeed a popular fancy that that is the only necessary effort to accomplish that simple feat. A positive man might be ready to bet five dollars that was all there was to it, while others lean to the belief that through the other faculties enough may be seen to satisfy many a doubt shrouded in darkness. A man may see things he never saw. What to one man is as plain as the nose on his face, is to another oblivion. The man who fully sees, sees with his nose, with his ears, with his fingers, with another man’s tongue, as a blind man sees with a string tied to a little dog, or with the end of his cane punching the sidewalk.
Without attempting, however, to prove second sight, or double sight, let us consider the advantages of seeing carefully and intelligently. Seeing carefully or carelessly is matter of habit, which, when once formed, is as easily followed as breathing. The habit of observation becomes a pleasure and a study not to be put aside and taken up at will, but the following out of the routine of life.
As considered in the pursuit of our profession, the portrait photographer has a constant study in the faces he meets, and in watching the play of light and the fall of shadows over them; while the landscapist is adapting a tree, a clump, or a rock for a foreground, and suiting it to a middle distance. I speak of the habit as in my own experience. Although I have not made a business of personally handling the sitter and camera for the past fifteen years, the habit formed nearly forty years ago has been pursued with as active diligence as when I was my own operator. If I fancied I had claims upon the Democratic party and wanted a post-office, and was interviewing President Cleveland with a view to that end, while showing him what heroic work I had done in his interest and how evidently he was occupying the chair through my efforts, I should at the same time be mentally lighting his head for a portrait. The visitor in my house (p. 423) who by his conversation seeks to interest me, or whom I am trying to entertain as becomes the host, is turned to account as a study, upon whom I am at work, discovering the most favorable point of view and the best direction to light from. I do not feel I am taking an unfair advantage of him — I am simply studying from force of habit and because I cannot help it. Whether in the business office, the private house, the church, the streetcar, wherever the light falls from a given point, and particularly if favorable to developing strong characteristic points of a head or face, immediately the work commences. The unconscious model gives, without the asking, naturalness and ease of pose which would be sought for in vain with a camera pointed toward him. Then is the time to pursue the study, to carefully observe each point of vantage and to store up the knowledge for future use. Accidental findings are as good as knowledge sought for at a cost of much labor. Good teaching in free lessons is constantly offering itself. Those who choose may profit; it is only a question of seeing or not seeing. I remember some years ago a particularly fine sunset over Lake Erie, as I was homeward bound from the east on the Lake Shore Road. The color and cloud effect was gorgeous. To see it was to stir one’s love for the beautiful. I was quite enraptured; could almost fancy I was looking into another world. It was like enchantment. The impulse to have some one sympathize with me in the pleasure inclined me to call the attention of a man in the seat just ahead of me to the grand spectacle. I nudged him and pointed at it. He looked out of the window and then inquiringly at me, showing clearly he did not understand. I then said the beauty of the sunset was what I pointed at. He looked sort of bewildered, turned to me again and
said: ” Yes^it’s red, ain’t it? ” What to me was a glory and a joy, was to that man something red. Had it been a farm house, or barn made red from a paint pot, it would have dilated his soul quite as much.
From the habit of observation comes the study of comparison, an easy way of finding a fitness of things as considered in relation to each other. And here rises, as though to answer a roll call, the three great powers most valuable to any business or profession-Harmony, Order and System. They may be considered the Captains of three potent forces, which when truly observed are invincible. Applied to the simple needs of our business, as aids to success, their value is as clearly shown as to the railway builders of our country. Considered in a business sense, the advantages of tasteful and harmonious fittings and furnishings of the photograph establishment, whether upon a scale of extravagance or the quiet simplicity of modest means, is a thing never to be overlooked. The visitor is favorably or uncomfortably impressed on entering a photograph studio.
The person of no taste will not be shocked with pleasant surroundings; a place may be never so attractive, he will take no exceptions. On the other hand, the esthetic, or finical man, might feel such discomfort at the violations of taste and harmony frequently found in the reception or business rooms of photographers as to have his confidence shaken in the skill of the proprietor, and incline him to look farther.
It may not be found in your bibles that a five-dollar note from the pocket of a dude is as good as that of the puddlerofiron, or a tanner of hides; but it is just as true nevertheless. A wellscrubbed floor is better than a dirty carpet, tidy simplicity better than luxu(p. 424) rious shabbiness. An orderly establishments is attractive and interesting; it is the key-note to the proprietor’s character and his business success. The value of tidiness, clean rooms, clean hands,’ clean dishes, clean character and habits, cannot be overestimated.
It is well to see that visitors and patrons be received with politeness and respectful attention; that while in the hands of the operator the sitter be brushed with the grain, and care be taken to encourage a comfortable cheerfulness. A rude or surly attendant can tear down faster than the proprietor can build up.
To see your sitter’s good and bad points photographically is your duty. To make the most of all the favorable, and to leave untold the uninteresting ones, is what you owe both your customer and yourself. Make your camera see the same as you do. When your sitting is made, the plate developed and brought into the light for final examination, when you stand over it as judge and jury, be honest. Don’t compromise with an indifferent result; if it is not right, it is wrong. The proper question to ask yourself is: Can I better it? If yes, do it at once; your conscience and good judgment will uphold you in the conviction of haying done your full duty. Your evident satisfaction impresses your sitter, and has much to do in settling any doubts he might entertain. If the photographer would inscribe a mental motto which should read, Can it be bettered, and hang it conspicuously upon the front wall of his mind, where it should be in full view and religiously consulted and followed as the text of his daily work, it would stand as a true guide-board upon the cross-road of success or failure in his business. If there be a better talent than to see well, it is to perform fairly and fully
all that can be seen which is profitable to put into a man’s work. And now, my brother photographers, assuming that you have seen as I have tried to show, may I ask you to look with me at the present status of our art, and at its possible future. We stand to-day forty-five years old. From the bluish uncertainty in a little box-like case which could be seen with difficulty, after much twisting, then as a wonder in 1840, we have only to look at the exhibition in the hall below to notice the wonderful progress made in fortyfive years. In these years hundreds of thousands of people have found employment in departments of work tributary to the requirements of and in the practice of photography. Millions of money yearly flow through the channels of its traffic. Scarcely a home in this civilized world, from the palace to the hut, but in which will be found in costly or modest form the products of the camera. The images in shadowed form of the loved and lost are treasured beyond comparison. Photography has contributed to the interest, the taste and happiness of mankind; it is entitled to place and consideration. Many of us have traveled a long road with it, followed it over the rough and smooth years, in a manner have grown up with it. Now in the strength and glory of its prime we have it. What shall we do with it? Is it something to be cherished and protected; to be kept respectable; to be made more perfect; to toil for, and be proud of? Or is it to be prostituted and destroyed through the careless indifference which comes of low prices?
The future of photography is in peril; it is threatened by the folly of smart Alicks and cheap Johns. Shall the men who have given the best years of their lives to the study and honorable practice of the art, whose aim has (p. 425) been to secure early all valuable improvements, who have expended money by thousands, and taken honest pride in producing masterly works — shall these men be controlled and degraded by those who have no pride or interest in the art beyond getting money by flooding their cities with inferior and carelessly made photographs? Shall honest endeavor and true merit yield to cheek and piracy? Gentlemen, to this you must find your own answer.” (p. 426)]

“Photographers’ Association of America. Buffalo, N. Y., July 14, 1885.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:14 (July 25, 1885): 427-445. [“The sixth annual session of the P. A. of A. was convened this morning in the Arsenal building, at 10 o’clock. The association was called to order by the President, Mr. Landy, and there not being a quorum present, on motion of Mr. Cope; of Philadelphia, the association was adjourned until 3 o’clock p. M.
Afternoon Session.
The association met at 3 o’clock P. M….” (p. 427)
“…The President — I will now announce the names of the following gentlemen as the nominating committee for the officers for the ensuing year: J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.; G. Cramer, St. Louis, Mo.; E. Cope, Philadelphia, Pa.; D. R. Clark, Indianapolis, Ind.; G. A. Douglass. This committee will make their report tomorrow morning.
The next in order will be miscellaneous business.
Mr. Ryder — Our programme was perhaps laid out before we knew of the grand programme to-morrow at Niagara. It has been mentioned by a good many that the crowd would be so great there from all parts of the country that the photographers would stand a small chance, and it would only be a day of discomfort instead of a day of pleasure; so, in view of all this, I move you that the trip to Niagara Falls be postponed until another day — say the day after. …” (p. 430)
This motion was seconded by several, and agreed to….” (p. 430) (Etc., etc.)
The President then read his report. Fellow Members of the Photographers’ 1 Association of America:
Without trespassing upon your valuable time, it seems well that I should sum up the situation and the prospects. As an association we have made wonderful progress. Each year has marked an advance of which to be proud, and now we find in the Main Hall an exhibit excelling that of any former convention in the superiority of its photographic work, while the manufacturers and scenic artists have also eclipsed former efforts. With a feast for all lovers of our beautiful art as a stimulus, there is a bright prospect of an in-(p. 430) (Ect., ect.)
The President — The next business in order will be the reading of the paper by Mr. Ryder. (The paper was deferred until Wednesday morning.)
The President— I will mention that I have a prize, from E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., for the best collection of photographs made upon the Stanley dry plate. They wish me to appoint a committee of judges, so I will appoint Mr. Potter, of Indianapolis, and Mr. Stuart, of Hartford. …” (Ect., ect.) “…Buffalo, N. Y. July 15, 1885.
Second Day.
The convention was called to order at 10 a. m.
The first business in order was the reading of the report of the Committee on Nominations.
Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, read the report, and it was” recommitted to him, to be given to the association to-morrow morning.
The President — The next thing in order will be miscellaneous business.
Then followed a reconsideration of the motion to postpone the visit to Niagara until the next day, and it was decided to go to-day, the original time appointed on the programme.
The President then called on Mr. Ryder to read his paper, ” How to See” (see former page).
The paper of Mr. Ryder was received with great applause.…” (p. 442)]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:260 (Aug. 1885): 225-275. [“Buffalo, N. Y., July 14, 1885 The sixth annual session of the P. A. of A. was convened this morning in the Arsenal building at 10 o’clock. The Association was called to order by the President. Mr. Landy, and there not being a quorum present, on motion of Mr. Cope, of Philadelphia, the Association was adjourned until 3 o’clock, p. m. Afternoon Session. The Association met at 3 o’clock, p.m., when the following address was made by the Secretary, Mr. H. McMichael:…” p. 225. “…“Second Day. The Convention was called to order at 10 a.m. The first business in order was the Report of the Committee on Nominations. Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, read the Report, and it was recommitted to him to be given to the Association to-morrow morning. It was moved to reconsider the motion fixing Thursday afternoon for the visit of the Association to Niagara Falls, and it was decided to go this afternoon. The President then called upon Mr. J. F. Ryder to read his paper: How to See. Mr. President, Ladies, and Gentlemen: A good deal may be seen by an observing man by simply keeping his eyes open. It is, indeed, a popular fancy that that is the only necessary effort to accomplish that simple feat. A positive man might be ready to bet five dollars that was all there was to it, while others lean to the belief that through the other faculties enough may be seen to satisfy many a doubt shrouded in darkness. A man may see things he never saw. What to one man is as plain as the nose on his face, is to another oblivio. The man who fully sees, sees with his nose, with his ears, with his fingers. With another man’s tongue, as a blind man sees with a string tied to a little dog, or with the end of his cane punching the sidewalk. Without attempting, however, to prove second sight or double sight, let us consider the advantages of seeing carefully and intelligently. Seeing carefully or carelessly is a matter of habit, which when once formed is as easily followed as breathing. The habit of observation becomes a pleasure and a study not to be put aside and taken up at will, but the following out of the routine of life. As considered in the pursuit of our profession, the portrait photographer has a constant study in the faces he meets and in watching the play of light and the fall of shadows over them, while the landscapist is adapting a tree, a clump, or a rock, for a foreground and suiting it to a middle distance. I speak of the habit as in my own experience; although I have not made a business of personally handling the sitter and camera for the past fifteen years, the habit formed nearly forty years ago has been pursued with as active diligence as when I was my own operator. If I fancied I had claims upon the democratic party and wanted a post-office, and was interviewing President Cleveland with a view to that end; while showing him what heroic work I had donein his interest, and how evidently he is occupying the Chair through my efforts, I should at the same time be mentally lighting his head for a portrait. The visitor in my house, who by his conversation seeks to interest me, or who I am trying to entertain as becomes the host, is turned to account as a study upon whom I am at work, discovering the most favorable point of view, and the best direction to light from: I do not feel I am taking an unfair advantage of him. I am simply studying from force of habit, and because I cannot help it. Whether in the business office, the private house, the church, the street car, wherever the light falls from a given point, and particularly if favorable to developing strong characteristic points of a head or face, immediately the work commences. The unconscious model gives, without the asking, naturalness and ease of pose, which would be sought for in vain with a camera pointed toward him. Then is the time to pursue the study, to observe carefully each point of vantage, and to store up the knowledge for future use. Accidental findings are as good as knowledge sought for at a cost of much labor. Good teaching in free lessons is constantly offering itself. Those who choose may profit; it is only a question of seeing or not seeing. I remember, some years ago, a particularly fine sunset over Lake Erie, as I was homeward bound for the east on the Lake Shore Road. The color and cloud effect was gorgeous. To see it, was to stir one’s love for the beautiful. I was quite enraptured; could almost fancy I was looking into another world; it was like enchantment. The impulse to have some one sympathize with. me in the pleasure, inclined me to call the attention of a man in the seat just ahead of me to the grand spectacle. I nudged him and pointed at it. He looked out of the window and then inquiringly of me, showing clearly he did not understand. I then said the beauty of the sunset what I pointed at. He looked sort of bewildered, turned to me again and said, “Yes; it’s red, aint it?” What to me was a glory and a joy, was to that man something red. Had it been a farmhouse or a barn made red from a paint-pot, it would have dilated his soul quite as much. From the habit of observation comes the study of comparison, an easy way of finding a fitness of things as considered in relation to each other. And here rises, as though to answer a roll-call, the three great powers most valuable to any business or profession — harmony, order, and system. They may be considered captains of three potent forces, which when truly observed are invincible. Applied to the simple needs of our business as aids to success, their value is as clearly shown as to the railway builders of our country. Considered in a business sense, the advantage of tasteful and harmonious fittings and furnishings of the photograph establishment, whether upon a scale of extravagance or the quiet simplicity of modest means is a thing never to be overlooked. The visitor is favorably or unfavorably impressed on entering a photograph studio. The person of no taste will not be shocked with pleasant surroundings; a place may be never so attractive, he will take no exceptions. On the other hand, the aesthetic or finnicky man might feel such discomfort at the violations of taste and harmony, frequently found in the reception or business rooms of photographers, as to have his confidence shaken in the skill of the proprietor and incline him to look further. It may not be found in your bibles that a five dollar note from the pocket of a dude is as good as that of a puddler of iron or a tanner of hides, but it is just as true nevertheless. A well-scrubbed floor is better than dirty carpet, tidy simplicity better than luxurious shabbiness. An orderly establishment is attractive and interesting, it is the keynote to the proprietor’s character and his business success. The value of tidiness, clean rooms, clean hands, clean dishes, clean character, and habits, cannot be overestimated. It is well to see that visitors and patrons be received with politeness, and shown respectful attention; that while in the hands of the operator, the sitter be brushed with the grain, and care be taken to encourage a comfortable cheerfulness. A rude or surly attendant can tear down faster than the proprietor can build up. To see your sitter’s good and bad points photographically is your duty, to make the most of all the favorable, and to leave untold the uninteresting ones, is what you owe both your customers and yourself. Make your camera see the same as you do. When your sitting is made, the plate developed, and brought into the light for final examination, when you stand over it, as judge and jury, be honest, don’t compromise with an indifferent result; if it is not right, it is wrong. The proper question to ask yourself is: Can I better it? If, yes, do it at once. Your conscience and good judgment will uphold you in the conviction of having done your full duty. Your evident satisfaction impresses your sitter, and has much to do in settling any doubts he might entertain. If the photographer would inscribe a mental motto which should read Can It Be Bettered? and hang it conspicuously upon the front wall of his mind, where it should be in full view and religiously consulted and followed as the text of his daily work, it would stand as a true guideboard upon the crossroads of success or failure in his business. If there be a better talent than to see well, it is to perform fairly and fully all that can be seen which is profitable to put into a man’s work. And now, my brother photographers, assuming that you have seen as I have tried to show, may I ask you to look with me at the present status of our art and its possible future. We stand to-day forty-five years old. From a bluish uncertainty in a little box-like case which could be seen with difficulty after much twisting, then as a wonder in 1840, we have only to look at the exhibition in the hall below to note the wonderful progress made in forty-five years. In these years, hundreds of thousands of people have found employment in departments of work tributary to the requirements of and in the practice of photography. Millions of money yearly flow through the channels of its traffic. Scarcely a home in the civilized world, from the palace to the hut, but in which will be found in costly or modest form the products of the camera. The images in shadowed form of the “loved and lost ” are treasured beyond comparison. Photography has contributed to the interests, the tastes and happiness of mankind; it is entitled to place and consideration. Many of us have travelled a long road with it, followed it over the rough and smooth years; in a manner have grown up with it. Now in the strength and glory of its prime we have it* What shall we do with it? It is something to be cherished and protected, to be kept respectable to be made more perfect, to toil for and be proud of — or shall it be prostituted and destroyed through the careless indifference which comes of low prices. The future of photography is in peril. It is threatened by the folly of smart Alicks and Cheap Johns. Shall the men who have given the best years of their lives to the study and honorable, practice of the art, whose aim has been to secure early all valuable improvements, who have expended money by thousands, and taken honest pride in producing masterly work, shall these men be controlled and degraded by those who have no pride or interest in the art beyond getting money by flooding their cities with inferior and carelessly made photographs? Shall honest endeavor and true merit yield to cheek and piracy? Gentlemen, to this you must find your own answer. The paper of Mr. Ryder was received with great applause, and a vote of thanks given him for the same….” pp. 238-240.

“The Photographers’ Association of America-1886.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:15 (Aug. 8, 1885): 452. [“In addition to the officers mentioned in our last issue, Messrs. G. Cramer, of St. Louis, and D. R. Clark, of Indianapolis, were elected to serve on the Executive Committee.
These gentlemen, together with the President, Secretary and Treasurer, take office next year. Our attention has been called to the fact that, in our notice of the Buffalo meeting, we spoke of Mr. Landy as the late President. This is a mistake, as, according to the Constitution and By-Laws of the Association, he holds office until January 1st next. We hope Mr. Landy will forgive us for being in such a hurry to decapitate him.
One other matter escaped our notice when speaking of the Buffalo meeting — this was the mention of the prize medal received by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, for the best exhibit of pictures at the convention. This prize was a handsome gold medal presented by the “Photographic Eye,” and awarded by the vote of the members of the association. On it was inscribed the very appropriate words, Qui meruit palmum ferat. And the receiver of it well deserves the palm.
We had not forgotten this well-merited honor to Mr. Ryder, but intended to speak of it when we came to notice the pictures in another article. As our attention has been called to this apparent omission in our notice, we make this statement at the present time.”]

“Photographer’s Association of America. Buffalo, N. Y., July 16, 1885.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:15 (Aug. 8, 1885): 467-477. [“Third Day — Morning Session.
The convention was called to order at 10 A. m. by the President, James Landy, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The President — The first thing in order will be the paper by Mr. W. J. Hurd, who then read his paper, ” Photographic Portraits versus Camera Pictures ” (see page 453).
The President — The next business in order will be the report of the Committee on Nominations.
Mr. Ryder then read the following report of the Committee on Nominations:
Report of Committee on Nominations.
President, Charles T. Stuart, Hartford, Conn.
Recording Secretary, H. McMichael, Buffalo, N. Y.
Treasurer, G. M. Carlisle, Providence, R. I.
Executive Committee, W. H. Potter, Indianapolis, Ind.; G. Cramer, St. Louis, Mo.
Place of meeting, St. Louis, Mo.; time, May, 1886.
Then followed the usual list of vice-presidents from the various States.
Second Choice. President, G. M. Carlisle. Treasurer, H. McMichael. Secretary, R. Benecke, St. Louis.
Third Choice.
President, T. W. Bankes, Little Rock, Ark….” (p. 467) (Etc., etc.)
The President — The next business in order will be taking the ballot for the best collection of photographs in the exhibition. I appoint H. S. Bellsmith and D. A. Clifford as tellers.
A ballot was then had, and the tellers reported as follows:
Mr. Ryder, 93; Mr. Gerrig, 11; W. H. Potter, 6; H. McMichael, 4; Mr. Cramer, 3; Mr. Falk, 1. Total number of votes, 123.
The announcement of this result was received with a good deal of enthusiasm. The President then called Mr. Ryder to the platform and pinned the gold medal of The Eye on his coat.
When Mr. Ryder said:
Mr. President and Gentlemen: I want to address you as my friends. I am very happy for the expression of kindness that you have shown to me this morning. I came here with a little fair exhibit of pictures, without any idea of taking or attracting more than common notice. I have been made a little proud by the many comments that have been made favorable to it, and now, by the act of the convention, in voting me so fine a majority, it makes me indeed happy. I want to say that in my paper yesterday there might be the impression that I was working the camera, but I have not engineered the camera for a good many years. All the credit that I have got here belongs largely to the people in my house. I desire to make that remark. I thank you all very much, and I wish you were all as happy as I am this morning.
Just before the taking of the vote the following discussion took place:…” (p. 468) (Etc., etc.)]
“…Mr. J. Traill Taylor then read his paper: ” Defects Incident to the Construction and Use of Rapid Combination Lenses” (see page 459). On motion of Mr. Ryder, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Taylor for his able paper.
The President announced that the group would be taken this afternoon at four o’clock, in the rear of the hall, on a plate 18 x 22. A vote of thanks was tendered to Col. Stuart Wortley for his excellent paper, and also to the
authors of papers which have been already read. On motion, the convention then adjourned until 2 o’clock p. M. (p. 472) (Etc., etc.)]

“The Exhibition of Pictures at Buffalo.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:16 (Aug. 22, 1885): 481-483. [“In forming a judgment of such a varied collection of subjects, a great difficulty is encountered in making comparisons. The portrait, the group, the landscape, the marine view and the composite picture were all represented at Buffalo; and, to do justice to all, requires that the critic shall know the difficulties to be overcome in each case to secure the results presented. Now, since we do not claim to be such a universal genius, we can do little more than chronicle the names of the exhibitors, and give such of our impressions as were received during our survey of the large collection seen in the building of the State Arsenal. Thousands of square feet of wall space were covered with the finest specimens of photographic art in America. The very arrangement and setting of the pictures were in most cases very artistic and show that photographers very well deserve the name of artists.
Much has been said in the newspapers, from time to time, about photography not being an art. Now, this is the most utter nonsense; and the cry is only raised by those who are jealous of its advances. That all photographers are artists, we do not claim; but neither are all painters and draughtsmen artists. There is a vast difference between the designer of an advertising sign and the celebrated Turner, yet each uses the materials and methods of art. The same is true of photographers; Mr. Ryder, with fine feeling and delicate taste in every picture that he makes, is an immense distance ahead of the mere picture maker who travels through the country villages, earning a paltry pittance; nevertheless they both use the same silver haloids and the camera and lens.
What then makes the difference? It is simply this: One has the feeling, the spirit of the artist; the other has not. One makes pictures for the sake of their beauty; the other, for gain alone. There is no doubt whatever that photographic art brings its reward in time, and that photography without art is but a handicraft crowded with sharp competitors. The photographic artist should rank with the painter in pigments; and when the time comes that we take photographs in natural colors, we can challenge the painter to compete with us, for at the present time we outstrip him in the delineation of form or figure.
But it is scarcely worth while to champion the claims of photography as an art; such a fact is becoming more and more recognized every day. (p. 481)
The Exhibition of Pictures at Buffalo.
In forming a judgment of such a varied collection of subjects, a great difficulty is encountered in making comparisons. The portrait, the group, the landscape, the marine view and the composite picture were all represented at Buffalo; and, to do justice to all, requires that the critic shall know the difficulties to be overcome in each case to secure the results presented. Now, since we do not claim to be such a universal genius, we can do little more than chronicle the names of the exhibitors, and give such of our impressions as were received during our survey of the large collection seen in the building of the State Arsenal. Thousands of square feet of wall space were covered with the finest specimens of photographic art in America. The very arrangement and setting of the pictures were in most cases very artistic and show that photographers very well deserve the name of artists.
Much has been said in the newspapers, from time to time, about photography not being an art. Now, this is the most utter nonsense; and the cry is only raised by those who are jealous of its advances. That all photographers are artists, we do not claim; but neither are all painters and draughts-
men artists. There is a vast difference between the designer of an advertising sign and the celebrated Turner, yet each uses the materials and methods of art. The same is true of photographers; Mr. Ryder, with fine feeling and delicate taste in every picture that he makes, is an immense distance ahead of the mere picture maker who travels through the country villages, earning a paltry pittance; nevertheless they both use the same silver haloids and the camera and lens.
What then makes the difference? It is simply this: One has the feeling, the spirit of the artist; the other has not. One makes pictures for the sake of their beauty; the other, for gain alone. There is no doubt whatever that photographic art brings its reward in time, and that photography without art is but a handicraft crowded with sharp competitors. The photographic artist should rank with the painter in pigments; and when the time comes that we take photographs in natural colors, we can challenge the painter to compete with us, for at the present time we outstrip him in the delineation of form or figure.
But it is scarcely worth while to champion the claims of photography as an art; such a fact is becoming more and more recognized every day. (p. 482) machinery were uncommonly good. The large portraits and cabinets were of a high order; so also were the portraits of children, of which there was a goodly number.
Armstrong, of Milwaukee, showed a large number of views around his city. Most of these were gems of landscape work, and the choice of subject was in all cases artistic.
J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, -had undoubtedly the best general collection in the whole exhibition. This statement comprehends the whole exhibit, arrangement, frames, pictures and all. The moving spirit of the whole has undoubted artistic feeling, and everything in the collection bore the impression of this feeling. That the collection should have taken the gold medal awarded by The Eye was no surprise to us. Indeed, we should have doubted the good taste of the members Iiad it been otherwise. This medal was awarded for the best collection of pictures exhibited at Buffalo, and this award was determined by the votes of the members present. As our reports will show, Mr. Ryder obtained by far the largest number of votes, and therefore justly received the prize. Our first look over the collection impressed us with the fact that Mr. Ryder’s exhibit contained more good pictures than any other, and we were naturally pleased when the verdict of the majority confirmed our impressions. We wish we could have shown this collection to some of our artist friends, and then have asked them what was lacking to make the genius that produced them an artist. We are satisfied they would have had little to say. In the collection were a number of large pictures, beautifully framed to suit the subjects, and among these were more fine portraits than in any other collection exhibited. They were unquestionably the best taken altogether. There were also a number of large landscape views that were truly beautiful, the points of view chosen showing the feeling of the landscape painter. Our only regret is that we cannot find space to tell all the enjoyment we obtained in looking at these pictures many times.
We must stop here and continue our impressions in the next issue.
In the last issue of the Bulletin, in our notice of the medal awarded to Mr. Ryder, we find that the printer transposed the words of the Latin sentence. It should read Palmam qui meruit ferat.
Our publishers took considerable trouble to obtain a very handsome collection of pictures from Germany for exhibition at Buffalo; but, unfortunately, they arrived after the convention had adjourned. They certainly would have equaled, if they did not surpass, any of the foreign pictures shown, had they arrived in time.” (p. 483)]

Ryder, J. F. “Convention Matters.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 15:206 (Aug. 28, 1885): 500-501. [More fallout from the controversy surrounding the 1884 Convention.]

Wilson, Edward L. “The Buffalo Exhibition. Review of the Pictures and Apparatus Shown. PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:261 (Sept. 1885): 286-297. [“…From Mr. J. F. Ryder, the veteran photographer, artist, and conceptionist, of Cleveland, Ohio, we always expect a fine exhibit at our annual exhibition, but this year Mr. Ryder has overdone Ryder. When we say this, we are not influenced at all by the glitter of the magnificent frames, such as have never before been seen in the Exposition, but we are impressed with the difficult work which he displays, which includes a variety of portraits, mainly of the larger sizes, ranging, say from 8 x 12 to a life-size. They are simply exquisite. No attempt here is made at genre or composition pictures, but usual subjects are treated according to the rules of photographic art, and in each case the artist seems to have endeavored to express some conception. The young girl is not made to look like a staid old spinster; the bride is posed in a happy attitude, with harmonizing accessories; the matron is given an attitude of dignity, with home-like accessories; the rector and the priest are treated with consummate skill; the children are jolly and life-like; the gentleman of business is given a knowing “bear” kind of pose; the dude is given all that he is entitled to, and allowed the full sway of his natural tendencies — also the dudine. Three life-size heads of young ladies we consider to equal anything that photography has ever mastered. This is, indeed, a wonderful collection; we would not neglect any branch of it, and especially this, which we must not forget to mention. Hanging below the portraits are fifteen landscape gems, 10 x 16, which are worthy of more than honorable mention. They are in subject not extraordinary; they are just such pictures as any one would see in a day’s journey, either in Ohio, Northern New York, or Western Pennsylvania, or in a hundred other sections of our country. But they are all secured according to the rules of “How to See” — after Ryder. They are simply magnificent, soft and lovely, quiet in feeling; most of them lonely spots, with not a figure to bless them; but Lovely is the only word that can be applied to them. Here and there we see a tiny couple v along the roadside, or a solitary child seated upon a bridge fishing or trying to fish; now a cold winter view, with some shivering children; but with all there is that same feeling of lovely, dreamy quiet which takes away the senses and makes the observer become one with the picture. The most poetical exhibit, perhaps, is one of a locality which we do not know. It is a yacht at anchor, with an interested group of people surrounding it at the boat landing, looking very much as if something was the matter. Can it be that a wheel has run off? or that there is a hot journal? No. Neither has a storm occurred, for the mast stands stiff and upright, and the sail is hoisted and ready for work. It may, after all, be only “a discussion on prices.” pp. 292-293. “…H. McMichael, of Buffalo, N. Y., has also an exhibit in the hall; but how he occupied his time as he did for the last six months, and then was able to make the display of artistic work shown by his magnificent collection, we are not able to say, for he has brought himself up to the requirements made upon him, both as an artist and as Secretary. He exhibits eight frames of magnificent works of art, many of which are admirable conceptions, fully up to the Capel standard, and they are produced on the Stanley dry plate. Not only are these 20 pictures of Mr. McMichael artistic, but as prints they are scarcely excelled by anything else in the Exposition, for they seem to have been produced with the greatest care in every respect. The other examples of Mr. McMichael’s work are made on the St. Louis dry plate. It is not for us to determine which is the best, and we doubt very much if anybody could determine that question if they tried. One of the brightest gems of the collection of Mr. McMichael’s is the life-size portrait of our artistic friend Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, which was done in five seconds….” p. 294.]

“Editor’s Table. A Good Example.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:261 (Sept. 1885): 312. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., permits — nay asks us to say, that much of the excellence of his Convention Exhibit was due to the skill and interest of his portrait operator, Mr. R. P. Bellsmith, and his outdoor operator, Mr. W. J. White, both of whom were at the Convention.”]

Bellsmith, P. R. “Correspondence: A Correction Mr. Ryder’s Photographs.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 15:208 (Sept. 11, 1885): 526. [‘I wish to correct a statement… W. J. White has charge of Mr. Ryder’s out-door work, and is not the portraitist, while I have full and sole charge of the operating room, and do all portrait work.’]

“About the Cincinnati Convention.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:17 (Sept. 12, 1885): 530-531. [“ Cleveland, O., August 11, 1885.
To the Editors Anthony’s Bulletin:
I had thought to make a statement in the matter of charges made against the Executive Committee at the next convention, when the Investigating Committee should report, but do not feel like waiting so long a time, and ask you to give publicity to my showing.
The charge, as I understand, is the serious one of misappropriating money.
It is made against the Executive Committee.
The misappropriated (?) money was used in the payment of railway fares, hotel bills, and in a small way for time lost from business and home duties while in the service of the Association. (p. 530) The Constitution says: “The Executive Committee, of which the President, Secretary and the Treasurer shall be members, shall have charge of the general business of the Association. ‘ ‘
It does not say it shall be paid for its services, beyond the Secretary and Treasurer. It does not say it shall not be paid.
In the course of their duties, each member is required, when a meeting is called, to leave his own personal business, travel in some instances hundreds of miles, give several days’ time and his best ability in arranging the business for a coming convention. During the year he is called upon to do much correspondence with other members of the committee, with stock dealers and manufacturers, and with members wanting information. In his own locality he must effect contracts with railways for special rates in carrying members to and from convention, and he must advise by circular all photographers within a radius of one to two hundred miles of such secured rates while urging their attendance.
He must write communications for the journals, urging and encouraging a large attendance.
When convention time comes he must be on hand in advance of the opening and must remain until after the close, during which time he must be in harness and at work.
The Executive Committee is empowered to make contracts, to employ help and to pay all expenses incident to holding conventions. It is competent to determine what are proper expenses.
It was the opinion of the Committee, when settling up the expenses and paying the bills for conventions at Milwaukee and at Cincinnati, that ” the laborer was worthy of his hire ” — a queer old notion indulged in by many.
It believed the success brought about through its efforts, which showed by a good balance in the treasury, justified the payment of that labor as a legitimate expense. So it did like men who had done good work and were entitled to pay, voted to each member not full compensation, but what would decently pay his expenses.
There was no reason why the committee should not do this, but good reason why it should.
In the past, when each convention held left the Association some hundreds or thousands in debt, it was more a work of patriotism, and the officers had naturally to be content with the distinction conferred.
In later years, when more enthusiasm has been manifest, and the Association abundantly able to pay, it is very proper it should be done.
The convention just closed has been a fine success in a pecuniary as well as an educational sense. The announcement is made that over $1,400 is in the treasury. The men who have been instrumental in making this fine success are entitled to compensation, at least in a sum sufficient to cover their expenses while in attendance at convention and performing the work of the Association.
The Association should not expect to secure competent and reliable service gratis. It is time this fact was recognized and acted upon.
Men may serve one year for glory, but are not willing to continue year after year on the same terms.
At present the Association is fortunate in being splendidly officered, and could hardly be in a more prosperous condition. That it continue so is my hearty wish. There is a way to keep it so, but it does not lie in the direction of piling up money and giving votes of thanks only for services. Yours truly,
J. F. Ryder. (p. 531)]

Photographers’ Association of America.” Fourth Day — Morning Session.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:17 (Sept. 12, 1885): 533-539. [“The President called the association to order at 10 a. m.
The President— The first business this morning will be the report of the committee. The committee on the matter referred to in the Photographic Eye now make their report….” (p. 533) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Inglis— I nominate Mr. McMichael as president of this association.
The President — Nominations are now in order, in addition to the nominations reported by the nominating committee. Remember what is the ticket. The ticket reported by the nominating committee is: Charles Stuart, of Hartford, Conn., as President; H. McMichael, Recording Secretary; G. M. Carlisle, as Treasurer; and the Executive Committee are W. H. Potter and G. Cramer. The place selected is St. Louis, and the time is May, 1886….” (Etc., etc.) “…Mr. W. H. Porter was then nominated for president.
Mr. Bellsmith— I nominate Mr. G. M. Carlisle for president.
Mr. Baker — I nominate Mr. J. F. Ryder for president.
Mr. Inglis — I would say that Mr. Ryder told me that he would not serve as president. Mr. Carlisle has also refused to serve in that capacity.
On motion, the nominations were closed….” (p. 534) (Etc., etc.)
“…The President — We have all seen the medal that was presented by Mr. Gentile, and that was awarded to Mr. Ryder. I think that the society should take some action in this matter, some official notice of it, and to that end I now move a vote of thanks to Mr. Gentile.
This was agreed to, and the vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. Gentile for the handsome medal that was presented to Mr. Ryder….” (p. 536) (Etc., etc.)
Report of Executive Committee on Pictures.
The Executive Committee make the following report of the pictures of the exhibition held at Buffalo, N Y. July 14 to 18, 1885.
Mr. Hardy, Boston, Mass., exhibited nine 11 x 14 panels, full length, half-length and heads. Fine rendering of white drapery and nice effects throughout. The head of a child (p. 536) particularly noticeable for the soft and textuary retouching. It was understood these pictures were only shown as illustrating the value of the Stanley plates, on which they were made.
H. S. Myer, Yonkers, N. Y., showed a series of views. — Tho. Gubelman, New York, a similar collection.
Taylor & Freeman, of Rochester, N. Y., a miscellaneous lot of small portraits.
Sawyer. — Some excellent small views. These, together with a score of pictures showing eclipse of sun, were all made on Monroe plates.
G. M. Carlisle, Providence, R. I., had a small but attractive display, uniquely cased. Fine chemical effects were shown in these pictures. Two 17 x 20s were particularly noticeable, one a full length figure of a man, capital in all respects; and the other an illustration of the story told in the poem ” Yussouf.” This was a subject exceedingly difficult of treatment, but handled with great vigor and skill.
Dressel, Buffalo, N. Y. — Large frame of rustic views, residences and one interior. The latter exceedingly fine . The rustics also of more than usual excellence. The architectural subject showed the use of a lens not adapted to the work, or else want of skill in its use.
Brainard, Rome, N. Y. — Seven photographs, one 7 x 13 panel, the others small. Made on Stanley plates. Took Anthony prize of small camera offered for small pictures on this brand of plate. Also quite a collection of large photographs, well handled. The lighting and retouching fine; tones not equal to the best.
R. G. Gardner, Kansas City, Mo. — Collection of portrait work and views. Not much praise could be accorded to the views. Some of the out-door work excellent. Some hints of good posing of heads.
Sarony, New York City. — Two frames of assorted sizes of portrait work, hardly in keeping with his great reputation. One head of lady, however, 7×13 panel, should be particularly mentioned for the masterly effect in lighting and posing.
Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. — Very large collection of large panels, heads, figures and views. This work was in all respects of that exceptionally fine quality that marks his productions. Great care and taste were shown in the mounting and framing of the pictures. This exhibit was awarded the prize of a gold medal of the value of $ico offered by Mr. Gentile, of the Eye, for the best collection of American photographs.
McMichael, Buffalo, N. Y.— Large collection of large work. These portraits showed great skill in many respects. The charming tones of these pictures were not excelled by anything in the exhibition. The splendid background effects should also be particularly mentioned. The head of Mr. Ryder was a star.* [* The photograph of Mr. Ryder was life-size, made on the Stanley plate in five seconds with a Dallmeyer lens. This exhibit won the Anthony first prize for work on Stanley plates and N. P. A. paper It must be said, however, that the retouching of Mr. McMichael’ s heads is not in keeping with the rest of the work.]
W. A. Armstrong, Milwaukee, Wis. — A collection of views in and around Milwaukee. These pictures were small, 8 x 10 size, but for charm of subject and excellence of execution nothing further could be desired.
C. G. Gilenz, Toronto, Canada. — Small collection of photographs, showing enameling effects. The desirability of enameling must be left to patrons for decision. The enameling was well done.
E. L. Fowler, Chicago, 111.— These pictures were shown to illustrate the value of retouching. Prints from the same negative, plain and retouched, were placed in comparison. Mr. Fowler does good professional work, which means over-work. His retouching, however, is free from many of the faults usually seen in work of this kind.
Kinney, Hackettstown, N. J. — A series ot out-of-door scenes and groups of figures combined. This work was made with E. A. lens, and was fine in all particulars.
H. F. Neilson &’Co., Niagara Falls.— This was a collection of views of Niagara Falls, large and small, in summer and winter, and was a splendid and interesting lot of pictures. The difficulty in making negatives of this great natural wonder had been well overcome, and left little to be desired, except that the absurdity of the cloud effects might be omitted. These were printed in separately from cloud negatives, or one cloud negative rather, so strong as to overbalance the picture, and often of a character and lighting to entirely disagree with it. In several of the views this feature was dispensed with, and the pictures were then of the most satisfying character. These photographs are of so much interest and value to the whole public, that it seems a pity pains should be taken to mar the splendid results achieved in the negatives.. (p. 537) Barker, Niagara Falls.— This is another excellent series of views of the Falls, but marred by the same use of cloud negatives. The study and skill, the patient waiting and effort of this artist, have given to the world some most beautiful and realistic effects.
Cramer, St. Louis, Mo. — A very large exhibit of large work. Heads and composition pieces. This collection is one of remarkable brilliancy of dry-plate effects. There are al?o examples having great artistic value here. The head of a lady in profile, with soft shadow against a very light ground, is one of the most beautiful things that photography is capable of. Another, a group of children’s heads, is almost as good.
Marshall, Canandaigua, N. Y.— Two examples of solid crayon work, and showing much artistic skill. These portraits, however, are open to the objection of being worked too fine, which impairs their value when viewed at the right distance.
Nier & Wettlin, Rochester, N. Y. —Two or three crayon heads of more than usual value. The one profile especially deserving of commendation. The criticism to be made here seems to be a too positive touch in working the face, and background of too definite character.
WILSON, of the Philadelphia Photographer. —An interesting series of views of the New Orleans Exposition. This work was very good, considering the difficulties to be encountered.
Gehrig, Chicago, 111. — An exhibit of panels of assorted sizes. This was artistic work, nice lighting, splendid tones. The overdone retouching detracts somewhat from its value.
Moreno & Lopez, New York City.— A variety of work. Large heads, instantaneous views of bicycle riders and figures in motion. The results were very astonishing, showing vaulters in mid-air and wheelmen going down steps, etc. Heads would have had much better value on suitable dark grounds.
Wardlaw & Learned, Rochester, N. Y. — Large exhibition of 11×14 heads and smaller sizes, far beyond the usual merit. The overretouching was a defect. The pictures would have looked much better against anything rather than the white cloth which backed up this exhibit.
W. J. Baker, Buffalo, N. Y.— A splendid collection of almost every variety of size. The head of a middle-aged man, with side whiskers, and the profile ot an old lady in cap.must be particularized. These were gems of photographic portraitures. The lighting, posing,
retouching, and everything that contributes to the general effect, could not have been better. Mr. Baker’s style in, and moderation of, retouching was noticed with great satisfaction.
Taylor, Clinton, N. Y. — Frame of small but tasteful work.
Davis, Rochester, N. Y.— Case of character figures, mostly good effects; superb tones.
W. W. Sherman, Milwaukee, Wis.— Carbon enlargements. Fairly good as foundation for crayon portraits, but far behind the results of platinum.
Irving Saunders, Alfred Center, N. Y. — A large and tasteful frame of miscellaneous work of good quality and very tasteful.
F. J. Haynes, Fargo, D. T. — Six very large views and some smaller ones. Nothing of the kind in the Hall more interesting or better, all things considered. The only possible criticism, a slight undertiming of some of the larger ones. The cloud effect in one or two was superb, and evidently all in the original negative.
Frank Robbins, Oil City, Pa. — A large collection of small negatives and prints, demonstrating the value of the plate he manufactures. This exhibition speaks highly for his plate, and the prints shown had good value.
Winslow & Whipple, Olean, N. Y., and J. W. Sires, Oil City, show a large number of prints illustrating the value of Robbin’s plate. Johnson Bros., Watertown, N. Y. — A tasteful small case of work of fine chemical effect. The vignetting of these pictures should have received more attention.
Julius Hoffmeister, St. Louis, Mo. — Examples of retouched negatives; fairly good work: some things to learn. In trying to keep from obliterating the prominences of the face, they are rather exaggerated.
Winter, .Syracuse, N. Y. — Some large pictures made with Suter lens. This is fine photography. The work of the lens must be highly commended, as well as the artistic qualities of these productions. The figure of a lady, as she beholds herself in a mirror, is a particularly fine thing.
Schurr, Lockport, N. Y. — Quite a large display of rather more than average work. Some panel heads of children very fine. A tendency to overwork the negative is noticeable.
Kuhn Bros., St. Louis, Mo.— Exhibit of stamp portraits.
The Photo Gravure Co., New York City. — Three frames of work, showing exam-(p. 538) pies of gelatine printing. Very interesting exhibits.
D. R. Clark, Indianapolis, Ind. — Six portrait heads, a full length and a group. These pictures are of great excellence in all respects. It is a peculiarity of Mr. Clark that the retouching is so skillfully done as to preserve the value of the face .
W. H. Potter, Indianapolis, Ind. — A collection of miscellaneous sizes of exceedingly fine work. The art quality of these pictures gives them great value as studies. One could hardly particularize the good things in this exhibit without naming the most of them.
The St. Louis Dry Plate Co.— An exhibition of negatives and prints that show unsurpassed qualities of plate.
Genelli, St. Louis, Mo.— An exhibition of stamp portraits.
Landy, Cincinnati, Ohio. — The display of Mr. Landy grew steadily in favor during the convention. Not of the dashy order, but having the solid qualities of good work. Excellent effect in posing and lighting. Backgrounds that harmonize with the figure. Some large heads in soft and luminous shadows against a white ground should be particularized.
Mudge & Mudge, Elkhart, Ind.— Small display, which made one regret it was not larger.
W. C. North.— A unique frame of small pictures. Some nice work.
David Scannell, Philadelphia, Pa.— Enlargement on porcelain. Opal colored in oils.
Kent, Rochester, N. Y. — A very large display of work on the paper negatives, which excited much interest as a novelty in the manner of production, and was especially admired for the highly artistic effects which this gentleman knows so well how to produce. The retouching of some of these heads was so free from the usual faults as to make them deserving of mention in this respect.
Clemens & Wilson. — Small frame of views, very good indeed.
Edy Brothers, London, Ont— A collection of large panel work, excellent in all respects. Retouching may be particularized.
The two remarkable pictures by H. P. Robinson, of ” Tunbridge Wells” (owned by Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland), afforded a splendid study to the members of the association. It is seldom that any composition work of equal value is seen.
The foreign exhibits, comprising the work of
Fried A. Muller, of Munich; W. Moffert, Bingen, and Kindermann, of Hamburg, and others, besides heads and figures, a collection of large landscapes, are of a very charming character. These pictures possess an art quality that makes the most excellent studies. Perhaps the gem of the collection is the two-thirds length female figure, standing in an attitude of repose, with loosely folded hands.
In this part of the hall is noticed a life-size direct head by Conly, of Boston, Mass., which is a picture of remarkable merit.
In closing this account of the pictures, perhaps it would not be amiss to say that the writer has not attempted any extended criticism, it being his purpose merely to make a record of all the displays, with such passing comments as they seemed to suggest.
The exhibit, as a whole, has been a very large and a very fine one.” (p. 539)]

“Commercial Intelligence: The Drummer’s Latest Yarn.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 15:209 (Sept. 18, 1885): 541. [Advertisement for an oleograph reproduction of a genre painting with the same name by the artist A. M. Willard, the print manufactured and sold by J. F; Ryder.]

Ryder, J. L. “The Arousement at Buffalo.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:262 (Oct. 1885): 324-325. [“Cleveland, Ohio, August 21, 1885. Editor Philadelphia Photographer: I had thought to make a statement in the matter of charges made against the Executive Committee at the next Convention, when the Investigating Committee should report, but don’t feel like waiting so long a time, and ask you to give publicity to my showing. The charge, as I understand, is the serious one of misappropriating money. It is made against the Executive Committee. The misappropriated (?) money was used in the payment of railroad fares, hotel bills, and in a small way for time lost from business and home duties while in the service of the Association. The Constitution says: “The Executive Committee, of which the President, Secretary, and the Treasurer shall be members, shall have charge of the general business of the Association.” It does not say it shall be paid for its services, beyond the Secretary and Treasurer. It does not say it shall not be paid. In the course of their duties each member is required, when a meeting is called, to leave his own personal business, travel in some instances hundreds of miles, give several days’ time and his best ability in arranging the business for a coming convention. During the year he is called upon to do much correspondence with other members of the committee, with stock-dealers and manufacturers, and with members wanting information. In his own locality he must effect contracts with railways for special rates in carrying members to and from convention, and he must advise by circular all photographers within a radius of one to two hundred miles of such secured rates while urging their attendance. He must write communications for the journals urging and encouraging a large attendance. When convention time comes he must be on hand in advance of the opening, and must remain until after the close, during which time he must be in harness and at work. The Executive Committee is empowered to make contracts, to employ help, and to pay all expenses incident to holding conventions. It is competent to determine what are proper expenses. It was the opinion of the Committee, when settling up the expenses and paying the bills for conventions at. Milwaukee and at Cincinnati, that ” the laborer was worthy of his hire” — a queer old notion indulged in by many. It believed the success brought about through its efforts, which showed by a good balance in the treasury, justified the payment of that labor as a legitimate expense. So it did, like men who had done good work and were entitled to pay, vote to each member, not full compensation, but what would decently pay his expenses. There was no reason why the Committee should not do this, but good reason why it should. In the past, when each convention held left the Association some hundreds or thousands in debt, it was more a work of patriotism, and the officers had naturally to be content with the distinction conferred. In later years, when more enthusiasm has been manifest, and the Association abundantly able to pay, it is very proper it should be done. The Convention just closed has been a fine success in a pecuniary, as well as an educational sense. The announcement is made that over $1400 is in the treasury. The men who have been instrumental in making this fine success are entitled to compensation, at least in a sum sufficient to cover their expenses while in attendance at convention and performing the work of the Association. The Association should not expect to secure competent and reliable service gratis. It is time this fact was recognized and acted upon. Men may serve one year for glory, but are not willing to continue year after year on the same terms. At present, the Association is fortunate in being splendidly officered, and could hardly be in a more prosperous condition. That it continue so is my hearty wish. There is a way to keep it so, but it does not lie in the direction of piling up money and giving votes of thanks only for services. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:262 (Oct. 1885): 342. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., created a convulsion in our office about three weeks ago, so serious that all hats have to be hung outside and frames tied fast to the wall (we always keep our bookcase locked), by springing upon us his new picture, “The Drummer’s Latest Yarn.” Take not our word for it, but send 25 cents, right away, and get it. Insist on the circular without extra charge.”]

“Editorial Notes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 16:20 (Oct. 24, 1885): 613.
[“We have before us two life-size photographs of heads. One of them is of Robert Bonner, the owner of the celebrated trotter, Maud S., and was made by Mr. George Rockwood, with a 20 x 22 Dallmeyer lens, on a paper negative. It is certainly a marvel of sharply cut work to the extreme edges. The other photograph is a copy of the picture of Mr. J. F. Ryder, made in five seconds on a Stanley Plate, by Mr. McMichael, of Buffalo. We noted the beauty of this work when we saw it at Buffalo. It certainly leaves nothing to be desired. We must thank both Mr. Rockwood and Mr. McMichael for these fine examples of their work. We cannot praise too highly the spirit of progressive artistic feeling that these pictures exhibit.”]
“Editor’s Table. Items of News.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:263 (Nov. 1885): 375.”Mr. Van Loo, the talented Toledo photographer of the second generation, received a nice recognition from the Detroit Trade Journal. The Cleveland Argus has been interviewing our veteran master-photographer and friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, on amateur photography. Mr. R. opened the Argus’ eye to its satisfaction. Mr. E. Long, Quincy, Ill., the solar enlarger, says: “Business is considerably ahead of last year.” Good! may it be enlarged. “Then and Now,” was the subject of a paper read to the New York photographers, October 6th, by Father Abram Bogardus. Mr. G. M. Carlisle, Treasurer of the P. A. of A., says his report has been delayed by one or two delinquents who have not yet paid up.”]

“Editor’s Table. Items of News.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 22:264 (Dec. 1885): 406. [“The South Bend Daily Tribune devotes nearly a column to the praise and description of And. McDonald’s new and beautiful studio. We are pleased at such evidences of prosperity. — ” Clear, brilliant, and beautiful, full of individuality,” says the Canon City Record, is the work of Mr. Charles E. Emery, our talented subscriber. Good! — The Sporting and Dramatic Journal has a fine engraving of Edwin Forrest Landy, champion bicyclist and son of ex-president James Landy, of Cincinnati, and an editorial a column long, praising our young friend. — The Cleveland Voice has been interviewing our friend, ex-president J. F. Ryder, and in an article entitled “Miracle Photography,” about three columns long, inserts a number of engravings from Mr. Ryder’s photographs. They are all very amusing. — By the way, photography is responsible for the great wave of newspaper illustration which is now passing over the country, for without it the infection could not be. May its shadow never grow less.”]

1886

Ryder, J. F. Cleveland, O. “Don’t.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1886 (1886): 142-143. [“(Written for Photographic Mosaics.)” “A seeming improvement may be carried to an abuse in fact, is daily practised in the matter of negative retouching. The lines and marks which give character to the man or woman—which stand for the strong points of likeness— are ruthlessly swept away by a hand that knows extermination, and whose aim is to exterminate.
The human face divine in many cases is robbed of its divinity, and is made as devoid of expression as a boiled dumpling. Such despoiling I resent, and beg of the despoiler don’t!
The proper treatment of a negative requires skill and care; the most delicate touches by a well-trained hand, and not a touch too much. To be a competent retoucher of negatives is to be an artist. (p. 142) How many, or rather how few there are, among retouchers who can draw a fair head, giving good modulation and drawing properly the anatomy of a face? A man or woman who cannot do it should not be entrusted with the finishing of a negative. In 1868, I brought from Munich, Bavaria, the first negative retoucher, and introduced the work into this country. I have almost been sorry for it since.
I am ready to admit the exactions of our patrons have much to do in fostering this abuse. Many persons whose vanity has outlived their good sense, with faces as wrinkled as a baked apple, require the smooth seaming of a hen’s egg in their portraits.
It has happened recently in my practice, that a gentleman insisted for himself and wife no retouching. His work was done as he requested. It seemed like good old times to see the bottom facts of photography accepted. When I meet that man and woman, I lift my hat with much respect, and am emboldened in relating this case of good sense.” (p. 143)]

[Advertisement.] “The Stanley Dry Plate.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:265 (Jan. 1886): advertising section, p. vii. [“The Stanley Dry Plate has passed through the ordeal of its first summer, and its manufacturers have almost entirely escaped the usual trials of fogging, frilling, and other perplexities. In fact, the quantity sold in only exceeds that of any former month. Its unusual combination of sensitiveness and brilliancy have made it a general favorite, and the territory into which it penetrates grows constantly larger.
Among Its Recent Achievements Are:
Instantaneous Views of the Decoration Day Parade (3d size stop), taken without sunlight, used as a Bulletin Illustration.
Views of Horses and Carriages entering Central Park, trotting rapidly across the field of view, sharp and clear cut. These will appear in the Bulletin.
Views of Steamboats going twenty miles an hour directly across the field, taken at 5.30 p. m. Sharp and clear as if standing still.
The Life-size Portrait of J. F. Ryder, by McMichael, shown at the Buffalo Convention, was made on an 18×22 Stanley Plate in five seconds, with a Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear Lens.
Instantaneous Views, by Mr. Henry J. Newton, President of Photographic Section of the American Institute, about which he writes: “I found that sunshine was not absolutely necessary for instantaneous negatives on these plates, and I think a majority of the negatives I send you were made when there was not sufficient sunlight to cast a visible shadow. I think it is due that I should say that the plates worked satisfactorily in every respect, exhibiting extreme sensitiveness, responding readily to the developer, and going steadily on to the finish. P. S. I used the Prosch Shutter at its full speed.” (Signed), H J. Newton.
And now to crown the whole, Mr. Parkinson writes as follows: Parkinson Photo. Parlors, 29 W. 26th St., E. & H. T. Anthony & Co.: New York, August 12, 1885. “Gentlemen: I take pleasure in assuring you that I made a group portrait in my gallery of an old lady of eighty years, with child of four years, a month or two since, on a Stanley 18×22 plate, in one second, with Dallmeyer Rapid Rectilinear Lens. A little more time would have done no harm; but the picture in question has elicited as many words of praise from visitors to my studio as any other in same length of time.” Yours truly, W. B. Parkinson.
The Stanley Dry Plates can be had from any dealer, or direct from E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., 591 Broadway, New York….”]

“Studio Studies.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:265 (Jan. 1886): 29. 1 illus. [(Illustration is a caricature portrait of a male editor. The article is, I think, supposed to be humorous.) “(Continued from page 391.) His nose was long enough for a lantern slide camera but it had both lenses at one end. The (red) light was at the other end and his pocket was empty. He thought “life is but a fleeting show” and yet he wanted to live, so he allowed the aesthetic photographer to “employ ” him as a model. The badge of his profession he wears in his cap, and, being an editor he lighted his work by his own nasal organd. His professional pistol had been pawned and his portrait had been declined by Mr. J. F. Ryder as “no ornament to his collection.” He is not an advocate of the “dry” process, though he suffers from it. The picture is a Levytype. The negative was made on a plate by a lens in seconds and printed — not positive as to paper.]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:267 (Feb. 6, 1886): 95. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has supplied us with some exquisite negatives of brides, for “Our Picture.” They are marvelously good, are being printed with taste by Messrs. Roberts & Fellows, and will appear in time.”]

1 b & w (“John H. Devereux. Photographed by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio”) on p. 196 in: “General John H. Devereux.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 30:1527 (Mar. 27, 1886): 198, 203.

1 b & w (“The Bride.”) as frontispiece in: “Our Picture.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:271 (Apr. 3, 1886): frontispiece, 222-223. [“At this season of the year, when all Nature is preparing to bud and bloom, our readers will naturally look to us for a leading style of picture. We have been preparing for them for some time, and hand over to their tender care now “The Bride,” from negatives made by Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. It is a long time since we have had for “Our Picture” anything so naturally and so technically beautiful. A bride, ever so humble or ever so high in life, always seems lovely and beautiful. As Byron says:
“She walks in beauty, like the night
Of cloudless climes and starry skies;
And all that’s best of dark and bright
Meet in her aspect and her eyes:
Thus mellowed to that tender light
Which Heaven to gaudy day denies.”
And so “she walks in beauty” now to begin the second quarter of our embellishments for 1886 — we trust, an acceptable picture. Whatever ” heaven to gaudy day denies ” of “tender light,” Mr. Ryder has made most excellent use and application of the portion accorded him, for here we have, of a difficult subject, a wondrously beautiful | and charming photographic effect — a masterpiece of lighting; a marvel of development. Both in commenting upon the natural beauty and loveliness of the fair and youthful subject who so graciously permitted the use of her picture, and in descanting upon the qualities of the photograph, we are reminded of those love lines from
“The Bride of Abydos,” which trip along thus:
Who hath not proved how feebly words essay –
To fix one spark of Beauty’s heavenly ray?
Who doth not feel, until his failing sight
Faints into dimness with its own delight,
His changing cheek, his sinking heart confess
The might — the majesty of Loveliness?
Our prints were made, during the past three months, by Messrs. Roberts & Fellows at their printing-rooms, No. 1125 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, and they used the N. P. A. brand of paper, imported for us by Messrs. E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., by the formula given in our pages a short time ago.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:272 (Apr. 17, 1886): 256. [“The Journal of Science and Art is a new candidate for the favor of the aesthete. The first number is before us. It is a neatly covered magazine of twenty-four pages, and contains twenty-two instructive and timely articles, and a number of illustrations. It is embellished by a splendid photo-engraving of our common friend J. F. Ryder, Esq., accompanied by a biographical sketch, with many points new to us, although we have known the subject for almost — yes — almost a quarter of a century. The journal is published by The Journal of Science Publication Co., Cleveland, 0., at $2.00 a year, 20 cents per copy. Mr. E. Henry Fitch is the conductor, We wish this new helper the best success.”]

“General Notes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 16:240 (Apr. 23, 1886): 215. [Excerpts reprinted from a biography of J. F. Ryder published in the April issue of the inaugural issue of Journal of Science and Art. Anecdote about Ryder introducing negative retouching in USA in 1869.]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:274 (May 15, 1886): 319. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, writes of the rapid progress of art in his city. Mr. Ryder is immensely popular in Cleveland, and in the hearts of the older members of our craft holds a first place. No one who was there will ever forget the first N. P. A. Cleveland Convention. It was a model, and “our host” has never been overreached. He was needed to give the P. A. of A. a start, and he is needed now to keep it going. We hope he will be in St. Louis next Convention.”]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:276 (June 19, 1886): 383. [“We are glad to learn in a private letter from Mr. H. P. Robinson that his “Dawn and Sunset” will be exhibited at the St. Louis Exhibition, in charge of Mr. J. F. Ryder. Gladder still are we over the close of Mr. Robinson’s letter, which says: ” You will be glad to know that I am much better, and down at the studio at work two months earlier than the doctors predicted.”]

Parsons, S. H. “Photography in Newfoundland.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:277 (July 3, 1886): 391-392. [“…Before I made up the parcels I sent you, the mail came in, bringing the last number of the P. P., containing that beautiful picture of Ryder’s, “The Bride.” It almost put me out of conceit of sending any of my work. I have made none for the special purpose of sending you; it is my average work. I wish it was better. I have to make white faces to suit this community; it is the acme of their ambition to get nice clear pictures. Such a beautiful face as that of Ryder’s would be a good many shades too dark for any of our brides, but if my own taste was consulted I would not want to make anything lighter than that….” p. 391.]

“The Exhibition of Photographs at the St. Louis Convention–The Manufacturers’ and Dealers’ Exhibition at the St. Louis Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 16:250 (July 2, 1886): 350-353. [Exhibitors: F. W. Guerin (St. Louis, MO); J. F. Ryder (Cleveland, OH); G. Cramer (St. Louis, MO); W. H. Jackson (Denver, CO); C. R. Savage (Salt Lake City, UT); H. McMichael (Buffalo, NY); George B. Wood (amateur, Philadelphia, PA); and others… “The largest and best display of photos ever gathered on this continent…”.]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A. Proceedings of the First Day.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:277 (July 3, 1886): 429-437. [“The seventh annual session of the P. A. of A. was held in the Exposition building. The Association was called to order by the President, Mr. Potter, who announced the first business on the programme to be an address of welcome, by Mr. G. Cramer, who spoke as follows: …” p. 429.”… On motion of Mr. Ryder, a vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. W. K. Burton for his very able paper….” p. 433. “At this point, Mr. W. H. H. Clark, of St. Louis, stopped forward, bearing a splendid silk banner, and made the following address: … “…This banner is the gift of the publisher and proprietor of the St. Louis Photographer. The sudden death of the late lamented John H. Fitzgibbon, and the consequent suspension of his journal, The Practical Photographer, left a great blank in American photographic literature. To fill this blank as far as possible, the St. Louis Photographer was started by his widow. How well she has succeeded is shown by the support she has received from the membership of the P. A. of A., and other members of the fraternity — by the constantly increasing circulation of the journal, notwithstanding the keen competition of weekly and semi-monthly photographic publications; by the number and reputation of its contributors; and by its standing amongst the photographic literature of this country and Europe. As a small token of the gratitude felt by the proprietor of the St. Louis Photographer, for the appreciation of her efforts shown by friends within the ranks of the P. A. of A., this banner is presented. Its manufacture has been a labor of love, welling up from the innermost depths of a heart overflowing with gratitude for the many favors received from the Association you so ably represent. The beautiful embroidery with which it is adorned was wrought by the deft fingers of a lady with whose features the readers of the journal are familiar, through the illustration in the issue for May last. Mr. President, to you, as representative of the P. A. of A., and on behalf of Mrs. Fitzgibbon Clark and the St. Louis Photographer, I present this banner. When your term of office expires, and your successor assumes the position you now occupy, turn it over to him. He can appoint some one to take charge of it for the Association, or do so himself, until his successor is duly elected. Should the P. A. of A. cease to be, or the banner be no longer desired, it is then to revert to the donor. Accept it, sir, and with it the best wishes for the welfare and success of the Association you represent, by one whose heart is overflowing with good will toward the whole photographic fraternity, and especially to the Photographers’ Association of America. The banner was a lovely work of art, and was made of rosy silk, richly embroidered, corded with red and yellow and bullion, and mounted upon a tall oak standard. The needlework was done by Mrs. John F. Gregory, of Kansas City, whose lovely picture embellished the last issue of the St. Louis Photographer, and who was personally present — the niece of Mr. and Mrs. Clark. The inscription, in gold bullion, was: To the Photographers’ Association of America, with the Compliments of the St. Louis Photographer. Upon the white silk photographs were carefully printed the names of the workers in photography, which follow: Alex. Hesler. Jas. Landy. A. J. W. Copelin. John Carbutt. J. H. Reid. J. E. Beebe. A. E. Dumble. G. Cramer. J. F. Ryder. W. A. Armstrong. J. D. Cadwallader. R. Benecke. Henry Rocher. D. R. Clark. H. McMichael. W. H. Potter. G. A. Douglass. J. A. Scholten. G. M. Carlisle. Edw. L. Wilson. W. H. Sherman. W. H. H. Clark. Joshua Smith. Mrs. W. H. H. Clark. J. H. Kent. Upon each side of the banner was printed the Presentation Poem, written by Mr. W. H. H. Clark….” p. 434. ]

“The Prizes Awarded at the St. Louis Convention.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:13 (July 10, 1886.): 391. [“ Association Prizes for American Exhibits. Gold Medals (for portraits).—Decker & Wilbur, Cleveland; B. J. Falk, New York; J. W. Gehrig, Chicago; J. Landy, Cincinnati; J. A. H. Parsons, Wheeling, W. Va,; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland….”]

“The Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:13 (July 10, 1886.): 406-415. [“First Day. St. Louis, June 22, 1886. The President—The Convention will please come to order….” p. 406. “…The President—The next in order is unfinished business, the discussion on “Printing and Toning.” Is any one prepared to open the discussion on printing and toning? I see Mr. Ryder present, and I will call upon him to start the discussion.
Mr. Ryder—Mr. Clemmons is the old standby on that subject.
The President—I think he is not here yet, and we would be glad to hear from Mr. Ryder.
Mr. Ryder—I should be very happy to say something on this subject of printing and toning, but I am not a practical worker, not having done any of that work in my life. Years ago I used to make sittings, but I am getting to be an old man, and all I do now is to look after the boys. Whilst you have my assurance that I would be glad to talk to you on this subject, I consider myself incompetent, and ask to be excused.
Mr. Motes, of Georgia, and Mr. Long were then called for, but they did not respond.
Mr. Belesmith—How about printing without toning.
The President—They have got that over in England. We will get it after a while. Now, gentlemen, there is an opportunity for the young men. The young man is generally the printer. I give you five minutes.
Mr. Ryder—Our President has published a little treatise or essay on printing. Pie did it very nicely, and I do not see what better we could have at this time than to have him start the ball on the printing question.
The President—The difficulty is that in my little pamphlet I embodied all I know on the subject, and it is in a great deal better shape than I could present it before you extemporaneously. What I want is to start the discussion going on some point. We can start the blister question….” p. 409.
“…“…Mr. Bellsmith—The Committee on Investigation appointed at Buffalo are ready to report.
The President—The report will now be taken up and read.
[The following extracts from this report are all that we think will interest our readers.— Eds. Of Bulletin.]
“…Regarding the alleged overcharging on tickets, your committee are unable to obtain any evidence to substantiate such charges. Owing to the lack of keeping proper accounts, this committee has found no means of ascertaining the correctness of said charges, and that Mr. Weingartner states upon his honor that all moneys received by him, except as stated in this report, were turned over by him to the Treasurer.
Mr. Armstrong, in a communication to this committee, ignores your committee, and refuses to be investigated or hold any communication on the subject,
In view of the unsatisfactory state of the present constitution, your committee respectfully recommend a revision of the same, and the insertion of a clause regulating the payment ol the expenses and the emolument of the officers of this association. They would also recommend that the word “Treasurer” be submitted for the word “Secretary” in Article 2, Section 2, of the Constitution; and that all moneys be paid to the Treasurer only. Joshua Smith, Chairman. H. S. Bellsmith. H. Mcmichael.
On motion the report was received and the committee discharged.
Mr. J. F. Ryder was exonerated by the committee.
Mr. Ryder—As a member of that Executive Committee I desire to make a few remarks. I have in a manner been on trial, or suspected of something I had no right to do. I think it is proper that this convention should understand this matter, as to what are the duties and the rights of the Executive Committee. The constitution says the Executive Committee shall have charge of the general business of the association—it does not say that it shall not be paid or that it shall be paid for its services. The duties are not very light ones. They have to be done; and in my own experience I have been the servant of this association for four years, and I have never asked for or desired a place, but filled it at the solicitation of friends, and have done my work in what was supposed to be an acceptable manner; in that time of four years I gave 43 days to the work of the association in absence from home. The time that I devoted to it at home I never can be able to tell, but I have felt that it was an unfairness and an injustice to me to be suspected or to be charged with anything like an irregularity. It has pleased some people to have put me under a little stigma, or they have attempted to do it, and I have felt a little restive under it, but the report of this committee which is now received gives me vindication, and rebukes those who have sought to blacken my character, and I am content. (Applause.)
The President—While this probably is a little irregular, I suppose you will all agree to it. Of course the motion before the house was on accepting the report of the committee and discharging it. Therefore all the discussions should be on that point, and after that we shall be ready to do something with the report, and then Mr. Ryder’s remarks can come in and be substituted under that head.
What shall we do with the report? You have agreed to accept it and discharge the committee. Shall we adopt its provisions or let it drop? There seems to be a recommendation, quite a number of things are to be disposed of.
Mr. Ranger—I move that the report be placed on file.
Mr. Bellsmith—I move as an amendment that it be laid on the table.
This motion was seconded.
The President—The motion before the house is that the matter lay on the table.
Mr. Gentile—I rise to oppose that, Mr. President. I think it ought not to be done when so much has been said about this matter. A great many members of this association are not present here who were present and heard the discussion last year. I think that that ought to be published.
The President—We can lay it on the table and bring it up at any time, and then approve it if we want to. We have accepted the report and discharged the committee, but we have not done anything with it. A motion to adopt it would be in order. Does anybody desire to speak on the question before the house, which is to lay the whole matter on the table?
Mr. Ryder—I understand, Mr. President, that the motion which was before the house disposes of the matter, and I do not see for what reason you want to lay this matter on the table when you have accepted it and discharged your Committee of Investigation. They have furnished you all the material that you want. I cannot see why that is necessary. I supposed that the matter was disposed of.
The President—We have not taken any action beyond that.
Mr. Ryder—You have received the report. I don’t see what good can be done by laying it on the table if it is disposed of, if there is nothing further to be done with it. I think it is a very proper time now to take it up if there is.
Mr. Bellsmith—I withdraw my motion to lay the matter on the table.
Mr. Ranger—I think the proper thing is to place the report on file, as it has been accepted and the committee has been discharged. If it is placed on file any member of this association who wishes to see what action was taken can have access to the report, and it is there before them. The report is there in the place where it belongs and it leaves the record of the gentleman who has spoken here clear, and every man knows it. We do not want this matter to be brought up or laid on the table, where it can be called up at any time.
The President—I just wanted merely to see if the association understood by its voting that it accepts and discharges the committee and approves of the course of its action. If this is thoroughly understood then the thing is through with. I understand that that is the general sentiment, so we will consider the thing approved. Mr. Ryder’s character, which I never suspected in regard to anything, is perfectly clear.
The question was then called for. The President—There is no motion before the house, that has been withdrawn…” p. 413-414.]

“The Exhibition of Pictures at St. Louis.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:14 (July 24, 1886.): 417-420. [(G. Cramer Studio [Mr. Wells](St. Louis, MO); Strauss (St. Louis, MO); Scholten’s Studio (St. Louis, MO); Genelli (St. Louis, MO); Miss E. Hulbert (St. Louis, MO); Benecke (St. Louis, MO); Hammer (St. Louis, MO); Decker & Wilber (Cleveland, OH); Falk (NY, NY); J. W. Gehrig (Chicago, IL); J. Landy (Cincinnati, OH); J. A. H. Parsons (Wheeling, WV); J. F. Ryder (Cleveland, OH); George Barker (Niagara Falls, NY); W. H. Jackson & Co. (Denver, CO). “…J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, also gold medalist for portraits, as usual showed a fine collection of truly artistic work. A profile head of a lady on a white background was very beautiful. Another picture of a lady upon a large plate, three-quarter face, with a half-tone background, was also very handsome. The pictures of large heads from plates not retouched were very interesting, and showed what fine work and soft effects can be obtained without the labored finish usually put upon photographs. Another interesting feature of this exhibit was a number of pictures of scenes from “A Pantomime Rehearsal ” by the Rosina Vokes Comedy Company. These were pictures on plates about 10 x 16, of figures in all kinds of difficult positions (one foot raised horizontally, for example) and taken without rests of any kind. The figures were remarkably sharp, and gave a life-like aspect to the pictures that was really wonderful….” p. 419.

“The Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:14 (July 24, 1886.): 436-447. [“Second Day—Continued….” “…The President—I will appoint the following Committee on Constitution and By-Laws: Messrs. J. F. Ryder, James Landy, H. F. Bellsmith…” p. 437. “…The President—The next in order is new business. I have the following resolution to read.
Resolved, By the Photographers’ Association of America, that the action of our good friends and brother photographers, J.F. Ryder and J. H. Kent, while acting in the capacity of members of the Executive Committee of the association, be heartily indorsed by the association as being for the best interests and good of the association.
This resolution was signed by L. C. Overpeck. On motion the resolution was adopted. The President—Are there any remarks to be made on this motion? Mr. Overpeck—The reason I offered that resolution was in order to make this matter more clearly on the minutes; I think that the mere receiving of the report yesterday does not make it clear enough about these two good gentlemen, members of the association; it may be clear enough to all present, but for the future I think it necessary that some action should be taken. The President—The first motion was to receive the report and it was considered as adopting the report, or accepting the report, but by holding out that that was not done the report is just exactly in the same condition as laying the matter on the table, and it can be taken up at any time. The mere receiving of the report is not accepting it and adopting it, but we carried the point so far that it was adopted. I have no objection to it whatever and I will put it. The question being on the motion to adopt the resolution, it was agreed to unanimously….” p. 439.]

“The St. Louis Collection.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:279 (Aug. 7, 1886): 449-457. [“A simple catalogue of the photographs exhibited at the late exhibition of St. Louis, with a few running comments, such as it has been our habit to give heretofore, would not, this time, do justice to the subject. We have concluded, therefore, to combine our remarks in the form of a review of such individual pictures and entire exhibits as impressed us most, either by their newness of style — as showing the growth of the artist who made them, or his individuality; by the errors in production; by their conception; by their novelty; by the excellence of their technique; by the freaks of their producers, and by the lessons which we gathered from them. We trust that the exhibitors whose names or work are not mentioned at all will not permit themselves to censure us, when we assure them that only the want of space prevents us from giving ten times as long a review as we do, and favorably noting nearly all; for, as we said a month ago, there never was an exhibition held which gave such abundant testimony of growth and progress in our art, and where so many photographs were shown which are entitled to be considered works of art, as were shown at St. Louis….” p. 449.”… If Mr. J. F. Ryder does not astonish us each year with new revelations, disappointment is sure to follow. And yet, with this burden of responsibility upon him, our veteran leader continues to preserve his equanimity. This year, he not only maintained his character as a progressive artist, but he exhibited several novelties. Two of his lifesize heads were labelled “Bottom Facts.” They were from direct negatives without a bit of retouching or doctoring of any kind upon the negatives. In light, shade, detail, likeness, and technique they were unexcelled, and caused their worked-up neighbors to look pasty and artificial and unnatural. They attracted great attention, and will have many imitators. One of these pictures is now on exhibition in the window of W. H. Walmsley & Co., Philadelphia, having been made with a Beck lens. The other was made with a Euryscope, from B. French & Co., Boston. Let us have more “bottom facts.” A decided novelty was Mr. Ryder’s collection of quaint groups from “The Pantomime Rehearsal,” which many of our readers have seen played by the Rosina Vokes Co. The characters were in dress suits, posed with the light from the rear; background white; not in the usual style of composition, but with an utter disregard of the ‘usual rules. The effects are comic indeed, and remind one of the book-plates of a century or more ago. ” The Death of the Good Robber ” and ” The Distinguished Amateurs” are particularly fine. Mr. Ryder’s pictures of ladies in white silk; of children; of large heads, and of landscapes, excelled any ever displayed by him previously, and that is a great deal to say. No gems were so richly set as his, for his choice and variety of frames, in style and richness, were unequalled. p. 450]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A. Proceedings of the Third Day.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:279 (Aug. 7, 1886): 458-467. [“Your Committee on Awards beg leave to submit the following report. After a careful consideration of the entire exhibit, they award the six gold medals to the following parties for the best Portrait Work. Gold Medals. Decker & Wilber, Cleveland, O. E. J. Falk, New York City. J. W. Gehrig, Chicago, 111. J. Landy, Cincinnati, 0. J. A. H. Parsons, Wheeling, W. Va. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O….” p. 460. “…The President: Reports of Committees are now in order. Mr. Ryder is not present, he is on the Committee of Amendments to the Constitution and By-Laws. I believe unfinished business is the first thing in order. Mr. Cooper’s subject was unfinished. “We will hear from Mr. Cooper….” p. 462. “A discussion on the delivery of the medals now followed, and then one on skylight work, when Mr. Ryder said: I will be brief. I can say some things, however, that are to my mind applicable to the later days of working. In the first place we have now quicker plates and it is possible and beneficial to use more powerful instruments and less light under the skylight. That is our purpose and principal need, to see how rapidly we can work and get good results giving time exposures. The rule, probably, for the average work like cabinets and boudoir negatives in general, is about five seconds, and to be enabled to do that we slow down our instruments and we slow down the light, working the light softer, using with almost everything the hand screen, interposing that between the strongest source of light and the sitter so that we get a more plastic effect, more half tones, and by holding the hand-screen through a portion of the time of the sitting insure that softer effect, and then taking it away for a part of the sitting secure by that means the higher lights and the getting of a more rotund head. That is the policy that we pursue in our house. With reference to how we shall adjust our sitter to the light, that is something that the man who works the sitter and the camera must know for himself. He does that according to his own judgment. Mr. Cooper: I think Mr. President, that Mr. Ryder’s remark with regard to the time of exposure in which the finest results are to be obtained is unquestionably true. Any man who tells me when I come into a gallery that he makes his exposures just so gives me the impression that it would be a great deal better if his sitters would go in and come out just so. In many cases that is the only way to make pictures. Mr. Ryder has remarked upon the possibility of modelling your subject by the use of a handscreen. It is a perfect marvel to me with the experience that I possess in passing through the country that this method of working should not commend itself with mere force to photographers — I refer to the simple instrument with which be is able almost with the skill of a painter to model the head. But it is hardly ever used.…” p. 463. “…The President: That is a good idea. Mr. Ryder: I want to speak on the question that is so important to all, and that is the matter of developing plates. I would liken the development of a plate to an engine with its train of cars. A good engineer will know how heavy his train is, what his grade is, and how much he must pull out his throttle to start it easily or quickly. The person who develops the plate does not always stop to think how much time his plate was exposed, what is exactly the condition of his developer, and so, as a rule, he puts on too much steam. He opens the throttle too wide and by the time he has found that out it is too late to remedy it. The train is off the track, the plate is overdeveloped and it results in waste of glass. The cautionary method is for the man to start slow, and then it is easy to stop before going too far. If you have not gone far enough it is easy to start up again. So, I believe in the interest of the men who have to furnish these plates and who have to pay out a great many dollars, this matter should be regarded, and I would like to impress it upon the men in whose power it is to save their employers this waste of money, heedless waste of plates, that he may as well save. I would say it is always perfectly safe to start slowly, with the developer weak, until you see that you want to go stronger, and then it should be done. But the rule is, or at least the practice is, that the developer of the usual average strength is thrown over a plate and the plate is gone, lost, and a good image thrown away by not treating it properly and not starting it well…” p. 464. “…Mr. Ryder: I move a vote of thanks of this Association be tendered to our esteemed and valued worker, Dr. Morgan, who has been with us so many years, for his efficient labors in our behalf, in taking notes of our proceedings. His genial face is always welcome, and he has become quite an adjunct to our Association of Photographers. Agreed to….” p. 466.]

“Views Caught with the Drop Shutter.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:15 (Aug. 14, 1886.): 480. [“J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, was the winner of a gold medal at St. Louis. He has had a fac-simile of the medal made, 24 inches in diameter, and its handsome face adorns the window of his studio. The whole affair is very unique; and when the question was asked, “Is it gold?” the reply received was, “Gold! It ought to be; it took three men to hang it.”]

“The Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:16 (Aug. 28, 1886.): 504-511. [“…Fourth Day—Continued….” “…The President—Discussion is now in order on practical manipulation under the sky-light and in the dark room. Before we open that subject, Mr. Ryder is present and as he was appointed on the committee to report on some changes and additions to the constitution, he will now make his report.
Mr. Ryder—I will say now, Mr. President, that the first information I got of my appointment upon it was upon reading it in the papers at night, as I was not in the room when I was appointed. Mr. Landy and Mr. Bellsmith, my colleagues on the committee, were absent also, and I could not get them together. It would be impossible to get anything done at this convention, so I would ask to be excused. I thought it would be a better thing, instead of appointing a committee on the revision of the constitution, to turn the matter over to your Executive Committee and your Board of Corporators, who would have ample time to work the thing up, and let it be presented at the next convention. It would be quite impossible to do anything now, so I will ask to be excused.
The President—What will you do with this committee? We want to get it out of the road. Will somebody make a motion.
Mr. Gentile—I move that Mr. Ryder’s report be accepted and the committee discharged. This motion was seconded.
The President—It is moved that Mr. Ryder’s report be accepted, or rather his remarks or explanation as to why the committee have not made a report on the subject.
The motion was then agreed to.
The President—I will now make an explanation about this matter. Mr. Ryder and myself had a long conversation on the boat yesterday, and he was explaining to me the inability of the committee to make any report or to do anything in regard to this matter, so the final conclusion of the conversation was that we would get this committee out of the road and then some one would make a motion for the committee to report at the next convention—that is, appointing a new committee on the revision of the whole Constitution and By-Laws to report at that time. As this committee was appointed for just the specific purpose, and the parties came very near being all from the same State, it is well to get rid of the committee. The Committee on the Constitution should represent the country, that is the reason we want to get rid of these gentlemen.
Mr. Cooper—I move that a Committee on Constitution and By-Laws be appointed, to report at the next convention, to revise the Constitution and By-Laws.
Agreed to.
The President—The committee should be the newly-elected executive officers and the Committee on Incorporation. The Committee on Incorporation are Mr. Brand, Mr. Douglass and Mr. Gentile. The newly-elected officers represent the country pretty well, and these other gentlemen, all living in Chicago, will make it inexpensive to the association. These gentlemen will have to meet in executive session, that is the understanding, in January, and then probably fix the matter for the next convention. This matter of the revision of the Constitution and By-Laws is a pretty big job, but they can have it all ready for you at the next convention—the incorporation and the revised constitution…. p. 508.
(Ryder is mentioned or quoted about ten more times in the report of this conference, at one point expressing his disfavor about giving awards and medals to participants of the event, or commenting on other Association matters.)]

“Editor’s Table. The German Prizes.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:281 (Sept. 4, 1886): 544. [“Just as we close a cablegram from Mr. Gennert informs us that the prize medals to Americans at the Braunschweig Exhibition have been awarded to Messrs. Decker & Wilber and J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, and for outdoor work to Mr. George F. Barker, Niagara Falls, N. Y. We congratulate our esteemed subscribers (all three) on this.]

“Editorial Notes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:17 (Sept. 11, 1886): 516-517. [“According to a cablegram message to the Eye, of Chicago, received from the Photographic Convention held at Braunschweig, Germany, Messrs. Decker and Wilbur have received first prize, and probably Mr. Ryder second prize, although there appears some doubt about the name in the latter case, that of Ridden being given. Barker, of Niagara Falls, also gets a medal. These gentlemen were all prize winners at St. Louis, each having received a gold medal.” (p. 517)]

“Practical Points from the St. Louis Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:282 (Sept. 18, 1886): 551-554. [“Those who competed for the prizes at the St. Louis exhibition were asked to supply information as to the instruments, plates, paper, and formula used by them in the production of their exhibits…” (This information was presented on a large chart. Ryder’s information was “…Lens: eck, Voightlander, Euroscope, Watzl. Plate: St. Louis. Seed, Inglis, Eagle and Stanley. Developer. Pyro. Sal soda. Paper: N. P. A. Remarks: [None.]…” p. 552.]

McMichael, H. M. and J. F. Ryder. “Correspondence: Photographers’ Association of America: Annual vs. Triennial Conventions.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 16:265 (Oct. 15, 1886): 545-546. [Letters from H. M. McMichael; J. F. Ryder.]

Ryder, J. F. “How Shall We Aim?” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:284 (Oct. 16, 1886): 613-614. [“(In Mosaics, 1887.) Nearly two score years of intimacy with photography, together with the affection it begets by association and the pride it engenders from success (if the follower be true to himself and his calling), should be sufficient to hold one from hesitation; but, Ike Marvel like, a man may sometimes muse through the clouds from his good pipe, or the haze which rises from the road that stretches into the past, over which he has toted his burden. He may look aloft and alow; he may “cast about” and wipe his specs before pointing his camera. The grand aim shows him the best achievements of photography, wherein enter painstaking care, honest and faithful work, whose careful study proclaims a dash of art such as the maker may contemplate with satisfaction, such as the connoisseur may behold with pleasure, and the patron may cheerfully pay for without haggling. That is conscientious photography. Ideal photography, perhaps — and, possibly, the fact of it — in the hands of some. The veteran may look back upon what seems to him in this light the best days of photography. The future he must regard with suspicion, and he hesitates to point his camera into it. The “live photographer,” the “hustler,” and the young man of ” marked enterprise,” have done much toward killing good, honest photography. They have cheapened it in a double sense; they have robbed it of its former status of respectability. The converting of quiet studios into manufactories, rushing sitters through by the score or hundred, grinding cabinets out by the thousand daily, at prices so shamefully low that quantity of production must represent profit, may be enterprise, but it is fatal to excellence. Pew men pursue photography for pleasure alone. The money-consideration which, until the past very few years, has been fair, becomes now the problem. Shall the earnest, conscientious photographer throw himself in the midst of the struggling rabble, with a dozen cabinets in one hand and the other outstretched for a dollar? Let each man answer for himself. How shall we aim?”]

1 b & w (“Peter M. Arthur, Grand Chief of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers.” “Photographed by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio”) on p. 196 in: “The Labor Movement.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 30:1559 (Nov. 6, 1886): 709, 714,

McMichael, H. “Pertaining to the P. A. of A.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:286 (Nov. 20, 1886): 697-699. [“….I am a firm believer in the giving of medals. There is something about them that inspires a man to greater efforts. The soldier on the field of battle faces death a thousand times for honor to his country and himself and the medal on his breast tells the story of his victories to the world. Our friend J. P. Ryder says they are begetters of jealousies, destroyers of harmony, and bones of contention over .which to wrangle. When I look on his cabinet cards, and count the many medals, I cannot but think what a destroyer of harmony he must have been. No, brother Ryder, give the boys a chance to win laurels like those you have so honorably won. pp. 698-699.]

“General Notes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 16:272 (Dec. 3, 1886): 625. [Note that Ryder one of three Americans to receive an award at an exhibition from the Convention of German Photographers at Braunschweig.]

“Editor’s Table. Pictures Received.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 23:287 (Dec. 4, 1886): 736. [“…. Mr. J. F. Ryder has favored us with a cabinet and boudoir picture of his German Honor Prize….”]

“Editorial Notes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 17:23 (Dec. 11, 1886.): 707. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, has kindly favored us with a photograph of the handsome cup which he received as a prize for the pictures that he sent to Braunschweig, Germany. It is certainly a most beautiful object and well bestowed upon its possessor. With true German instinct as to the fitness of things, the design is a very artistic one. The base of the cup is in the form of a tripod, fashioned after vine tendrils and leaves, with nuts (apparently filberts) set between each of the feet; above this is a leafy circle, part of the leaves turned downward and part upward, supporting a beaded ring of more jointed vine tendrils and leaves, above which comes another circle of leaves, which supports the cup. The cup itself is in the form of an ostrich egg, surrounded a little above the upper half with a finely-wrought circle of chain-work design, from which hangs three handsome inscribed medallions. The cup is surmounted with a crown of leaves, in the midst of which is a nut of the same design as those set around the tripod base. Altogether this is a most beautiful trophy, and we must congratulate Mr. Ryder upon his well-earned success. It appears to us that something of this kind—a beautiful cup—would be a capital thing to be awarded as a grand prize by the Photographers’ Association of America to the best set of pictures by the member who already holds a gold medal of the association.”]

1887

[Advertisement.] Western Reserve University Bulletins. 1:1 (Mar. 1898): 101.
[“ “James F. Ryder,”
Master Photographer
The Garfield Studio,
121 Euclid Ave
The Best Portraits
Special low rates given to Students of W. R. U.
Come and See Us-We wish to do your work.” (p. 101)]
[Ryder advertised frequently in many publications from the Western Reserve University. For example:
[Advertisement.] “The Reserve.” An Annual Published by the Fraternities of the Junior Class, Volume VII. Cleveland, Ohio. Day & Carter, Print,1887.
“James F. Ryder,
239 Superior Street, Cleveland.
Fourteen Grand Prizes Received for Superiority in Portrait Photography.
No Connexion with any other Establishment in the city.” (p. 164)

[Advertisement.] The College Folio. Western Reserve University. Published Monthly by the Students of the College for Women. Western Reserve University. 7:9 (June 1899): 356.
“James F. Ryder.
“ Master Photographer.
The Garfield, 121 Euclid Ave.
24 Prizes. Special prices to the Students of Women’s College.” (p. 356)
[Over the years his ads were published in dozens more of this type of publication for the Western Reserve University, Oberlin College, and other schools. WSJ]

Ryder, James. F. “Reminiscence.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1887 (1887): 144-146. [“Away back in ’48 I found myself in a little village in Central New York, where a camera had never been seen or used before, and to the citizens of that quiet place it was as good as a brass band. The prominent lady of the place, whose husband was merchant and post-master, welcomed me to her house, gave me her parlor (the finest in the village), for operating room, rent free, and glad to have me at that—board, two dollars per week, payable in daguerreotypes, My little frame of specimens was hung upon the picket fence beside the gate, my clip headrest screwed to the back of a common chair, and the business of “securing the shadow ere the substance fade” (see handbills), was declared opened. The people came in throngs, the dollars rolled in right merrily; no business in town equaled mine. The good lady of the house was the possessor of a large cluster breastpin, which was kindly loaned to every female sitter that came, to the mutual satisfaction of lady owner and lady sitter; a great help to me as well, proving a capital point for aiming my focus. After the day’s work was done a saunter across the bridge and through the narrow path of the meadow, where was the pleasant odor of clover and the glad ripple of the brook, was my pleasure and my habit. The home-coming farmer gave me friendly greeting. The boy with torn hat and trousers rolled half way to the knee, as he fetches the cows from pasture, hails me with: “Take my likeness, mister?” The country lasses, shy and sweet, give a modest bow as they meet the “likeness man.” I was regarded with respect and supposed to be a prosperous young fellow. All were friendly and genial—save one. The blacksmith, a heavy, burly man, the muscular terror of the village, disapproved of me….” (Anecdote goes on to state that the blacksmith’s son drowns and he comes begging Ryder to take a post-mortem photograph of the child.) “…To describe his gratitude and kindness to me after that is beyond my ability to do.”]

Ryder, James F. “How Shall We Aim?” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS: AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS, 1887 (1887): 107-108. [“Nearly two score years intimacy with photography, together with the affection it begets by association and the pride it engenders from success (if the follower be true to himself and his calling),’should be sufficient to hold him from hesitation; but, Ike Marvel like, a man may sometimes muse through the clouds from his good pipe, or the haze which rises from the road that stretches into the past over which he has toted his burden. He may look aloft and alow, he may “cast about” and wipe his specs before pointing his camera. The grand aim shows him the best achievements of photography, wherein enter painstaking care, honest and faithful work, whose careful study proclaims a dash of art such as the maker may contemplate with satisfaction, such as the connoisseur may behold with pleasure and the patron may cheerfully pay for without haggling. That is conscientious photography. Ideal photography, perhaps, and possibly the fact of it—in the hands of some. The veteran may look back upon what seems to him, in his light, the best days of photography. The future he must regard with suspicion, and he hesitates to point his camera into it. The live photographer, the “hustler,” the young man of “marked enterprise” have done much toward killing good honest photography. They have cheapened it in a double sense; they have robbed it of its former status of respectability. The converting of quiet studios into manufactories, rushing sitters through by the score or hundred, grinding cabinets out by the thousand daily, at prices so shamefully low that quantity of production must represent profit, may be enterprise, but it is fatal to excellence. Few men pursue photography for pleasure alone. The money consideration, which until the past very few years has been fair, becomes now the problem. Shall the earnest, conscientious photographer throw himself in the midst of the struggling rabble with a dozen cabinets in one hand and the other outreached for a dollar? Let each man answer for himself. How shall we aim?” p. 108)]

Ryder, J. F. “Correspondence: Plush and Gold.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 17:278 (Jan. 14, 1887): 21-22. [Ryder defends his practice of elegant frames for his prints in the annual P.P.A. convention exhibition, apparently in response to what he felt was criticisms directed towards him for the practice.]

“Replies to the Open Letter Addressed to Gustav Cramer.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 17:301 (June 24, 1887): 326-327. [Letters from J. F. Ryder, Gayton A. Douglass, H. McMichael, George Eastman, each responding to the idea of opening the P. A. of A. conference and exhibition to the general public.]

“Three Hundred Magazines to One Man.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 24:302 (July 16, 1887): 436. [“Delving among our archives a short time ago, we found our first subscription book — just as we had completed what are equivalent to 25 volumes — 300 numbers of our magazine. Many pleasant and many sad recollections are called up by this small book. Sad, because many whose names are there are no more. Pleasant, because a number whose names are there still live, and still remain through all these years subscribers to our magazine. Among them are the following: E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., New York. G. R. Angell, Detroit, Mich. J. W. Black, Boston. C. Bierstadt, Niagara Falls. E. Bierstadt, New York. S. Fisher Corlies, Philadelphia. A. M. Collins, Philadelphia. F. B. Clench, then Lockport, N. Y. J. D. Dunn, Meadville, Pa. B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburg, Pa. G. A. Douglas, then Buffalo, N. Y. B. French & Co., Boston. F. Graff, Philadelphia. F. Gutekunst, Philadelphia. John G. Hood, Philadelphia. K. (now F. the son) Knecht, Easton, Pa. J. F. Magee & Co., Philadelphia. Wistar Morris, Philadelphia. A. McCormick, Oxford, Pa. Photographic Society of Philadelphia. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. E. D. Hilton, Danbury, Conn. Sidney S. Eider & Bro., Providence, R. I. Scovill Manufacturing Co., New York. L. W. Thornton, then St. Johns, Mich. U. S. Patent Office, Washington. U. S. Coast Survey, Washington. G. W. Weiser, Steubenville, O. B. W. Kilburn, Littleton, N. H. Many other galleries have continued to receive the Philadelphia Photographer from its first issue, but their proprietors have changed, and some are supplied through the dealers — an article that was rare when we started. We hardly dare hope to work together for another quarter century, but as long as we can, we mean to uphold the fair fame of the camera, its votaries, and The Philadelphia Photographer.”]

“Convention Notes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 17:310 (Aug. 26, 1887): 428. [“…There were forty-two entries for the Eastman cash prizes and 343 bromide prints exhibited in the competition. The awards are as follows:
Plain Enlargements. Class A.—$150 for the best collection of unfinished enlargements—J. F. Ryder, Cleveland; $75 for the second best collection of unfinished enlargements—Kuhn Bros., St. Louis. Class B.—$50 for the best unfinished portrait enlargement—J. F. Ryder, Cleveland; $25 for the second best unfinished portrait enlargement—Hulbert Bros. Class C.—$25 for the best unfinished enlargement from landscape or marine view negative—W. S. Bell, Pittsburgh. Contact Prints. Class D.—$50 for the best collection of contact prints— W. H. Walmsley.
Finished Enlargements. Class E.—$100 for the best enlarged portrait finished in black and white—J. Weber, New York; $50 for the second best enlarged portrait finished in black and white—J. F. Ryder, Cleveland; $25 for the third best enlarged portrait finished in black and white—J. C. Strauss, St. Louis. Class F.—$100 for the best enlarged portrait finished in color—J. C. Strauss, St. Louis. The Morrison prize of a set of wide-angle lenses to the best collection of work other than portraits, made with the Morrison lens, was awarded to C. D. Arnold, of Brooklyn, N. Y., for the excellent collection of architectural photographs made with the Morrison instantaneous wide-angle lens….”]

“Eighth Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 18:16 (Aug. 27, 1887): 500-510. [“Held In the Exposition Building, Chicago, Ill., August 9-12, 1887.
First Day.
The Convention was called to order by President Cramer at 11.30 A.M.
Mr. C. Gentile, Local Secretary, then introduced Judge Bradwell, of Chicago, as follows:…” (p, 500)
(Etc., etc.)
The Secretary then read the report, which was as follows. Report of the Committee on Foreign Exhibits at the German Photographers’ Convention.
Committee.-Mr. Fuller, of Scovill Manufacturing Company, New York; Dr. Elliott, Editor Anthony’s Bulletin, New York; C. Gennert, Chairman.
As chairman of the above committee I have the honor of reporting as follows. The prize pictures from last year’s convention of the P. A. of A. intrusted to my care were forwarded partly by freight per S. S. Gellert, and partly by parcel express to Braunschweig, where they arrived in due time, and were added to those already sent by the other members of the committee.
Among the exhibitors were the following gentlemen: Messrs Decker & Wilbur, Cleveland, O.; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.; Barker, Niagara, N. Y.; Cramer, St. Louis; McMichael, Buffalo; Dabbs, Pittsburgh; Gubleman, Jersey City; Guerin, St. Louis; Kirkland, Cheyenne, W. T.; Landy, Cincinnati, O.; Elton, Palmyra, N. Y.; Motes, Atlanta, Ga.
As you are aware, the work of the gentlemen just mentioned was sent in response to the invitation extended to American photographers by Messrs. Einlender, of Cologne, and Müller, of Munich, who had offered prizes for the best collection of photographs by foreign artists, the first prize being a beautiful bronze clock in handsome walnut case, and a handsome gilt cup for the next best exhibit. The manner of disposing of the exhibits sent to Braunschweig for competition will be fully understood by the following letter from Mr. Potter.
Indianapolis, Ind,, July 19, 1886.
Mr. C. Gennert.
Dear Sir,-Yours received. Please make it clear to our German friends that the exhibit sent them is their property, if they want it, but that they will allow the exhibit to be sent to London, Paris or Vienna should the societies in said cities so request. After that the exhibit is to be returned to the German society.
Please give my compliments to the German association in convention assembled. I know they will have a good time (all Germans do) and I hope they will get much practical good from their meetings.
Yours truly,
W. H. Potter.
The following rules were laid down by the donors of the prizes, and were published in the German and American photographic journals, with the request that the exhibitors should adhere to them as far as it lay in their power….” (p. 509) (Etc., etc.)]
“…When the time came for the judges to ex- amine the exhibits, they were greatly disappointed to find that only one of the competitors had adhered to the rules given above, and should the rules be strictly enforced all the others would be disqualified on account of their oversight.
After a lengthy discussion, at my earnest re- quest the judges decided to waive all conditions and award the prizes.
Messrs. Decker & Wilbur, Cleveland, Ohio, were awarded the first prize, and Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, second prize. The work of Mr. Barker, of Niagara, N. Y., was considered of such excellence by the judges, that upon their recommendation the society decided to add an additional prize, and a handsome silver medal was awarded to Mr. Barker.
The convention was held in the Egydien church, a spacious and well-lighted building. The space allotted to the American exhibit was one of the best, and, decorated with the stars and stripes, was the center of attraction for all visitors. No person left the convention without paying a visit to the American department, and expressing their pleasure at such a beautiful display.
Fraternally yours,
C. Gennert. (To be continued.)” (p. 510)]

Ryder, James F. “Killed by Overdose.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 17:311 (Sept. 2, 1887): 445-446. [Negatives, prints, etc., are destroyed by chemicals mixed too strongly. See Sept. 10, 1887 Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin for texts.]

“Pertaining to the P. P of A. Proceedings of the Chicago Convention.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 24:305 (Sept. 3, 1887): 531-533. [“Second Day. After considerable persuasion on the part of some of the attendants, who acted as missionaries amid the exhibits, an attendance of about two hundred gathered around the genial President and the Second Session of the Convention was opened at about 10 A. M. After several announcements had been made, Dr. A. H. Elliott read his paper on “A Search for a Substitute for Hypo,” and was followed by Mr. J. F. Ryder, who read a very practical paper on “Overdosing.” A communication from the dealers and manufacturers recommending a Biennial Convention was scarcely given a moment of fair consideration….” (p. 531) ]

“The Chicago Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 24:305 (Sept. 3, 1887): 533-536. [(Annual P. A. of A. exhibition.) “…One of the most cheerful lessons of the exhibition consisted in the great tendency to genre work — the rendering of the ordinary scenes of life by means of plain photography. This is the best and healthiest direction in which our art can grow, for the exercise which come* with it «is sure to promote the healthful increase of our aesthetic stature. And yet, cheered as we were by what we saw, we were compelled to the thought over and over again: how much better that would have been — how much nearer to the goal, if the clever artist had, after the conception of his subject, thought a little deeper as to the details of treatment. A “Judith” with a Colts revolver in her belt; a “Magdalen ” with a girdle made of trade dollars about her waist; a “Serenader ” in bare feet, and a “Convict in his Cell” in buttoned gaiters, are none of them in strict taste, not to speak of the male portion of “A Bridal Couple” leaning up against a pump with the better-half under a tree standing on a grass mat. And yet, even these last give evidence of thought, and whenever an artist thinks, he is, if he keeps plodding, bound to grow. A genre picture should be made to tell its tale tellingly, not pretentiously, much as a story should tell artistically what its author desires to impress upon his readers, and should always be natural. There were many pictures at Chicago which did this, which were fine in conception, rendered with care and always admirable in technique. We can only name some of them. Even this would do no good, except that the study of such pictures does good, and the list given will inform those ambitious to work in this direction where to obtain good studies. There were many excellent efforts not mentioned below, for we do not pretend to give a complete catalogue by any means, but the following attracted our attention and admiration: “The Serenader ” and “At Play,” by F. W. Guerin, St. Louis, Mo.; ” Man, Know thy Destiny,” by J. Landy, Cincinnati, O.; ” The Harpist,” by J. C. Strauss, St. Louis, Mo.; “The Bugler,” by H. Randall, Ann Arbor, Mich.; “The Maniac” and “The Old Hunter,” by Montfort & Hill, Burlington, Iowa; “Ye Printer,” by E. Long, Quincy, III.; “Servitude,” “The Old South,” and “The New South,” by C. W. Motes, Atlanta, Ga.; “The Old Potter at the Wheel” and “The Shoemaker and Child,” by Messrs. Knaff Bros., Knoxville, Tenn.; “The Tambourine Girl” and “The Young Artist,” by G. Cramer, St. Louis, Mo.; “Morning,” by Mr. Chas. Butterworth, Hamilton, Ohio, and “The Haymakers” and “The Vagabond,” by S. L. Stein, Milwaukee, Wis. Last, but not least, a magnificent collection by Mr. Oscar Suck, Carlsruhe, Germany, a gentleman whose work and name are well known to our readers. Of this last collection we shall have more to say when “Our Picture” appears shortly, showing one of Mr. Suck’s admirable subjects, “The Old Market in Carlsruhe.” Now, of the gentlemen named, only a few made any attempts at genre work three years ago. This year the results show advancement in art understanding; the ability to start a conception and the power to carry it out. It will be a happy day for photography when this tendency towards life delineations numbers hundreds among its ardent admirers and votaries. The careful observer at Chicago must have noticed too, how each man’s work seemed to be, nay, was, impressed with his own distinct individuality. The artist always shone through and from, as the light comes, but there was in each case an interference of character — of individuality — which made the pictures of one exhibitor look “different” from those of another. As an example, every one was struck with an admirable something which characterized the hundred or more genre pictures of Mr. Suck, the larger portion being of the peasantry of the varied and curious people who dwell in the German provinces. There was a gleam about the face and a clean-swept look about the draperies that made one feel that each subject was in his “Sunday best.” But it was not so, for anyone taking the trouble to look would see dozens of Mr. Suck’s “pet subjects” attending to their daily avocations in the “Market Place” pictures. The gleam of the faces was startled by Mr. Suck’s own cheerful magnetism, and the lovely technique of the pictures came from his artistic arrangement and skilful lighting. In viewing the large quantity of bust pictures at Chicago, one was also attracted curiously by the different methods of lighting adopted by the various artists.. This becomes much a question of taste, although the rule are as rigid as arc those of composition, One floods the light upon bead and face; one directs it in spots; another ma upon one side of forehead and part of the face, while another allows only a diffused Light to fall softly, creating almost a uniform tint over the whole picture. And last of all, the man of tender feeling so contrives to cover his faces and heads, with halftone, as to make the light appear to glow and even change as the observer changes his standpoint. Some of the vary best of studies in this particular line were shown by Mr. P. H. Rose, Providence, R. I. (notably his ” Old Lady,” “The Governor of Rhode island,” and the little airy maiden in a shepherd’s plaid), Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio; Mr. H. McMichael, Buffalo, N. Y; Mr. Scott, Chicago, Ill.; Mr. F . W. Guerin, St. Louis, Mo.; and Mr. A. J. Treat, San Francisco, Cal….” p. 535.]

“The Exhibit of the Manufacturers and Dealers.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 24:305 (Sept. 3, 1887): 536-542. [“…Eastman Prize Awards.
Judges: W. H. Potter, Indianapolis; E. Poole, St. Catharines; H. McMichael, Buffalo.
Number of entries, 42.
Prints exhibited, 343.
Plain Enlargements. Class A. — $150 for the best collection of unfinished enlargements, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland.
$75 for the second best, Kuhn Bros., St. Louis.
Class B. — $50 for the best unfinished portrait enlargement, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland. $25 for the second best, Hulburt Bros., St. Louis.
Class C. — $25 for the best unfinished enlargement from landscape or marine view negative, W. S. Bell, Pittsburgh…” p. 541.]

“The Pictures at Chicago.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 18:17 (Sept. 10, 1887): 513-515. [“J. F. Ryder of course had a very handsome collection. These were large pictures and filled with fine artistic feeling, in addition to being examples of the highest photographic skill. The large heads were exceedingly fine pieces of portraiture, with the finest effects in posing and modeling. It is impossible to give an idea of the work of this experienced and talented artist. His work must be seen to be appreciated. The picture of a lady, called “Her Portrait,” was an exceedingly fine production, full of life, fine artistic posing, and with a beauty in the subject that captivated all who saw it. Another fine picture was a large head, with a skull-cap on and a strongly marked profile, having a pen behind the ear, entitled “The Scribe.” It was a truly handsome piece of photographic work….” p. 515.
(Ryder was mentioned at least thirteen more times in the reports of this annual convention, including the statement on p. 548 that the exhibition judges would have awarded his entries the gold prize if he had not been disqualified because he won it last year.)]

Ryder, J. F. “Killed by Over-Dosing.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 18:17 (Sept. 10, 1887): 519-520. [“[Read before the Chicago Convention.] The uses and abuses of developing methods in general practice is my subject. I give my impression and my opinion more as an observer than as a handler. I do not expect to tell you anything new, but may attract your attention to my impressions in a manner to get some value if any be in them. The formation of the image on the negative plate and the positive paper are operations of such importance that we can hardly learn too much about them. First let us consider the negative. You all know that pyro is the developing agent (I say pyro, because it is almost universal in this country), and that the accelerator, whether it be ammonia, soda, or potash, is the power that sets the pyro at work. You understand that the pyro produces the intensity in lights, or the white parts of your image, and that the accelerator takes care of the dark parts by working up the lower shadows and giving detail and modeling through the lesser ones. You all have your formulas, which you believe in. It is not my purpose to disapprove of any one, but to caution you to a careful use of all. The exposed plate has an image on it. Possibly the image is a landscape, some parts of which lie in full light while another part falls in deep shadow; or a clump of heavy dark foliage occupies the foreground. Perhaps it is a room interior, which was dimly lighted; or the portrait of a person taken much in shadow. We are about to call that image into a palpable existence, to make a visible fact of it. In case of either of the above described exposures shall we take the usual formula of proportion, so much No. 1, so much No. 2, to so much water, as printed directions to be found in every package of plates says is proper? Dare we do it? I say do, if we care to find the best results. Now is just the time to go slow; the image can be better coaxed than driven. Take time, be patient, and get your reward. Understand you cannot get your density first and your details afterwards, but can first get your details and afterwards your density. It is always best to first lay the foundation and then erect the structure. Any builder will tell you that. One of the most valuable elements of a developer is water, and it is too little used; or, in other words, too little of it is used. Particularly for all plates of suspected under-exposure or of doubtful time, as well as for all large heads, a weak developer is required to start, and if found to want more strength it is easily changed by addition of pyro. Looking to the pyro for density and the accelerator for details, it is easy to understand by varying the proportions of these two elements almost any desired effect can be secured. The strong developer gives dense harsh results, while a weak developer gives soft and delicate effects, hence the value of more water. Remember the mild power is most effective for perfect results in developing. Don’t give heroic treatment at the start in any case. It often happens at the close of a day’s work with a big crop of negatives to develop, that the operator, anxious for supper, pushes the work too rapidly for safety. The next morning they are found coarse, harsh and muddy. They were killed from an over-dose. If the proprietor cares for the good name of his work, \he sitters must be recalled and retaken. Too much haste often spoils what a little patience would have saved. What I believe to be the best and safest method is to commence with the developer weak, and with the accelerator in excess of the pyro. As the development progresses and a want of more strength or density is discovered, pyro should be added to give it. To wear the same weight of clothing throughout the year, in cold and in hot weather alike, in a climate like ours would be reckless and inhuman, but no more absurd than to give all plates the same strength of developer. No man can give a formula for all plates and all conditions, but by care and observation all men who develop plates may learn to adapt proportion and strength of solution to the plate’s requirement. Now a word about making the image on the albumen paper. All printers know that silver makes the print; too many of them think the more silver used the better the print. As a rule, when anything is found to be wrong more silver is doused as a remedy. Where 40 grains of silver to the ounce of water is recommended by the albumenizer of the paper, who knows the proportion of salt used, and bases the requirements of silver upon that knowledge, the usual printer requires 60 grains. Just enough chemicals for plate or paper is better than too much. The tendency to over-dose is prevalent, and the results are similar upon plate and paper alike. In both cases the over-dose gives harsh effects; forms a crust upon the surface, preventing the gradual and perfect conversion through the film; clogs the shadows and flattens the lights. It is not unusual to see prints with the shadows and dark spots loaded with a bronzed mass and sometimes even a green fog from over-dose. Gold is also subject to the same abuse, being sometimes used so strong as to destroy rather than produce good tones. A little more knowledge among operators and printers of paper, and necessary conditions for successful work in their departments of photography, and a careful observance of the requirements, would greatly lessen the mortality list in plates and paper.”]

“W. H. Walmsley & Co.’s Prizes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 18:17 (Sept. 10, 1887): 525. [(Several prizes were awarded by manufacturers at the Chicago exhibition of the Photographers’ Association of America. Ryder won one of these prizes.) “First prize, consisting of a No. 2 Beck Lens, with the new Iris Diaphragm, awarded to J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. Second prize, consisting of a $60 Beck Lens fitted with new Iris Diaphragm, awarded to H. B. Warner, Holyoke, Mass.”]

“Pertaining to the P. P of A. Proceedings of the Chicago Convention. Continued.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 24:306 (Sept. 17, 1887): 546-557. [“Thursday – Evening Session. (Mr. Cross asked a question about development of negatives.) “…The President: …I would say for myself, in regard to Mr. Cross’s remarks about using too much alkali in the solution that it causes a haziness of plate, and if you “over-dose,” as Mr. Ryder calls it, will produce fog…” p. 547.]

Ryder, J. F. “An Argument in Favor of Association.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 18:19 (Oct. 8, 1887): 588. [“It is natural to look to the metropolis for the highest achievements of excellence in photography. For many years past I have freshened myself with pleasure and new resolutions upon the occasions of my visits to the entrance-way exhibits and the studios of the famous photographers of New York, It has been a help and a profit to me, as it has been to thousands of others who have taken the same free school lessons at the doorway. My last visit to New York was direct from the Chicago Convention exhibition, where what would be called Western work was greatly in excess. With that work fresh in mind I looked at the productions of men at the mention of whose names I have mentally taken off my hat. I looked this time without the enthusiasm of former visits. I speak without prejudice, without a hint of discourtesy, and with sincere regret. In my mind the standard of excellence has declined, and I believe it would profit the New Yorkers to attend the exhibitions of the Photographers’ Association. I do not mean this assertion to apply to all, but it will fairly include a number of the most prominent names in photography, men who look upon association conventions as hardly worth their while. What strikes me in this significant fact is the practical value of association; the advantage in progress of our art growing out of free interchange of ideas and friendly strife for superiority in exhibition. It has been subject of comment that many photographers from comparatively obscure localities have suddenly stepped into prominence from the excellence of their work. We will find, if we choose to look into the possible cause of such progress, that those men have attended the conventions with eyes and ears open, and their growth in skill is a natural consequence. We may all attend school to advantage in our art, not yet half a century old.”]

1888

Ryder, J. F. “Old Friend, Keep Young.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1888 (1888): 234-235. [“It is perhaps pardonable of the men who have been in photography so many years as to be known as veterans that they take pride in the distinction. It is natural that as pioneers they feel from long acquaintance with the familiar path a sense of superiority, and regard the younger class of photographers with indulgence, sometimes pity, sometimes contempt, for what he, the veteran, considers upstartism. That a young fellow should talk learnedly and flippantly in the presence of the old stager, lauding his own methods and the merits of his works quite unconcernedly of the O. S. and his early achievements, is liable to awaken indignation in the breast of the latter. That a comparative boy who was taking baby naps in his cradle while the other’s name was a household word as a prominent photographer should set up to teach things which had been practiced and forgotten years ago by the veteran seems like an impertinency. Why, this youngling had never buffed a plate, wouldn’t know a coating box if he were to stumble over it, yet his self-confidence upholds him in the idea of being a conspicuous figure in the profession. Thus museth the veteran and he waxeth wroth at the gall of the youngster. Come, old man, old friend, let us talk it over. Yes, I remember your portrait of David Wilmot, “old proviso.” I remember the three-quarter standing of Henry Ward Beecher, the full figure of Julia Dean, as Lady Gay Spanker, and the game of chess between a gentleman and his wife with the daughter looking on. They were truly fine pictures for early times. I know they were exhibited to admiring thousands and the papers were full of them, but that is a good while back. A man’s fame can not live upon daguerreotypes made thirty years ago. I don’t wish to call you an old fogy, or in any way brush you against the grain, but you can let old friendship stand as a guarantee that we may be plain without being offensive. The world moves and the man who lingers over works of the past, content with admiring what to him is perfection, and which in his mind will stand unequaled for an indefinite period is losing time, and while he halts some other fellow skips ahead. It is a great mistake to be content, or to grow old in whims or fogyism. To be progressive, to keep on your feet, and to keep your place at the front, there must be no waiting for others to beat what you have done; go ahead and beat it yourself. Don’t allow yourself to under-estimate the young man new to the work. Don’t hesitate to recognize a talent, a knack, an idea, or a method he may possess. Don’t lose a chance of learning a lesson from any source. Don’t fancy your education to be complete and your progress ended. Keep your mind young; be quick to adopt new methods. Bait your hook often. J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, O.”]

Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Ohio. “Bromide in Ours.” INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL OF ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN FOR 1888 (1888): 467. [“There seems no part of the process of photography of equal interest and importance as developing the negative plate. Although much talked of and written about, we are much at sea as to the best methods. We fancy we know many things, but we don’t always know as fully and as clearly as we might. It sometimes happens that we become impressed with the value-the special value of what we have held too cheaply before.
Recent experience justifies me in the belief that I had not understood the full value of bromide in the developer as a retarder. Some formulæ carry it, others do not. The popular idea is that except a plate be decidedly overtimed, and a dish of bromide be at hand to check it, there would be no use for it.
To my happy satisfaction I have become convinced it has a value, when properly handled, that has not been generally understood.
In the use of very rapid plates there has been much trouble, at least in my practice, in getting good printing negatives. The tendency has been a lack of vigor throughout, weak shadows, hazy plates, flat and smudgy, with coarse granular surface, the result of a too rapid or a forced precipitation in development. The effect was so like the occasional instances of forgetting to add acetic acid to the iron solution, in collodion times, that I resolved upon the introduction of bromide for regular use. I find by giving liberal time in exposure, and with bromide to restrain, the same plates which worked flat and hazy are made to give clear, crisp negatives with a silky bloom delightful to see. So bromide in ours is the rule now.
To the man who says tell us how much bromide. I can say, find out for yourself, there is no absolute rule. The car driver who twists the break tightens it according to the pitch of grade, he finds out by practice; you can do the same, but don’t overdo it. Commence easy.”]

“Catches from the Chicago Convention, by G. Cramer; John Carbutt; D. H. Cross; David Cooper; J. F. Ryder, and James Inglis.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1888 (1888): 61-68. [“(Written for Photographic Mosaics.)”
“1.-To Work Very Sensitive Plates
successfully, everything should be in the best working order. The dark-room, aside from being roomy, well ventilated, and having all the conveniences, should be perfectly tight, and the color of it inside, non-actinic. Colored paper used for the lantern or window will fade, and should be removed from time to time.
Examine dark-room, camera tablets, and lens at intervals, and see that your dishes are always clean, and everything convenient. Have your chemicals fresh and pure and well stoppered. Bear in mind the difference between chemicals of the same kind but in different form. For instance, sulphite of soda granular, is about twice as strong as sulphite of soda crystals. Carbonate of potassium is about equal in strength to dried carbonate of soda crystals, or sal soda as it is commonly called.
Guard against any trace of diffused light, too much exposure to the colored light while developing, or having the colored light too strong.
Use fresh developer for short exposures, and old developer (p. 61) for overtimed plates, remembering that old developer will produce more contrast and clearness; an addition of a little old developer or a little bromide of sodium will often prove beneficial. Mix old and new developer in proper proportions to suit the exposure. If very much overtimed, restrain by adding solution of bromide of potassium, and if undertimed, dilute the developer and do not try to force the development by adding an extra dose of alkaline solution, as this will only injure the plate. Observe that a developer, strong in pyro, produces strong negatives, and that the temperature of the developer and the quantity of alkali it contains is of great importance. If the developer is warm, or contains too much alkaline, it will fog a very sensitive plate. Keep the developer cool in summer, about 70° F. in winter, and in summer the strength of alkali should be reduced to one-half the strength used in winter.
If uncertain about correctness of exposure, start with developer diluted with plenty of water, so that you may see what the plate wants before it is too late. If you commence with a strong developer, the image will flash up at once and the negative may be spoiled before anything can be done to save it. If you commence with diluted developer you have a chance to change or modify the developer as the plate requires it. There are many points in developing to which a careful operator will give due attention, and the results will demonstrate that it is worth all the labor and study to thoroughly master the science of developing.-G. Cramer.
2.-Overdosing.
One of the most valuable elements of a developer is water, and it is too little used, or in other words, too little of it is used. Particularly for all plates of suspected underexposure or of doubtful time, as well as for all large heads, a weak developer is required to start, and if found to want more strength add pyro. Looking to the pyro for density and the accelerator for tails, it is easy to understand by varying the proportions of these two elements, most any desired effect can be secured. The strong developer gives dense harsh results, while a weak developer gives soft and delicate effects, hence the value of more (p. 62) water. Remember the mild power is most effective for perfect results in developing. Don’t give heroic treatment at the start in any case.
It often happens at the close of a day’s work, with a big crop of negatives to develop, that the operator, anxious for supper, pushes the plates too rapidly for safety. The next morning they are found coarse, harsh, and smudgy. They were killed from overdose. If the proprietor have a care for the good name of his work, the sitters must be recalled and retaken. Too much haste often spoils what a little patience would have saved. What I believe to be the best and safest method is to commence with the developer weak, and with the accelerator in excess of the pyro. As the development progresses and a want of more strength or density is discovered, pyro should be added to give it. To wear the same weight of clothing throughout the year, in cold and in hot weather alike, in a climate like ours, would be reckless and inhuman, but no more absurd than to give all plates the same strength of developer. No man can give a formula for all plates and all conditions, but by care and observation all men who develop plates may learn to adopt proportion and strength of solution to the plate’s requirement.–
J. F. Ryder.
3.-Soda Action.
I wish to say this one point on the matter of development. The point of having alkali is well understood, its nature and proportion, and of the developing agent of pyro; that has all been talked about. …” (p. 63) (Etc., etc.)]

“Editor’s Table.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 25:317 (Mar. 3, 1888): 158. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland sends us some amusing “Notes of the Brush,” which were published in the Leader. Mr. Ryder’s art galleries are the most extensive and popular in Ohio, and the resort of the best people.”]

“Notes and News. J. F. Ryder.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 18:339 (Mar. 16, 1888): 129-130. 1 illus. [(The illustration is a woodcut portrait of J. F. Ryder.) “It is almost forty years since he entered the Western wilderness, and steadily and surely he has kept in the van of every improvement elevating the art. When he came to Cleveland in 1850 the only method of likeness-taking was Daguerre’s primitive process, known as the daguerreotype. Mr. J. F. Ryder made as excellent daguerreotypes as mortal man could make, and he prospered and advanced step by step during the score of years his gallery was located in the old Merchants’ Bank building, upon the site of which now stands the magnificent Mercantile Bank. Thousands upon thousands of treasured portraits taken during these twenty years, and stamped with the name of “J. F. Ryder,” arc cherished in countless homes. They show the ever-rising excellence of the art, and each represents the finest type of finish possible at the time it was taken. For twenty years Mr. J. F. Ryder toiled in the humble gallery in the old Bank, daily making the name of Ryder better known to his townspeople, and gradually preparing for flight to more pretentious quarters. The appointed time came in 1872, and he removed to the finest establishment of its kind in America, and the art pivot of Cleveland. As is well known, it is situated at No. 239 Superior Street, and in no respect could it be improved upon for its particular purposes. Each of its departments is arranged as a separate division of the establishment, and altogether they form an art bazaar that has no equal. Here can be found art merchandise of all descriptions; furnishings for artists, supplies for students, choicest works of arts for private collections and household decorations. In the galleries have been exhibited from time to time the finest amateur and professional art collections ever shown in this country. The great show window of the establishment is a constant thing of beauty to all Cleveland. It has probably done more in a quiet way to arouse an interest in art than any other object in our city. Mr. Ryder has, however, always made it his particular aim to advance and perfect photography. He has personally introduced many improvements into the work, and has surrounded himself by artists of the highest skill. Naturally his work has become famous for excellence at home and abroad. Many times it has been accorded the highest honors, as shown by certificates and prizes, in our own country and in Europe. Mr. J. F. Ryder has made the name of “Ryder” synonymous with integrity and professional courtesy. The people realize that when the highest grade of photography is desired they can always depend upon finding Mr. J. F. Ryder the truest apostle of the art.—Cleveland Sun.”]

[Advertisement.] “Brown & Goldsmith’s “Success” Sensitized Paper Preservative.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 19:13 (July 14, 1888): n. p. [p. 11 of unpaged adv. section]
[Illustration of device.]
“This cut illustrates the apparatus that will do the work successfully.”
[“A Great Boon to Photographers. Patent Applied for. Simple, Reliable, Cheap.
The Success Preservative has made a grand record the past year. The following testimonials must convince the most skeptical of its merits.
From W. Knowlton, 335 Fourth Ave., New York City.
Brown & Goldsmith Gentlemen,-After the thorough test I have given
your Paper Preservative for the past three months I cannot say too much for it. My vocabulary embraces but a few of the superlative adjectives; so I will authorize you to use them all in its praise, and sign my name to it.”
From J. F. Ryder, 239-243 Superior St., Cleveland, 0.
Brown & Goldsmith: Dear Sirs,-Your Paper Preservative is a valuable means of accomplishing the desirable ends of paper saving, time saving and money saving. In my own practice I find it to be all you claim for it.
From Falk, 949 and 951 Broadway, New York City.
Messrs. Brown & Goldsmith: Gentlemen,-Your Preservative is voted a big success here, where for the past few months my printers have put it to a severe test, and found it to be all you claim for it. Next to the dry plate, it bids fair to rank as the greatest economizer of labor and material lately introduced to the fraternity; and if in the future it proves as satisfactory, its praises
will know no bounds.
Price 35 cents per can, or $2.00 per package of 6 cans.
Price 20 cents per box, small size, for amateur’s outfit.
The following houses are our principal depots:
C. H. Codman & Co., B. French & Co., Boston, Mass.
George Murphy, New York, N. Y.
Wilson-Hood-Cheyney Co., Philadelphia, Pa.
Sheen & Simpkinson, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Smith & Pattison, H. J. Thompson, Sweet, Wallach & Co., Chicago, Ill.
Mullett Bros., Kansas City, Mo.
Glen Photo Stock Co., Theo. Schuman’s Photo-Stock Depot, Atlanta, Ga.
James Douglass, Jacksonville, Fla.
S. C. Partridge, San Francisco, Cal.
H. A. Hyatt, J. C. Somerville, St. Louis, Mo.
S. T. Blessing, New Orleans, La.
For Sale By All Photo Stock Dealers.
Goldsmith & Moffitt, Sole Manufacturers, 374 Main St., Springfield, Mass.”]

“Exhibition of Photographs at the Minneapolis Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 18:358 (July 27, 1888): 349-351. [“As we have already stated, the exhibition of photographs at the Minneapolis Convention, while by no means as large as many similar collections of photographic work at these conventions in years previous, contained, nevertheless, a number of notable examples of the photographic art which well repaid the careful examination of the visitor. The work of many of the older members of the P. A. of A., such as Ryder, Scholten, and other familiar ones to the photographic fraternity, were sadly missed, and, for some unaccountable reason, the officers this year were conspicuous in the art halls from the absence of their photographic work. It was quite proper that they should not compete for prizes which their own association offered, but why they should not exhibit their work without competing was a question often asked, but unanswered, at the convention….” p. 349.
(Ryder apparently missed the P. A. A. annual convention held in Minneapolis in 1888.)]

“The Exhibition.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 25:328 (Aug. 1888): 467-471. [(“The Ninth Annual Convention and Exhibition of the Photographers Association of America was held at Minneapolis, Minn., July 10th to 14th, 1888 “…The pictures were tastefully arranged upon the walls of a series of small apartments, which made it very comfortable for the visitor. He could take his ease and comfort in the enjoyment of one course at a time without seeing before him long spread out, the long appetite-destroying whole repast. As one entered the first of these enclosures, on the right, hung the magnificent collection made upon the M. A. Seed Dry Plates. These were from various master photographers. The veteran ex-President and ex-everything which pertains to earnest photography, Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., was represented by a variety of subjects, which were admirable. The gem of his collection was “Mess 8,” a group of chivalry, naturally posed and splendidly caught. The best outdoor work was an iron bridge in construction, and the life-size portrait of Miss Potter was a marvel of excellence….” p. 468.]

Ryder, J. F. “Correspondence: Some ‘Business Methods.'” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 18:361 (Aug. 17, 1888): 394. [J. F. Ryder sends in two letters addressed to him from professional photographers asking him to make prints of his portraits so that they may display them as their own work.]

“Editor’s Table.” Another Oversight.” PHILADELPHIA PHOTOGRAPHER 25:329 (Sept. 1888): 540. [“We regret to say that, in our review of the exhibits at Minneapolis, we overlooked that of Messrs. W. H. Walmsley & Co., Philadelphia. The display of Beck lenses was the best made at the Exhibition, we believe. Among them was Beck’s New Rectilinear Portrait Lenses, with an aperture of/-4 and all the advantages of rectilinear lenses, combined with the Iris diaphragm. The beautiful pictures included in the Seed Dry Plate Co.’s exhibit (notably the large-size portrait of Miss Potter, and the Great Bridge by Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, O.), were all made with the Beck lenses. We have already given our opinion of these excellent photographs, and there can be but one opinion of the excellence of the lenses with which they were made. The Beck lens wins favor wherever it goes.”]

“Our Editorial Table.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 18:378 (Dec. 14, 1888): 599-600. [Review. “Twelve Photographic Studies” is the simple title of a collection of exquisite photogravures from photographic negatives. As is said in the advertisement, the collection includes two of H. P. Robinson’s best products, and a picture by John E. Dumont, which, perhaps, more than any other, won for him the recognition so an artist, which he now enjoys. Geo. Barker’s “Horse Race” is in a somewhat different line from what we are accustomed to see from this well-known photographic artist, but certainly is up to the best that Mr. Barker has done in any other direction. The “Child Portrait,” by President-elect McMichael, surely could not be surpassed; while J. F. Ryder’s “As Age Steals On,” and Falk’s “Portrait Study” make a couple that is all the stronger and more interesting by the contrast and relation which the subjects bring out. The “No Barrier” of Mr. F. A. Jackson is familiar to many who frequent exhibitions of amateur work. Its soft atmospheric effect, and the feeling of an early June morning which it conveys, makes it a very refreshing landscape to look at. All who attended the late Minneapolis Convention are familiar with W. H. Jackson’s magnificent “El Capitan.” Mr. Cowee’s “Surf” picture is also known as the winner of a prize in an exhibition of amateur work in New York. The collection is completed with the landscape of M r. J. J. Montgomery (so many years operator for the world-famous Mora), and a characteristic picture of boys by Geo. B. Wood, of Philadelphia. For particulars of binding, price, etc., we direct the interested reader to the advertisement in another column.”]

1889

“Correspondence. Extracts from a Letter from H. P. Robinson Concerning “Twelve Photographic Studies.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 19:385 (Feb. 1, 1889): 72-73. [“‘Ophelia’ is a splendid rendering of what I feared would be a difficult negative to deal with. It is better than the original. Mr. Woods’ ‘boys’ are capital, and so is Mr. Ryder’s ‘As Age Steals On.’ This I consider the best plate in the collection….”]

Conly, Mrs. “A Cook-Book, a Famous Photographer, and a Boston Housewife.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 20:3 (Feb. 9, 1889): 94. [“Some time ago our good friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, sent us a little cookbook, which was partly an advertising device and partly a very useful little compendium of receipts for the housewife. Mr. Ryder also sent a copy of the same volume to Mrs. Conly, the good wife of the well-known Boston photographer. The extracts from her letters which we give below are such thoroughly enjoyable bits of household philosophy that we thought they would interest those of our readers who are fortunate enough to be acquainted with the lady who penned them, she having kindly given her consent to their publication. To understand the situation it must be noted that Mr. Conly was assistant to Mr. Ryder many years ago and the friendship then formed is still strong between the families. In her letter acknowledging the receipt of the cook-book, Mrs. Conly says: “Mr. Ryder, you are the biggest friend in the West. I have an only brother in the West, but he never sent me a cook-book. He might send me ducks or grouse or some kind of wild hens, but it remains for you to fill my heart with gratitude by this gift of a book. I have a drawer full of cuttings from papers, all cooking formulas, and the moment I get an hour off or a Sunday at home, I cook and have a picnic. I ought to be a regular kitchen girl, but I have to drop my lofty ambition and stand behind a counter and say $8 a dozen like a parrot, instead of cooking up good things. Well, Mr. Ryder, I must be excused, for I want to read my new book. There isn’t any use; I’m going to cook something on Sunday or die in the attempt. The last attack I had I made thirty-nine tumblers of jelly, and have sent it to the sick people. They say it is good, but sick people are often weak mentally. I am going to make a Christmas pudding, and I am crazy to get about it right away.” Mrs. Conly made some Christmas puddings and sent one to Mr. Ryder, with the advice: “If there isn’t a competent doctor within easy running distance, you might have your regular medical adviser to dinner with you. I made one for my family, and if the journals come out with obituaries next month I will be the cause of it” Mr. Ryder says that he received the pudding and that it was “delicious to a dangerous degree.” When a lady as busy as Mrs. Conly can sit down and write so cheerfully about her household affairs, we think it should be an example to many others in a similar position. Lately she has been taking the place of the forewoman in Mr. Conly’s studio, this latter lady having been sick for many weeks with typhoid fever. In this connection, Mrs. Conly complains that she cannot get a good girl to help her and remarks: “They don’t seem to know that nice people need nice treatment.” The lady whose letters we have quoted from has always taken an active part in Mr. Conly’s work, as can witness many letters we have received from her pen; and the success of Boston’s well-known artist-photographer is probably due to the fact that he has such a good and happy helpmate. A man with a wife that is interested in his pursuits, and that can at the same time turn her attention to the cooking of a good dinner when necessary, is to be envied. For it is too true that the way to a busy man’s heart is by a good dinner. Slippers and smoking caps are pretty in their way, but a dinner well cooked, and the cook at the other end of the table, makes a man feel supremely happy.”]

“American Institute Photographic Section.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 20:12 (June 22, 1889): 376. [“Clinton Hall, 19 Astor Place, N. Y. Regular Meeting, June 4, 1889. President Newton in the chair. Communications being first in order, Secretary Mason read the following: New York, May 20, 1889. Photo Section American Institute, O. G. Mason, Secretary. Dear Sir:—We send herewith a photograph of Miss Ellen Russell, negative made by Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O., on our plate. Please accept it, with our compliments. Yours truly, M. A. Seed Dry Plate Co. The Secretary also read the titles of the photo journals and papers received since the last meeting, all of which were duly acknowledged by a vote of thanks. A special vote of thanks was tendered to Mr. M. A. Seed for his valuable contribution, and the Executive Committee was requested to give it a prominent place among other choice examples of photographic art that already adorned the walls of the Institute….”]

“The Editorial Table.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:7 (July 1889): 165. [The average illustrations of most of the photographic journals are not of much value as object lessons, and many of them are positively injurious, as they are regarded by many who know no better, as examples of what should be the highest aim of the photographer. When, therefore, we come across anything that we consider in the highest degree meritorious, such as the picture by J. F. Ryder, in Wilson’s Photographic Magazine of June, we like to direct attention to it. The picture is very aptly entitled, “The Future,” and possesses that dreamy, thoughtful look that fits the title admirably. Composition, light and shade, and expression are so perfect that the highly technical finish, so frequently objectionable in such work, is overlooked, or not noticed. We heartily congratulate both artist and publisher on the creation and publication of such a beautiful specimen….”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:349 (July 6, 1889): 349-351, [(“W. H. Irwin (Brandon, Ont.) photographed a mirage. Willis & Clements (Platinotype Co., Philadelphia, PA) views of nature, taken in England. C. F. O’Keefe (Fort Madison, IA) children’s portraits. C. Burr Marsh (Fayette, OH) cabinets. W. B. Corbett (J. Herstein Gallery, Nashville, TN) children’s portraits. C. W. Holloway (Newport, RI) portraits. F. S. Fowler & J. L. R. Minor (Thousand Island Park, NY) studio operating successfully. Edward T. Kelly, formerly of Boston and Nantucket, MA, died suddenly in New York, NY after a very brief illness. Followed the camera for forty years, known for his artistic landscape work. New firm of Ryder & Appleton formed by J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, OH and J. M. Appleton of Dayton, OH. Charles F. Butler, from Philadelphia, died in the Johnstown flood….” p. 349.]

1 b & w. (“The Future.” Studio portrait of a young woman.) opposite p. 385 in: “Our Picture.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:349 (July 6, 1889): 394-395, plus frontispiece opposite p. 385. [“The very pretty examples of portrait photography which grace our current number were—all posed and lighted the same — printed from six uniformly fine negatives generously supplied by Mr. J. F. Ryder, the veteran photographer of Cleveland, Ohio. Because of its peculiar pose and general characteristics it has been called “The Future,” though it was by no means made to carry out any particular idea or conception. It is just the portrait of one of our own charming American girls, who are taught to value their inward qualities as much as their exterior graces, and who look into the future confidently and hopefully, expecting to meet in due season
“A web of heavenly warp and earthly woof;
Affections twined and intertwined; gold threads
Wove, unwoven, and again rewove;
Links riveted, and loosen’d, and re-linked.”
Technically and aesthetically the photograph is a very effective study, such as Mr. Ryder has served to his contented patrons for many a long year.
Mr. Ryder has desired us to say that the negatives were made upon Mr. John Carbutt’s “Eclipse ’’ plates. Surely no more exquisite delicacy could be developed from a film than we find in these pictures.
Right here we add Mr. Carbutt’s new hydroquinone developer:
A.
Warm Distilled Water 20 ounces.
Sulphite Soda Crystals 4 “
Sulphuric Acid 1 drachm.
Hydroquinone . . 360 grains.
Potassium bromide . * . 30
Water to make up to 30 ounces.
B.
Caustic Soda in Stick 1 ounce.
Water to make 30 ounces.
C.—Accelerator.
Water to make 10 ounces.
Caustic Soda 1 ounce.
D.—Restrainer.
Bromide Potass. ½ ounce.
Water 5 ounces.
Developer.—Take of A one ounce, B one ounce, water two to four ounces—the first for instantaneous and short exposures, and the latter for time exposures. For lantern transparencies one ounce of A, one ounce of B, water four ounces, D a half drachm.
Mr. Ryder further writes us that the sittings of “The Future” were made by Mr. L. Richard Frank, now master of his own studio at Louisville, Ky. The prints were made by Messrs. Roberts (p. 394) & Fellows, 1305 Arch Street, Philadelphia, on the N. P. A. brand of Dresden albumen paper, imported by Messrs. E. & H. T. Anthony & Co., 591 Broadway, New York.” (p. 395)]

“Editors Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:349 (July 6, 1889): 416. [“A New Firm.—Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has associated Mr. J. M. Appleton, the well-known prize-taking photographer, of Dayton, Ohio, with him, under the firm name of J. F. Ryder & Appleton. It is a strong combination, and has the good wishes of every one.”]

“The General Council of the Photographers’ and Artists’ Mutual Benefit Association.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:350 (July 20, 1889): 440-444. [[Includes letters from concerned photographers: W. H. Albee, “Billy,” J. F. Ryder, H. McMichal, B. Frank Saylor, and the officers Abraham Bogardus, Frank E. Cady and P. S. Ryder.WSJ ]
] “Since the publication of a previous article on the new organization named as above, and by many called the “New Photographic Trust,” we have taken pains to investigate the subject as thoroughly as possible. We have heard from those who have become members, and from those who have not; we have interviewed some of the leading officers of the association, and we have been interviewed by a great many of our readers, who, in good faith, desire information. It is for the purpose of answering those who have inquired, and those who may inquire, that we have shaped what follows; and, in order that we may assure every one of our entire independence in the matter, we desire it understood that we have not become a member of the S. C. of the P. and A. M. B. A….” (p. 440) “
“Editor Wilson’s Photo. Magazine.
Dear Sir : In reply to yours of 2d inst. touching the Photographers’ Mutual Benefit Association, will say: Being satisfied its aim was an effort to benefit the price question, and rescue photography from the de-(p. 442) graded condition to which it has been dragged, I took membership with it. I am ready to encourage any and every honest means, as I believe this to be, to hold or to add to the respectability of an honorable calling. As I have given forty-one years of my life to the practice of photography, always holding to excellence in quality and fair prices, am not in sympathy with the so-called “hustler,” whose methods are the prostitution of our respected art.
In my own city of Cleveland, “the hustler’” is advertising 12 first-class cabinets and a fine life-size crayon portrait, in handsome frame, for $10.00. In our sister city of Cincinnati, the bright enterprise of what purports to be a respectable concern, gives 12 cabinets and a life-size crayon for $5.00. Other cities are similarly afflicted.
To expect anything like decent quality at such prices is absurd ; they don’t go together. To discountenance such prices and the parties who work under them, is the duty of all honorable photographers.
As I understand the work of the P. M. B. A. to be quietly done, I am not able to say in a general way what it has done. I am informed, on what I take for good authority, that at Akron, O., one of its agents in twenty-four hours broke up the club-peddling business and brought about a satisfactory adjustment of prices among all the photographers of that city. The agent and a prominent photographer of Akron met as strangers in my gallery, I introduced them, they went the same night to Akron. The next night the agent was back here, the work done. I mention this as an instance. How much benefit should be expected from the Association’s work I cannot pretend to say. I think the Association must grow, and with its growth come strength. Its influence will doubtless be felt more as time goes on. My good wishes are with it. Yours truly, J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, O., July 4, 1889.” (p. 443)]

Bogardus, Abraham, Frank Cody and J. S. Ryder. “Photographers’ and Artists’ Mutual Benefit Association.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 20:14 (July 27, 1889): 439.

“The Boston Convention.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:8 (Aug. 1889): 169-170. [“The great convention of 1889, the jubilee year of photography, has come and gone, and, we trust, left very much good behind. The proceedings commenced on Tuesday, the 6th inst., with an address of welcome by J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, Ohio, the first president of the association (see page 178), and were wound up on Saturday, the 10th, with a most enjoyable excursion down the harbor in the steamer New York. A professional engagement unfortunately prevented us from attending the convention, and so we must trust to our reporter for a detailed account of the proceedings, and criticism of the exhibits, both of which will appear in our next. From information already to hand, the convention seems to have been a very decided success, and in some respects much superior to any of the nine previous meetings. The display of work, as a whole, showed a marked improvement on previous years, Mr. G. Cramer making, according to our correspondent, by far the finest show in the galleries….” (p. 169)

Ryder, James F. “The Address of Welcome to the Boston Convention.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:8 (Aug. 1889): 178. [“Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: Twenty years ago in this hospitable city was held the first convention-exhibition of the National Photographers’ Association. The first meeting of an educational character held in this country, and the commencement of a progress in our art well understood by those who, as members, have profited by attendance. Now, after a lapse of two decades of swinging around the circle, we again return to the “Hub,” where, out of the rapid whirl, we may sit us down and measure our strength and our acquirements with each other, and as against ourselves a score of years back. A good number of the attendants of that former meeting are here again today to see, to hear, to note the mile-posts of progress as we pass them in review over the road we have left behind, and to aim the focus of good resolution upon the possibilities of the future. Another anniversary than that of our twentieth year of meeting is upon us-the fiftieth of the existence of photography as a practical art, and its gift to the world by the generous discoverer, Louis Jacques Daguerre. Fifty years, in which has grown from the little mirrored plate, carrying a dim, blue, uncertain image, the wonderful achievements of today, portraits from life direct, the size of life, in such state of perfection and truthfulness as has never been attained by any other means. In landscape the perfection of detail, texture and naturalness may be imitated by the painter’s brush, the graver or the etcher’s needle, but never equaled by them. In the world of science it has become a lever of strength such as has never before been applied or known. By its means the moon is brought down into our very hands, and we can examine its features as we could the face of a man. We record with its help the phases of eclipse, transit and other valuable phenomena of the heavenly bodies, and hold them as proofs and facts in astronomy which otherwise could not be shown. We bring the bowels of the earth and the bottom of the sea into our hands and before our eyes for examination. We catch the zig-zag lightning, the cannon ball in its flight; we are so much quicker than the limited express that we catch her on the run, showing (p. 178) the spokes of her drive-wheels as though they were standing still. In medical science, by its aid, the germs of disease are exposed and proven; the various stages of progressive disease are noted in the tissues and secured as valuable knowledge to the healers of ailments in man and beast. In the art preservative of arts” it plays an important part. The short cut from the camera to the stereotyped plate upon a cylinder press, by which means the important happenings of today may be shown in tomorrow morning’s papers, is a stride in methods much appreciated in this age of progress. I may say, the time is near when the wires which carry messages by electricity will also carry the photographic image from the camera of its birth to distant points, and it shall be possible for a sitting made in Cleveland to be transmitted by wire to Boston. I say from Cleveland, because the brain which has solved the problem and is engaged in perfecting the means is in that city. I must not take more of your time. To enumerate the facts and possibilities of photography would require the writing of a book. I am proud to have conferred upon me the honor and privilege of welcoming this convention to its annual meeting, and I do now, in the name of the Photographers’ Association of America and in behalf of the photographers of this city, give you most hearty welcome to Boston.” (p. 179)]

“The Exhibits at the Convention.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:9 (Sept. 1889): 197-199. [“It seems to have been generally admitted that the show in the picture or art department was hardly up to the level of some previous years, although there certainly was some very fine work on the walls, and that the exhibits by stock dealers and manufacturers were on a larger scale and of greater interest than ever before. The space at our disposal will not admit of anything like a complete survey, and we shall therefore notice only a few of the more prominent. The Eastman Company, as usual, both by their exhibits and their method of displaying them, attracted a large share of attention. The bromide enlargements were very fine. Some beautiful negatives on the new transparent film were much admired, as was the beautiful finish and construction of the various pieces of apparatus of their manufacture. Many will be glad to know that the popular Kodak may now be had for pictures 34 by 44 and 4 by 5. E. & H. T. Anthony & Co. made a large show which included several novelties. The Normandie camera with reversible back and the front focus Novelette are both excellent. A new adjustable negative rack, metal film carriers, economy rubber trays, and especially the Phantom tripod are likely to become favorites. The Scovill & Adams Co. had probably the largest exhibition in the hall, and in connection with it, it may be worth mentioning that on the second day of the meeting the entire lot was bought by C. H. Codman & Co., of Boston. Many new things and improvements on many of the old ones were on view and attracted much attention during all the time they were exposed. Smith and Pattison, of Chicago, made a fine display, the main feature of which was their burnishers, the fame of which is not confined to America, but has reached every place where advanced photographers are found. But while the burnishers justly commanded the premier attention, visitors did not overlook the many other useful appliances, including posing chairs, Scott’s album, that ought to be in every reception room, adjustable pedestals, etc. Altogether the exhibit was very creditable, and was surrounded by visitors constantly. Benjamin French & Co. had a fine display of their specialties, Voigtlander’s and Darlot’s lenses and numerous photographic and other appliances. The new wide angle rapid “Euryscope” is likely to become very popular, with an available working aperture of; it is rapid enough for any possible purpose. The Messrs. (197) French have justly become famous among the whole photographic fraternity. The Gundlach Optical Company had a fine exhibit of their justly popular lenses, of which they now make some fifty varieties, and each of the highest possible order of merit. The Gundlach in this country is rapidly taking the high place held in Europe by those of Ross and Dallmeyer. The Bausch & Lomb Company made also a fine display. Their lenses are coming rapidly to the front, and their shutter is in our opinion one of the best, if not the best, in the market. The work done by these lenses, both direct and enlarged, left absolutely nothing to be desired. Alvan Clark’s new lens also attracted much attention. Morris Earle & Co. made a fine show of the celebrated Beck’s lenses, and work done by them. J. F. Ryder’s picture of Mrs. Ella Russell was one of the finest things in the building. The Autograph Finder” seemed to meet with general approval. ” Allen Brothers, with one of the genial members of the firm in attendance, also attracted much attention. Their specialty is the Suter lens, and its capabilities were abundantly proved by much excellent work by McMichael, Guerin, Cramer and others. The Blair Camera Company were well to the front with a fine display of their well-known cameras and appliances. This company is still ahead of all other manufacturers in the fine finish and excellence of their cabinet work. Their “English compact reversible” camera is one of the most perfect instruments in the market. No better testimonial to the merits of the work of the firm can be given than the fact that it has a large sale in London in competition with that of Meagher & Hare, hitherto considered the best in the world. can convey a true idea of their beauty to those who have not seen them; and we feel certain that if those who are always crying for something novel would only give the positive films a trial, there are few customers who could not be induced to order a few copies, in addition to the usual dozen of silver prints. They also showed some very fine work made on their plates by Ryder, Falk, Guerin and others, and the beautiful varnish, noticed by us some time ago. We have employed it constantly since then on transparencies and positive films, and consider it the most perfect protection that we have ever handled. The father of American plate makers, John Carbutt, made also an exceedingly fine show of pictures taken on his plates, ordinary and orthochromatic, and his flexible films. Foremost among them were a number of panel portraits by Gutekunst; and of great interest were flashlight portraits of Kellar, the magician, and ‘Astarte,” the lady suspended in the air, one of his favorite illusions. There were also some fine Egyptian views by Berger. The flash-light pictures were, we understand, taken on the “Eclipse” plates. The exhibition of photographs, aside from those shown by the plate and lens makers, were, as a whole, disappointing, although, no doubt, there were some very fine specimens. The finest portrait work came from F. Müller, of Munich, and were, we think, in platinum, although at least one expert decided that they were on bromide paper. W. H. Jackson & Co., of Denver, were, as usual, at the very top of the tree in landscape, and George Barker, of Niagara Falls, was not a whit behind. His Florida jungles were magnificent specimens, and his interiors showed the master hand. The plate makers, as usual, made a fine show. G. Cramer had undoubtedly the best art display in the building. The pictures were made on the Cramer plates by such giants as Landy, McMichael, Jackson, Guerin, Rösch, etc., and showed, more than anything else in the exhibition, the capabilities of photography as a means of producing works of fine art. We understand that Mr. Cramer is about to undertake the manufacture of orthochromatic plates, under the personal superintendence of M. Boissonnas. The great attraction of the M. A. Seed Company’s exhibit were the exquisitely beautiful positives on their celluloid films. No description “” Dixon, of Toronto, showed his love for animals in several pictures of a dog that proved the existence of intimate sympathy between photographer and client, and the observation applies equally to his pictures of children. Irving Saunders, of Alfred Centre, New York, should be better known than he is; his work has the ring of true metal in it. ‘Papa, tell me a story,” was a beautiful thing. “1 Montfort & Hill, Burlington, Iowa, have very much improved in their particular line, but there is still room for further improvement in their composition. George Elton, Palmyra, New York, stands very high, indeed; so high as to be head and (p. 198) shoulders above most of his fellows. He is one of the very few true artists who see in the art of a picture something far more important than the technique. We know that objections have been made to his work because of “poor chemical effect,” but only by those who have not yet learned that the most perfect technical excellence, in the absence of artistic composition, guided by good taste, may make a good photograph, but not a picture. Relaxation,” Devotion,” and “John Anderson,” are worthy of all praise. 44 ” Rösch Brothers, of St. Louis, are also imbued with true art feeling, and show some excellent work. One good feature in their pictures is the subservience of technique to artistic quality; and we are persuaded that they will do still better on a future occasion. H. McMichael is always well represented and his Boston exhibit is no exception to the rule. He shows a good example that we hope to see largely followed in the future, by sending only five pictures, but every one is perfect. If we could control the convention, each exhibitor should be limited to half a dozen pictures. We might then fairly expect a really creditable exhibition, instead of having a difficulty in picking out the few gems from such a host of mediocre prints. J. Ryder, Cleveland, never shows a poor picture, and very seldom one that is not worthy of all praise. His Waif” ought to have sent the majority of the members home with determination to turn over a new leaf, and try and follow at some measurable distance, the lead so gloriously given. His new partner, Mr. Appleton, is not far behind, especially in a lady posed with her arm over a chair. Cleveland ought to be happy in the possession of two such artists. There will be no outcry against “cheap Johns” or amateurs in that quarter, we think. Those who can do such work never fear competition, and can command their own price. J. Landy, of Cincinnati, is also a “small show” man, but every one of his pictures is worthy of the reputation he has so justly acquired. J. L. Stein, Milwaukee, fully maintains his usual technical excellence, and what is much better, has lost a little of the vulgarity that was prominent in some of his former exhibits. His composition also is better, but there still is much room for improvement. If we exclude those, and a few others that we cannot spare room to mention, we have no hesitation in saying that the exhibition, as a whole, was a long way behind what it ought to have been, and what we hope the Washington exhibition will be. We would strongly urge our friends to limit themselves to at most six pictures, and see that each is not merely a perfect photograph, which is after all a small matter, but a genuine work of art as well.” (p. 199)]

“The Daguerre Monument Fund.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 19:413 (Aug. 16, 1889): 415. [“In this column we shall be glad to announce from time to time the names of those who have contributed one dollar to the fund. Every one is invited to contribute one dollar. All contributions sent to The Photographic Times will be acknowledged in this column, and the money sent on to the committee having the matter in charge. We start the list by printing the names of some of the first who contributed at the Convention. The Photographers’ Association of America, $500. J. F. Ryder, E. Long, H. McMichael, Mrs. Fitzgibbon Clark, …”]

“The Exhibition of Photographs at the Boston Convention.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 19:414 (Aug. 23, 1889): 419-423. [“First of all, it may be interesting to know who were the lucky winners of the Association medals, grand prize and special prizes. The grand prize— the bronze group of “Roman Wrestlers,” valued at two hundred dollars—for the best collection of three photographs illustrating Longfellow’s “Evangeline,” was awarded to J. E. and O. J. Rosch, of St. Louis. In class A, four gold medals for the four best exhibits in genre photography were awarded to O. P. Scott, Chicago; G. M. Elton, Palmyra, N. Y.; S. L. Stein, Milwaukee; and J. E. & O. J. Rosch, St. Louis. In class B, a gold medal was awarded to L. M. Baker & Co. of Columbus, O.; silver medals to J. H. Doerr, S. J. Dixon, W. Stuber & Bro., of Louisville; and bronze medals to D. R. Coover of Iowa City, Iowa, E. F. Hall, and A. N. Hardy, of Boston, for collections of portrait photography. In class C a gold medal was awarded to George Barker, of Niagara Falls, a silver medal to W. H. Jackson, of Denver, Col., and a bronze medal to Wilfred A. French. A silver medal was awarded to Henry G. Peabody, of 53 Boylston street, Boston, for the best collection of marine views. A silver medal was awarded to A. L. Bowersox for the best collection of architectural views. In class D a silver medal was awarded the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company. In class E a silver medal was awarded the Eastman Company for the best six plain enlargements. In class F a silver medal was awarded the same company for the best substitute for ground glass…”p. 419. “…A. Hall, of Buffalo—one of the younger photographers—made his first exhibit this year, and shows signs of great promise. His large portraits were all good, and the best of taste was shown in mounting. J. H. Ryder, of Cleveland, showed six figure pictures of the highest order, and G. M. Elton certainly deserved the gold medal which he received for his exhibit. His “Devotion” was especially fine. Henry G. Peabody made an excellent exhibit of marines, and Anschutz, of Pozen, showed some of his remarkable instantaneous effects of animals. There was a large display of bromide enlargements in competition for the Eastman prize, considerable improvement, as a rule, being shown in this class of work. Air-brush work was exhibited, and specimens of photo-gravure.” p. 421.
(Additional photographs by Ryder were displayed in a conjoint “Photographic Merchants’ and Manufacturers’ Exhibition at the Boston Convention.” and Ryder was mentioned five additional times in matters relating to the convention, to which he gave the opening address.)]

“Mr. J. F. Ryder’s Address of Welcome at Boston.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 20:16 (Aug. 24, 1889): 490-491. [ [Before the Boston Convention of the P. A. of A.]
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen,-Twenty years ago, in this hospitable city was held the first Convention-Exhibition of the National Photographers’ Association, the first meeting of an educational character held in this country, and the commencement of a progress in our art well understood by those who as members have profited by attendance. Now, after a lapse of two decades of “swinging around the circle,” we return again to the “Hub,” where, out of the rapid whirl, we may sit us down, and measure our strength and our acquirements with each other, and as against ourselves a score of years back. A good number of the attendants of that former meeting are here again today, to see, to hear, to note the mile-posts of progress as we pass them in review over the road we have left behind, and to aim the focus of good resolution upon the possibilities of the future.
Another anniversary than of our twentieth year of meeting is upon us-the fiftieth of the existence of photography as a practical art, and its gift to the world by the generous discoverer, Louis Jacques Daguerre. Fifty years, in which has grown from the little mirrored plate, carrying a dim, uncertain image, the wonderful achievements of to-day. Portraits from life direct, the size of life, in such state of perfection and truthfulness as has never been attained by any other means. In landscape, the perfection of detail, texture and naturalness may be imitated by the painter’s brush, the graver or the etcher’s needle, but never can be equaled by them.
In the world of science it has become a lever of strength such as has not before been applied or known. By its means the moon is brought down into our very hands, and we can examine its features as we would the face of a man. We record with its help the phases of eclipse, transit, and other valuable phenomena of the heavenly bodies, and hold them as proofs and facts in astronomy which otherwise could not be shown.
We bring the bowels of the earth and the bottom of the sea into our hands and before our eyes for examination. We catch the zigzag lightning, the cannon ball in its flight. We are so much quicker than the limited express that we catch her on the run, showing the spokes of her drive-wheels as though she were standing still.
In medical science, by its aid the germs of disease are exposed and proven; the various stages of progressive disease are noted in the tissues, and secured as valuable knowledge to the healers of ailments in man and beast.
In the “Art preservative of Arts” it plays an important part. The short cut from the camera to the stereotyped plate, upon a cylinder press, by which means the important happenings of to-day may be shown in to-morrow morning’s papers, is a stride in methods much appreciated in this age of progress. (p. 490)
I may say, the time is near when the wires which carry messages by electricity will also carry the photographic image from the camera of its birth to distant points, and it shall be possible for a sitting made in Cleveland to be transmitted by wire to Boston. I say from Cleveland, because the brain which has solved the problem and is engaged in perfecting the means, is in that city. I must not take more of your time. To enumerate the facts and possibilities of photography would require the writing of a book.
I am proud to have conferred upon me the honor and privilege of welcoming this convention to its annual meeting, and I do now, in the name of the Photographers’ Association of America, and in behalf of the photographers of this city, give you most hearty welcome to Boston.” (p. 491)]

“Pertaining to the P. A. of A.: The Boston Convention and Exhibition.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:353 (Sept. 7, 1889): 513-543. [(Extensive, detailed report of the P. A. of A. annual meeting. “The Exhibition of Manufacturers and Dealers,” pp. 513-518. “The Photographs,” pp. 518-521. “Tenth Annual Convention, Boston, MA. Aug. 6-10, 1889, Introduction,” by J. F. Ryder, pp. 521-523. “President’s Annual Report,” by Pres. McMichael, pp. 523-524. Nominating Committee and Judges recommendations pp. 525. A. Bogardus displayed a daguerreotype of Daguerre, taken in Paris in 1846, a daguerreotype view “The Courtyard of the Covent of Lydda, in Syria,” taken in 1839 by Joly de Lotbinniere, was also displayed and a portion of his son’s letter describing this event is printed, on p. 527. Business, attempt to start a fund to create a statue of Daguerre, pp. 528-529. Papers read: “Transparent Films,” by G. D. Milburn, pp. 529-530. Commentary by John Carbutt, pp. 530-531. Alvin W. Clark, optician, builder of astronomical lenses, talked on pp. 533-536. Convention business, pp. 537-539. A. Bogardus discusses the Photographers’ and Artists’ Mutual Benefit Association, pp. 539-541. Judge Cady, council for the Association, pp. 541-543.)]
[“Semi-Centennial Celebration of Photography.
Tenth Annual Convention of the P. A. of A., August 6 to 10, 1889.
Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association Building, Huntington Avenue, Boston, Mass., August 6, 1889.
The Convention was called to order at 11 A.M. by PRESIDENT McMichael.
President Mcmichael : Ladies and Gentleman—It is our good fortune to have with us this morning our mutual friend, the first President of the Photographers’ Association of America, who will welcome you to the Tenth Annual Convention of this Association, and to the First Semi-centennial of Photography. I take great pleasure in introducing Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio. .
Mr. Ryder: Mr. President, Gentlemen—Twenty years ago in this hospitable city was held the first convention—exhibition—of the National Photographers’ Association, the first meeting of an educational character held in this country, and the commencement of a progress in our art, well understood by those who as members have profited by attendance. Now, after a lapse of two decades of “swinging around the circle” we return again to the “Hub,” where, out of the rapid whirl we may sit us down and measure our strength and our acquirements with each other, and against ourselves a score of years back.
A good number of the attendants of that former meeting are here again to-day, to see, to hear, to note the mile-posts of progress as we pass them in review over the road we have left behind, and to aim the focus of good resolution upon the possibilities of the future.
Another anniversary than that of our twentieth year of meeting is upon us. The fiftieth of the existence of photography as a practical art, and its gift to the world by the generous discoverer, Louis Jacques Daguerre. Fifty years; in which has grown from the little mirrored plate, carrying a dim, uncertain image, the wonderful achievements of to-day — portraits from life direct, the size of life, in such state of perfection and truthfulness as has never (p. 521) been attained by any other means. In landscape, the perfection of detail, texture, and naturalness may be imitated by the painter’s brush, the graver or the etcher’s needle, but never can be equalled by them.
In the world of science it has become a lever of strength such as has not before been applied or known. By its means the moon is brought down into our very hands, and we can examine its features as we would the face of a man. We record with its help the phases of eclipse, transit, and other valuable phenomena of the heavenly bodies, and hold them as proofs and facts in astronomy which otherwise could not be shown.
We bring the bowels of the earth and the bottom of the sea into our hands and before our eyes for examination. We catch the zig-zag lightning, the cannon-ball in its flight. We are so much quicker than the limited express that we catch her on the run, showing the spokes of her drive-wheels as though she were standing still.
In medical science, by its aid the germs of disease are exposed and proven ; the various stages of progressive diseases are noted in the tissues and secured as valuable knowledge to the healers of ailments in man and beast.
In the “Art preservative of arts ” it plays an important part. The short cut from the camera to the stereotyped plate upon a cylinder press, by which means the important happenings of to-day may be shown in to-morrow’s morning papers, is a stride in methods much appreciated in this age of progress.
I may say the time is near when the wires which carry messages by electricity will also carry the photographic image from the camera of its birth to distant points, and it shall be possible for a sitting made in Cleveland to be transmitted by wire to Boston. I say from Cleveland, because the brain which has solved the problem and is perfecting the means, is in that city.
I must not take more of your time. To enumerate the facts and possibilities of photography would require the writing of a book. I am proud to have conferred upon me the honor and privilege of welcoming this Convention to its annual meet, and I do now, in the name of the Photographers’ Association of America, and in behalf of the photographers of this city, give you most hearty welcome to Boston. [Applause.]” (p. 522) (Etc., etc.)
“…President McMichael : The report of the Committee on Nominations is in order. Secretary Scott then read the following report :
Boston, August 7, 1889.
Mr. President and members of the Convention :
Your Committee appointed to nominate officers for the ensuing year, begs leave to submit the following names:
President, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.
First Vice-President, O. P. Scott, Chicago, Ill.
Second Vice-President, W. G. C. Kimball, Concord, N. H.
Secretary, H. McMichael, Buffalo, N.Y.
Treasurer, G. M. Carlisle, Providence, R. I. W. H. Robey,
George Barker,
W. G. Entrekin,
F. W. Guerin,
S. J. DIxon,
Nominating Committee….” (p. 525) (Etc., etc.)
“…Dr. Eliot : I am strongly in favor of a statue or memorial of Daguerre, but we must not forget that we have got to put it somewhere. We cannot carry it around in our pockets. A Member: How would the Central Park of New York do?
Dr. Eliot : I would be perfectly well satisfied with that. I would like to have it (528) there. That is a good place. But some would like to have it in Chicago.
Mr. Ryder: In response to the question of Dr. Eliot, I would say that I have two places in my mind where a tablet to the memory of Daguerre could be very appropriately placed, I think. First, the city of Boston, being the place of our first meeting, and being the city in which we hold our semi-centennial meeting—a city that has been very kind to us. It has a Common that would hold very creditably such a tablet. I would suggest the city of Boston. Next to that, the city of Washington. All that can be determined by your committee. I do not think we would find it necessary to carry it around in our pockets from city to city, or anything of the kind. I think it is a matter of sufficient gravity not to be treated as a matter of fun, exactly. I think there is something in it, and I would like to see it carried through….” (p. 529) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Burbank: I would like to ask if contributions for the Daguerre fund will be acceptable from the amateur photographers of the country 7
President McMichael: I presume they are acceptable from anybody.
Mr. Ryder: As the maker of the original motion, I have in view that this should be opened to everybody—to the amateur, to the admirer of the art, to everybody who is interested in the art and its discovery. I should not consider it good policy to debar anybody who is willing to contribute.
Mr. Ryder. My idea in starting this movement was to erect a monument to the discoverer—the original discoverer of photography. There are many men to whom we owe for more recent discoveries, but my idea pointed to the original one. I feel a conviction that we had better not embody too much. These others we can remember at another time. I think that we may be detracting from the object a little in taking anyone else into it. That is my idea. (Applause.)…” (p. 538) (Etc., etc.)

“Pertaining to the Boston Convention and Exhibition.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 26:354 (Sept. 24, 1889): 545-546. [“Fourth Session. — (Continued). Thursday, Aug. 8, 1889. (Continued from page 543.) President McMichael: Tomorrow morning these gentlemen will please come upon the stand so we can see who they are. If there is nothing more under the head of new business, we will proceed to the election of officers for the ensuing year.
Mr. Ryder: I came to Boston to see my old friends and to attend this Convention, and being nominated or elected to any office was no part of my business here. I have, unsolicited and unknown to myself, been put upon the ticket for an honorable office. I feel honored and complimented, but beg you to excuse me. I withdraw my name, and leave it to some of the younger men.” (p. 545) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Ranger : Mr. President, I feel a little bit stunned all after the gentleman who has preceded me. I wish to take the remarks which he has made and apply them to the gentleman who has been placed in nomination; and with equal force to apply them to a name which I shall present to this Convention. I nominate Mr. J. M. Appleton, formerly of Dayton, Ohio.
Mr. Ryder: I feel honored in that, as well. I am here to vouch for Mr. Appleton as a man well suited to the position, and I ask all those who would naturally have given their strength to me, to devote it to Mr. Appleton.
Mr. Cramer : I move you that the nominations be closed. Motion seconded and carried. Messrs. Guerin, of St. Louis; Dixon, of Toronto ; and Motes, of Atlanta, Georgia, were appointed tellers. A suggestion was made that both candidates sit upon the platform, but it was ascertained that Mr. Appleton was not in the hall. Motion to adjourn was made by Mr. Ranger.
President McMichael : The ballot stands: Mr. Appleton 115, Mr. Scott 69, Mr. Hastings 4. You have elected Mr. Appleton as your next President. (Applause )
Dr. Eliot : I move that we make the election unanimous. Motion was seconded and carried….´(p. 546) (Etc., etc.)]

“Words from the Watch-Tower – Photography and Fine Art.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:10 (Oct. 1889): 219-220. [“I remember, in the long, long ago, of hearing or reading a story, to the effect that a little boy on his way from school was asked as to his position in the class, and he replied that he was second dux. The question, how many are in the class? was then put, and the answer was, “me and another lassie.” I had thought that in the idea that whether a picture was a work of art or not, depended on the method of its production. Mr. J. W. Stillman was a school all by himself until I saw in the September Beacon an extract from the meanderings of a Miss Lucy Crane, which revealed the fact that there is at least “me and another lassie” in the case. Miss Lucy says “a photograph contains all the elements and material of a picture; but for want of selection, combination, composition, and the action of a human mind and soul on the material, it is not (p. 219) a picture.” It is evident that Lucy’s acquaintance with photographic possibilities is very limited. If, before she again mounts the rostrum, she will take the trouble to examine the works of Rejlander, Mrs. Cameron, Robinson, McMichael, Ryder, and a few others equally well known, her ideas will be modified, her knowledge increased, and her authority as a teacher a little more worthy of consideration….” (Etc., etc.) Watchman,” (p. 220)]

“Notes. Americans at the Paris Exposition.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 1:11 (Nov. 1889): 242. [“American photographers have come well to the front in the great show, as the following extract from the prize list in class 12 will prove:
Grand Prix.-United States geological survey.
Gold Medals.-George Barker, Niagara Falls; Eastman Dry Plate & Film Company, Rochester, N. Y.; Henry Rowland, Baltimore, Md.; University of California, Berkely, Cal.
Silver Medals.-Louis Alman, New York; Baldwin Coolida, Boston, Mass.; F. W. Guerin, St. Louis, Mo.; D. R. Clark, Chicago, Ill.; John A. Scholten, St. Louis, Mo.; Stein, Milwaukee, Wis.; H. Tabor, San Francisco, Cal.
Bronze Medals.-James Landy, Cincinnati, Ohio; Lafayette W. Seavey, New York; Ernest Marr, Plainfield, N. J.; Society of Amateur Photographers of New York; Thors, San Francisco, Cal.
Honorable Mentions.-I. H. Beall, New York; B. Bloch, Brooklyn, N. Y.; G. C. Cox, New York; Lloyd, Troy, N. Y.; Smith & Pattison, Chicago; J. F. Ryder, Cleveland; G. B. Wood, Philadelphia, Pa.”]

1 illus. (“The City of Cleveland, Ohio. Drawn by Harry Fenn, from Photographs by J. F. Ryder.”) on double page 896-897 in: “The City of Cleveland.” HARPER’S WEEKLY. A JOURNAL OF CIVILIZATION 33:1716 (Nov. 9, 1889): 896-897, 902.

“Photography at the American Institute Fair.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 19:426 (Nov. 15, 1889): 564-566. [(Review of exhibition. Photographers discussed: Jeramiah Gurney; Frederick Gutekunst; Gustav Cramer (St. Louis, MO); W. H. Jackson; H. McMichael; J. F. Ryder; Stein (Milwaukee, WI); Wilhelm (NY, NY); Charles D. Fredericks; Geo. Rockwood; Parkinson; Dana; Hall (Brooklyn, NY); various manufacturers and dealers.) “We regret once more to report that photography has not the representation at the American Institute Fair which it should have. In fact, there is no improvement in this particular over the several years preceding. About the same photographers exhibit from year to year, and reap all the benefit of the exhibition. Many prominent and excellent photographers seem to lack the enterprise necessary to place the best specimens of their work where they may be seen and admired by the general public. The Fair authorities offer them every facility and excellent quarters, but still they continue to remain out. Those who do exhibit, however, make displays that are well worth seeing….” “…Gustav Cramer of St. Louis, the well-known manufacturer of dry plates, shows, by the very beautiful collection of photographs which he makes, what can be accomplished on the Cramer plate. The best photographers of the United States are here represented. There are a number of life-size heads, especially, of unusual excellence. Unfortunately, however, no names are attached to these pictures, so that we do not know to whom praise is due. There are Rocky Mountain pictures, by Jackson of Denver, in this exhibit; also genres, by McMichael. The large heads of Ryder of Cleveland and by Decker of the same city, as well as the collection of boudoirs by Stein of Milwaukee, combine to make this exhibit a notable one….” p. 565.]

1890

[Advertisement.] “The Latest Acme Cabinet Print Trimmer.” INTERNATIONAL ANNUAL OF ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN FOR 1890 (1890): adv. section p. 121.
[“ To see your Print Trimmer work is to buy it.-J. F. RYDER, Cleveland, O
[Woodcut illustration of the device]
Price, $12.00. Special sizes to order $1.00 extra.
Made in two sizes, No. 1, 3¾x5⅜ inches; No. 2, 3⅞ x6 inches.
NO MORE BADLY TRIMMED PRINTS.
It saves time heretofore spent in trimming prints, and does the
work in the most accurate and perfect manner. The Acme Print
Trimmer is self-sharpening, always in order, and in five minutes
does the work of an hour the old way. Cuts many thicknesses as
well as one. Just the thing to cut out enamels. Used and endorsed
by the leading photographers, Send for circulars.
For Sale by all Stock Dealers.
MANUFACTURED BY
THE ACME BURNISHER CO.,
FULTON, N. Y. ]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:363 (Feb. 1, 1890): 94. [“A fine picture of Mr. J. F. Ryder, with his baby grandson in his arms, has been sent to us by that well-known veteran. It is the most beaming likeness we have seen of our old friend and is excellently taken. It is subject matter for thought too-a substantial commentary on the growth and prosperity of our art. The young scion of the third generation looks as self-assertive as he is sweet, and no doubt he can already spring a Kodak on his grandpa-at least it is very evident that the grandpa is wholly captured.”]

Ryder, J. F. “Correspondence: The Daguerre Memorial Design: A Criticism.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 20:439 (Feb. 14, 1890): 79. [Ryder, who originated the movement in the USA to build a Daguerre monument, criticizes the design. (I believe the monument is outside the Library of Congress in Washington, DC.)]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:365 (Mar. 1, 1890): 159.
[A Good Employer.-In ordering Burnet’s Essays and books A, B, and C of our big offer, Mr. Otto Doehn, operator for Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, writes: “Through the kindness of Mr. Ryder (my employer) I have had the pleasure of reading your valuable magazine for over four years. With that and the books I select, why should I not ‘improve each shining hour?'”]

Austral. “The Virtue of Bromide in Development.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:366 (Mar. 15, 1890): 177-178. [“There are very many workers in dry plate photography, and, for that matter, makers of dry plates too, who hold to the belief that the use of one or other of the recognized restrainers generally employed in development in America, viz., bromide of potassium or soda, is only necessitated when over-exposure is known to have occurred. Of course this is undoubtedly, perhaps its chief function. But those, like Mr. Thomas Pray, Jr., who have made a close study of development in its more scientific domain, know a little beyond this, and have a further appreciation of the virtue of bromide than its one-sided purely restraining action. That practical worker in photography. Mr. J. F. Ryder, ever thoughtful of the younger workers in their difficulties-and so wholly different from many professionals of “high standing,” owning fashionable studios, and who selfishly keep to themselves all they do know of photography-brought before the notice of your readers in an article some time ago, under the title “Bromide is Ours,” the intrinsic merits of bromide. What Mr. Ryder had to say on the subject led me more closely to take note of the specific effect of employing bromide in the development, and to closely watching the manipulations in our daily routine of dark-room practice. I have arrived at the fixed belief that, without a goodly proportion of bromide, it is an impossibility to produce the very highest class of printing negatives possessing that brilliancy and snap which, whenever obtained, sends the enthusiastic and diligent worker into a seventh heaven of ecstasy. …” (p. 177) (Etc., etc.)
“…We have no faith in the hit-or-miss style of pushing development. I should be pleased to know if these ideas of mine concerning bromide are held by any of your readers, and especially would I like to hear if Mr. Ryder has anything further to say on the matter.
By the way, are any of your readers troubled with a tendency toward hardness whenever they turn the face of a sitter toward the source of light?…” (p. 178) (Etc., etc.)]

Words from the Watch-Tower.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 2:4 (Apr. 1890): 76-77. [“Many jokes have been made as to the good time coming when photographers of the “you press the button, we do the rest” kind might, by the simple turning of a crank, produce photographs by the dozen or gross, according to their requirements; and no doubt that class will be glad to learn that the advent of the wonderful piece of apparatus appears to be nearer than the most sanguine could have expected. Mr. Friese Greene, whose notions in this direction were noticed on page 26 of the first volume of The Beacon, has taken council with Mr. Mortimer Evans, a civil engineer, and the result is an exceedingly ingenious “machine camera,” in which, by the simple turning of a crank I hope the word is not ominous-a continuous series of three hundred photographs may be made at the rate of “a large number” in a minute. The camera in its external dimensions measures 8 by 9 by 94 inches, and contains an arrangement of shafts, levers, cams, wheels, springs, etc., so arranged that a roll of sensitive film is wound from one roll to another, passing over an exposing plate on which, notwithstanding the continued movement of the rest of the machinery, it remains stationary during the fraction of a second necessary for the exposure. The exposing shutter consists of two slotted plates moving in opposite directions, the slots of which admit the light, the quantity of which can be regulated at will, within limits, when they are opposite each other. By this means the inventors expect successfully to photograph long streams of street life, the formation and dissipation of cloud forms, the natural movements of animals, etc., and exhibit them with all the appearance of life and reality in the zootrope or other similar instrument, by which they can be projected on the screen. Indeed, Mr. Greene’s ambition soars far higher than that, as he aims at uniting the phonograph with the zootrope and making the figures speak for themselves, and by coating the faces with certain solutions of the “sympathetic ink” genus, hopes, by the heat of the lantern, to make them blush at applause, or turn green with jealousy at its absence. What has become of the art instinct of the photographic fraternity? I have watched and waited for some sensible criticism on the proposed Daguerre. Memorial, but, except for the very sensible letter of J. F. Ryder, which (p. 76) I, have watched and waited in vain. I have no very high opinion of the art instincts of the fraternity, as a whole, but surely the works of the upper ten” have not been flukes, but the outcome of intention and culture. Why, then, are they silent while such an outrage on artistic taste, as the proposed tombstone by way of a Daguerre Memorial surely is, is in progress? Can it be that both sculptor and committee are in sympathy with the views of Peter Dow, as expressed in recent numbers of The Beacon, and that the one has designed and the other accepted something that shall give expression to that opinion? If so, they have succeeded admirably, and at the same time furnished a text for the future cicerone of the Smithsonian. It is not too great a stretch of imagination to suppose him holding forth in a style something like this: This, ladies and gentlemen, is a stone sacred to the memory of Daguerre, erected by the photographers of America in 1890, and intended to be historically emblematical of his rise and fall in public opinion. The pedestal, with medallion of Daguerre, represents the time when he, acting on the suggestions of Niepce, communicated and sold to the French government a very imperfect process, now long ago forgotten -a method of taking pictures on a silvered plate. The novelty of the thing was so great, the real originator was dead, and the people were so easily pleased, that although he broke faith with the government, and the impracticable process was only made practical by the improvements of others, he was honored as the sole inventor and founder of a new branch of science, and an industry that should spread over the whole earth. But by and by a time came when the process of another inventor, which had not been announced with such a flourish of trumpets, although its announcement was simultaneous with that of Daguerre, altogether superseded that of the silvered plate, and has continued to be practiced to the present day. “* “America was slow to recognize this at first, and continued to worship her idol after most other countries had honorably rendered unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar’s. But she, too, had to accept the universal opinion, and raised the globe above him, as an indication that the whole world had at length agreed to keep him down to his proper level. To still further carry out the symbolical teachings, the laurel wreath, originally wound round Daguerre, had been partially removed, and added to, so that it might be carried round the globe, showing that the photography of the then present day could not be fairly credited to any one individual, but had been contributed to by the experimentalists of every clime.” But be this as it may, I believe that the committee really want to honor the memory of Daguerre, and in that I am heartily at one with it; but it shows either folly or ignorance of the historical facts to speak of him as the Father of Photography. As one of the pioneers of that beautiful art and enormous industry, a memorial of some kind would be a fitting tribute; but surely something more suitable than the proposed tombstone-like design could be selected. A modest pedestal, with the best bust that could be made, would’ answer all the requirements, probably cost less, and not be to future generations a standing memorial of the bad taste of the committee of the Photographic Association of America of 1890. Last month I felt constrained to slightly damp the patriotism of my good friend, the editor of the American Journal of Photography, in his desire to give to America the honor of inventing the changing box, the practical outcome, at least, of which belongs to George Hare, of London, England. And now, like the good physician who loves his patient, but is, at the same time, constrained to give him an unpleasant dose, must again find fault with his ancient history. The journals of the present must be the main reliance of the future historian, and, therefore, it is the duty of all concerned to see that they are as nearly as possible correct in their facts. The editor of the American Journal of Photography says: “The discovery of alkaline development is due to the labors of Mr. Anthony in conjunction with Mr. Eugene Borda, one of Philadelphia’s old-time amateurs.” Of course I would be very glad if we could honestly claim such an important step in the photographic ladder; but alas! facts are against us. I am far away from my “commonplace book” while I write, but I think if I could turn to the page on which that matter is entered, I would find it credited to Major Russell, whom Mr. Anthony and Mr. Borda followed at a pretty long distance. Watchman.” (p. 77)]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:369 (May 3, 1890): 288. [“’Little Jack Rides His Old Gray Horse,’ is the title of a picture recently sent us by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of himself with his baby grandson poised astride the grand paternal neck. It is a fine study of hands, old and young, and little Jack is carefully taken. He is gradually getting “up top” in the Ryder home, and is already a most aspiring, bright-eyed young artist.”]

“Daguerre Memorial Fund.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 21:9 (May 10, 1890): 281. [“To the Editors of Anthony’s Bulletin.
I send you a copy of the list of names of those who contributed one dollar to the Daguerre Memorial Fund at the Boston Convention. It has just been sent me by Mr. O. P. Scott, of 2220 Indiana avenue, Chicago, Ill.
Mr. Scott says
if he had the address of each one he would send him a receipt.
H. McMichael.
In view of the statement of Mr. Scott we gladly acknowledge the amounts through our columns.-Eds. of Bulletin.
J. F. Ryder, George H. Hastings, H. McMichael, J. M. Appleton, O. S. Scott, G. H. Fowler, J. H. Plecker, J. Henry Doerr, E. Long, M. Ames, J. P. Dixon, E. P. Park, George Barker, E. J. Pullman, W. A. Webster, George H. Van Norman, William H. Mowry, Seth C. Jones, E. B. King, E. Dicker, J. B. Pelgriff, W. Irving Adams, George Ayres, Sweet, Wallach & Co., Frank A. Stinly, George Knowlton, H. G. Peabody, E. B. Conait, G. Cramer Dry Plate Works, E. C. Dana, J. E. Rosch, S. P. Wells, F. W. Geurin, J. C. Somerville, J. W. Bryant, George Murphy, H. S. Wier, C. Bolnell, Jr., George Hein, M. A. Seed & Co., D. H. Barker, J. S. Schindler, C. O. Lovell, F. Scheidel, Elmer Chickering, A. S. Southworth, William Shakespeare, G. W. Law, S. L. Schultze, C. S. Stuart, G. Cramer, George H. Chace, Charles A. Wright, Eldridge Stanton, W. H. Burbank, for American Amateur Photographer; Arthur A. Glines, Alfred A. French, Colonel Wilcox, Irving Saunders, E. A. Gilbert, Dr. A. H. Elliott, P. S. Rider, A. B. Costello, G. Gennert, W. I. Lincoln Adams, Alm Bros., Hyatt, W. S. Davis, G. W. Histed, W. Stuber & Bro., J. Carbutt, E. B. Ives, Mrs. Fitzgibbon Clark, Rungton Bros. (2), Ginnelli, W. H. Allen, Alfred Hall, Mr. Benjamin French, Mrs. Benjamin French, Wilford French, A. C. Austin, Alfred M. Costello, Albert H. Pitkin, E. C. Fisher, G. H. Norton, Hetherington, W. E. Edmonds, John Ban of Philadelphia (name blurred).”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:370 (May 17, 1890): 319. [“Twenty-Three Prizes have been awarded Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, for superiority in his portraits.”]

“Editorial Notes.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 21:10 (May 24, 1890): 292.
[“J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, sends us a print from negative of Rhea in “Josephine” at the opera house there, made with the King flash lamps. The lighting is good.J’]

1 b & w (“New York. – Alfred Wilkinson, who is soon to wed Miss Winnie Davis”) on p. 392 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 70:1812 (June 7, 1890): 372. 1 b & w. [“Photo by J, F. Ryder.”]

1 b & w (“The Garfield Memorial.”) and 3 b & w (Views of crowds at unveiling ceremony) on p. 396 in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 70:1813 (June 14, 1890): 396, 398, 402. 1 b & w. 3 iIIus. [Statue of General Garfield in Cleveland, crowds at ceremony. “Photos by J, F. Ryder.”]

6 b & w, 1 illus. (“Ohio. – the Hotels, Buildings, Business Blocks and Industrial Interests of the City of Cleveland. From Photos and Sketches.”) on p. 405; 3 b & w (“The Arcade, Cleveland”) on p. 406; 5 b &w, 1 illus. (“Ohio. Some of the Representative Industries and Industries of Cleveland – From Photos and Sketches”) on p. 407 in: “The City of Cleveland…. A Photographer of National Fame.”) in: FRANK LESLIE’S ILLUSTRATED NEWSPAPER 70:1813 (June 14, 1890): 404-407. [This short biography was imbedded within the larger composite article featuring aspects of Cleveland, Ohio; with text blocks about different subjects each having its on subheading. The fact that Ryder was the only photographer so discussed suggests that the illustrations of the buildings and industrial plants were provided to the magazine by him. The biography was reprinted without changes in the June 27, 1890 issue of the Photographic Times.]

“Notes and News.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 20:458 (June 27, 1890): 312. [“A Photographer of National Fame. One of the fore-most photographers of the United States is Mr. James F. Ryder, of No. 239 Superior Street, Cleveland. Mr. Ryder came to Cleveland in the year 1850, and being progressive and thoroughly devoted to his art, was quick to adopt every suggestion of improvement. Having such a spirit, added to native intelligence and capacity, he of course achieved eminent success. He was the first to introduce in the United States the art of retouching negatives, having brought from Germany artists especially skilled in that branch of work. In 1872, in connection with his business of photography, he opened an art store and gallery which has acquired a national reputation. He has the finest establishment of the kind in Ohio, and his work is found in all parts of the Union. He was the first president of the Photographers’ Association of America, and he has taken, in this country and in Europe, twenty-three prizes for superiority in portraits. Frank Leslie’s Weekly.”]

*“To the Photographers of America.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 2:7 (July 1890): 153-154. [“At Boston, last year, the Photographers’ Association of America, at the suggestion of the veteran photographer, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, sought to do honor to Daguerre, the father of photography; the honor to take form in a memorial in granite, bronze or like substantial material, and of such appropriate design and cost as would do credit to American photographers and be of interest to the country whose citizens we wished to remember; and that it be placed in the Smithsonian Institution, or grounds at our national capital. To this end a committee was appointed, consisting of the Executive Committee of that year. The suggestion that it be completed and placed in time for our next convention at Washington, D. C., was generously received. The committee went to work to carry out the wishes of the association in the way they thought most effective and most likely to meet the approval of all. The popular sum to be paid by each contributor was $1. Upon this basis we prepared eighty books of one hundred receipt blanks and stubs each, and placed them in the hands of the sub-committees to work as they best could, the task of filling them being a comparatively light one, if handled with a fair degree of enthusiasm, and, as you see, would realize the sum of $8,000. This would only be receiving the support of about one-third of those engaged in photography in this country. The committee in good faith approved and adopted a design, and contracted for a work of art, neat and appropriate, at a cost of $6,000; a less sum than was thought easy enough to raise. We feel confident that when completed it will meet the approval of all, and be an agreeable surprise even to its most ardent admirers; for we can assure you that none but an artist of merit and ability has been employed to do this work, and one who is recognized as among the best in the metropolis of our country, namely, Mr. J. Scott Hartly, of New York. We have helped to urge forward this work, making it one of the attractive features for our next convention. The funds have not all been raised yet, hence we make this appeal. We judge that you all realize the fact that the association is responsible for the payment of this contract, so it behooves us all, as its members, to come forward (p. 153) amount be raised. Cannot we lay aside our petty differences, and work together for the good of a common cause? We have been hindered much (by the apathy and indifference shown on the memorial work) in our convention work this year, yet we feel it is not too late, if all come forward, to carry it through to a grand success. We owe this much to our association, which is just coming into its days of usefulness. Then don’t let discord arise and destroy all this work of years, for which so many have labored so hard.. And to those who have not yet done so, the sum, it seems, is so small that almost everyone connected with the business could and would be willing to give $1 to help this very commendable work along, and show your appreciation of the man who has handed down to you so beautiful an art. Any of the journals or stock houses are authorized to receive these dollar subscriptions, so send along at once. And to the dealers and manufacturers -as there is nothing that counts like a personal appeal give your traveling salesmen, who meet the photographer, a book, and set them to work, and in a short time more than enough could be realized to insure all. Will you all, in the name and for the sake of our association, go at it? And we shall see one of the best conventions it has ever been our pleasure to attend. Fraternally yours, J. M. Appleton.” (p. 154)]

Appleton, J. M. “To the Photographers of America.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 21:13 (July 12, 1890): 409-410. [“At Boston, last year, the Photographic Association of America, at the suggestion of the veteran photographer, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., sought to do honor to Daguerre, the father of photography, the honor to take form in a memorial, in granite, bronze, or some like substantial material, and of such appropriate design and cost as would do credit to American photographers and be of interest to the country whose citizens we wished to remember, and that it be placed in the Smithsonian Institution or grounds at our national capital. To this end a committee was appointed, consisting of the Executive Committee of that year. The suggestion that it be completed and placed in time for our next Convention at Washington, D. C, was generously received….” (p. 409) (Etc., etc.)]

Appleton, J. M. “To the Photographers of America.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:374 (July 19, 1890): 417-418. [“. At Boston, last year, the P. A. of A., at the suggestion of the veteran photographer, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., sought to do honor to Daguerre, the Father of Photography, the honor to take form in a memorial, in granite, bronze, or like substantial material, and of such appropriate design and cost as would do credit to American photographers, and be of interest to the country whose citizen we wished to remember, and that it be placed in the Smithsonian Institution, or grounds, at our National Capital. To this end a committee was appointed, consisting of the Executive Committee of that year. The suggestion that it be completed and placed in time for our next Convention at Washington, D. C., was generously received.
The committee went to work to carry out the wishes of the Association in the way they thought most effective and most likely to meet the approval of all. The popular sum to be paid by each contributor was one dollar. Upon this basis we prepared eighty (80) books of one hundred receipt blanks and stubs each, and placed them in the hands of the sub-committees to work as they best could. The task of filling them would be a comparatively light one if handled with a fair degree of enthusiasm, and, as you see, would realize the sum of eight thousand dollars. This would only be receiving the support of about one-third of those engaged in photography in this country….” (p. 417) (Etc., etc.)]

“Value of Art Education. Importance of Teaching Children to Appreciate the Beautiful.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 2:8 (Aug. 1890): 172-173. [“We have again and again expressed the opinion that the status of photography will not be raised and photographers will not attain the position to which they ought to be entitled till they become artists in fact as well as in name, and that that desirable consummation will not be reached till the people generally are trained to a higher appreciation of the true and beautiful in art.
Suppose that it were possible by some incomprehensible means to convert every photographer in the land from a mere maker of photographs to a true photographic artist and place them on the same plane with Ryder, McMichael, Gutekunst, and others of the same class who are artists de facto, and get paid accordingly; how long would that condition of matters continue? Only so long as it took for hundreds to build new galleries all over the country and rush into a business in which, with little capital, less knowledge and a few weeks’ practice, pictures good enough to please an uncultured and untrained public can be produced and yield a profit, even at low prices, greater than can be realized in many other branches of trade. This being the case, it will be evident that the first step in the elevation of photography is the art education of the people. But in art, as in many other departments of education, dealing with adults is up-hill work, and those who would succeed must begin with the children. The keynote of the crusade against this unsatisfactory state of matters was in our opinion, sounded by Ada M. Laughlin, in a paper read at the national convention of teachers in St. Paul, a paper worthy of careful study by all who have . at heart the progress and perfection of the American Nation:…” (p. 172) (Etc., etc.)]

“Answers to Correspondents.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 2:10 (Oct. 1890): 250. [“….R. M.-The scrolls and fancy backgrounds are pretty and cleverly introduced, but they are in very bad taste. They would do well enough to decorate cigarette boxes, but nothing that would attract the eye from the figure should be introduced, either on the mount or the background. Leave accessories severely alone till you learn how to employ them advantageously; and then you will use them but sparingly. Never mind the works of those who cry out about low prices and abuse amateurs, but carefully study those of such men as McMichael, Ryder, Landy and others of that class….”]

1 b & w (“’Little Jim and His Old Grey Horse.’ By J. F. Cleveland, O. Phototype by F. Gutekunst, Philadelphia.”) as frontispiece in: “Our Picture.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 27:380 (Oct. 19, 1890): frontispiece, 626-627. [(James F. Ryder and his grandson.) “The family group which graces our number this time forms a historical picture. The subjects are Mr. James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., and his little grandson, Master James Ryder Brennan. The scene represented by the group is one of those happy ones liable to occur in all well-regulated households where there is a baby and a copy of the good-old-time “nursery rhymes.” As will be seen by the beautiful lines underneath the picture, “Little Jim and his old gray horse,” are enjoying a “Ridey trot, trot, to Banbury Cross,” and they both seem to be enjoying the journey with all their might. Is it not a pleasing commentary upon the growth and advancement of our art to see one of our veterans, so long practised in the art of baby-catching, now presenting himself as decidedly caught (though in no tender harness), and so willing to submit to whichever way the little tyrant upon his back may drive him. “Banbury Cross,” we all know, is good English for anywhere (p. 626) and everywhere-wherever the imperious horseman may take it into his little head to coax, cajole, and drive “the old gray.” Already he has learned to draw a focus upon his grandpa, and we heartily wish that the happy partnership may long continue. It will not take us long to write a biographical sketch of little Jim. He was exactly six months old when this celebrated “ride” was taken “to Banbury Cross.” As to grandpa, more labor is entailed for his biography. Born in Ithaca, New York, April 25, 1826, he commenced the daguerreotype business in the fall of 1847, in that pleasant village. He was apprenticed to Mr. A. M. Watson. In 1850 he visited Cleveland, Ohio, and found employment with Mr. Charles E. Johnson, one of the noted daguerreotypists of that day. He afterward succeeded Mr. Johnson, and has grown up with the city of Cleveland. Everybody knows him, and with all art-lovers he is deservedly popular.
The negative was made by Mr. J. M. Appleton, at the Ryder studio in Cleveland. Mr. Appleton was a partner with Mr. Ryder in the photograph business in Cleveland for a year. He is well-known as the president of the P. A. of A. The very appropriate verses by Mr. Heinrich were written for this occasion. Mr. Heinrich is a litterateur, and an amateur photographer as well, and is a resident of Boston. The phototype prints were made by Mr. F. Gutekunst, of Philadelphia. We believe that all our readers will be glad to possess this spirited group, as well as to have so excellent a picture of our veteran friend, whom thousands personally know.” (p. 627)]

1891

“Notes and News.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 21:491 (Feb. 13, 1891): 82. [“The James F. Ryder Company has purchased the business heretofore known as “J. F. Ryder’s Gallery of Art and Photography,” and it will continue the business at the same location-239 Superior Street, Cleveland. J. F. Ryder is President; F. S. Jennings, Vice-President; Thomas Hughes, Secretary, and Thomas Natt, Treasure of the new company.” (p. 82)]

“Correspondence. Early Photographers of Lightning.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 21:499 (Apr. 10, 1891): 82. [“To the Editor of The Photographic Times.
Dear Sir: In your last issue is a note about early photos of lightning being made in 1877 by an Englishman named Sarman, and another one made fifteen years before that date by Guenther, of Berlin. Permit me to add a much earlier date than these. While in Cleveland, and transacting some business with Mr. J. F. Ryder, photo artist, I had occasion to visit Chicago, Ill. This was in 1856. I had to call upon Mr. Hestler, then proprietor of one of the leading galleries in that city. During my visits to his place I observed hanging upon the wall of his reception room a large daguerreotype plate of lightning, framed. My recollection of it now is that it was taken by himself, remarkably clear and distinct, and one which I have never since seen surpassed nor even equaled. How much earlier it was taken before I saw the picture I have forgotten. Mr. Hestler is, I think,
“Above ground still,
Revisiting the glimpses of the moon,”
and doubtless he will tell us if called upon,
Respectfully,
Chas. Fontayne.” (p. 177)]

“Editors Table. The J. F. Ryder Co.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 28:392 (Apr. 18, 1891): 254-255. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, the well-known photographer of Cleveland, Ohio, has united with the material comprising the working force which he has had for some years past in forming the above-named company. Mr. Ryder is President; Mr. John F. Jennings, Vice-President; Mr. Thomas Natt, Treasurer, and Mr. Thomas Hughes, Secretary. Mr. Ryder says: “My object was to make these gentlemen feel more personal interest, and to secure better service and economy.” Men will always work better with the feeling that something of the profits it theirs. We trust that another result of this combination will be that our old friend will not hereafter be tied so closely to business to the injury of his health.”]

“Editors Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 28:394 (May 16, 1891): 320. [“Consolidation and incorporation seem to be the order of the day. Only a few weeks ago we announced that Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, had incorporated a company to carry on his business under the title of the J. F. Ryder Art Co., and now we hear that a similar change has been made in the business of Mr. W. H. Jackson, of Denver, Colorado, which will hereafter be styled The W. H. Jackson Photograph and Publishing Co. The new corporation has our best wishes.”]

“On the Increase.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 22:10 (May 23, 1891): 316. [“In the World’s Fair City new galleries have sprung up so rapidly of late that one can hardly keep track of them. And in every instance the last one seems to spare no expense to outdo all former efforts. The other day a gentleman who has visited nearly all the first class galleries in the country, said to me, “Have you seen W. G. Root’s new gallery?” I replied, “No, I did not know that it was completed.” He said, “Yes it is, and open for business, and it is a beauty too, one of the finest in the country.” On visiting the place I found the gentleman’s statement to be correct. Mr. Root commenced business eighteen years ago, under the guidance of J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, in whose employ he was for four years, which probably accounts for his systematic business methods. Since he left Mr. Ryder he has had the honor of being with Pool, of Nashville, for six years and Brand, of Chicago, for four years. His new gallery is located on the seventh and eighth floors of the Kimball Hall building, 243 Wabash avenue,…”]

[Advertisement.] “Twenty-three Prizes for Superiority in Photographic Portraits have been awarded James F. Ryder, 239 Superior St., Cleveland, O.” OBERLIN REVIEW 18:38 (June 30, 1891): suppl. p. 4.

Ryder, J. F. “Backbone.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 21:512 (July 10, 1891): 338.
[“While looking for a nickel we found a dime.
It came in this way: In the course of some experiments with retarding agents we stumbled upon a compound which not only retards but imparts a soft and silky delicacy to the negative quite unexpected-as retarders are generally producers of harsh effects. Having found the key to the new power, we varied proportions with it by adding more or less with the pyro until we found it possible to overtime sittings to extravagant extent, and by use of “backbone ” in stiff quantity, to have negatives timed fifteen seconds, when three seconds would have been sufficient. We have proven to ourselves that the addition of this retarder to the developer in regular work is a wonderful advantage, the advantage of control, to define, to give both brilliancy and softness.
Use it with your pyro as you do sugar in your coffee, in such quantity as suits your taste; you will soon find by trial when it is right. It is always good. It is particularly good to save over-timed exposures, and it is excellent in making dense negatives, such as copies where strong density is required.
To a normal developer of pyro and sal soda this restraining solution is to be added in quantity to
be governed by the effect desired to be gained. To the bulk of made developer may be added backbone from 3 to 20 per cent.
No claim is made of discovering this formula. It was published in the Scientific American some time ago, and recommended for developing black and white negatives for process printing:
Formula.
Bromide potassium.. 3/4 ounces
Water. … 61/2 ounces
Dissolve.
Iodine… 15 grains
Alcohol.. 61/2 ounces
Dissolve.
Mix the two solutions; use as described.
J. F. Ryder.” (p. 337)]

“Photographers’ Association of America, 12th Annual Convention, Buffalo, N. Y., 1891. First Day—Tuesday Morning, July 14, 1891.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 22:14 (July 25, 1891): 440-448. [(Essentially the same statement is reported on p. 450 in the August 1, 1891 issue of Wilson’s Photographic Magazine.]

“Photographers’ Association of America, 12th Annual Convention, Buffalo, N.Y., 1891.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 22:14 (July 25, 1891): 440-448. [“First Day-Tuesday Morning, July 14, 1891. at 9 A.M., more than a quorum being present, the Convention was called to order by President Hastings, who in opening the proceedings said: Ladies and Gentlemen, Members of the Photographers’ Association of America, -I feel very proud in having been called upon to preside over your deliberations, and to call this meeting to order….” (p. 440) (Etc., etc.)
“…At the Boston meeting, Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, proposed that we erect a memorial to Daguerre. A resolution was passed at that time, and the Executive Committee of that year was appointed to erect a memorial, with the instruction that they should have it completed, and ready to unveil at the Washington Convention. It was a very short time to erect a suitable memorial to such a man as Daguerre, but, the Committee did the very best they could, and just at the time that the meeting was held in Washington the memorial was put up in time to be unveiled at that Convention. The memorial was unveiled and accepted by the Association with a vote of thanks; and it seemed to satisfy everybody as to its being the finest work of art that there was in Washington. We had some difficulty in raising funds, and at that time there was about $2,000 raised. There has been, up to this time about $3,300 paid on the memorial, leaving about $2,700 due. The Committee have done all that they possibly could to raise the money, but as it is, in all cases of that kind, it has been very hard work to raise money to erect a memorial to a man that is dead and gone….” (p. 441) (Etc., etc.)]

“The Buffalo Exhibition. The Exhibition of Photographs.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 21:515 (July 31, 1891): 377-379.
[“ The Exhibition of Photographs,
as we stated last week, was not so large as many previous similar exhibitions, nor so varied in interest, but the work shown was of a very high average of merit. The photographs were mostly large portraits and genres, indeed we noticed but two exhibits of cabinets. This is undoubtedly the result of the system of offering prizes from year to year by the association. Its tendency has been observed for several years, but never was the error of offering so many medals for certain classes of work so conspicuously manifested as this year at Buffalo. Another conspicuous thing concerning this annual exhibition of photographs is the fact that about the same photographers every year receive the medals. The obscure country photographer has little inducement to compete, and whether justly or not, considers that he has little chance of winning a prize. The exhibitions as a consequence have been running more and more in one direction, until this year at Buffalo the climax was reached. There was a great sameness throughout the exhibition. Only four tried for the grand prize in the Elaine competition. The large landscapes of Mr. Jackson, of Denver, without figures, and the English landscapes, with figures, by H. P. Robinson, of England, were perhaps the most notable features of the exhibition. There were some excellent portrait work also from abroad. The remainder of the pictures were creditable specimens of large work by the usual exhibitors at these conventions.
Following is the list of awards:…” (p. 377) (Etc., etc.)
“ The Exhibition of Apparatus
was also lacking in interest, and was very small. The manufacturers and dealers who have made exhibitions in years past have felt the burden ever heavier as the attendance and consequent sales lessened, and many of the oldest and largest houses not exhibit at all this year. The dry plate-makers made the most interesting display, for they showed specimens of work on the various brands of plates manufactured by them.
Wuestner’s new eagle dry plate was represented by a most attractive exhibit of large portraits by leading photographers. Photographs from color subjects by the new orthochromatic plate of this company was a special feature of this exhibit. The original subject in colors was shown; the negative and the print side by side with a negative on the ordinary plate, and a print from the same. In the M. A. Seed Dry Plate Company’s exhibit we admired the large photographs made by Ryder, Gutekunst and other well-known photographers.
The G. Cramer Dry Plate Works of St. Louis made an immense display of photographs on its plates, including various exhibits in the competitions which Mr. Cramer had established. Dana, of New York; Stuber, of Louisville; Strauss, of St. Louis; Rose, of Providence; Havens, of Jacksonville, and other photographers equally as well known, were here represented. J. C. Hemment’s winning frame of instantaneous photographs was perhaps the most interesting feature of this exhibit, and excited universal praise. The Harvard dry plate was also represented by specimens of work by leading photographers….” (p. 378) (Etc., etc.)]

“Pertaining to the Twelfth Annual Convention of the P. A. of A., Park Association Buildings, Buffalo, N. Y., July 14 to 17, 1891.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 28:399 (Aug. 1, 1891): 449-466. [“At 9 a.m., more than a quorum being present, the Convention was called to order by President Hastings, who in opening the proceedings said:…” “…At the Boston meeting, Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, proposed that we erect a memorial to Daguerre. A resolution was passed at that time, and the Executive Committee of that year was appointed to erect a memorial, with the instruction that they should have it completed, and ready to unveil at the Washington Convention. It was a very short time to erect a suitable memorial to such a man as Daguerre, but, the Committee did the very best they could, and just at the time that the meeting was held in Washington the memorial was put up in time to be unveiled at that Convention. The memorial was unveiled and accepted by the Association with a vote of thanks; and it seemed to satisfy everybody as to its being the finest work of art that there was in Washington. We had some difficulty in raising funds, and at that time there was about $2,000 raised. There has been, up to this time about $3,300 paid on the memorial, leaving about $2,700 due. The Committee have done all that they possibly could to raise the money, but as it is, in all cases of that kind, it has been very hard work to raise money to erect a memorial to a man that is dead and gone. Mr. McMichael then presented the following report:…” p. 450.

“The Display of Apparatus at the Buffalo Convention. Second Paper.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 22:17 (Sept. 12, 1891):536-538. [“We were agreeably surprised in looking over the various exhibits at the fine display of the Cramer Dry Plate Works; Decker, Cleveland; Kuebler, Philadelphia; Jackson, Denver; Dana, New York; Stuber, Louisville; Rose, Providence; Endean, Cleveland; Curtis, Niagara Falls; Strauss, St. Louis; Arthur & Philbric,. Detroit; Ranger & Cornell, Rochester; Havens, Jacksonville; Werner, Buffalo; Eppert, Terre Haute; Langill, New York; Samborsky, St. Louis; Bain, St. Louis; Brainerd, Rome; Armstrong, Milwaukee: Pach Bros., New York; Elton, Palmyra; Ely, Oshkosh; Miller, Columbus; McMichael, Buffalo; Pifer & Becker, Cleveland; Appleton, Dayton; Randall, Ann Arbor; Stein, Milwaukee; Rosch, St. Louis; Hemment, Brooklyn; Bolles, Brooklyn; Hetherington, Chicago; Courtney, Canton; McMichael, Detroit; Darling, New York; Root, Chicago; and in fact all the leading artists of this country being included.
The prints by John C. Hemment, of Brooklyn, which were awarded the prize, well illustrated the speed of their crown brand. The pictures were cabinet size, of horse races, hurdling, vaulting with a pole, ſoot-ball, and other athletic sports. A very fine picture in this collection was the running-catch of a foot-ball, the ball in mid-air and the catcher on a run, everything being perfectly sharp; another was a jumper caught in mid-air during a high jump, perfect in detail and sharpness.
The landscape exhibits were very fine, and among the most prominent was that of Jackson, of Denver, who captured the prize for the best landscapes on Cramer plates. The prominent ſeature was a view 8 feet long, printed on one (536) piece of albumen paper, which was so perſectly printed that no line or indication: is given where the separate negatives are joined.
The portrait exhibit was certainly the finest ever shown at any convention, and the three prizes were awarded to Dana, New York; Rose, Providence; Stein, Milwaukee. The prize for showing the advantages of isochromatic Over ordinary plates was awarded to G. M. Elton, of Palmyra, N. Y. *
L. W. Seavey, of New York, occupied a large space and made a fine display, some of his new departures in vignetted backgrounds being especially effective. A large assortment of perforated screens in gold and silver effects and plastic backgrounds for use with Asiatic palms made themselves pleasingly prominent.
The Air Brush Manuſacturing Company, of Rockford, Ill., exhibited a full line of retouching brushes and samples of work produced by them.
L. J. Ullman & Co., of New York, a large and attractive exhibition of frames, embracing several new and handsome designs.
A large assortment of perforated screens in gold and silver effects and plastic backgrounds for use with Asiatic palms made themselves pleasingly prominent. The Air Brush Manuſacturing Company, of Rockford, Ill., exhibited a full line of retouching brushes and samples of work produced by them.
L. J. Ullman & Co., of New York, a large and attractive exhibition of frames, embracing several new and handsome designs.
The M. A. Seed Dry Plate Company were represented by Mr. A. J. Casseday, and made, as they always do, a very imposing show. They exhibited work from the studios of J. F. Ryder, J. S. Cummins, L. M. Baker, M. J. Steffins, Max Platz, Gilbert & Bacon, F. Gutekunst, and others, which, together with the fine light and attractive way in which the exhibit was arranged, made their quarters very popular,
The Harvard Dry Plate Company were represented by Mr. Nash, of Cambridge, who showed work of excellent quality and great scope. Many well-known artists were represented here with credit to themselves and the plates they employed….” (p. 537) (Etc., etc.)]

“The N. P. A. and the P. A. of A.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 28:404 (Oct. 17, 1891): 637. [“The following letter, referring to a paper which appeared in our issue of September 5th, is reprinted from the Photographic Times of September 25th: Editors of The Photographic Times. “Dear Sirs: I read with considerable interest the article by John A. Tennant, in Wilson’s Photographic Magazine for September 5th, on ‘Similarities and Contrasts—a Retrospect,’ for he seems to be in possession of certain facts that are not generally known, or, at least, are not spoken of in these days. Mr. Tennant must have had facilities for going even deeper into the facts of the old N. P. A. had he felt inclined to avail himself of them. He might have compared, for instance, the expenses of running the old N. P. of A. with those of the P. A. of A. “The P. A. of A. was undoubtedly upset by a ring of stock-dealers, as has been claimed. The old N. P. A. was accused of being run by the photographic merchants, but, as a matter of fact, was managed entirely by photographers and in the interest of photography. The exhibition managed by Ryder, of Cleveland, which netted the Association between $2000 and $3000, is a model which any new association may well work under. “The P. A. of A. has certainly had some very enthusiastic, hard-working officers, and they should be chosen to manage the new association….”]

1892

[Advertisement.] “Twelve Photographic Studies. No. 1.-A Collection of Photogravures from the Best Representative Photographic Negatives of Leading Photographic Artists.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1892 (1892): x. [“The Collection includes:
“Dawn and Sunset.” H. P. Robinson.
“Childhood.” H. McMichael.
“As Age Steals On.” J. F. Ryder.
“A Portrait Study.” B. J. Falk.
“Solid Comfort.” John E. Dumont.
“Ophelia.” H. P. Robinson.
“No Barrier.” F. A. Jackson.
”El Capitan.” W. H. Jackson.
“Still Waters.” J. J. Montgomery.
“Surf.” James F. Cowee.
“A Horse Race.” George Barker.
“Hi, Mister, may we have some Apples?” Geo. B. Wood.
Printed on Japan Paper, mounted on boards. Size 11×14, in ornamental port-folio envelope. Price, $3.00. Sent post-paid on receipt of price. The Scovill & Adams Company, Publishers.”]

Ryder, James F. “On Negative Retouching.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1892 (1892): 101-102. [“How well I remember the pleasure I found in the first photographs I saw from retouched negatives, and how eager I was to secure all I could find. They were from Loescher and Petsch, of Berlin, and imported by Wilson Hood & Co., of Philadelphia, from whom I got them. I expected the enterprising photographers of New York would soon introduce this remarkable improvement in their own practice, but they did not. I became impatient at the delay, and wondered if it would possibly do for Cleveland to precede the American metropolis in the introduction of an improvement in photographic finish. I finally “took steps” by writing an artist friend in Munich to find me the best talent in that department of work that he could, and secure it for me. He found and sent me an excellent man in the fall of 1868. So great was the success of the venture that I soon imported two more artists for that work. A t the first Convention Exhibition of the N. P. A., held in Boston, in 1869, I exhibited photographs from retouched negatives, and quite a furor was created. The retouch craze started from that. I was quite proud of having introduced it. Now, after a lapse of twenty-three years, and in the light of what we are getting in the name of negative retouching, I feel like apologizing to the fraternity and to an over-retouched people for having brought upon them an affliction I can never atone for. I maintain that retouching of negatives—skillfully, intelligently and judiciously done—is a desired improvement, but the great army of exterminators of lines, wrinkles, dimples, freckles, etc., now devastating the values of photographic faces, whose assumed skill is measured by their thoroughness in wiping out, marbleizing, and bladderizing faces should be turned upon and routed. It has become an outrage upon photography and its patrons. I never feel this more keenly than when is brought to me for a portrait to the size of life one of these photographs with all the strong lines which indicate character, and all the more delicate markings of time’s fingers entirely swept away. To ask an artist of ability to take that meaningless thing and from it make a portrait of a man who had something in his face is an absurdity, an impossibility. The man is dead, the photographer discontinued business (no wonder), and that is the only thing from which to work. Yes, I know our clients dislike to look old, and object to such evidences of age as are shown in the rough proof. I know, too, the operator depends upon the retoucher to make a doubtful negative pass. While I am amply conversant with these facts, I know that lines may be softened without being lost, and the proprietor of a photographic business should have stamina sufficient to judge a bit for himself as well as for his customer, and not permit a daily wrong little by little to degrade him through his work.”]

Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Ohio “Photographing an Autographic Skin Photographing an Autographic Skin.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS: AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS, 1892 (1892): 207-208. [“Written for Photographic Mosaics.” “Upon a prominent thoroughfare of our city of Cleveland, stand side by side two drinking-saloons, over the doors of which are carried the following legends:
“A fried oyster with every drink.”
“A fried egg and a slice of bread with each and every drink.”
These remind me of a species of photographer found occasionally who give for two dollars a dozen of their “first class” cabinets and a large “beautifully” colored panel. Also, of the next fellow, who gives a dozen “magnificent” cabinets and a life-size crayon portrait for five dollars. An enterprise based upon the production of earnest, honest work, at fair prices, is always commendable and must always challenge respect. Another kind of so-called enterprise, that which is sensational from promises to give for one dollar what is represented to be worth five, is always to be suspected. There is a false bottom or a rotten interior—sure. Very low prices mean inferior material, careless handling, and poor work. It means the crushing out of any enthusiasm the operator may have had.
I know men who, a very few years back, were prominent for the excellence of their work; whose names were among the few and foremost; who, from adopting cheap methods, have become degraded and can never (p. 207) again stand in the front row. Even the men employed by them become ashamed of the work and seek places with proprietors noted for high-grade quality. The history of these shoddy, shyster “hustlers” may be likened unto the rocket, which goes up with a blaze and a flourish, then falls to the ground an empty stick. The public is getting tired of cheap work and avoids it. The earnest, careful worker is being employed and encouraged. A man, to prosper, must every day do something to mark upon the minds of the public a new impression or keep good the one he made the day before. He must keep his business clean and respectable. He cannot do it with low prices or forcing what are known as “new rackets.” Nothing is better than the steady pace of careful work.” (p. 208)]

“On Negative Retouching.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 4:2 (Feb. 1892): 52. [“How well I remember the pleasure I found in the first photographs I saw from retouched negatives, and how eager I was to secure all I could find. They were from Loescher and Petsch, of Berlin, and imported by Wilson, Hood & Co., of Philadelphia, from whom I got them.
I expected the enterprising photographers of New York would soon introduce this remarkable improvement in their own practice, but they did not.
I became impatient at the delay, and wondered if it would possibly do for Cleveland to precede the American metropolis in the introduction of an improvement in photographic finish. I finally “took steps” by writing to an artist friend in Munich to find me the best talent in that department of work that he could, and secure it for me. He found and sent me an excellent man in the fall of 1868. So great was the success of the venture that I soon imported two more artists for that work. At the first convention exhibition of the N. A. P., held in Boston in 1869, I exhibited photographs from retouched negatives, and quite a furor was created.
The retouch craze started from that. I was quite proud of having introduced it. Now, after a lapse of twenty-three years, I feel like apologizing to the fraternity and to an over-retouched people for having brought upon them an affliction I can never atone for.
I maintain that retouching of negatives -skillfully, intelligently and judiciously done is a desired improvement, but the great army of exterminators of lines, wrinkles, dimples, freckles, etc., now devastating the values of photographic faces, whose assumed skill is measured by their thoroughness in wiping out, marbleizing and bladderizing faces, should be turned upon and routed. It has become an outrage upon photography and its patrons. I never feel this more keenly than when is brought to me for a portrait to the size of life one of these photographs, with all the strong lines which indicate character, and all the more delicate markings of time’s fingers, entirely swept away. To ask an artist of ability to take that meaningless thing and from it make a portrait of a man who had something in his face is an absurdity, an impossibility. The man is dead, the photographer discontinued business (no wonder), and that is the only thing from which to work.
Yes, I know our clients dislike to look old, and object to such evidences of age as are shown in the rough proof. I know, too, the operator depends on the retoucher to make a doubtful negative pass. While I am amply conversant with these facts, I know that lines may be softened without being lost, and the proprietor of a photographic business should have stamina sufficient to judge a bit for himself as well as for his customer, and not permit a daily wrong little by little to degrade him through his work.—American Annual. J. F. Ryder.”]

1 b & w (‘Little Sweetheart’).as frontispiece in: “Little Sweetheart.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 22:544 (Feb. 19, 1892): frontispiece, 89. [“We present our readers this week with a characteristic specimen of portrait work by Mr. James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O. The picture tells its own story. It is a beautiful portrait of a little girl, which is a picture as well as a portrait. Mr. Ryder himself suggests the appropriate title. In the biographical article which follows, the first of a series of similar articles, an interesting account is given of the photographer who made this picture. It is only fair to state that in this instance the photogravure has failed to preserve all the delicate detail and half tone which characterize the original photograph.”]

1 b & w (“James F. Ryder.”) on p. 89 in: “James F. Ryder.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 22:544 (Feb. 19, 1892): 89-90. [“The subject of this sketch was born in Ithaca, N. Y., April 25, 1826. In the winter of 1847-8 he apprenticed himself to a Mr. Robert Watson, who was doing the small cities in Central New York as a daguerreotypist, and had settled in Ithaca for the winter.
In those days there were no weekly or monthly journals filled with instructive matter pertaining to the young art, no standard books of formulas and general instructions as now, but the learner was quite dependent upon the teachings of practition ers whose knowledge was generally very limited in fact but abundant in pretense ; so the beginner was often led through an unknown wilderness by an ignorant guide, when behind the black muslin cur tain of the dark-room the mysteries of coating boxes and mercury bath were laid bare.
Mr. Ryder commenced under the same disad vantages others did at that time, and worked his way through the difficulties he encountered as best he could. Never quite content to plod behind others, he apprenticed himself anew to every one he found who were in advance of him, and paid again and again for knowledge, item by item, which was held, or supposed to be held (and un-
known to others, of course), by the advance opera tors drifting about. Just the same then as now, there were “ first-class ” and “ high art ” opera tors, which fact was publicly announced by adver tisement in the “leading papers of the day,” as well as by handbills posted upon board fences when a new star burst upon the firmament of a fresh town.
After two years of drifting about from village to village, unpacking his one trunk which held the whole establishment, a so-called gallery would be opened, sometimes in the parlor of a private resi dence, sometimes in the ball-room of the “ the tavern,” once in a Mormon temple (Kirtland, O.). Finally he fetched up at Elyria, where he settled to open a permanent business.
Soon from there he went to Cleveland, and took employment with Charles E. Johnson, one ot (p. 89) the ablest daguerreotypists of that day. From em ployee he became proprietor, and has remained in Cleveland ever since, a period of forty years. Ambitious to progress in his art, he quickly adopted all improvements and made the most of them.
He was among the first to make life-size portraits in Ohio, and was the first to introduce negative re touching in America, bringing artists from Europe to do the work. He is as ready to-day as at any time in the past to learn something new, and as willing to take it from the least man in his employ as from a college professor when the “least man ” has it to impart. We do not acquire all our knowledge from the learned, nor get all our dollars from the rich. Knowledge and dollars are always good when honestly got, whatever their source — is his maxim.
He attended the meeting held in the Cooper In stitute in 1867 to consider the advisability of fight ing the Cutting patent for the use of bromide in collodion. The fight was had, and the patentee was “ licked.” A greater point than defeating the unjust claim was, from that meeting, gained in the organization of the National Photographers’ Asso ciation, from which and its descendant, the Photog raphers’ Association of America, much advance and benefit has come to photography and photog raphers in this country. Mr. R. has been identi fied with both associations, and served as President at the first convention of the P. A. of A. at Chicago in 1880. He was the originator of the Daguerre Monument.
He is among the veterans in photography. Al though old in the work, he strives to keep bright and young in all that pertains to progress, and has a special dread of old fogyism. At various exhibi tions in America and Europe he has been awarded twenty-four prizes.
In connection with his business of photography, for the past twenty years he has an art store and gallery, thought by many to be the finest in the country.” (p. 90)]

“Editorial Notes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 22:545 (Feb. 26, 1892): 106. [“We began last week a series of autobiographical sketches of eminent photographers, with an interesting sketch of J. F. Ryder, of Cincinnati, Ohio.
The portrait accompanying was an excellent likeness, as all who have the honor of Mr. Ryder’s acquaintance will know. The frontispiece which embellished that number of the magazine was a fair specimen of the high-class work which is produced in the studio of the J. F. Ryder Co. It has already received high praise from several quarters. Later we shall have similar sketches of other prominent photographers, including such men as F. W. Guerin, of St. Louis; James Landy, of Cincinnati; F. Gutekunst, of Philadelphia; Andrew Pringle, and other well-known foreigners, as well as some lady photographers and prominent amateurs.”]

“Views Caught with the Drop Shutter.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 23:8 (Apr. 23, 1892): 256. [“Wimmer & Co., of New York, were recently victimized by a swindler who represented himself as James F. Ryder, Jr., son of James F. Ryder, photographer and art dealer, of Cleveland, Ohio. He entered their store and selected two paintings valued at $750, offering in payment a check on the First National Bank of Cleveland for $800. Upon receiving the $50 change he departed, and has not since been seen or heard of.”]

Robinson, H. P. “The Application of Art to Photography. — No. 3.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 23:12 (June 25, 1892): 368-371. [“In my last I gave an illustration of how a very quiet bit of sky could greatly increase the pictorial effect, if judiciously used. I now propose to go further into the subject of the sky, and I do so the more readily as, if I may judge from the many photographs I see, it is a part of the art you very seriously neglect. Is it neglect, or is it the fault of the climate? If the evidence of photographs, which are put forward as your best work, may be taken, and that is all I have to do with at present, you must have a horrible climate in America! Bright, clear, distinct and cruel, everything is disclosed when it is not underexposed—but this later defect is not the fault of the atmosphere. Yet these skyless photographs seem to find acceptance. I have lately seen one of them criticised as having “quite a Corot-like effect in the distance,” but what is the use of a fine distance if it is backed up by a blank white sky such as Corot never painted. Now, I don’t want, in my enthusiasm, to think only of art, and forget the proprieties to the extent of offending anybody; but I want to make this article fairly strong, so as to induce you to do better work, and I have been to some trouble about it. I have always been puzzled to know why no good landscape work was done in America. Of course, I know the photographs of the Yosemite Valley, done many years ago; they were big and bold and beautiful, but without feeling. They were what they ought to have been—splendid local views, and would have been just as useful if they had been much smaller. They were wonderfully bright, clean, clear and full of detail. Quite the thing for a local view, from which you ask nothing but facts; but a picture should not tell you everything. Just as a man who insists on telling you minutely all he knows (the more learned so much the worse) is a bore, so is a picture that tells you all and leaves nothing to the imagination. It is not enough to describe all the facts—a picture is not a police court witness. Besides these views, I have received from Mr. Ryder, of Cleveland, a snow scene, which really did express snow with most artistic truth. I have seen nothing else that was above the ordinary level, although I have seen all the illustrated photographic journals and a quantity of pretentious views of Niagara. These, curiously enough, possessed added skies, but so badly done as to serve more as a warning than as an example. Pondering over this, I wrote to a friend to try to discover why better landscape photography was not done in America….” p. 368.]

1 b & w (“A Portrait Study.” “The J. F. Ryder Co., Cleveland, O.”) as frontispiece in: “Our Study.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 29:425 (Sept. 3, 1892): 512 [frontispiece], 513-517. 1 b & w (Original print, tipped in), 3 b & w. [(The original silver print photo is credited “Negative by J. F. Ryder, positive print by Fellows & Graves.” The three photos in the text are a portrait of “J. F. Ryder at the age of sixty” on p. 514; a group portrait of the N. P. A. at a statue in Cleveland in 1870, by W. E. Bowman, Ottawa, IL on p. 515; and “A Negro Wedding, Florida,” by unknown on p. 516. WSJ)]
[“The study which embellishes our current number is a fair example of the “everyday studio work’ of one of our veteran photographers, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveld, Ohio. It is altogether wanting in the swish and dash which characterize the corkscrew posing and eccentric lighting of the product of many of our American studios, and, therefore, will not at first attract the fancy of some of our readers. But when it is carefully examined and measured by the proper rules it will be found full of merit. The lighting is charming; the pose is natural and easy, and the arrangement of the internal and external lines is studied and industriously managed. The disposition of the hands and arms supplies a fine example of “opposition,” both in lighting, arrangment, and application, which alone renders the picture well worthy of study.
The charm of simplicity and the conscious care of the artist pervade the whole work. After you have carefully studied it ‘for all it is worth,” comprehended how delicately the half-tones of the charming operative are rendered by the N. P. A. paper upon which the print is made, and vowed that your prints shall in no way fall behind this, the work of Messrs. Fellows & Graves, then permit us to draw your attention to some remarks and reminiscences concerning . Ryder and his work.
James F. Ryder. Some Half-Tones His Career.—About a dozen years before Daguerre startled the world by the an announcement of his discovery, one April morning the echoes among the hills about Ithaca, New York, were startled by the sturdy cries of James F. Ryder. He was subject unto his parents a great deal of the time until he became of age. During the last ten years of his minority he had seen several travelling circuses, and narrowly watched the mysterious performances of one or two itinerant photographers. The work of the latter seemed to be “the most like magic,” and his boyish love for the mysterious overpowered the young Ryder, and the “dog-type man ’’ won—the subject of our sketch apprenticed himself to Mr. Robert Watson, daguerreotypist, who wintered in Ithaca 1847–48.
As stated by Mr. Ryder in the Photographic Times, February 19, 1892, in those days there were no weekly or monthly journals filled with instructive matter pertaining to the young art, no standard books or formulas and general instructions as now, but the learner was quite dependent upon the teachings of practitioners whose knowledge was generally very limited in fact, but abundant in pretense; so the beginner was often led through an unknown wilderness by an ignorant guide, when behind the black muslin curtain of the dark-room the mysteries of coating boxes and mercury bath were laid bare.
Mr. Ryder commenced under the same disadvantages others did at that time, and worked his way through the difficulties he encountered as best he could. Never quite content to plod behind others, he apprenticed (p. 513) himself anew to every one he found who was in advance of him, and paid again and again for knowledge, item by item, which was held, or supposed to be held (and unknown to others, of course), by the advance operators drifting about. Just the same then as now, there were “first-class” and “high art” operators, which fact was publicly announced by advertisements in the “leading papers of the day” as well as by handbills posted upon board fences when a new star burst upon the firmament of a fresh town. After two years of drifting about from village to village, unpacking his one trunk which held the whole establishment, a socalled gallery would be opened, sometimes in the parlor of a private residence, sometimes in the ball-room of “the tavern,” once in a Mormon temple (Kirtland, Ohio).
Finally he fetched up at Elyria, where he settled to open a permanent business. Soon from there he went to Cleveland, and took employment with Charles E. Johnson, one of the ablest daguerreotypists of that day. From employé he became proprietor, and has remained in Cleveland ever since, a period of forty years. Ambitious to progress in his art, he quickly adopted all improvements and made the most of them. He was among the first to make life-size portraits in Ohio, and was the first to introduce negative retouching in America, bringing artists from Europe to do the work. He is as ready to day as at any time in the past to learn something new, and as willing to take it from the least man in his employ as from a college professor when the “least man” has it to impart. He attended the meeting held in Cooper (p. 514) Institute in 1867 to consider the advisability of fighting the Cutting patent for the use of bromide in collodion. The fight was had, and the patentee was “licked.” A greater point than defeating the unjust claim was, from that meeting, gained in the organization of the National Photographers’ Association, from which and its descendant, the Photographers’ Association of America, much advance and benefit has come to photography and photographers in this country. Mr. Ryder has been identified with both associations, and served as President at the first convention of the P. A. of A. at Chicago in 1880. He was the originator of the Daguerre Monument.
He is among the veterans in photography. Although old in the work, he strives to keep bright and young in all that pertains to progress, and has a special dread of old fogyism. At various exhibitions in America and Europe he has been awarded twenty-four prizes.
We first took Mr. Ryder by the hand at the meeting held in the Cooper Institute in this city to consider the expediency of opposing Cutting’s patent for the use of the bromides in photography. A bond was formed among those present which was followed by some very happy results. On the remains of the patent a flag was hoisted bearing the letters N. P. A. (They meant more than paper then.) Under this flag some fine sailing in photography was done. One of the events never to be forgotten by those who were present was the Convention held in Cleveland in 1870, when Mr. Ryder was the local secretary. Referring to this happy occasion, Mr. Ryder recently wrote us as follows:
“Looking back through the years of photographic conventions, we fancy the meeting at Cleveland in 1870 will hold good in the memory of the attendants as a very pleasant, successful, and profitable one. All was harmony. The man with a sore head (p. 515) was not there. No axes to grind; no wrangles; no jealousies; no smart Aleckism; no cheap Johnery. The abundance of good fellowship was marked; a happier lot of people would be hard to find. Let us look at the group taken at the foot of the Perry Monument.
“There sits President Abm. Bogardus; Permanent Secretary Edward L. Wilson; Treasurer Albert Moore. Surrounding them is Henry T. Anthony, W. Irving Adams, Col. W. M. Wilcox. There, too, is Dr. H. W. Vogel, who is in America for the first time, the honored guest of the Association; likewise there are G. Cramer, John Carbutt, our old friend J. H. Fitzgibbon,” W. H. Rhoads,” G. G. Rockwood, E. Decker, Walter C. North,” W. E. Bowman, D. H. Anderson, D. Bendann, J. W. Black, H. Rocher, J. C. Elrod,” E. R. Curtiss, C. W. Zimmerman, W. H. Jackson, J. A. Scholten,* W. H. Rulofson,” A. J. Fox, and R. Goebel.
(Those marked * are deceased )
“Those remaining of the group are twenty-two years older; gray beards have taken the place of glossy black, and bald pates have cropped up through coverings of hair. Photography has stepped along quite smartly in the meantime. “For twenty-two years ago we had a grand exhibition; the best and largest ever brought together up to that time. And what a display of apparatus and fine goods! It may have been surpassed since, but we don’t remember when or where. Three happy days of cheerful work, and at the end the great building echoed with songs at parting. Who would not like to attend another such meeting?”
We think the heart of every one present at that Convention beats when reading this last query of our old friend. As he has stated, several who were in that group have since gone to their rest, but we who yet remain shall never forget Mr. Ryder and Cleveland in 1870.
Since that time he has been a growing man in our art. At various exhibitions in America and in Europe he has been awarded twenty-four prizes. Besides his photographic business he conducts an extensive art gallery, which is one of the greatest attractions of his lovely city.
The photo-engraving of the 1870 group -which illustrates Mr. Ryder’s remarks was made by Mr. W. E. Bowman, of Ottawa, Ills.
In 1870 he was a rosy-cheeked man, with long, brown curly hair, hanging to his shoulders. He may be seen leaning against the Perry Monument, at the right. He too has kept pace with the growth and improve (p. 516) ments of our art, and is now largely interested in photo-engraving.
He says: “Nothing could look happier than that 1870 group—unless it be a negro wedding in Florida. I send you one of my half-tone engravings of the latter, that you may make the comparison.” We all honor the veterans who never grow old.” (517)]

“Illustrations.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 4:10 (Oct. 1892): 326-327. [“I have no wish to be considered a confirmed croaker; but I dearly love photography, and although I cannot now carry the camera “far over hill and dale,” as in the days of yore, I do not like to see it degraded, or to stand quietly by without making a protest, however feeble, against anything that seems to me to have a degrading tendency. To the American photographic publisher belongs the credit, or the blame, of introducing the method of giving at least one illustration or picture in each number of a journal, and it has spread or is spreading to every place where a photographic magazine is published. I have an idea that Doctor Wilson, in his Philadelphia Photographer, was the pioneer; and that the illustrations were for a long time really good; very much better than some; I almost feel inclined to say most; of those that appear now.
“Our Picture” has come to stay, and as its influence is powerful for either good or evil, the question of which shall predominate is one of deep interest alike to the publisher, the reader and to photography itself.
I have just had the privilege of leisurely examining nearly two hundred of such illustrations taken from the American journals during the past twelve months; and the first impression resulting therefrom is that, with few exceptions, the editors know more about photography than art, or at least that they give more, much more attention to technique and fine finish than to composition, light and shade and true pictorial effects; and, judging from the imprints, the desire to show what fine tones and how high a gloss can be got on the X, Y, Z paper in the hands of such celebrated printers as A, B or C render them oblivious to the higher mission of such illustrations as educational agents.
It is true that there are some good pictures in the lot; some noble pictures in fact. Portraits and landscapes that would grace the walls of any of the R. A. exhibitions; portraits of which Pettie or Leighton might well be proud, and landscapes which Ruysdael, Claude Lorrain or Sam Bough need not have been ashamed of. Amongst those are a portrait of a child by W. H. Shuey; “Little Sweetheart,” by J. F. Ryder; and “Girl With a Violin,” by Arthur Burchelt; and perhaps I should add “The Magdalen,’ by Charles Butterworth; and the “Model’s Pastime,” by R. Eickmeyer. Among the landscapes, Mrs. N. Gray Bartlett’s “At the Spring,” and F. H. Chapin’s “Colorado Cañon,” leave absolutely nothing to be desired; while in figure pieces, Adam Diston’s “Broken Toe” and “Out of Sorts” are faultless, and almost as good are Miss Farnsworth’s “In the Harvest Field,” and “The Toilet,” whose author I do not know.
But valuable as those gems of art are, I fear their influence for good has been but small, compared with the influence for evil of a large mass of the others. Photographers of little experience and less originality are apt to look on the illustrations in their journals as a standard up to which they should aim at working, and especially such illustrations as bear the names of popular men, or men generally credited with artistic ability. Knowing this, editors should be especially careful to see that illustrations by such men do not violate the canons of good art, or where there is violation, that there should be some evidently good reason for it. But they are not, as could (p. 326) be easily shown by a considerable number of the pictures in question, although the space at my disposal will admit of only two examples.
The first is “The North Parish,” by J. Wells Champeny. Mr. Champeny is an artist of recognized knowledge and ability, and has already, by his criticisms and otherwise, been helpful to photographers. In “The North Parish” he has given us, what, but for one act of omission and one of commission, would have been a beautiful picture nearly perfect in composition and of almost faultless chiaro-oscuro. But if Mr. Champeny had sketched, instead of photographed the picture, he never could have placed the two figures in the most, instead of the least important part of the picture, and never, never could have placed them with their heads in a line perpendicular to each other, nor would he have allowed the lines of the boat to so objectionably repeat the base line of the composition.
But the blot of the collection is a picture of the back of a chair with a girl in front, photographed by “Strauss,’ simply Strauss, as if their could not be another, indeed, if he couldn’t do any better, there could hardly be. But he can. Much of his work is such that the best in the land might be proud of it. He is indeed reckoned as one of the upper ten and consequently looked up to by his less fortunate brethren, and therein lies the great objection to “Hetherington’s Latest Screen Plate.” That is its only title, and it would be difficult to find another, at least one suitable.
If the truth of the following extract from an article by Valentine Blanchard in the Practical Photographer be admitted, and it carries its own passport, the picture in question violates, in the most pronounced manner, the principal cañon in portraiture. “In portraiture the first point of importance is the head, and everything should be done to give it due effect; it naturally follows, therefore, that any accessory, or in fact, anything that obtrudes itself and catches the eye first, is out of place and does harm.” Now the first thing that catches the eye in this picture is the back of a huge, and in this connection most inartistic chair, in a tone of about three-quarters dark against a light background. The head of the figure-a front face, and front bust-is an inch and three-quarters, and the side bars of the chair rise from the shoulders twice that space, or three inches, like a pair of antlers, ending in perforated scrolls. The head rests against four horizontal bars, the upper of which is broad with a shell pattern carving in the middle that rises above, the head so that the darkest part of the hair is merged into the darkest of the chair.
One of the objects of the picture is doubtless to show the softening effect produced by placing a screen plate in front of and close to the sensitive plate during exposure, and very beautiful it is, but what could have tempted the artist to select such a grotesque and inartistic subject is beyond my comprehension, unless he meant to play a poor practical joke on the publisher of the magazine in which it appeared. Uncle Andrew.” (p. 327)]

1 b & w (“View of Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio.” “Considered to be the most beautiful avenue in any American city.” “From a photograph by The James F. Ryder Company, Cleveland, Ohio.”) on p. 329; 1 b & w (“View of Lakeside Park, Cleveland, Ohio. From a photograph by The James F. Ryder Company, Cleveland, Ohio”) on p. 330; 1 b & w (William G. Rose, Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio) on p. 330 in: “The Frightened City.” ILLUSTRATED AMERICAN 12:139 (Oct. 15, 1892): 329-330. [“There isn’t a more delightful city in the United States than Cleveland, Ohio. It is situated on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie, has a vigorous, salubrious climate, and, perhaps, a greater number of handsome residences than any other community in America. In Euclid avenue it possesses the most beautiful boulevard in the United States, and, perhaps, in the whole world. Such a wealth of verdure and foliage as bedecks that broad expanse of highway and private domain! And what a graceful blending of lavish luxury and sympathetic comfort in those dual rows of varied mansions! And, then, the pretty girls of whom Cleveland boasts! No counting them, I assure you. Three or four genuine “professional beauties”-the sort whose face was their fortune, and who contrived to exchange their capital for very excellent marriages in England-hailed from Cleveland, and I don’t mind telling you that the Duke of Marlborough-no mean authority in such matters once remarked in a New York club that the prettiest woman he had ever seen was a denizen of that same provincial capital of the West….” (Etc., etc.) “…And yet, of all the communities in America, Cleveland has been almost the only one to “lose its head” entirely during the recent excitement attending the threatened invasion of cholera. New York itself, with dozens of fatal cases of the pestilence within gun-shot of its doors, experienced no semblance of the wild, unreasoning panic that seized that pretty, healthful town, cleansed by the virgin breezes of an unpolluted lake….” (p. 329) (Etc., etc.)]

“The Editorial Table.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 4:12 (Dec. 1892): 414-415. [“American Annual of Photography and Photographic Times Almanac. New York, The Scovill and Adams Company. -The publishers of this annual visitor have, as usual, taken time by the forelock, and laid the goodly volume on our table twenty-five days before the orthodox time -Christmas day.
Advancing with the progress of photography, the Annual” for 1893 contains altogether 560 pages as against 374 in that for 1892. Of those, 170 pages are devoted to advertisements, and 390 to reading and tabular matter of more or less interest. Original contributions by 123 writers Occupy 224 pages, and 25 pages are given to well-selected formulæ. Writing on photography at the present time is very much like making bricks without straw, and therefore it is no disparagement to say that the standard of the contributed articles is hardly up to that of former years; although they contain a great deal of useful practical information; coupled, of course, with the usual modicum of amusing fallacies. The best of the latter, from the amusement point of view, is George C. Rhoderick’s idea that he can make good stereoscopic pictures from ordinary negatives. It is very evident that Mr. Rhoderick has not yet mastered the principles of stereoscopic vision. J. F. Ryder, as usual, has something to say well worth listening to. His short article on ‘Conscientious Photography,” would be well worth ten times the price of the book, to be cut out and pasted up where the photographer could read it as regularly and as frequently as he says his prayers….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 414)]

1893

“Conscientious Photography.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1893 (1893): 111-112. [“The sincere and enthusiastic man in photography has an aim in his work beyond the sum he receives in compensation. To have made a very marked success in an important case, as a fine head of a lovely lady, a beautiful child, or a “grand old man,” where the happy chances of photography seemed all in, and some evidence of art knowledge, judgment and taste were embodied with it, and the result of all could stand as a noble work, the maker of it finds a pleasure and gratification understood only by himself. He can look at his achievement and admire. He does, in a modest, quiet way, feel proud.
He finds pleasure in occasionally turning to it—even when occupied with other work he must take a new look and again admit that it is really good. That which lives in his nature to recognize and admire, smiles approval and gives him a sense of happiness. He would find pleasure in such a work by the hands of another man, and would speak louder its praise; for the man of real worth is more modest of self-laudation than in according full justice to another. This achievement holds good as a pleasure giver for quite a number of days; he (p. 111) contemplates it in his mind, and always with the same sense of pleasure, during his absence of a week from business.
On his return he renews acquaintance with it. While he is still enthusiastic, he examines now more critically, he weighs and measures it. He finds in his best judgment that a narrowing of the light would have given a gain in rotundity and a little more curve in the sweep of neck line would have been an advantage.
These points, after careful consideration amount to a flaw in his gem, and he can never find as much pleasure in it as at first, but in the flaw is a lesson—the lesson that by shortcomings or mistakes, knowledge is gained. The discontent growing out of imperfections is a prod to new exertion—to progress. And pity to the man who finds his work faultless. When he has reached perfection there is nothing more for him. His career is ended.
The man who stops will soon see others pass him, and to keep to the front he must hold his pace. When not advancing he is retrograding.
Eternal vigilance is the price of high-grade work. Thus discontent and skepticism are necessary to progress. F. Ryder.” (112)]

Ryder, J. F. “Conscientious Photography.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:433 (Jan. 1893): 40. [“The sincere and enthusiastic man in photography has an aim in his work beyond. the sum he receives in compensation. To have made a very marked success in an important case, as a fine head of a lovely lady, a beautiful child, or a “grand old man,” where the happy chances of photography seemed all in, and some evidence of art-knowledge, judgment, and taste were embodied with it, and the result of all could stand as a noble work, the maker of it finds a pleasure and gratification understood only by himself. He can look at his achievement and admire. He does, in a modest, quiet way, feel proud. He finds pleasure in occasionally turning to it even when occupied with other work he must take a new look, and again admit that it is really good. That which lives in his nature to recognize and admire, smiles approval and gives him a sense of happiness. He would find pleasure in such a work by the hands of another man, and would speak louder in its praise; for the man of real worth is more modest of self laudation than in according full justice to another. This achievement holds good as a pleasure-giver for quite a number of days; he contemplates it in his mind, and always with the same sense of pleasure, during his absence of a week from business. On his return he renews acquaintance with it. While he is still enthusiastic, he examines now more critically, he weighs and measures it. He finds in his best judgment that a narrowing of the light would have given a gain in rotundity, and a little more curve in the sweep of the neck line would have been an advantage. These points, after careful consideration, amount to a flaw in his gem, and he can never find as much pleasure in it as at first ; but in the flaw is a lesson-the lesson that by shortcomings or mistakes, knowledge is gained. The discontent growing out of imperfections is a prod to new exertion to progress. And pity to the man who finds his work faultless. When he has reached perfection there is nothing more for him. His career is ended. The man who stops will soon see others pass him, and to keep to the front he must hold his pace. When not advancing, he is retrograding. Eternal vigilance is the price of high-grade work. Thus discontent and skepticism are necessary to progress.-American Annual of Photography.”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:433 (Jan. 1893): 47. [“All the friends of our veteran co-worker will grieve with him over the death of Mrs. Susie Ryder Brennan, wife of Mr. B. O. Brennan, and only child of Mr. and Mrs. James F. Ryder. She departed this life on December 12th. Her demise is a deep affliction not only to her family but to her large circle of friends. Mrs. Brennan was an exceptionally lovely character, modest and intelligent, with an affectionate disposition, a keen sympathy, and a broad charity that endeared her to all who knew her. We enjoyed her personal acquaintance. She was full of life and vivacity, and a devoted daughter, wife, and mother. The sympathy of the many friends who have known Mr. Ryder in his long and honorable career will be extended to the bereaved family. She leaves one child, whose baby face, with his grandfather, was given to our readers some time ago.”]

“Notes and News.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 23:590 (Jan. 6, 1893): 9. [Brief note: “Mrs. Susie Ryder Brennan, the only child of Mr. James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, recently died in that city.”]

“What Our Friends would like to Know.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 24:2 (Jan. 28, 1893): 65. [“James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, has recently suffered a heavy loss in the death of his only child, Mrs. Susie Ryder Brennan. While, at times like these, condolences seem like idle mockery, the sorrow which lies so heavily upon the hearts of the family will find an echo in the bosoms of her many friends, and to Mr. Ryder we would extend our heartfelt sympathy in this, in his time of bereavement.”]

1 b & w (Portrait of a child) as frontispiece in: “Our Illustration.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 24:2 (Jan. 28, 1893): 687. [(Photograph is missing from this volume.) “Child life is always charming when well portrayed, and in the example by J. H. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., which we present in this issue, there is much that is noteworthy in this respect. The lighting is especially soft and harmonious, and the pose is marked by an absence of constraint, often difficult to obtain. A reputation once made for taking successful children’s pictures is a most valuable acquisition to any photographer. For this reason we have frequently reproduced pictures of this kind in these pages, deeming them well worthy of study by our many readers, and thus making the Bulletin what it is intended to be—a real help to all.”]
687.

“Photographers, Old and New.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:434 (Feb. 1893): 92-93. [“…In the mosaics which embellish our current number, there are reproductions of three pictures by Mr. R. P. Bellsmith, of Cincinnati. His work is winning now many laurels.
He started in the photographic business with Mr. Frank Cooper, of London, Canada, with whom he stayed three years; after leaving Mr. Cooper, he came to the United States, and started a gallery with his brother, in Buffalo, N. Y., in ’82; he sold his interest to his brother in ’83, and took a position as operator with James Landy, of Cincinnati, Ohio, with whom he stayed about one year. Afterward he went to J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, where he scored his first great success, his work taking the gold medal at the Buffalo meeting of the P. A. of A., in ’85, also at St. Louis in ’86.
In ’87 Mr. Bellsmith engaged with Theodore C. Marceau, of Cincinnati, as operator and manager, and one year later bought a half interest in the concern, forming the firm of Marceau & Bellsmith. In 1890 Mr. Bellsmith bought the interest of Mr. Marceau, and has now one of the largest and most complete photograph studios in the United States.
Large ground-floor reception room and office, private elevator to operating rooms, all beautifully furnished and equipped with best apparatus. Mr. Bellsmith employs in all twenty-eight people, an evidence of what good work will bring about….” (Etc. etc.) (p. 92)]

1 b& w (“The Sisters.” “J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.”) on p. 151 in: BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 5:5 (May 1893): 151.]

“Eastman Kodak Company Grand Prize Competition.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 5:5 (May 1893): 160-161. [“Messrs. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio; W. F. Van Loo, Toledo, Ohio, and C. T. Stuart, Hartford, Connecticut, have awarded the prizes in the Eastman Kodak Company’s Grand Prize Competition as follows:
Class A.
First prize, entry No. 7, G. M. Elton, Palmyra.
Second prize, entry No. 5, H. McMichael, Buffalo.
Third prize entry No. 30, Stein & Rosch, Chicago.
Fourth prize, entry No. 26, B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburgh.
Fifth prize, entry No. 16, H. Randall, Ann Arbor.” (p. 160) (Etc., etc.)]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:438 (June 1893): 239. [“My Little Friends” is the title of a lovely volume, bound in white and gold, by E. Heinrichs, and published by the Art Publishing Co., Boston. It contains pictures of babies and little children (who are the little friends” of the authoress), from negatives by Messrs. Ryder, Potter, Landy, Parker, Guerin, Lee, Savage, Mullen, Rose, and others, about seventy-five in all. The poetical feature of the book-the lines of the authoress-is one of the most charming attractions thereof.”]

“The Cheap Crayon and “Club” Man Some More.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:438 (June 1893): 253-255. [“Without taking up our space with the details, we give such items concerning the scoundrels who are gulling the public all over the country as have been received from our own correspondents since the issue of our last number. Our purpose in doing this is to give our working readers something which they can show their patrons and put them all on their guard. If this list could have insertion in your local papers it might also help warn parties who are liable to be gulled. The evil grows, and we should do all we can to kill it. We give the list at random, as it comes to us, viz:
At Medfield, Mass., an agent of the Acme Electro-Photograph and Photo Copying Co., Worcester, named Martin, collected $1 each from 125 subscribers and failed to fill their orders.
Mrs. Kirby, of St. Louis, was defrauded by the Brooklyn (N. Y.) Art Union. She says, a case of “guilt” frame, etc….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 253)
“…St. Louis people appear again against the Foreign Art Company, but the concern is not finding as many victims as it did during the fall and early winter. The “scheme” is a refinement of the C. C. M. Look out.
At Cleveland, O., it is lively. Why cannot more have the manliness to act in concord with our old friend, M. J. F. Ryder. The subscribers of the Sun and Voice, a popular paper in Cleveland, were recently startled by the following advertisement in its pages, as follows:
“A $20 portrait for $3. Crayon portraits for all our friends. The Sun and Voice has made arrangements with one of the largest copying houses in the country, employing the very best artists, by which we can make new and old subscribers an offer that will be appreciated, and the like of which has never been made before. Send us any picture that you want enlarged, and we will send you an elegant crayon portrait in a frame like the above cut. The picture itself will be 16×20 inches, and the frame, handsome and well made, being 26×30 inches outside of all. You can have a choice of gold, bronze or silver frame, or a combination of any. The picture will be framed, under glass, and packed in a strong wooden crate, well protected from. damage, and your small picture will be returned to you safely and without injury. (p. 254)
“The portrait will be shipped as promptly as careful execution will permit. You will pay the express or freight charges upon arrival of the goods. The picture will be sent by the cheapest route.
“Write your name and address fully and plainly on the back of the picture and state the line you prefer to have it shipped by.
“The following are the terms on which we offer one of these fine crayon portraits. Remember, we are offering you a good portrait such as would ordinarily cost you from $15 to $20.
“Send us $2 for a year’s subscription to the Sun and Voice, and $3 additional to pay the cost of framing the portrait, or $5 in all. “Send us five new subscribers and $10, and we will give you free the above described crayon portrait (and frame) enlarged from any picture you send us.” “This offer applies to old subscribers who pay a year in advance from the time their present subscription expires. Order any time and we will extend the term of your subscription in accordance with the above offer.”-Sun and Voice, Cleveland, Ohio.
Directly underneath the above Mr. Ryder occupies a similar space with the following displayed advertisement, viz: “To a man who for forty odd years has pursued a respectable calling in a manner to keep it respectable and above the questionable methods of sharp practice by unscrupulous parties, who misrepresent and degrade that honorable calling, the barefaced fraud of the free crayon portrait, or $20 portrait for $3 business, must be regarded with very little patience. People who would expect to buy a $20 barrel of pork for $3, or a “solid gold ring for a nickel,” as the street fakir cries it, may be innocent enough to swallow the smooth. deceptions and claims made in the name of the ‘free crayon business,’ one of the most atrocious swindles bidding for favor among credulous people at this time. It is impossible that the very best artists’ would. touch rubbish of that kind. It is unreasonable to suppose that any person or party would solicit business and do it at a loss of five to six hundred per cent. It is surprising that a good family newspaper would offer as a premium for subscribers such questionable stuff, when a ton of coal or a ham would be more in the line of good judgment J. F. Ryder,
239 Superior Street.”
This is the true way. Make public the swindle and it will stop.” (p. 255)]

“Editor’s Table. Prizes Awarded to Photographers.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:438 (June 1893): 287. [“Some months ago the Eastman Kodak Co. announced a competition, offering prizes amounting in all to $350, for prints upon “Solio” paper. The competition was open to all, and was for the purpose of obtaining material for the Company’s exhibit at the World’s Fair. The prizes were awarded May 1st, and were as follows:
Class A.-For prints from three negatives not under 14 x 17:
1st Prize. $100 00. G. M. Elton, Palmyra.
2nd Prize. 50 00. H. McMichael, Buffalo.
3rd Prize. 25 00. Stein & Rosch, Chicago.
4th Prize. 25 00. B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburg.
5th Prize. 25 00. H. Randall, Ann Arbor.
6th Prize. 25 00. Marceau & Power, Indianapolis.
Class B. For prints from best negatives of full-length figure or group suitable for enlargement:
1st Prize. $50 00. H. S. Squyer, Auburn.
2d Prize. 25 00. B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburg.
3rd Prize. 15 00. Bill & Overton, Cleveland.
4th Prize. 10 00. Harman & Verner, Bay City.
In making the above award we have been guided by the conditions mentioned in your published circular.
(Signed) J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.
W. F. Van Loo, Toledo, O.
C. T. Stuart, Hartford, Conn.
Judges.”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:439 (July 1893): 332. [‘Mr. Otto Doehn, for the past seven years associated with the J. F. Ryder Co., of Cleveland, O., has entered into partnershhip with Mrs. A. D. Beckwith, of that city, the surviving partner of the old established firm of A. D. Beckwith & Son. The new firm will continue the business at the old location, under the name of Otto Doehn & Co.”]

“Notes. The Eastman Kodak Company’s Competition.” BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 5:7 (July 1893): 220. [“Our readers will remember that the Eastman Kodak Company offered a series of prizes for pictures to be used as a part of their exhibit at the World’s Fair, and got Messrs. Ryder, of Cleveland; Van Loo, of Toledo; and Stuart, of Hartford, to act as judges.
In response to the invitation there were 91 entries, 32 in Class A, and 59 in Class B in all 744 photographs, some of them by some of the best men in the country, and well worth looking out for by photographers who visit the Fair. The following is the list of awards which, judging from the past, is likely to be kicked at by one of the third prize takers.
Class A.
1st Prize. – Entry No. 7, G. M. Elton, Palmyra.
2d Prize.-Entry No. 5, H. McMichael, Buffalo.
3d Prize.-Entry No. 30, Stein & Rosch, Chicago.
4th Prize.-Entry No. 26, B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburgh.
5th Prize.-Entry No. 16, H. Randall, Ann Arbor.
6th Prize.-Entry No. 11, Marceau & Power, Indianapolis.
Class B.
1st Prize.-Entry No. 208, H. S. Squyer, Auburn.
2d Prize.-Entry No. 222, B. L. H. Dabbs, Pittsburgh.
3d Prize.-Entry No. 233, Bill & Overton, Cleveland.
4th Prize.-Entry No. 224, Harman & Verner, Bay City.”]

“Photography at the World’s Fair.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:441 (Sept. 1893): 422-423. [“Editor Wilson’s Magazine, Dear Sir: From those who have been there-professional photographers, amateurs, scientists, artists, and men conversant with proper handling of cameras under proper distribution of light and shadow upon the subject, at time of taking, as well as photographic quality-comes a murmur of disappointment and discontent with the product of the World’s Columbian Photographic Department, C. D. Arnold, Chief. No man can question Mr. Arnold’s business tact in securing the photographic privilege and the son of President Higinbotham as his business partner, though many do criticise his arbitrary acts in connection with his department.
I have never met Mr. Arnold, and certainly have no cause to disparage him beyond the subject-matter of this article, which is meant to be written in the interest of photography as considered with the Columbian Exposition, rather than in a personal or whimsical spirit.
Never before in the history of this world has there been offered to the camera such magnificent material to invite its skill, or rather the skill of the man handling it. Never an architecture more picturesque ; never photographic possibilities to equal it. And this dream of the architect’s creation will in a few weeks, few months at farthest, be levelled and cleared away.
In justice to the wonderful enterprise which gave to the world this magnificent showing, the best possible photographic record should be made and preserved. The Exposition Association should make it possible to have this thing done. The “dog-in-the-manger” business should be (p. 442) frowned down, and such a man as W. H. Jackson, of Denver, whether at the instance of the Columbian Exposition Association or C. D. Arnold, Chief, should be permitted to face the White City with his largest camera, and give us some photography such as he alone can do. I am not writing in the interest of Mr. Jackson, whom I do not know personally; but in admiration of his wonderful work I can speak freely. More than all, I speak for justice. What a regret and what a shame it would be to close the Exposition without having its memory marked by the best possible efforts of photography from the best skilled hands. J. F. Ryder. Cleveland, Ohio, August 9, 1893.” (p. 423)]

“Editor’s Table. As to Photography at the World’s Fair.”-WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:441 (Sept. 1893): 431. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder’s letter on another page voices the opinion of the general public. It does seem a pity that such a glorious photographic opportunity should be allowed to go down without a splendid record of it being made by the camera first.”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 30:441 (Sept. 1893): 431. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder favors us with three gems of his “little Jim,” the pet grandson and good poser.”]

1894

Ryder, J. F. “’Hands Off.'” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1894 (1894): 222-223. [“A very grave fault which becomes a habit with the operator, is his manner of handling the sitter.
For the purpose of this article we will assume the subject to be a lady.
She enters the operating-room under a feeling of nervous embarrassment, and frequently says, because she don’t think of something better to describe the feeling, that she would as soon go to a dentist.
Here is the opportunity to make some pleasant comment which would lead to reassuring the lady and dissipate the feeling of constraint; but he has heard about the dentist so often he chooses to make no reply, and says, Take this seat! If she be young and fine looking, perhaps he will add, If you please. Now commences the ordeal with the poor victim. She is clutched by the fingers and thumbs of the operator, by the head on either side, and he proceeds to pitch it to the right, then a little to the left, then he twists it in such manner and direction as seems best to him to get it about right, then he goes to the camera, draws the focusing cloth over his head, and contemplates the image. As a rule it don’t quite suit him, and he again introduces the finger ends, crushing and mussing the carefully dressed hair, when the twisting and tipping exercises are gone through again.
The muscles of the victim’s neck, by a natural law of resistance under attack, become stiffened and rigid, and the very effort of producing a graceful poise, as endeavored by the operator, is defeated the moment of the “laying on of hands.” Hence the failure of an easy, graceful, or restful position, as well as the impossibility of an animated or cheerful expression. And why will the photographer continue to use those “grappling hooks” year after year in the face of his everyday lessons of the great wrong? We suppose he was taught that way, and seen so many practice that method, he continues it. And we wonder will it continue down through (p. 222) the years of an unborn future that the head must be clutched and fastened into an iron rest with forked points?
We read sometimes of important discoveries made, and announcements of valuable inventions in photographic methods. We have scientists, we have inventive geniuses. Now can’t we find a great reformer who shall make it possible to have ladies pose without being grappled; one who shall take the photographer by the hand and lead him into a new school; a school of plausible and agreeable methods in photographic practice, where the teaching should be in the direction of refined manners and politenesss, in explaining to the inexperienced the needs and requirements in posing in a manner which should not imply a suspicion of ignorance, to set the mind quite at ease, to brush away, if possible, all tendency to nervousness, and particularly to avoid the habit of handling the sitter’s head with inconsiderate freedom. J. F. Ryder.” (p. 223)]

Ryder, J. F., Cleveland. “The Present is Here.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS: AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS, 1894 (1894): 237-238. [“[Written for Photographic Mosaics.]” “Not by what a man has done, what he can do, but by what he is doing, is the proper estimate to put upon his professional standing for skill. The word reputation tastes very good in the mouths of those who pronounce it as applied to themselves, especially those of the old-school type, or more properly the old fogy species. It is a comfort and a pride to them, as well as a damage. A man may not lean back in his easy chair with thumbs in the armholes of his vest and invite the “younger fry to contemplate him as a conspicuous figure of the past.”
It is dangerous to be satisfied. The past is not good capital to do business upon. We cannot live upon the dinners we ate years ago. “The mill will not grind with the water that has passed.” (p. 237) The present is here; it is our opportunity and our friend if we choose to make it so.
The man who sees in the near future, just before him, something better than he is doing to-day, and resolves to accomplish it, has the progressive spirit of the time. To him we look for advancement, and from him. we get it.” (p. 238)]
Minns, H. W., New London, Ohio. “The Christ-Heads.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1895 (1895): 178-182. 3 b & w. [Illustrations are three portraits of bearded figure with crown of thorns with captions from the stages of the agony on the cross. WSJ) “We must expect that any innovation that photography makes upon the world of art will meet with adverse criticism ; therefore, I am not surprised at the charge of “sacrilege,” and even “blasphemy,” that has been made against this work by a few persons who have given my pictures but a passing glance. But, as our fellow-worker, J. F. Ryder, has said of the heads: “The opposition is the highest tribute to the work that could be paid.” I can assure the critics that their assistance is appreciated.
To my subject, Mr. E. E. Masterman, is due my thanks for whatever success has attended my efforts….” (p. 178) (Etc., etc.)]

“Our Illustration. Studio Work by Meacham & Sabine.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 25:2 (Feb. 1, 1894): 68-69. [“The Bulletin this month is fortunate in having for its illustrators Messrs. Meacham & Sabine, of Youngstown, O. Both appear to be young men, yet they have the advantage of many years’ experience. Mr. C. T. Meacham has been in business for fifteen years with such men as J. C. Horring, of Masselon; B. F. Battle, of Akron, and J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, and, while being a good operator, takes entire charge of the finishing department. W. G. Sabine, his partner, has seven years of hard work and study in photography behind him, and has worked in large galleries in Canada and Buffalo. Mr. Sabine does the operating and supervises the darkroom work….”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:448 (Apr. 1894): 191. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, has favored us with an excellent cabinet photograph of eighteen miniature portraits of his little grandson, “Little Jim.” The little fellow shows himself to be much of an actor, and has a wonderful facility of ex- pression which makes his picture admirable and always welcome at our office.”]

“Photographers, Old and New.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:451 (July 1894): 306-307. [“Mr. George B. Sperry, from whose new studio in Toledo, Ohio, came the com- position picture which supplies the keynote of our current issue, is a native of St. Louis, whence have come so many good things photographic.
His record is brief; filled with years of earnest work and study, marked here and there by milestones showing constant progress toward success….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 306)
“…After completing his preliminary training Mr. Sperry engaged with various well-known photographers, among whom may be named Mr. H. Randall, of Ann Arbor, and Mr. James F. Ryder, of Cleveland.
During these busy years under the skylight our readers have been favored in Mosaics and in the pages of the Magazine with many practical articles on everyday work from Mr. Sperry’s pen….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 307)]

“The Exhibits….Hammer Dry Plate Company….Photo Materials Company… Eastman Kodak Company… ” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 6:8 (Aug. 1894): 310-314. [“It is almost impossible to do justice to the exhibits, whether one wishes to deal with them from the point of view of the manufacturer showing his wares or the photographer exhibiting his results. The paper manufacturers were present in strong force, and the platemakers were scarcely less numerous. The local dealers made a good showing, while Chicago and New York were represented….” (p. 310) (Etc., etc.) “…Hammer Dry Plate Company.
This firm here makes its first display, and, for young firm, it is very creditable. Among others we saw such familiar names as Bellsmith, Decker, Ryder, McMichael, Bowersox, D’Ole and Hemperley. The Standard Dry Plate Company and The Record Dry Plate Company contented themselves with giving away samples of their goods, believing that to be a very practical way of demonstrating their quality. Mr. Lovell represented the former company, and Mr. Cole the latter….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 311)
“…Photo Materials Company.
The Photo-Materials Company display their kloro paper in one large panel, and in general effect is pleasing to the eye. The most conspicuous feature of the exhibit is a series of five large prints by Guerin, St. Louis, one of them, “Kiss Me Quick,” having a very intense background entirely free from bronzing. Brigdon & Geissler, of Cleveland, show a very pretty study of a young lady, and the J. F. Ryder Company, from the same city, are well to the front with some charming poses, that of a young girl being specially noticeable. (p. 312) (Etc., etc.)
“…Eastman Kodak Company…
“…a group of a father and two children in imitation of statuary. The costume is Roman toga and is really very successful. He shows also a nice group of young ladies. Other Chicago photographers represented here are Spencer & Lawson, who make a good showing in cabinetwork for a young firm, a finely lit head of a young lady being specially noteworthy; Robertson & Roe, with theatrical work; Steffens, whose work is small but was very attractive, and being unhung, advantage was taken by everyone to examine it very carefully; Root, who has a very pretty picture of a baby among his cabinets; Huszigh; Morrison, all large pictures, one, of a girl on a couch, that was specially attractive.
Other attractive pictures were by such men as Decker, strong in large heads; Gross, St. Louis, with a very good picture of a young lady; Ryder, of Syracuse, whose cabinets were of beautiful workmanship, while the firm of the same name in Cleveland are up to standard, which is saying a good deal. Eppler & Arnold, Saratoga, make a fine showing. The picture of a lady in evening dress attracted us very much.
Outside of portraiture special attention falls to Rau’s collection, among which we noticed a new and pretty view of the Horseshoe curve. There was little shown in genre work, Eldon, Palmyra, easily taking the lead.
Others deserving of a more extended notice were Hemperley, Knebler, Squyer, Husted, Morris of Galveston, Child, Mus and Halborn….” (p. 313) (Etc., etc.)]

“Seen And Heard at the Convention.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:453 (Sept 1894): 412-414. [“I have squinted at the ground-glass over forty years, and in my judgment this exhibition far surpasses any before held.” -The veteran St. Louis photographer McConnell. “The exhibition in every grade is so far beyond all others hitherto held that no comparison can be made.”—P. A. of A. ex-judge and veteran photographer E. Long, of Quincy, Ills….” (Etc., etc.)
“…The local press was neither appreciative of the exposition nor generous in their attention to the managers.
The St. Louis public did not patronize the exhibition on Wednesday evening :
“What! twenty-five cents to see photographs when we can buy them 6 for 70′ and own them?”
Fourteen hundred ate once at Montesano Park, and a great many ate several times….” (p. 412) (Etc., etc.)
“…The large and handsome exhibit of the Hammer Dry-plate Company, covering over eight hundred square feet of space, was greatly admired. It consisted of a display of work sent by one hundred different photographers from all parts of the United States, regular users of the Hammer plates. The work embraced studio, commercial, and amateur photography, and included many gems. The pictures ranged from 272 x 4 to 20 X 24 inches in size, and the prints showed the capabilities of the Hammer plates with almost every printing paper on the market. Among the photographers represented in the grand display were Werner & Co., H. McMichael, James F. Ryder, Theodore Endean, George B. Sperry, George M. Elton, and others.
The souvenir hammers, which created such a stir among photographers at the last Convention, were again to the fore, and everyone visiting the exhibit took away with them one of the little souvenirs….” (p. 414) (Etc., etc.)]

“The Ohio State Convention.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:453 (Sept 1894): 426-427. [“It was a happy thought to select the pleasant city of Columbus as the rendezvous of the members of the P. A. of O.
Set for the most part upon a hill, broad, straight streets cleanly kept, the alert citizens and fine public buildings all conspire to make the city a favorite among the fraternities, and a good attendance is assured when any convention is held here….” (Etc., etc.)
“…The display of the dealers and the workers is very gratifying in extent and variety, and wins much praise from all who have the welfare of the Ohio Convention at heart…” (Etc., etc.)
“…In the extensive “ Solio” exhibit one sees the lustrous names of Hemperley, of Philadelphia; Decker and Ryder, of Cleveland ; Scott and Morrison, of Chi- (p. 426) cago, all showing large work of fine quality. Holland’s charming example of ” subdued lighting,” shown recently in this, is here shown on ” Solio.” (Etc., etc.)
“…The “Kloro” booth was crowded with visitors admiring the work of Guerin, Ryder, et al. Some marine views by Clark were very fine. One-of the new lake steamer, “Northwest,” which cost $750,000—was especially good. All who called were presented with souvenir sachets of “Kloro” perfume….” (p. 427) (Etc., etc.)]

“A Short Talk on Prices.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:454 (Oct. 1894): 463-465. [“You say, “business is dull, and I must do something to improve it, so guess I’ll cut my prices and thus increase my trade.”
Now, let us see if this will do it: Is it best to do work at a good price, or more work at a less price?…” (p. 463) (Etc., etc.)
“…Do you find Falk, Dana, Ryder, Coover, Place, Strauss, etc., making pictures at $1.00 per dozen simply because “times are dull?”
Would they lower their professional dignity and proud reputation by competing with a “dollar-a-dozen ” man, simply because “times are dull” and “trade is slack?”
Would you be a Coover, Dana, or Strauss ?
Then attain to their perfection; and above all, be a man; hold your self-respect and professional dignity above all else. Value your own work. Then you can and will command the respect of the public, and they will value you and your work at your own and its true worth. A. B. C.” (p. 465)]

“Christ-Heads.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 31:455 (Nov. 1894): 515-517. 1 b & w. [Illustration, by H. W. Minns, is a portrait of model posed as Christ, with caption “Father, forgive them!” WSJ]
[“The attendants upon the late convention at Columbus, Ohio, were greatly attracted by three 8 x 10 photographs exhibited by Mr. H. W. Minns, New London, Ohio, representing “Christ’s Head.”
Since then Mr. Minns has stepped into or upon a great deal of notoriety, some reasons for which will be inferred from what follows….” (Etc., etc.)
“Some of the more sensitive and piously inclined declare themselves as inexpressibly shocked that any human being, especially one of their own neighbors, should have posed for so sacred a subject. Others defend the photographer and his model on the broad and liberal ground of art and artistic effect….” (Etc., etc.) (p. 515)
“…Mr. Minns was asked if, in the face of the sharp criticism to which he had been subjected, he desired to make a statement defending himself. Said he :
“The production of the Christ heads by photography was suggested to me by a three-quarter length picture of Mr. Masterman, in which I posed him for Catiline as he replied to the sentence of banishment from Rome. The result, to me, more correctly represented how Christ might have looked as he declared : ‘Ye have made it a den of thieves.’ This picture I showed to J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, who published ‘Deacon Jones’s Experience.’ Calling his operator he said: “If we had this subject down here we would pretty near make a Christ out of him.’ That determined the matter, and I am quite well pleased with the result….” (p. 516) (Etc., etc.)]

1895

[Advertisement.] AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1895 (1895): n. p., adv. section before t. p.
[“Twelve: Photographic: Studies.
THE THIRD EDITION.
A Collection of Photogravures from the Best Representative Photographic
Negatives by Leading Photographic Artists.
COMPILED BY W. I. LINCOLN ADAMS.
THE COLLECTION INCLUDES
“Dawn and Sunset,” .H. P. Robinson,
“Childhood,” H. McMichael.
“As Age Steals On,” J. F. Ryder.
“A Portrait Study,” B. J. Falk,
“Solid Comfort,” John E. Dumont,
“Ophelia,” H. P. Robinson.
No Barrier,” F. A. Jackson.
“El Capitan,” W. H. Jackson.
“Still Waters,” J. J. Montgomery.
“Surf,” James F. Cowee
“A Horse Race.” George Barker.
“Hi, Mister, may we have some Apples?” Geo. B. Wood.
Printed on Japan Paper, Mounted on Boards. Size, 11×14, in ornamental Portfolio and a Box. Price, $3,00.
Sent, post-paid, on receipt of price, by The Scovill & Adams Company.”
(The 1st edition was published on or before 1892, and proved so popular that it was reprinted at least through 1895. WSJ]

Klauser, Prof. Karl. “On the Influence of Art on Photography. A Review.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1895 (1895): 76-77. [“Many attempts have been made to raise the more or less mechanical productions of photography to a higher and more artistic standard, especially since the advent of the amateur and the quick dry plates. But even in the times of the old collodion process there were photographers with artistic instincts and education who did very much to improve on the then common black and white style of portraiture. Ingenious modes of lighting were invented, a better rendering of half-tones and thereby a better modeling of the subject were secured. Some of the more ambitious photographers went even a step further by attempting “genre” compositions—peasant girls waiting at the garden stile, children at play, etc. Some excellent work of this description was made by our best known photographers: Kurtz, Sarony, Rejlander, Rocher, Ryder, and many others. The chief difficulty in those times was the slowness of the process, necessitating long exposures. This difficulty has been greatly obviated by the introduction of the quick dry plate of modern times, by which the photographer can get good results by very short and even instantaneous exposures.
The works on artistic picture-making by photography, by writers like Burnett, Robinson, etc., stimulated the artistically inclined photographers to study more closely the art side of their profession. The advent of the “amateur,” very often of a very cultured class, having some artists of repute among them, also helped to raise the hitherto mere mechanical profession to a higher level.
The prize offers for illustrating poetical works like “Evangeline,” “Hiawatha,” etc. (though ill chosen, in my opinion, because requiring a too elaborated composition, especial backgrounds, intelligent and ideal models, etc.) also helped photography in the art-direction, though none of the results proved to be entirely satisfactory. The intelligent amateur with his accustomed daring gave us some interesting lessons in plain-air photography, especially in portraiture, (p. 76) showing artistic results, superior to the ordinary overdone retouching methods of the “professional.” It is also interesting to notice the intelligent success of lady photographers in the endeavor to create artistic photographic pictures, outside of the common amateur’s line. Various novel ways of printing, as, for instance, the one on aristotype mat-surface paper, on bromide paper, the platinotype, etc., greatly assisted in giving results of a higher order in artistic photography.
I have before me a selection of twelve photographic studies, * [* “Twelve Photographic Studies,” sold by The Scoville & Adams Co.] illustrating the immense advance in artistic photography within the last ten years. This selection ought to be in the possession of every ambitious photographer-professional and amateur-as showing and hinting at the art possibilities of photography. All the landscape and portrait studies are excellent, while among the attempted “genre” pictures I am inclined to give the place of superiority to John E. Dumont’s solitary figure named “Solid Comfort” (p. 77)]

Ryder, James F. “Scheme for Lighting.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1895 (1895): 196-197. 1 b& w. [“Illustration is view of studio with “the screen in use.”] [“To light the subject favorably I give you what to me seems a perfect means. It matters little what be the form or manner of your light. The introduction of a screen between the light and the sitter, when properly adjusted, will make a good light of what would be the most unfavorable one if used without the screen. This screen may be carried upon a framework, upon castors, from the floor, or it may be hung upon wires overhead and adjusted and operated by means of pulley cords. It should stand at an angle of from 30 to 45 degrees, as in the judgment of the operator shall seem best. It should be of common white muslin. It should be at a distance from the sitter’s head of about three feet. It should bc of size large enough to shut off the entire light from the top or side light, or both; for instance, when the sitter is in the chair and the screen properly adjusted, the sitter should not be able to see (p. 196) anything of the window outside the frame which carries the screen, then surely no part of the window can see the sitter, which is the point we wish to make. Under this screen, now, you have nothing but diffused light. The lights, or lightest parts of the face, are shielded from the direct light of the sky or side lights, or both. The shadows are filled with light enough to give them detail and transparency, rather than abruptness. To most operators the effect of this screen gives too flat an effect and would be condemned. The image is too much all half-tone. But hold on a minute. I admit the claim of too much half-tone-of too flat effect. We can fix that. Let us cut in the centre of the screen a hole, say a foot or a foot and a half wide, and say two feet long, the length to run up and down of the screen. Now this bit of direct light coming through the diffused or obstructed light emphasizes the effect-gives a mark of high-light upon the prominent parts of the face, and at once changes the flat effect to pleasant points of light, and deepens the shadows. To get this hole correctly adjusted so it gives the proper effect belongs to the operator to see and to do. While it is possible to make use of this device for figure portraits, when the screen is suspended from above, it is meant more especially to be used in making heads, where its greater value will be found.” (p. 197)]

1 original photo (Mother and child) on “Aristo-Platino Paper” by Arthur & Philbric. (Detroit, Mi) as frontispiece. WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE. 32:457 (Jan. 1895): 31-32, plus frontispiece. 1 b & w. [Comments on the paper and how to work with it are published in “Our Pictures” on pp. 31-32. Mentions George G. Rockwood and John H. Ryder’s comments.]

“The Editorial Table.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 7:1 (Jan. 1895): 33-35. [“The “American Annual of Photography.” New York, The Scovill & Adams Company.— The publishers of this always welcome annual visitor and highly valued all-the-year-round companion have, as usual, taken time by the forelock and send it in time to be well digested before the Christmas plethora comes. It is bigger than that of last year by a few pages, and if we cannot say better the publishers have themselves to blame, as in that the perfection line was so nearly reached as to make an improvement practically impossible. It contains 438 pages of reading matter and illustrations, and although they are far from being all equally good, there is not one that we should wish omitted. There are some 150 illustrations, varying from full-page — of which there are 28 to “initial letters,” some of the latter, such as those on pages 27, 61, 128 and 168, being exquisite pictures. There are eighty-eight original articles by as many writers, and although they contain some things from which we dissent, there are few indeed from which something may not be learned….” (p. 33) “…but W. S. Waterbury’s recommendation, backed up as it is on page 196 by J. F. Ryder, to filter a too intense light through a translucent screen before letting it fall on the sitter, is excellent. At page 51 are probably the last words of the lamented Charles Ehrmann, but they are words of wisdom, warning, as we have often done, against combined baths of which we do not know the composition, and against the too long use of even those made by ourselves….” (p. 34) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“Child Study.” “By J. F. Ryder.”) on p. 202 in: PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 26:4 (Apr. l895)]

3 b & w (“Three Society Women of Cleveland. From photographs by James F. Ryder.”) on p. 457 in: GODEY’S MAGAZINE 130:779 (May 1895)]

1 b & w (“Portrait of Charles W. Couldock, Esq.”) as frontispiece in: “Our Pictures.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 32:462 (June 1895): frontispiece, 280-281. [Photo is a portrait of an actor by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, OH. “Positive print by N. Y. Photogravure Company.”]

“Fifteenth Annual Convention, Photographers’ Association of America.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 7:9 (Sept. 1895): 290-297. [“Held at Detroit Museum of Art, August 6 to 9, 1895, Inclusive.
The annual convention of the Photographers’ Association of America met at Detroit with most auspicious surroundings and conditions. The city itself is somewhat out of the usual run of American cities, being in its arrangement of that diversified character one generally considers peculiar to European. cities, where the houses and streets seem to have grown rather than to have been planned according to some definite scheme….” (p. 290) “…Many faces were conspicuous by their absence. Seed, Gennert, Douglas, Long, and Landy, all prominent old-timers, were awanting this year, while, on the other hand, there were Carbutt, Decker, Appleton, and Ryder, who, from various causes, absented themselves a year ago. Among older men one noted Cramer, Hammer, Rockwood, Wuestner, Jex Bardwell, not to speak of such persistent attenders at conventions as Edgeworth, Pickerill, Hodges and Hetherington….” (p. 291) “…In the afternoon a certain amount of routine work was gone through. The president was supported by the ex-presidents present, Messrs. Carbutt, Cramer, Decker, Appleton, and Ryder….” (p. 291) “…Many private outings took place during the meetings, Belle Isle being the most popular resort. Mr. H. F. Hoefle, of the Hammer Dry Plate Co., outshone everybody, however, for he got up a tallyho party of ladies one day and set off with a score of them all to himself. The party included Mrs. R. P. Bellsmith, Miss A. Hammer, Mrs. I. Hammer, Mrs. J. F. Ryder, Mrs. F. Somers, Mrs. Mrs. H. Q. Sargent, G. Cramer, Mrs. Appleton, Mrs. Hollinger, Miss Hollinger, Mrs. L. M. Baker, Mrs. Geo. Bassett, Mrs. Zimmerman, Mrs. Kirchner, Mrs. I. L. Stein, Mrs. H. Lieber, Mrs. John Schneider and others….” (p. 292)
“…The chair appointed Messrs. Ryder, Decker and Appleton as tellers, and after a number of nominations were made from the floor the ballot was proceeded with, which resulted in the election of the entire ticket presented by the Nominating Committee….” (p. 294) “…The newly elected officers made speeches bearing on the proposed work for the ensuing year, and their gratitude at being elected to the honorable positions which they were to fill, which were enthusiastically received. Speeches by Mr. Pickerill, J. F. Ryder and Mr. George Sperry followed, and a vote of thanks was made Mr. Griffith for the pains he had taken, and also a vote of thanks to the press of Detroit.” (p. 294)
“…The attendance and exhibits at the convention this year show that the Photographers’ Association of America is in a flourishing condition, and the keen interest manifested by those in attendance bids well for the meeting in the ensuing year. Such old members as Cramer, Carbutt, Ryder, Decker and others pronounce it one of the most successful conventions they have ever attended. C. M. Hayes, Sec’y P. A. of A.” (p. 297)]
Manufacturers’ Exhibits.
Owing to the abstention of three leading platemakers, the manufacturers’ exhibits this year was not nearly so large as it was at St. Louis. Paper manufacturers were worthily represented by Platinum, American Aristo, Ilo, Nepera and Kloro. The three latter were side by side and each seemed to vie with the other in the excellence of its display….”
“…Ilotype Company.
Next in order came the Ilotype Company, whose exhibit was tastefully displayed on two large screens. It comprised no fewer than five brands of paper manufactured by the company, namely, Ilo, Atlas, N. Y., Ilo Mat and Albuma. From an educational point this exhibit was very attractive, for here were gathered examples by such men as J. F. Ryder, O. P. Scott, J. Ed. Rösch, Brigden & Geisler, Huntingdon & Clark, (p. 300) DeVos, Husher, C. W. Baker, Opsahl, and photographers naturally congregated around them.
J. F. Ryder seemingly has caught the Trilby craze, for such was the title of his most attractive picture, an excellent specimen of soft lighting. O. P. Scott is good as usual, superior, we think, to what he shows in the Climax competition….” (p. 301) (Etc., etc.)]

Ryder, James F. “The Painter of “Yankee Doodle.” NEW ENGLAND MAGAZINE n. s. 13:4 (Dec. 1895): 482-494. 6 b & w., 7 illus. [The photographs are portraits of Archibald Willard at different ages, or portraits of the models used for his painting. The illustrations are a copy of the painting, with variants and sketches and several other genre paintings by the artist. WSJ]
[“In 1836, at Bedford, Ohio, a dozen miles from Cleveland, was born Archibald M. Willard. He was one of several children, the son of a Baptist minister of much force, an austere and dignified man, as became the cloth in those days. Such advantages of education as were offered in a small village in a comparatively new country the boy was given. He was fond of study, and, encouraged by his father, who assisted him over rough places, he made fair progress. His grandfather Willard, a relative of General Stark and a soldier of the Revolution, one of the “Green Mountain boys,” who was at the surrender of Burgoyne, was a member of the family. The old soldier and the boy were great friends. A comradeship was established between them, quite unusual between persons of such different ages. The boy wanted stories of the war; the old man was ever ready to give them, and many were the battles fought before bedtime during the long winter evenings.
Through Bedford runs Tinker’s Creek, stream of especial beauty, placid through the fields, wild through the deep gorge which leads away past the village. Much time was spent by the old man and the boy in the shadows of the picturesque ravine. The lad was happy in the rugged surroundings. They were an appeal to an artistic sense in his nature, which was thus early developing. The old man was in sympathy with the boy as far as he could understand. He respected the visionary tendency of the young mind as something beyond him. In speaking of it he said, “Archibald is a great hand to see pictures; he sees them in the trees, in the clouds, in the turns of the creek, where I would never think of looking.” Smooth surfaces of wall, barn doors and board fences about Bedford town attested the promptings of budding genius in the coming artist. The old soldier was not neglected in these outbursts of talent; he figured often in the boy’s cartoons.
Frequent changes in residence were the lot of the Baptist minister; and before the son was nineteen years old he had been moved about with the family in sundry ways, until at last they were settled permanently at Wellington. father was not able to give the son an art education, and so evident was it that he must depend upon his own exertions, that he determined upon apprenticing himself to a decorative painter, Mr. E. S. Tripp, in a wagon and carriage manufactory in the village. He quickly outstripped his master in ability, and proved a valuable acquisition. His fame soon brought wagons to be built and to be painted, even from adjoining states. Peddling wagons with pretty vignette landscapes and animals’ heads were the admiration of the people about the country. Presently the youth took courage to try portrait painting, and was successful beyond the expectation of himself and his friends. Wellington was proud of Willard; he was Willard of Wellington. Here he lost his heart, and, getting married, settled down to domestic life. after came on the War of the Rebellion. He responded to the call for soldiers, enlisted in the eighty-sixth Ohio regiment, and as color-bearer followed the fortunes of the regiment through the struggle.
The war over, he returned to Wellington, taking up again the line of his former work and study. Soon after the close of the war, Mr. Willard attempted to portray on canvas some of its most thrilling scenes as he had witnessed and sketched them, making a panorama which was exhibited in several small towns near his home. The venture was not a financial success. The war was too recent, and people’s hearts were too sore. Had the paintings been preserved, they might well afford matter interesting at this day; but the paint was (p. 483) (Etc., etc.)]

“Editorial Notes.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES 27:6 (Dec. 1895): 365. [“You will not pass over the child study by J. F. Ryder without stopping to admire it, nor the picture of “The Diver,” by Louis Meldon, without thinking it the most wonderful picture of the kind you ever saw.”]

“Contents of Reviews and Magazines.” REVIEW OF REVIEWS. AN INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE 12:6 (Dec. 1895): 758.
[“Leading Articles in the December Magazines.”
Atlantic Monthly.-Boston. December.
A New England Woodpile. Rowland E. Robinson.
The Starving Time in Old Virginia. John Fiske.
The Defeat of the Spanish Armada. W.F. Tilton.
Some Reminiscences of Eastern Europe. Harriet W. Preston.
An Idler in Missionary Ridge. Bradford Torrey.
Notes from a Traveling Diary. Lafcadio Hearne.
Being a Typewriter. Lucy d. Bull.
New Figures in Literature and Art.
Hamlin Garland….” (Etc., etc.)
New England Magazine.-Boston. December.
The Builder of the Old South Meeting House. A. E. Brown
In an Old Colonial Library. Frank Sewall.
New England in Michigan. E. P. Powell.
The Kindergarten for the Blind. Dinah Sturgis.
The Christmas Greens of America. Agnes C. Sage.

Passing of the Clerical Man of the World. R. Brail.
Songs and Ballads of the Revolution. Lydia B. Newcomb.
Scribner’s Magazine. New York. December.
Laurens Alma-Tadema, R.A. Cosmo Monkhouse.
Wild Beasts as they Live. Capt. C. J. Melliss.
Wood-Engravers. A. Lepère….” (Etc., etc.)]

“The Magazines” JOURNAL OF EDUCATION 42:22 (Dec. 5, 1895): 390. [“…-The Christmas number of the New England Magazine is rich in its contents, and beautiful in mechanical execution. “The Story of Christmas Christianity,” by Edward Everett Hale, is the sub-title of the tale “From Generation to Generation….” “A Middle-Aged Woman is a story by the late Robert Beverly Hale, sent to the magazine just before his fatal illness. It is a story of a more distinctly social reform character than anything which has before appeared from the pen of the talented young writer. It is accompanied by a fine portrait of Mr. Hale, taken during the period of his life as a Harvard student, and is thus given an added memorial value, Under the title of “The Painter of Yankee Doodle,’” Mr. James F. Ryder of Cleveland tells the interesting story of his life. The painter was Archibald M. Willard. “The Kindergarten for the Blind” is described by Miss Dinah Sturgis. Its work is a noble one, and the article is illustrated charmingly. Price, $3.00 a year; single copies, 25 cents. Boston: 5 Park square. Warren F. Kellogg, publisher….” (Etc., etc.)]

1896

1 b & w (“Child Study.”) on p. xv; 1 b & w (“Child Study.”) on p. 193 in: AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1896 (1896) [(Photos by: Alfred Stieglitz, B. J. Falk, C. Baer, Harry & Marie Platt, A. Moreno, J. L. Lovell, John Roesch, J. Craig Annan, Marquis de Alfarras, J. Chester Jervis, C. F. Jenkins, William Morrison, Frances B. Johnston, J. G. W. Windram, Lucy Baldwin, McCormick, R. Eickemeyer, Jr., A. L. Eidemiller, C. H. White, Alfred Stern, Fred Graf, Bertha M. Lothrup, Napoleon Sarony, G. F. Whitmore, E. Eliot, W. E. Peabody, Charles I. Berg, W. A. Fraser, R. A. Wadsworth, Louis Kurr, L. M. McCormick, J. C. Carpenter, C. H. Likens, H. F. Preston, W. K. Burton, Will A. Cadby, C. C. Langille, John E. Dumont, Alfred Clements, C. Baer, J. W. Dunn, Jesse Poundstone, G. Vieuelle, H. Dixon, Sarony, Alfred Clements, H. P. Robinson, Harry Platt, J. Chester Jervis, J. F. Ryder, J. Craig Annan, R. E. M. Bain, W. A. Cooper, Louis Meldon, Mabel O. Wright, Kate Matthews, H. G. Douglas, Louis Kerr, H. G. Douglas, Manoel Goulart, A. R. Dresser, Schumacher, Seymour Conway, A. W. Stanley, Walter Blackburn, C. G. Ross, W. Fuchs, Alex. Black, Dr. J. A. Booth, Dexter Thurber, E. Donald Roberts, Alex. Keighley, James L. Breese, Aime Dupont, W. Arnold, Geo. L. Wilms.)]

“Section I. The Review of the Past Year.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1896 (1896): 10-12.
[“ …Photographic Copyright.
One of the most important items of the year’s progress is the movement inaugurated to secure recognition of the photographer’s ownership of his productions and their protection by copyright. This matter has been all too long neglected, but now, by the work of a few of our leading photographers, a Copyright League has been brought into active operation. As this is a work which should have the practical support of every member of the fraternity, we append a few particulars of interest.
Photographers’ Copyright League of America.—This body was successfully organized with a membership of (p. 10) over seventy at an enthusiastic meeting held in this city at the Falk Studio, Monday, May 13th. The following officers were elected : Executive Committee : Napoleon Sarony, President; B. J. Falk, First Vice-President and Treasurer ; George G. Rockwood, Second Vice-President ; James L. Breese, New York; James F. Ryder, Cleveland; W. F. Morrison, Chicago; J. C. Strauss, St. Louis ; Charles E. Bolles, Secretary, Room 433 Temple Court, New York. Counsel : B. Levinson, New York,
The dues are five dollars annually. We urge every first-class photographer to become a member and assist in upholding the standing and rights of the profession….” (p. 11) (Etc., etc.)

1 b & w (“Autographic Skin.” “Engraved by Photo-Chromotype Engraving Co., Philadelphia.”) on p. 265 in: Ryder, J. F. “Photographing an Autographic Skin.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1896 (1896): 265, 267. [(Photo of a sitting young man with the handwritten words “Reporter at Cleveland Medical Society June 14, 1895. Photo by J. F. Ryder.” on his back. The handwriting resembles welts or scars. WSJ)
“By way of variety for our valuable annual, I send you herewith a photograph of a young man possessing an autographic skin. Something very rare in nature and of much interest to medical science. The young man is in the enjoyment of perfect health, and twentyfour years of age. Dr. J. C. Aldrich, of our city (Cleveland), found the case and reported it at a meeting of the Medical Society, bringing the subject with him to the Society, where much interest was manifested. The doctors say the phenomenon is of a nervous character. An undue excitement occurring in the tiny nerves which control the capillary supply of blood to the skin is developed by rubbing the surface with almost any point. In this case, the plain end of a match was used as a pencil, and not heavily laid on. In a few minutes after the tracing was made a distinct swelling was noticed, and soon turned red with a white welt appearing where the match was traced, and the red holding on either side of the ridge.
In about ten minutes after the tracing was done the photograph was made, and it soon began to subside and fade away. In a couple of hours it had quite disappeared.”]

Wilson, Edward L. “A Tribute to the Memory of Washington Irving Adams.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:470 (Feb. 1896): 63-72. [(Adams, manufacturer, dealer of photographic supplies and equipment, father of W. I. Lincoln Adams, the editor. Biographical essay by Wilson followed by letters from F. J. Kingsbury, Edward Cope, V. M. Wilcox, D. K. Cady, John Carbutt, E. Long, J. R. Clemons, Jas. H. Smith, J. F. Ryder, David Tucker, W. P. Buchanan, H. Littlejohn, James Landy, H. A. Hyatt, G. Cramer, Benj. French, Geo. R. Angell, S. T. Blessing, H. Q. Sargent, Clarence E. Woodman, W. H. Robey, Leonard Jacobi, J. C. Millen, P. C. Duchochois, O. H. Peck, J. C. Somerville, F. Hendricks & Co., and excerpts from several papers. Ryder’s letter is one of dozens printed in tribute to W. Irving Adams.)
“Cleveland, O., January 7, 1896. My Dear Friend, Dr. Wilson: l am shocked to hear of the death of our esteemed friend, W. Irving Adams. I have not met him since his health failed, and remember him only as the man in full health; the man of genial manners and kindly voice, whose welcome to me was always marked and wholesome. To know him was to admire and honor him. That I can never again come within the sunshine of his friendly presence is a hardship. “To his bereaved family and friends I tender my sympathy. “Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.” p. 68.”]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:470 (Feb. 1896): 95. [“Mr. James F. Ryder sends us a particularly attractive leaflet which he uses as an advertisement for his new studio in the Garfield Block at 121 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, O. A new picture introduced by Mr. Ryder is called the “Pompeiian.” It is finished after the manner of the cartoons of the old masters. The illustrations of the leaflet are in black. We suggest that the next edition be printed in the Pompeiian color. All success to the new studio.”]

“In Memoriam. Allan J. Skutt.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:471 (Mar. 1896): 124-125. [“Died of paralysis in Jamestown, N. Y., December 17, 1895, Mr. Allan K. Skutt, in the sixty-first year of his age. From his old friend and co-worker, Mr. A. N. Camp, of Jamestown, we have been favored with the following particulars: “Mr. Skutt began his photographic career about thirty-five years ago in Hudson, Mich. After serving his apprenticeship there and working in different places for some time, he entered the employment of James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., as a negative retoucher; this places him on record as one of the very first who operated this improvement in photography. The attendants of our earlier conventions will readily remember what an excitement was caused by the exhibition of Mr. Skutt’s work, exhibited at the Second Annual Convention, held in Cleveland, work which had grown out of the introduction of the then famous ‘Berlin cartes des visite,’ imported by the editor of this Magazine, as studies for the instruction and help of his patrons….”]

“Editor’s Table: Warning to the Craft.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:472 (Apr. 1896): 192. [In the “Situation Wanted” column of our last number an advertiser seeking an engagement as an operator over the address “C.,” care of the Scranton Photo Supply Co., stated as his chief qualification that he had been “head operator for J. H. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., for the past year.” Mr. Ryder asks us to state that this statement is untrue and fraudulent. During the twelve years Mr. Ryder has been in business he has had four operators, and the fourth has been in his employ, eleven years, having filled the post of head operator for the past six years. The advertiser complained of is a retoucher who was employed by Mr. Ryder about three weeks and discharged because his work was not satisfactory.”]

“Editor’s Table: The Immortal Six.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:477 (Sept. 1896): 432. ”The Immortal Six” is the name of a social club formed in Cleveland, Ohio, about forty years ago. In 1858 “The Immortal Six” resolved that the club (restricted in membership to six young men) should be photographed. Accordingly they proceeded in a body, with solemnity befitting the occasion, to the studio of our old friend, J. F. Ryder, then situated at the corner of Superior and Bank Streets. The young photographer did his best and produced an image. A few days ago the club had its fortieth anniversary and the occasion was celebrated by returning to Ryder’s studio, and the making of another group picture of “The Immortal Six.” The two groups of 1858 and 1896, showing the same “boys,” and taken by the same photographer, were reproduced in the Cleveland (Ohio) Leader a few days ago.”]

16 b & w on one panel (‘A Variety of Studies”) on unnumbered leaf following p. 496 in: WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:479 (Nov. 1896): unnumbered leaf following p. 496, 519-520. [4 portraits by W. M. Morrison (Chicago, IL); 4 by B. J. Falk (New York, NY); 1 by R. H. Furman (San Diego, CA); 2 by S. L. Stein (Milwaukee, WI); 3 by J. F. Ryder (Cleveland, OH). Brief note on pp. 519-520.]

“A West Virginia Studio and Its Operator, Otto Doehn.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:480 (Dec. 1896): 554-555. 4 b & w. [“One of the sincerest pleasures which fall to the lot of the editor of a technical magazine who has been many years at his post comes from watching the course of those who are growing up in his art to continue the work he is trying to uphold and elevate. Another pleasure comes from aiding, advising, and abetting the younger workers….” “…As to the career, photographically, of Mr. Doehn, it is not a long one, this being his tenth year of service in photography. He was born in Cleveland, June 5, 1868, and at the age of eighteen years began photography in the establishment of Mr. J. F. Ryder. The first few months were spent in the printing department; there he learned the art of manipulating albumen paper. Then he was promoted to the operating-room, and under the Ryder skylight he spent seven years. An offer to go to South America then enticed our young artist, and he accepted a position as operator in Montevideo. In 1895 he returned to “God’s country,” and was married to Mr. Doehn’s first engagement after his return to the United States was at the Kirk studio, where he yet presides at the camera….”]

1 b & w (“A Domestic Group. Velox Print from a Negative.”.) on unnumbered leaf, before p. 529 in: “Our Pictures.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 33:480 (Dec. 1896): unnumbered leaf, before p. 529, 564. [“The “Velox” study this time was printed from a negative generously loaned by Mr. James F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, and is a charming example in composition. All who work under the skylight know the difficulties of posing a mother and two children together. In this case these have been overcome without any strain after effect. All is natural, and graceful, and beautiful. The negative and subject both are well adapted to matt surface paper printing, and “Velox” has fulfilled every expectation concerning it. The method of printing is given on another page….”]

1897

1 b & w (“A Portrait Study.”) on p. 107; 1 b & w (“A Portrait.”) on p. 181 in: AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY & PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES ALMANAC FOR 1897 (1897) [(Photos by: Charles I. Berg, Alfred Stieglitz, R. R. Bourland, J. M. C. Grove, J. Schloss, C. L. Baer, Louis Meldon, E. Donald Roberts, Jr., E. Evelyn Barron, C. B. Waite, J. W. Dunn, Lawrence J. Bringle, G. L. Wilms, G. E. Valleau, J. Wells Champney, T. Frank, Atkinson, B. J. Falk, P. Bergon, Mabel Osgood Wright, Ernest Lambert, L. C. Bennett, Walter Sprange, Hecter, Maclean, Morrison, R. Ed. Liesegang, Mrs. D. M. Stevenson, Major R. H. Brown, G. L. Wilms, Horace W. Gridley, Sir Benjamin Stone, Napoleon Sarony, Miss K. G. Spink, R. Ed. Lusegang, Mrs. Geo. Adsit, Frank Atkinson, Baker’s Art Gallery, H. G. Reading, F. J. Burnett, Fred Boissonas, F. M. Tuckerman, Reutlinger, Maximilian Toch, Mario Dei Fiori, J. F. Ryder, Alexander Black, Osgood Plummer, Hall Edwards, M. Harvey Brown, Tyson & Bringle, A. Moreno, Fred Brissonas, T. Trombridge, R. L. Maddox, Jesse Poundstone, James Burton, Chas. E. Fairman, Adele, E. Atkinson, Ch. Berteaux, Adelaid Skeel, Georgina Wills, Kate Mathews, Alfred Werner, J. Wells Champney, Baker’s Art Gallery, J. F. Ryder, J. Carpenter, G. E. Valleau, W. G. Chase, L. C. Bennet, Howard Grey Douglas, J. A. Bates, James Leadbeater, Rev. A. H. Blake, E. Atkinson, Karl Greger, Miss K. G. Spink, Henry Troth, J. M. C. Grove, W. Dawes, J. C. Strauss, Dexter Thurber, E. R. Ashton, R. Dulk, C. Puyo, J. W. Dunn, Carbon Studio, A. Moreno, B. J. Falk, M. Wolfe.)]

1 b & w (“Easter Thoughts.” “James F. Ryder, Cleveland) on p, 159 in: Ryder, James F. “As I Focussed Along.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1897 (1897): 157-161. [“A long time ago I found out some things which impress me with their truth, more and more as I grow older, and I propose to weave a few of them together for the readers of Mosaics.
I was more impressed with the thought when I started focussing, that I was a genius, than I am now.
I have learned that genius alone will not open up all the mysteries of art, nor alone discover her secrets.
One must not look upon the necessity of mechanical labor and scientific pursuit together with training in art principles as altogether discouraging elements.
Close application in each progressive step will afford satisfactory amends for all exertion in surmounting difficulties.
The difficulties are never so formidable as they look when one first tackles them. Keep on tackling.
“Nothing is denied to well-directed labor; nothing is to be obtained without it.” (p. 157)
Don’t make the cowardly excuse that talent and taste are things which were overlooked when you were made up.
If unremitting diligence backs up even the lowest ability, wonderful results may be achieved.
Assiduous, ardent devotion, with a firm purpose (attend to getting this well wrought in first), will push you ahead and leave your competitor behind.
Those who work the hardest absorb the most, show forth the best genius, and gain the finest rewards in our art.
Application, although more gentle and more modest than genius, is immeasurably more valuable and unfailing.
Many geniuses go wrong because they will not admit that it costs years of laborious study to attain eminence. The mind should be enriched with ideas of truth and beauty. These can only be obtained by a good long time of gleaning, raking, and sorting out of stubble.
Neither improvement nor attainment is limited. Genius is never satisfied, but perpetually conceives ideas of perfection while endeavoring to realize them. “Attempt great things, expect great things,” said the philosopher. And another one declares that “thoughts are things.”
Did you ever try to catch the flies which have been annoying you while both hands were occupied? Do you remember how often when, with mighty murder in your mind, you whacked at them and saw your blow fall where the pests were-not? It is so sometimes with the efforts of the earnest worker-even with the genius. But do not mind that;
“Yet know, these noblest honors of the mind
On rigid terms descend.” (p. 158)
[Illustration. “Easter Thoughts.” Portrait of a woman with Calla lilies. p. 159
[ Blank verso p. 160]
“Attempt great things, expect great things.” It is true (and this is a veteran who says it to you) that “he who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; he who aims at mediocrity will fall short of it.”
Those who will not be convinced by the evolution of the experiences of others have their own history to go over” the glorious privilege of youth.” Try it and see how you like it.
Manliness and sincerity and patience all work well with modesty and make a mighty combination.” (p. 161)]

“A Trade Printing-House.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 34:487 (July 1897): 295-300. [“The article under this heading, by Mr. George B. Sperry, which appeared at page 185 of the April number of this Magazine, has attracted wide attention among the fraternity….” (Opinions by more than a dozen photographers follow,) “…The veteran, J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, says: “In my opinion, such an establishment may be created and run to the advantage of its proprietor and its patrons, in a commercial sense, as a factory. It might cheapen the cost of photographic printing, and it would also cheapen the quality. For samples of manufactures,^ where photographic reproductions of manufactured articles of merchandise are desired; for views of natural scenery; for reproductions of works of art; in fact, for all cheap uses in photography, the trade printing-house would have a place. As applied to portraiture, it might do for very low grades of work, where the customer is made to understand that what is offered him must be taken without question or criticism. But for honest, painstaking work it could not be successfully offered, for the public has grown exacting and whimsical. It is not unusual for customers to condemn work—sometimes with good cause, sometimes without—and we must reprint or have uncomfortable words with our overwise or critical patrons, which is always a mistake. We could not require our trade printing-house to reprint by way of catering to the whims of our private customers. We could do it, we must do it ourselves. In all things this fact is the same: very low prices and honest quality do not go together. A merchant tailor will give a good business suit for thirty to forty dollars. A ready-made clothing house will give a business suit for ten to fifteen dollars. In both cases it is something to wear—’ you pays your money and you takes your choice.'”…” pp. 296-297.]

“The Pictures at Celoron.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 34:488 (Aug. 1897): 380-384. [“Nothing could be more inspiring to the photographic mind than the sight presented during a rapid survey of the 2000 pictures displayed on the walls of the Auditorium annex at Celoron as part of the “Red Letter” Convention. The Hanging Committee had accomplished wonders in its department, and the new arrangement of electric lighting enabled one to study the pictures under the most favorable conditions. To put down the impressions received, in cold type, is, however, a very difficult undertaking. At first glance the preponderance of pictures in carbon and platinotype was surprising. Almost all the best pictures were prints of one or the other of these kinds. By and by, however, it was apparent that many of the “carbons” were on print-out papers of the matt variety, skilfully finished to resemble the real thing….” “…And so one might go on describing the exhibits seen at Celoron until the reader would be thoroughly wearied. We desist. It was unquestionably the grandest display of photographic work ever made in this country. The posing, lighting, and general composition of the pictures showed undeniable progress when compared with the exhibits of 1896. There were blunders, of course, and many good pictures were ruined by lack of attention to the little points; but, taken as a whole, the exhibits made one proud of photography and of its development.
With the Trade. Manufacturers and Dealers at Celoron. The trade department of the Convention was larger than usual this year, the whole of the Auditorium being given up to the exhibits. As a rule, the booths were decorated, and the sight as one entered was tastefully effective. The American Aristotype Co.’s display was, perhaps, the most extensive and attractive. It comprised pictures on aristo-platino and other of this company’s print-out papers from almost all the galleries of repute in the country….” “…The Hammer Dry Plate Co., represented by Mr. Hammer, Sr., and his popular son, showed a collection of wonderful work as testifying to the quality of the Hammer plate. The Climax plate, represented by Mr. C. O. Lovell and his aids, had a grand exhibit of work by J. F. Ryder, C. W. Hearn, I. De Vos, and other prominent photographers. Messrs. E & H. T. Anthony & Co., had a very extensive display, especially strong in cameras of all sizes and studio apparatus, with a full line of the thousand and one specialties for which this house is famous….”]

“Out of the Mail Bag. The Jex Bardwell Fund.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 9:9 (Sept. 1897): 196-197. [“A beginning to this fund was made at the last National Convention, and unless something be done quickly it will never be anything but a beginning. The greatest cause of failure in any undertaking is the inability of many men to finish the job. Are photographers to leave this job unfinished? We hope not, and so when Mr. J. F. Ryder wrote asking us to give the use of the columns of The Photo-Beacon to solicit subscriptions for the Jex Bardwell Fund, and to act as custodian for the time being of such as may be received, we gladly agreed. In his day Jex Bardwell did good work for photographers, he gave according to his ability to photographers according to their needs at the time, and saved them vast sums of money. The conditions today are reversed; Jex Bardwell is in need, and common justice demands that photographers, both professional and amateur, should give, according to their ability, to Jex Bardwell, according to his needs. We trust, therefore, that Mr. Ryder’s appeal will receive immediate attention, and that we shall be kept busy recording the receipt of subscriptions to this fund.
Mr. Ryder’s letter is as follows:
Cleveland, Ohio, August 23, 1897.
F. Dundas Todd, Esq., Editor of The PhotoBeacon, Tribune Building, Chicago, Illinois:
Dear Sir, Your willingness to receive contributions for the Jex Bardwell Home Fund, for Detroit, Michigan, is a most pleasant thing for the old gentleman, whose valuable testimony years ago saved photographers many a dollar from patent proprietors. And pleasant also for many grateful photographers who will like to show their appreciation of his services. I hand you herewith a dollar as a “nest egg” for the fund. It will pay for a board in his floor, and will give me great pleasure to have the dear old boy and his blessed old wife walk over it, and possibly think of me sometimes. I respectfully urge photographers, all who (p. 196) may see this, to put their shoulders to the wheel and help along a little, at once. Just put in an envelope a few postage stamps, if you don’t feel like making it a dollar. Write upon the envelope, For the Jex Bardwell House, from (signing your name), and inclose in another envelope to F. Dundas Todd, of The Photo-Beacon, Chicago, Illinois. See how soon we may get a bushel of such envelopes. Your contribution may put a light of glass in his window, or a shingle upon his roof. Above all, don’t say, “I will do it tomorrow, or when I can get around to it,” but do it at once, and we will have a house for him to live in right soon. Come boys, give us a lift.
Yours truly, J. F. Ryder. Subscriptions to the Jex Bardwell Fund.
J. F. Ryder…..$1.00
Further contributions will be acknowledged next month.” (p. 197)]

“The Ohio Convention.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 9:10 (Oct. 1897): 232. [“The Photographers’ Association of Ohio can congratulate themselves on the immense success of their seventh annual convention and exhibition, which was held on August 31 and September 1, at Columbus, Ohio. The convention was called to order Tuesday morning, August 31, by President George B. Sperry, of Toledo. The beautiful assembly hall, on the seventh floor of the Great Southern Hotel, where the convention was held, was well filled when Gilbert Stewart, President Board of Trade, was introduced to deliver an address of welcome….” “… Communications were read from J. F. Ryder and Abraham Bogardus. …” (p. 232)]

Ryder, James F. “The Jex Bardwell Home. To be built in Detroit, Mich.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 34:490 (Oct. 1897): 435-436. [“To the few photographers in this country who do not know Jex Bardwell, what he is to photographers and to photography. I would say that he is an old man, quite unable to take care of himself and his aged wife; he is poor and without a home to shelter his gray head. He is an honorable, upright, modest and deserving man. In the past a scientific photographer; a walking encyclopaedia of photographic chemistry and formulae pertaining to our art; and through his expert knowledge became the valuable friend to all photographers. And this was the way of it: The Cutting Bromide Patent, which had to do with the ambrotype, and pertained to the preparation of collodion, was regarded with suspicion by many photographers. It was a burden and an injustice to all men using collodion in photograph processes. In 1867 the first convention of photographers called in America had for its object to consider a united action to resist the operation of that patent and defeat it. This convention was held at the Cooper Institute in New York City, and out of it grew the National Photographers’ Association. After a running fight of two or three years, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington all taking a hand, without any decisive result, up rose, at Detroit, Mich., that hero of the patent defeat, Jex Bardwell, who carried in the “inside pocket” of his memory the documents which overthrew the alleged validity of that patent, thereby saving thousands and thousands of dollars to photographers. He was never paid even the usual witness fees. “That’s what old Jex Bardwell did for photographers”; and now, photographers, ever appreciative and ready to acknowledge a plucky and unselfish act in their interest, have made a start to pool in their mite to build a home for him. This Magazine will be a receiver of contributions for the fund, and will turn over to the committee every basketful as fast as accumulates. Let every photographers count himself “a pebble upon the beach” in this matter, and send his mite in a sealed envelope, bearing his own name and address, written in ink, and the legend “For the Jex Bardwell Home.” If he can put a bank note in, and feel right about it, let him do it. If he thinks he can’t quite afford it let him put in a few postage stamps, what he would pay for a cigar, a concert ticket, or a game of billiards, and do it at once before there is a chance to forget about it. Enclose this envelope in another and direct to this Magazine. Let us make this old man and his good wife happy. It will cost us nothing to speak of, and it will warm his old heart to feel that thousands of friends from every end of the country have thought of his comfort and ‘seen to it.” There is a church at Wethersfield, Conn., built of onions—that is, contributions of onions. I read about it when a boy, and it lived in my mind until I was a grown man, and when I came see it I was almost disappointed that onions, built up in mortar, did not form its walls. A house built, at least in part, with postage stamps would be quite a novelty, and the photograph boys of this country are the lads to do it. Now, speaking direct to the boys, after you have mailed your “stamps” a sense of quiet happiness will pervade your heart, and you will find that a good-natured act is its own reward. I have sent in my own little budget and feel reasonably content with myself. That little parcel wants company; don’t let it get lonesome, boys. Just notice how much better you will sleep after it. When you can feel that in that house your contribution paid for a shelf in the pantry, a shingle in the roof, a glass in a window, or some nails to hold parts together, you may pat yourself upon the back and call yourself a good fellow. The envelopes you send your offerings in will all be carefully kept and turned over to Jex, and the photograph boys of Detroit will club together and help him paper his best room with them. To all my friends who are in sympathy with me, and all those with whom I am not acquainted, but would be glad to be, let this letter be my introduction, and believe me. James F. Ryder. [editorial Note.—Subscriptions will be gratefully received and acknowledged by this Magazine or by C. M. Hayes, Woodward Avenue, Detroit; Gustave Cramer, St. Louis; W. H. Allen, 247 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit; J. Ed. Rosch, Olive Street, St. Louis; Geo. Steckel, Los Angeles, or the Editor of Photo Beacon, Chicago.]

“Jex Bardwell Fund.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 28:11 (Nov. 1897): 348-349. [“By request of the Committee appointed at the recent Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America, to take in hand the matter of the Jex Bard well fund, we publish the following circular and letter from Mr. James F. Ryder, which speak eloquently for the cause at stake. The Committee having charge of this fund will be glad to receive contributions directly, or they may be sent to the Treasurer direct, whose address appears in connection with the circular: “Detroit, September 25, 1897. At the recent Photographers’ Association of America Convention, the matter of recognizing the valuable services of old Mr. Jex Bardwell, years ago, in supplying the evidence necessary to defeat the bromide patents, was brought up, a collection was taken, and a subscription started for amounts from $1 to $10, to secure him and his invalid wife a home in some institution for the remainder of their lives. As is generally known, Mr. Bardwell gave the desired evidence in his possession without charge, at considerable cost of money and time to himself, thereby saving to the photographic fraternity and their descendants thousands of dollars. For those who have not yet subscribed, the opportunity is now presented of contributing towards the discharge of an obligation beyond computation, as a matter of justice to one who is entitled to more than he can ever hope to realize.
G. Cramer, Orville C. Allen, George Steckel, J. Edward Roesch, Edward L. Wilson, C. M. Hayes, J. F. Ryder, William H. Allen, Committee.
Please help us in this noble cause by sending any amount you desire to give to William H. Allen, Treasurer, 247 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit, Mich.
(Letter by Ryder follows. See pp. 435-436 in the Oct. 1897 Wilson’s Photographic Magazine for text.)]

“Notes. Jex Bardwell Fund.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 29:11 (Nov. 1897): 537. [“At the recent P. A. of A. Convention, the matter of recognizing the valuable services of old Mr. Jex Bardwell, years ago, in supplying the evidence necessary to defeat the bromide patents, was brought up, a collection was taken and a subscription started for amounts from $1.00 to $10.00 to secure him and his invalid wife a home in some institution for the remainder of their lives.
As is generally known, Mr. Bardwell gave the desired evidence in his possession without charge, at considerable cost of money and time to himself, thereby saving to the photographic fraternity and their descendants, thousands of dollars. For those who have not yet subscribed, the opportunity is now presented of contributing towards the discharge of an obligation beyond computation as a matter of justice to one who is entitled to more than he can ever hope to realize.
G. Cramer, Orville C. Allen, George Steckel, J. Edward Rosch, Edward L. Wilson, C. M. Hayes, J. F. Ryder, Wm. H. Allen, Committee.
You are requested to help in this noble cause by sending any amount you desire to give, to William H. Allen, Treasurer, 247 Jefferson Ave., Detroit, Mich.”]

Ryder, James F. “An Interior View. By a Dream Camera.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 34:491 (Nov. 1897): 518. [“Just a comfortably furnished room, neat, in good taste, without a hint of extravagance. At a table near the centre of the room sits an aged woman, bent and thoughtful, as though she were thinking of something else than the stocking she was darning. She had been a pretty girl once; had passed through the routine of wife, mother, and grandmother; little children had gathered about her knee and been taken up into her lap, and cuddled. Her face was like a benediction. Outside her home she had been a comfort to many; a good friend and a good neighbor. She had been a faithful wife for fifty years, and her husband was the gray-haired man sitting opposite in his comfortable chair enjoying his friendly pipe. The old man watched the darning-needle as it passed over and under the threads of yarn which formed the warp, and the long pull which drew it into place. He saw a glistening something crawl down over her cheek and fall upon her work, and he said: “Why, mother, what’s the matter that you should shed tears? Surely you are not unhappy. ” “No, Jex, tears may express joy sometimes; my gratitude to your friends who are showing us kindness in our time of need fills my heart with a gladness I can’t describe. The Lord has put it in the hearts of these good friends to come to our rescue in good time. Your help to them years ago has proved as ‘bread upon the waters,’ which comes back to us in our old age and saves us from — from —.” “Come! Wake up, Ryder! The breakfast is getting cold, it is almost time for church. (I do believe that man would sleep all day).” “Oh! Man, you spoiled the most delightful dream. I thought it was Christmas morning, and all the photographers in the country had put a house in Jex Bardwell’s stocking.” J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”]

Ryder, James F. “The Jex Bardwell Home.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 34:492 (Dec. 1897): 564-565. [Note.—Will the fraternity please note that Christmas is almost here and the Bardwell Home Fund lacks fully one thousand dollars! Surely American photographers will not fail the Fund Committee in this matter? Yet the St. Louis Photographer, and the Beacon, and the American Amateur all printed Mr. Ryder’s appeal for the fund, and the total sum received and acknowledged by the three journals amounts to twenty-five cents. We are all agreed that Mr. Bardwell has given valuable service to the fraternity; that his good wife and he deserve our help….” (This is followed by yet another letter from Ryder soliciting funds for this charitable work.)]

1898

1 b & w (“Interested.” “J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”) on p. 131 in: Ryder, J. F., Cleveland, Ohio. “My First Camera-A Reminiscence.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1898 (1898): 129-133. [“We made acquaintance fifty years ago. So distinctly do I remember it! I was just out of school ; my father gave me the money to buy it. It was my first venture in a business direction for myself. I was very proud of my little camera, and in my mind can see it now, with its rosewood veneer outside; at front and back the ends champered to an angle of forty-five degrees; its sliding inside box carried the focussing glass, which was (p. 129) drawn up and out of the top through double doors, and the plate-holder slid down in its place. These doors were hinged to open, one toward the front and one toward the back. Each had a little knob of turned bone by which to lift it, and there were two little inset knobs of the same material, turned into the top of the box, upon which the knobs of the doors should strike, and the concussion of those bone knobs fifty years ago is remembered to-day as plainly as though I had beard it every day from then until now. And the smell of iodine from the coated plates used in that dear old box lingers with me like a hazy dream ! The box was the body, the lens was the soul with an “all-seeing eye” and the gift of carrying the image to the sensitive plate. I entertained a great reverence for my lens.
The companionship between my camera and I was congenial and comfortable; we drifted about the country together, and our experiences were sometimes extremely interesting. I had gone out to win a fortune; my camera was the key to the treasure vaults of the wealthy. We found after a bit that they opened more slowly than we had imagined, but youth is sanguine, and the country was poor. We went to the smaller towns and villages, visited places where a camera had never been seen before. The black glazed muslin which we tacked up, generally in the corner of a room, wherein we coated our plates, carried an air of mystery and impressed many that we were traffickers in a black art. Some were candid enough to accuse us of being in league with the devil. I remember a little village in Cortland County, New York, where I was charged one dollar per week for “gallery” room, sleeping room, and board, payable in daguerreotypes. (p. 130)
[Illustration. “Interested.” Portrait of a woman, by Ryder On p. 131.]
[Unrelated illustration “The Pride of Life.” By John Roesch, White Plaines, NY. on p. 132]
“It was an unpretentious tavern whose proprietor was rather eccentric, and who insisted that my company was worth the price of “my keep,” in proof of which he spent most of his time with me. He called me the Dogtype man,” and made me acquainted with every man, woman, and child in the village who would be worth anything to me in a business way. He gave it out that I was the inventor of the art. He took me to singing school, to a husking-bee, and squirrel shooting. I could only get away from him by promising to come again, which promise has not been fulfilled.
After wandering about for three years we (my first camera and I) struck Ohio, and at Elyria I built a skylight in a business block and settled down to regular work. One morning early I was awakened by a friend, who hurriedly came to my boarding-house and asked if I was insured. Of course, I was not. He added that the block was burned, that the door to my rooms had not even been opened, and so my camera, bone knobs and all, had been reduced to ashes. My first photographic bereavement had come.” (p. 133.”)]

1 b & w (“An Idle Hour.” John H. Ryder, Cleveland, O.” “Engraved by the Art Engraving Co., St. Paul, Minn.”) on p. 249 in: PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1898 (1898) [Young girl reading a book.]
Ryder, James F. “The Jex Bardwell Home to be built in Detroit, Mich.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 30:1 (Jan. 1898): 38. [(This same letter was also published in the Oct. 1897 Wilson’s Photographic Magazine.)

“The Jex Bardwell Home to be Built in Detroit, Mich.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 30:1 (Jan. 1898): 38. [“To the few photographers in this country who do not know Jex Bardwell, what he is to photographers and to photography, I would say that he is an old man, quite unable to take care of himself and his aged wife; he is poor and without a home to shelter his gray head. He is an honorable, upright, modest and deserving man. In the past a scientific photographer; a walking encyclopædia of photographic chemistry and formulæ pertaining to our art; and through his expert knowledge became the valuable friend to all photographers. And this was the way of it:
The Cutting Bromide Patent, which had to do with the ambrotype, and pertained to the preparation of collodion, was regarded with suspicion by many photographers. It was a burden and an injustice to all men using collodion in photograph processes.
In 1867 the first convention of photographers called in America had for its object to consider a united action to resist the operation of that patent and defeat it. This convention was held at the Cooper Institute in New York City, and out of it grew the National Photographers’ Association. After a running fight of two or three years, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington all taking a hand, without any decisive result, up rose, at Detroit, Mich., that hero of the patent defeat, Jex Bardwell, who carried in the “inside pocket” of his memory the documents which overthrew the alleged validity of that patent, thereby saving thousands and thousands of dollars to photographers. He was never paid even the usual witness fees. That’s what old Jex Bardwell did for photographers “; and now, photographers, ever appreciative and ready to acknowledge a plucky and unselfish act in their interest, have made a start to pool in their mite to build a home for him.
This Magazine will be a receiver of contributions for the fund, and will turn over to the committee every basketful as fast as accumulates. Let every photographers count himself “a pebble upon the beach” in this matter, and send his mite in a sealed envelope, bearing his own name and address, written in ink, and the legend For the Jex Bardwell Home.” If he can put a bank note in, and feel right about it, let him do it. If he thinks he can’t quite afford it let him put in a few postage stamps, what he would pay for a cigar, a concert ticket, or a game of billiards, and do it at once before there is a chance to forget about it. Enclose this envelope in another and direct to this Magazine. Let us make this old man and his good wife happy. It will cost us nothing to speak of, and it will warm his old heart to feel that thousands of friends from every end of the country have thought of his comfort and “seen to it.”
There is a church at Wethersfield, Conn., built of onions–that is, contributions of onions. I read about it when a boy, and it lived in my mind until I was a grown man, and when I came see it I was almost disappointed that onions, built up in mortar, did not form its walls. A house built, at least in part, with postage stamps would be quite a novelty, and the photograph boys of this country are the lads to do it.
Now, speaking direct to the boys, after you have mailed your stamps” a sense of quiet happiness will pervade your heart, and you will find that a good natured act is its own reward. I have sent in my own little budget and feel reasonably content with myself. That little parcel wants company; don’t let it get lonesome, boys. Just notice how much better you will sleep after it. When you can feel that in that house your contribution paid for a shelf in the pantry, a shingle in the roof, a glass in a window, or some nails to hold parts together, you may pat yourself upon the back and call yourself a good fellow.
The envelopes you send your offerings in will all be carefully kept and turned over to Jex, and the photograph boys of Detroit will club together and help him paper his best room with them.
To all my friends who are in sympathy with me, and all those with whom I am not acquainted, but would be glad to be, let this letter be my introduction, and believe me. James F. Ryder.
[Editorial Note.-Subscriptions will be gratefully received and acknowledged by this MAGAZINE or by C. M. Hayes, Woodward Avenue, Detroit; Gustave Cramer, St. Louis; W. H. Allen, 247 Jefferson Avenue, Detroit; J. Ed. Rösch, Olive Street, St. Louis; Geo. Steckel, Los Angeles, or the Editor of Photo Beacon, Chicago.]

“Editor’s Table.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:494 (Feb. 1898): 96. [Mr. Otto Doehn, late with J. F. Ryder… has taken charge of the Cummins Studio, Baltimore, MD.]

“Obituary.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 29:3 (Mar. 1898): 73. [“We note with regret the death of Mr. John H. Ryder, one of Cleveland’s veteran photographers, which took place on the last of January, after a short illness. Mr. Ryder was a brother of James F. Ryder, so well known to the profession, and was only sixty-four years old at the time of his death.”]

“Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 29:4 (Apr. 1898): 125. [“The Second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania, held in Bellefonte, Pa., on the 23d, 24th and 25th of February, was a notable success. Enthusiasm was the order of the day and no end of good things were said and done. Before adjournment, Wilkesbarre, Pa., was selected as the next place of meeting, and the following officers elected for the ensuing year: President, E. E. Seavy, New Castle, Pa.; First Vice-President, J. B. Schreiver, Emporium, Pa.; Second Vice-President, T. B. Clark, Indiana, Pa.; Secretary. Charles L. Griffin, Scranton, Pa.; and Treasurer, W. I. Goldman, of Reading, Pa. The Grand Prize, a bronze figure, was awarded to David Rosser, of Pittsburg. In the Special Class, the first prize, a gold medal, was awarded to J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.: and the second prize, a silver medal, to J. E. Mock, Rochester, N. Y. First and second prizes were awarded in the regular classes as follows:…”]

“The Pennsylvania Convention.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:496 (Apr. 1898): 152-157. [“The second annual convention of the Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania met at Bellefonte, Pa., February 23d, 24th, and 25th, under the presidency of G. Taylor Griffin, of Wilkesbarre. The attendance of photographers was somewhat smaller than at the 1897 convention, but the meeting was generally regarded as successful, and the exhibition offered much good work in various branches of photography….” “…Third Day, February 25th. The convention opened for business at 10.30 A M., and votes of thanks were passed to all who had helped to make the convention a success….” p. 152. “… The prize list was then read as follows:
Grand Prize. Bronze figure, David Rosser, Pittsburg, Pa.
Special Class. First, gold medal, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O; second, silver medal, J. E. Mock, Rochester, N. Y. …etc. p. 156.]

“Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 30:5 (May 1898): 229-233.
[“The second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of Pennsylvania met in Armory Hall, Bellefonte, Pa., February 23d, 1898, at 10.30 A M.
It was called to order by the President, Mr. G. Taylor Griffin, of Wilkesbarre, Pa….” (p. 229) (Etc., etc.)
“…The morning session was closed with a short talk on Printing and Finishing, by Mr. Harry Fell, of Jamestown, N. Y.
The President then named the List of Awards as follows:
Grand Prize.-David Rosser, Pittsburg, Pa. Bronze Figure.
Special Class.-1. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O. Gold Medal.

2. J..E. Mock, Rochester, N. Y. Silver Medal.
   Class A.-1. F. Nymetz, Chester, Pa. Gold Medal.
3. Elias Goldensky, Philadelphia, Pa. Silver Medal.
   B. Frank Puffer, Wellsboro, Pa. Bronze Medal.
   Class B.-1. J. B. Schreiver, Emporium, Pa.
   Gold Medal.
4. W. M. Flickinger, Bethlehem, Pa. Silver Medal.
5. Chas. Fritch, Pittston, Pa. Bronze Medal.
   Class C.-1. Ginter & Cook, Lewisburg, Pa.
   Medal…. (p. 233) (Etc., etc.)]

“Editor’s Table. Mr. James F. Ryder.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:497 (May 1898): 240. [“We are glad to learn that the veteran James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, who has been seriously ill, is now almost completely recovered. We note with regret the death of Mr. John H. Ryder, who was well known in the fraternity. According to our information, Mr. Ryder died during the latter part of January, after a short illness, at the age of sixty-four years. From another source we hear that Mr. P. S. Ryder, of Syracuse, N. Y., another brother of Mr. James F. Ryder, has been seriously ill. It would seem that misfortune has followed the brothers Ryder thick and fast of late. We are sure that photographers everywhere unite their sympathies with ours.”]

“Editor’s Table. A Notable Exhibition.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:499 (July 1898): 335. [“Mr. F. M. Somers, successor to the late Jas. Landy, Cincinnati, recently celebrated the reopening of this famous gallery by an Art Loan Exhibit of unusual interest. This included a collection of selected examples of portraiture by Mac Donald (Albany), Strauss (St. Louis), Stein (Milwaukee), Falk (New York), Pierce (Providence), Hollinger (New York), Hayes (Detroit), Ryder (Cleveland), Sperry (Toledo), Dabbs (Pittsburg), Baker’s Art Gallery (Columbus); water colors and ivory miniatures by G. Hamner Croughton (Rochester, N. Y.) and James Inglis (Chicago), and a dozen of Mr. Landy’s choicest pictures. The exhibition attracted considerable notice from the Cincinnati press, and the pictures were admired by thousands of the best people of the city. We congratulate Mr. Somers upon his enterprise in this matter, which deserves emulation. The pictures (with the exception of the Landy Salon) were Contributed by their makers as an evidence of goodwill and friendly interest in Mr. Somers’ new undertaking. Such displays do honor to portraiture as a profession as well as aid the public to appreciate artistic work at its proper value.”]

“The Editor’s Table.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 30:10 (Oct 1898):477.
[Book review. In Nature’s Image, Chapters on Pictorial Photography. Illustrated. By W. I. Lincoln Adams, New York: The Baker & Taylor Company. “The prompt and wide spread success of Mr. Adams’ preceding book, “Sunlight and Shadow,”–a second edition of which, fifteen hundred copies, was called for within two months of the publication of the first-has induced him to prepare another handsome volume, similar to the earlier one, but supplementing it by carrying the reader further along “the pleasant paths of pictorial photography….” (Etc., etc.)
The illustrations, about one hundred in number, compose the finest collection of pictorial photographs we have ever seen. There are brilliant examples of Alfred Stieglitz, John E. Dumont, E. Lee Ferguson, H. P. Robinson, J. Craig Annan, E. Atkinson, J. Wells Champney, W. A. Fraser, The Carbon Studio, J. K. Ryder, and a number of others as well known….” (p. 477) (Etc., etc.)]

“Editor’s Table: Character Pictures.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:503 (Nov. 1898): 528. [Editor received several costume portraits, genre studies from Ryder. Additional note on same page mentions a portrait of Admiral Sampson, complimented by the sitter in a letter, which was run in a recent issue of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.”]

[Advertisement.] “Photographic Mosaics, 1899.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:504 (Dec. 1898): 579-582. [Wilson, the publisher of both journals, reprinted excerpts of articles by a dozen or so photographers from his annual Photographic Mosaics, including this excerpt from Ryder:
“The “New” School. What about the so-called new school? We hear somewhat of it, and in connection therewith such phrases as “broad effects,” “on new lines,” “impressionistic,” etc. I have seen in studios of photographers who do high-class, common-sense work, examples of the extreme advance style shown for my admiration and opinion, where I dared not express my judgment, fearing I should be stepping upon a cherished idol. I have seen published in high-class journals instances of these remarkable effects. I read the praises without always seeing what should justify them. The model for this work looks as though he might have been posed down a cellar and, before being made to face the camera, had been rolled and dragged over the floor to better secure the smudgy effect of the dark parts of the portrait so desirable with impressionists as a means of concealing the bloom of cloth texture. The shirt-bosom is seen quite distinctly, the face also with reasonable distinctness, while the beard and hair must partake of the black surroundings. If the imagination desires a bit of exercise, it can be had in determining where the outlines of the man may be located. And this, with some of our foremost practitioners, is sought for. The incipient Whistlers, Chavannes, Morots, etc., of the camera—and rather crazy imitators some of them are— are they attempting to revolutionize portrait photography? or are they just running something into the ground?—-J. F. Ryder, in Mosaics, 1899.” p. 581.]

“Editors Table. Pictorial Advertisements.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 35:504 (Dec. 1898): 583. [“Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, sends us his new business card, on the back of which is a delightful little picture of a child ” at the ‘phone,” and the following monologue: “Hello, Mr. Ryder! I like my picture real much. Thank you for taking me so nice.”

1899

“Obituary.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1899 (1899): 106. [“Death, relentless as ever, has exacted his tribute from the ranks of photography during the year. The record of the missing shows the names of many workers well known to the readers of Mosaics….” (Etc., etc.)
“John H. Ryder died at Cleveland, January, 1898….” (p. 106) (Etc., etc.)]
[John H. was James F. Ryder’s brother. WSJ]

Ryder, J. F. “What Cheer!” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1899 (1899): 127-130. [“Let us wipe our spectacles and take a look about. From the years which have gone we remember much we would like to see again to-day : good prices, a more reliable patronage, appreciation. But let that pass; when we cannot have what we want we must be content with what comes to us. That which concerns us now is the future.
From various natural causes our old-time friend, business companion, and bread-and-butter dependence photography—has taken to moods, and is fickle. The gilt edges” have become worn and soiled, permitting the hard grind of poverty to show his teeth. I did not start this for a wail, and do not mean it as such ; but my pen leads me up against some hard facts, and they may as well be mentioned as avoided. (p. 127)
The discovery and introduction of the gelatine dryplate was certainly a blessing to photography. By its means feats with the camera have been and are daily being accomplished which otherwise would have been held in silence and darkness. Yes, by all means let us bless the dry-plate.
To the professional photographer—the worker in collodion-it was a left-handed blessing. power in the hands of the people which was, in a sense, antagonistic to the interests of the professional. It was easier to press the button,” and quicker learned, than to hold the balance of harmony between the pouring bottle of collodion, the silver bath, and the developer. And so our occupation as a means of livelihood, with a possibility of saving a dollar, has been hurt by Progress—by making photography too common and too cheap. Now, where’s the remedy, if remedy there be ?
Delvers in the earth after metals know when to stop. Abandoned mines are plenty. If your neighbor sells his photographs at so low a price as to admit of no profit, will you sell still lower to hold your trade? Will you convert your modest studio into a factory? Do you sometimes meditate a change of business? Why not try farming? There is a lot of land out West, cheap and good. You might become a cattle king. What about the so-called New School ? We hear somewhat of it, and in connection therewith such phrases as “broad effects, ” on new lines,” “impressionistic,” etc. I have seen in studios of photographers who do high-class, common-sense work, examples of the extreme advance style shown for my (p. 128) admiration and opinion, where I dared not express my judgment, fearing I should be stepping upon a cherished idol. I have seen published in high-class journals instances of these remarkable effects. I read the praises without always seeing what should justify them. The model for this work looks as though he might have been posed down a cellar and, before being made to face the camera, had been rolled and dragged over the floor to better secure the smudgy effect of the dark parts of the portrait so desirable with impressionists as a means of concealing the bloom of cloth texture. The shirt bosom is seen quite distinctly, the face also with reasonable distinctness, while the beard and hair must partake of the black surroundings. If the imagination desires a bit of exercise, it can be had in determining where the outlines of the man may be located. And this, with some of our foremost practitioners, is sought for. The incipient Whistlers, Chavannes, Morots, etc., of the camera-and rather crazy imitators some of them are-are they attempting to revolutionize portrait photography ? or are they just running something into the ground ? And such work is drooled over as quite gems, in a way, by some parties. I must not say more upon this subject lest readers may think I do not quite like impressionism, or fads, or freaks photographic. From many photographers of the more rational school, if we may designate such a class, I see much to fill me with pleasure, much that I would be very proud to have done in my own studio, work I rejoice in for its excellence; and I am pleased to find it coming from many hands and from unexpected quarters. And there is the hope of photography’s future in the skilled (p. 129) hands and level heads of such men-men who find compensation to themselves in their work, careful care, as well as in the dollars they get from their customers. That man works best who works to please himself, who feels there is something in his work beyond the price he receives for it. This he understands for himself, and his customers grow to an understanding of it. He puts something of himself—his integrity-in his productions, and he gets his reward in good time. It is a hardship to see, year by year, the honest and honorable prices which have ruled in the past go sliding down and down; the lower they go, in good hands, the more exacting becomes the customer, knowing as they do that price determines quality. The lower prices go the more suspicious they are of being cheated. Nothing is truer than that “water finds its own level;” the man whose ability is too light to maintain quality must water his prices, while the worker whose products proclaim his strength will have his following. The public pays its money and takes its choice.” (p. 130)]

1 b & w (“Rest after Song.” Copyright 1898, by J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.”) on p. 206 in:
PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1899 (1899) [Seated woman holding a lute. WSJ]

“Our Reviewer.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 30:1 (Jan. 1899): 32.
[“First among the American annuals to follow the “International” this year comes Wilson’s Photographic Mosaics, which is as full as ever of good things. Following its glance at Photographic Progress for the Year, which deals very ably with the subject, come forty-five original articles by such well-known men as Dr. Bakeland, Dr. Nichol, T. Perkins, M. B. Punnett, J. F. Ryder, H. W. Minns, B. L. H. Dabbs, E. M. Estabrooke and others, all embellished by more than sixty illustrations. The present volume marks the thirty-fifth year of Mosaics, which, like wine, seems to improve with age. The book is one that should be in the library of every photographic worker.”]

[Advertisement.] “Now Ready. A New Book by W. I. Lincoln Adams” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 31:1 (Jan. 1899): n. p. [p. 24 in unpaged adv. section]
[“Entitled:
In Nature’s Image. Chapters on Pictorial Photography.
A companion volume to “Sunlight and Shadow,” supplementing it and completing the subject of Pictorial Photography.
Contains
Chapters on Landscape and Figures—Figures and Landscapes—Genre-Telling A Story-Models-The Nude in Photography Portraiture Children Photographing Flowers-Interiors.
Exquisitely Illustrated
by the most brilliant examples of such well-known photographic artists as
H. P. Robinson-John E. Dumont-Alfred Stieglitz-F. H. Day-The Carbon Studio-W. A. Fraser-W. I. Lincoln Adams Lafayette-E. Atkinson-J. Craig Annan-E. Lee Ferguson—Alex. Keighley-H. Troth-B. J. Falk-J. K. Ryder— And Others as Well Known.
Handsomely printed on heaviest woodcut paper, gilt edges; bound in beautiful green buckram, beveled, with artistic cover design in gilt and black; put up in a substantial box.
PRICE, $2.50
Sent post-paid by mail to any address on receipt of price by
The Scovill & Adams Company of New York,
60 and 62 East Eleventh Street, New York.”]

[Advertisement.] “Now Ready.-The Best Annual of the Year.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 31:1 (Jan. 1899): n. p. [p. 28 inunpaged adv. section]
[“Photographic Mosaics, 1899.
Edited by Edw. L. Wilson.
A Compact and Concise Review of Photographic Progress in 1898.
Methods, formulæ, processes; no padding; practical; condensed; given in no other annual.
60 Full-Page Engravings: The Pictures of the Year
By Hollinger; Strauss; Dinturff; Ryder; Minns; Somers; Mock; Randall; Spellman; Kellmer; Bartlett; Pach Bros.; Rösch; Benjamin; Guerin; Longdon; Furman Ye Rose Studio; Brush; Kuebler; Gilbert and Bacon; Dozer; Gutekunst; Tingley; and others of equal repute.
Practical Papers On Practical Work
Covering all departments of everyday photography, written by men who speak from experience.
Mosaics Contains More Information Than Any Other Year-Book. Handy Size. Yours For 50 Cents.
300 PAGES.
Paper Covers: 50 cents, postpaid.
Library Edition: $1.00, postpaid.
Edward L. Wilson,
853 Broadway, New York.
Have You Seen Wilson’s
Photographic Magazine?”]

“In Nature’s Image. by W. I. Lincoln Adams.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 31:1 (Jan. 1899): 22-24. [Book review. In Nature’s Image, Chapters on Pictorial Photography, by W. I. Lincoln Adams: profusely illustrated. New York: The Baker & Taylor Company. “This beautiful work by Mr. W. I. Lincoln Adams, was partially reviewed by us in the October number, from the advanced sheets sent to us for that purpose by the publishers. We have since received the handsome volume itself and are constrained to say that it passes even our expectations….” (p. 22) “…”Telling a story’ (Chapter IV.) offers Mr. Adams a good subject, and he has made the most of it, following with a good chapter on ‘Models,’ which brings in several illustrations of unusual interest, by J. F. Ryder, Mario Dei Fiori, The Carbon Studio, C. I. Berg, and Alex. Keighley….” (p. 23) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (Little girl at a wall-mounted telephone.) in: “Notes and News.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES. AN-ILLUSTRATED MONTHLY-MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ARTISTIC & SCIENTIFIC PHOTOGRAPHY 31:4 (Apr. 1899): 202.
[“A Card. Here is a catchy little business card devised by Mr. Ryder, the well-known Cleveland Photographer.
[Image]
Hello, Mr. Ryder!
I like my picture real much.
Thank you for taking me so nice.”]

1 b & w (“Ryder’s Telephone Girl.”) on p. in: Ryder’s Telephone Girl.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 36:506 (Feb. 1899): 80. [(Caption is “Hello, Mr. Ryder? I like my picture real much. Thank you for taking me so nice.”) “In our last issue we spoke appreciatively of a little business card issued by Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, showing a little girl at the ‘phone, and used as an advertisement of the studio. The card has attracted so much favorable comment from all who have seen it that, by Mr. Ryder’s permission, we reproduce it here as a suggestion toward the preparation of similar business persuaders. The little model is the daughter of General Manager McKinstry, of the telephone company in Toledo, and she has played her part uncommonly well.”]

1 b & w (Genre portrait, “Girl on a Telephone.”) on p. 202 in: “Notes and News: A Card.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES AND AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHER 31:4 (Apr. 1899): 202. [(Illustrated with photos by Wm. E. Carlin, Edwin J. Prindle, Alphonse Montant, J. H. Tarbell, J. M. C. Grove, Alfred Clements, Leo D. Weil, Vernon Royle, D.H. Erichsen, Rudolph Eickemeyer, Jr., E. Donald Roberts, Jr., J. F. Ryder.) “… a catchy little business card devised by Mr. Ryder, the well-known Cleveland photographer.’ Genre of little girl calling on the telephone.]

“Items of Interest. Another Veteran Retires.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 36:508 (Apr. 1899): 175-176. [“Last month we chronicled the retirement, after long years of honorable service in the craft, of Mr. C. W. Motes, of Atlanta, Ga. Now, with unmingled pleasure and regret, we record the fact that our old and trusty friend, J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, has given up the cares of business life after more than half a century behind the camera. His retirement is enforced by an illness which has prevented active participation in business for a year past, and takes from the photographic ranks one of the noblest and most enthusiastic workers in the profession. Mr. Ryder went to Cleveland in 1850 from Ithaca, N. Y., and speedily made a name for himself by enterprise and skilful work. He was a pioneer in entertaining the public with exhibitions of art-work at his gallery, a feature which now forms an essential part of the life of most of the leading studios. For over twenty-one years Mr. Ryder’s gallery, on Superior Street, was one of the attractions of the city of Cleveland; a few years ago, however, he moved to much larger and more handsomely equipped rooms on Euclid Avenue. We voice the feelings of the whole fraternity in wishing Mr. Ryder a speedy recovery of his health and many years wherein to enjoy the rest he has so richly earned.”]

Ryder, James F. “Business Management in Photography.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 36:511 (July 1899): 293-296. [“Among the many things of passing interest which are spoken or written by photographers, there is occasionally to be found a statement of far more than ephemeral value. Our veteran friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, made such a statement before the members of the P. A. of A. when that body was young. Spoken fifteen years ago, the words and advice are alike true and as necessary to-day as then, and the sound advice and sage counsel from a master in the craft are repeated here as being invaluable to those who are following in his steps:—Ed.”] “As a rule, men think well of themselves, and do not care to be told what they already know….” (See “On the Business Management of Photography.” Photographic Times And American Photographer 14:164 (Aug. 1884): 407-410, for the text of this article.]

Wilson, Edward L. “Greeting.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 36:516 (Dec. 1899): 529. [“To all our readers and co-workers, old friends and new, over seas and here at home, health and greeting as the old year passes to make place for the new! When the last page of this number of the Magazine is read and passed, the reader will turn over the last page of a record of thirty-six honorable years wholly spent in the service of American photography. The record is one which we enjoy alone in photographic journalism. The turning over of that last page is worth a thought. What changes have come and gone since we began our work together—the Magazine and I—in 1864! How many remarkable men and women have put their hands to the photographic plough; have labored to make the inheritance which is ours to day, and now rest from their labors forevermore. To the glorious dead, peace. They live in their works. Of those who remain— who began with us—we recall our first master in photography, Gutekunst; the genial Nicol; the old warhorse Bogardus; Motes, of Atlanta; Kent, of Rochester; Bardwell, of Detroit, Potter, of Indianapolis; Ryder, of Cleveland; Cramer, of St. Louis; Taber, of San Francisco; Lovell, of Amherst; and Anderson, of New York. More power to them and to the younger men, too numerous for individual mention, but all included in this greeting of good-will. The photographic field—how it is changed also. Photography has enlarged its boundaries. It is the world’s helper and the world’s hobby. It has been our life’s work and happiness to watch and record its growth; to keep American photographers abreast of its progress. And so, as another said, may we also truly say: The world is our parish! For, in the lapse of years, this Magazine has made its way about the world, and is seen and read in every civilized country. Its growth and its renewal year by year have kept its editor young. Allah be praised. And to-day, turning the last page of our thirty-sixth year, our thought is of the year to come. Photography goes forward by leaps and bounds….”]

1900

Ryder, James F. “Palette vs. Camera.” PHOTOGRAPHIC MOSAICS. AN ANNUAL RECORD OF PHOTOGRAPHIC PROGRESS FOR 1900 (1900): 261-264. [“So much unfair jealousy among artists has been shown against the camera that I feel like saying a word in defence of my old friend.
For more than twenty years I was a dealer in art goods, artists’ materials, etc., and had a fine exhibitionroom and good show windows for exhibition of paintings. My establishment was a headquarters for the artists of my city, and a fine friendliness existed between them and myself. My walls and windows were always at their service.
An addition to the art department of my business was portrait and landscape photography. The artists were interested in the landscape views, and wanted prints of such subjects as appealed to their fancy. Some of them had cameras of their own; some liked to borrow to go out for certain fine studies, which were frequently reproduced in paintings.
It happened one fine day that charges were preferred against a prominent teacher in one of our art schools for using a camera. So grave was considered this offence or crime that the board of trustees were drawn into it, and a good bit of feeling was manifested. It was made the subject of newspaper discussion.
Whether the defendant was proved guilty as charged I know not; but that he handed in his resignation and left the city much in disgust was generally understood to be a fact. Proper indignation was expressed by (p. 261) a deceived people real art lovers ; art without adulteration ; without any camera in it.
Had I been subpoenaed as a witness in this grave trial I could have truthfully testified that all the artists so far as I knew used the camera or its products in their work.
Now came a season of apparent virtue among the artists, and the rascally camera, with its tail between its legs, hid under the table.
In the city of my residence we have millionaires by the wagon-load. Millionaires don’t like to be considered cheap people; they must have the best that goes. . Two of our prominent ones, to secure fine family portraits, invited each an artist from Europe to come to America to paint them. One of these great artists was brought to my establishment by his patron to examine a vacant studio-room to see if it would do for his august use. The wife of the patron, whose portrait was to be painted, sent to me for a photograph. She was a beautiful woman. I considered my photograph of her fine, and was rather proud to show it, which I did. The artist took the photograph in his hand, and in a tone and air of indulgent patronage to so small a figure as myself, said : “How is it, Mr. Ryder, that a photograph never looks like the person of whom it is taken ? This is not at all like Mrs. __.” Well, this great man was under my roof, temporarily my guest or business visitor. I thought best to show him a politeness he had not shown me, so passed his remark unnoticed. The studio I had tendered him “would hardly do,” so he found another place – a vacant room in a business block. (p. 262)
Some weeks after an acquaintance of mine, an admirer of the noted artist, was given permission by the artist who was looking out for more commissionsto invite such friends of his in as would be likely to do him good to see the portraits. The admirer came to me, advised me that the artist had the portraits completed, and “Wouldn’t I like a private view ?” any time,” he said.
I called the same day ; the door of the room was standing open, and I walked in. The artist was not there ; I was alone with three portraits, each having a photograph hanging from a string from the top of each stretcher as guides to the artist in his work. I was surprised to find him using photographs—which in his own words never looked like the person of whom they were taken. Just here the artist came in. I explained that his friend had invited me to call and portraits ; that I had found his door standing open, and had entered ; was sorry if my visit had been ill timed. He hurried to explain that it had not been convenient for the family to sit, so he had painted from photographs. This artist had been brought from Munich, Bavaria, to paint those portraits.
The other instance was a famous artist from Paris, whose name on a picture is a voucher for high art. He was taken to the mansion of his millionaire patron; His presence carefully guarded against publicity. His canvases were taken home to Paris for the finishing touches.
Later, I was called to the residence of the patron to photograph his wife and daughter in the same light and positions in which they had been painted. The can(p. 263) vases and photographs were sent back to Paris that the paintings might be made likenesses.
In the “much ado” of artists against the camera the fact still holds that they all use it, or are glad to avail themselves of its help, even though they do it secretly. The camera does its work with accuracy. The artist, with brush in hand, measuring his model by his eye, secures the nearest he can to accuracy.-From “Voigtlander and I,” a work in preparation.” (p. 264)]

Dumble, A. E. “Anything New Down This Away?” ST. LOUIS & CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHER 24:2 (Feb. 1900): 50-53. [“…Modes and effects that were supposed to be dead and gone for time and eternity now stalk the earth like unlaid ghosts, until the old photographer hardly knows if he himself be in the flesh or out of it. It is quite natural for us to ask, “Why is it?” And it is one of a great number of questions that are so very easy to ask and so mighty hard to answer. The professor would tell us that it is all right, everything works in a circle; it is the principle of the rain drop and the snipe shot and the man lost in the woods, and while we see the point, we are not satisfied.
Why is it—that this old-time, out-of-focus, mud-colored, dead surface, grainy photograph, should assume to our modern and aesthetic eyes a charm that measures intrinsically from six to twenty dollars per dozen cabinet size-twice, yea, three times as much as the same portrait on any of the new glossy papers? Is there any everlasting art principle connected with and responsible for the sudden rise in value or this recurrence to first principles? If I say “no,” will the gentlemen who are about to howl kindly remember that I say it with much personal and perhaps more valuable ideas on this subject.
I will say emphatically that posing, lighting, the use of accessories, in fact, all the factors with which art is more immediately connected in present photography is where it was 10, 15 or 20 years ago, and even this is saying more than it deserves in the opinion of the old master.
I asked this same question, Why is it? of probably the best known and most popular of the older masters in this country. A man who is a magician in the way of breathing the artistic soul into the ghost of a departed fad, if there be good reason why it should come to life again, and he answered, “Photography’s stuck.’ Not classical, but for terseness and pith quite equal to anything Methusaleh may have said in his best days. “There is no doubt,” continued Mr. J. F. Ryder, “that excellence in the mechanics of photography is more prevalent, owing to its facility, but the art of it holds its own, certainly has not advanced. We have fads, but the same may be said of painting. The broad, loose touch, the vagueness in drawing and color, down or up, to the impressionest style, all are matched by similar modes in photography. The old type of painting, where every leaf and twig was literally represented, has gone, and no one thinks of asking if it will return, so lovely does the present style appear to us. There are many things about present photography that are admirable. The reserve in retouching or its entire absence in some of the better studios, the tendancy to minimize detail and make the light and shade, the uniting on tinted boards with more or less margin, are all in the right direction, but they are either negative virtues or make shifts. What we daily pray for is something really new, something so completely in unison with the higher art that it is art itself. Then present photography will be relegated to the bourne of the daguerreotype, and the occupation of the dreadful amateur will be gone for a decade.”
Now, this is Mr. Ryders’ plain, unvarnished statement of our present status, and I think it may be considered “official.” The question is, who is to invent, discover or drag from the vastly deep this new art picture?…” (p. 51) (Etc., etc.)] all the rest of it.”

“Cleveland’s Distinguished Veteran of the Camera.” ST. LOUIS & CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHER 24:3 (Mar. 1900): 112-115. [“Cleveland lost the active efforts of her finest citizen when James F. Ryder, the photographer of countless faces, settled down last summer to the quiet of the retirement which he had earned by a busy life. There is scarcely a home in this part of the country where the name of Ryder is not known for the pictures he has made. Mr. Ryder sat in his study in his flat in Esmond and talked to a reporter the other day about the things he has done and seen and the people he has photographed.
“Sometimes,” he said, “I have been sorry that I taught retouching photographs to America. Still, if I had not done it, some one else would, and I would not have had the start of the rest of the country for a year, with all the advantage that meant.
“But retouching is deceitful, and I don’t like it. Left alone, the camera will not misrepresent, but when a skillful retoucher takes the negative of the face of a woman who wants to be more beautiful than the good Lord intended, the result is not always the truth. The instantaneous dry plate in another lefthanded photographic blessing. It has made the whole world photographers and people are content now with snapshots which they and their friends make, and all there is for the photographer to do is to finish the plates for the amateur. If the amateur snap-shotter gets a picture that is funny or cute he is satisfied, and photographic art is left out of the question.
“How different it all is from the old times when people went to the photographer and had a daguerreotype taken and finished so that they could take it away with them. If they wanted more than one they sat for each picture they wanted and paid $5 or $10 for each one. With a boy to help me. I used to make as much money as the big galleries with a dozen employes do.
The history of retouching? It is very simple. For a long time I had been taken by the beauty of some portraits that had appeared in a Philadelphia publication devoted to photography. I found that they all came from Germany, and that they were made from retouched negatives, A man named Cyranus Hall, who had worked for me until he made money enough to go to Germany to study what he called nobler art. meaning painting. happened at this time to be in Munich, from where some of the finest of the retouched work came. I wrote him. asking him to send me a retoucher. He did so, and soon after, the venture was (p. 112) so successful that I had him send me over two more. I was the first American to use the process, which is simply doctoring the negatives after they are taken and smoothing over any defects there may be in the faces of the persons photographed. And people came to me from all over the country.
“I came to Cleveland in 1850 and located at the corner of Superior and Bank streets. I moved to No. 239 Superior street in 1872 and from there into the top of the Garfield Building in 1895.
One of the first big strokes of business I did was when Jenny Lind was in country. People went wild over her and paid almost any price for her pictures. I had an excellent picture, taken by my predecessor, Albert Johnson, but there was no way of making copies in those days save by the slow and expensive daguerreotype process, which was very expensive. I made and sold hundreds of them, however.
“I cannot begin to remember the great people who sat to me. One of the men I sold many photographs of in the old days was Charles W. Couldock the tragedian who was brought over to this country by Charlotte Cushman. She sat to me, too, for a very fine picture. She was a magnificent woman, almost masculine in her force of character and voice, but she was altogether the most delightful woman as to manners I ever photographed. When I went out of business I had 100,000 negatives, but that was a very small fraction of all I took.
The rule used to be to keep no negatives more than a year unless the person was of prominence, and I destroyed many hundred thousand negatives. I fancy there are not many men in the country or the world who have photographed more people than I.
“I remember one dark, cloudy day, a German man and woman and three children came into the gallery and said they wanted to be photographed in a group. I told them it was too late in the day, that it would be impossible to be sure of a picture that would be satisfactory, and asked them to come again. The man said they were to leave the city that night, and would have no other chance and insisted that I should do the best I could. More to please him than with the hope that I would be able to get a picture that would be satisfactory, I took the picture. He went away and I sent the pictures to the address he gave me. It happened that I got an excellent result.
Soon after that I got an order for a dozen copies of the picture from some evangelical association. Then there came an order for a hundred, and this this was followed by other large orders. For years I was in receipt of frequent orders for copies of that picture. There was such a demand for them that I duplicated the negative so that I could turn them out faster. I learned that the man was a missionary and that something happened to him and his family, but never learned just what it was. They were on their way to his post when they had the picture taken. Perhaps they were eaten by cannibals. I must have made nearly a thousand dollars from that one negative. (p. 113)
“H. J. Gordon, who gave Gordon Park to the city, was another splendid customer. I happened to get a picture of him that he liked very much and he ordered many dozens of them. And that was in the days when pictures were $10 a dozen. I took a great many pictures of Garfield, and one of them is the picture that has been the accepted likeness since his death. For years I could not make them fast enough. I had contracts in New York State and also in the West for making the pictures, but even then I could not keep up with the demand. I photographed him first when he was home on sick leave from the war, when he was a colonel. He was always my very dear friend. When he passed through Cleveland just after he was nominated for the Presidency I tried to see him at the railway station, but it was impossible to get near where he was. The next morning I went to the residence of the Cleveland gentleman where he stopped over night and asked him to come to the gallery and give me a sitting. He was talking to Mr. Hudson, then a member of the Leader editorial staff, and said to him as I approached:
“Hudson, this nomination has been a heartbreak to me. I wanted to remain in the Senate for a few more years. ” There are things there that I want to finish. When they are done I would be glad to have the nomination, but I was not ready yet.”
“That morning he came to the gallery and sat for the picture that has come to be the accepted portrait of Garfield, taken the day after his nomination for the presidency. The picture on the paper money is a copy of one taken by a photographer in Painesville, and it shows his beard less closely trimmed than when he last sat to me.
“I remember many of the earlier figures in Cleveland life. It was a smaller town then, and everybody knew everybody else. I remember William Case very well. He was a very handsome man with a great head of curly yellow hair which he wore just as long as he could without having it look at all effeminate, and he had great golden beard.
He used to drive a span of horses about the color of his hair and beard, and when he drove up the avenue he made a symphony in yellow at which few of the ladies failed to look. He was a man of a great deal of vigor and ability. His brother Leonard, who gave Case Library and Case School to the city, was a more quiet, student-like man. Ella Russell, now the famous singer, used to live in the house across Wood street from the Case homestead where Lennie Case lived, and she was always singing, practicing and exercising her voice for her future career.
I lived then at the corner of Lake and Wood streets, two squares away, and I could hear her singing very plainly in the summer time when the doors and windows were open. Mr. Case was a very nervous man, and this singing used to annoy him at his studies. He would often complain to me about it in a queer, whimsical way, and often asked me if I thought Miss Russell would be willing to move into some other part of town if he would pay her rent. I do not think he ever plucked up courage to speak to her about it, however, for she lived there as long as she was in the city.
Another source of annoyance to him was the crowd of boys that used to sharpen their slate pencils on his front steps. The boys went to the Rockwell street school. The old steps are there in front of the old Case house yet, and you will notice them you will see that they are of rough sandstone, especially adapted to sharpening slate pencils. This used to leave white blotches on the steps that were very annoying to Mr. Case’s sense of neatness. He never tried to drive the boys away, but he would argue with them for hours at a time, trying to persuade them to go somewhere else to sharpen their pencils. He often tried to hire them to do as he wished, but for some reason, boy-like, they insisted that there was no other place as good, and they continued to use those steps to sharpen their pencils as long as slates were used in the (p. 114) schools, long after Mr. Case was dead.
“Colonel Stoughton Bliss was another of the ‘Arkites,’ He was a man of the most wonderfully regular habits imaginable. For twenty-five there was not a Sunday evening that he did not pass at my house. Every evening for years he and I used to meet at the Kennard House and talk together until fifteen minutes before 11 o’clock. Then, and at no other time in the day, he would take a drink, and, after talking a few minutes longer, go to bed.”
À quarter of a century ago about all that was artistic in Cleveland centered in the studio of James F. Ryder. Its great show windows on the street were always full of handsome photographs, and he was always willing to give space to the pictures of young artists struggling for recognition. Two of the most famous little pictures that have been produced in this country were first seen in that window. They are the companion pictures called “Pluck.” They represent three children in a little wooden cart drawn by a dog. In the first picture a rabbit has run in front of the dog, as though he thought that the dog’s load would make it impossible for him to give chase. The rabbit was mistaken, however, for the picture shows the dog dashing after the rabbit, the boy in the cart clinging to the reins with a quaint mixture of fear and determination in his face, and the other children hanging on för dear life as the wagon strikes a stone. The next picture represents the capture of the rabbit by the dog, the wreck of the wagon, and the spilling of the children, but the little driver still has tight hold of the reins and pluck has won. The pictures were painted by A. M. Willard. then of Wellington, O., a young artist whose chances for art education would have been nil but for Mr. Ryder. When the pictures were shown in the window of the Ryder gallery they were surrounded by crowds all day long. They were a veritable triumph, and were duplicated by the million in chromos. Another of Willard’s successes was the picture of the cat and dog fight during morning prayers, in which the cat is on the back of the kneeling deacon, and the son of the family is having a terrible struggle to keep from laughing.
Willard’s greatest picture, and the triumph of the Centennial exposition of 1876, was painted in a studio Mr. Ryder fitted up for Willard for the purpose, and was first shown in his gallery before being taken to Philadelphia. It is called “Yankee Doodle,” and represents a boy and an old man drumming, and a younger man playing the fife, leading troops in a battle of the Revolutionary war.
The picture was suggested by Mr. Ryder, and he secured the model for the boy, who was the son of General Devereaux, then president of the Big Four Railway, H. K. Devereux, of this city. The fifer in the picture was Hugh Mosher, who lived in Lorain County, and the old man playing the drum was Artist Willard’s father.
When the picture was placed on exhibition in the window of the Ryder gallery it attracted such crowds that the police had to be kept on duty all the time to keep the street clear. It was the art success of the Centennial. General Devereux bought the picture and gave it to his native town, Marblehead, Mass., where it now is. It has been reproduced almost countless times and made the name of the artist a famous one. The first work of Frank Tompkins, the Boston artist, whose figures from the novel, “The Scarlet Letter” made him famous, and the first work of Otto Bacher, now illustrator for the Scribners, as well as the children of the brushes of many other artists of local and national fame, were first shown in the historic Ryder gallery on Superior street.” (p. 115)]

“An Interview with James F. Ryder.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 37:519 (Mar. 1900): 103-104. [“The Cleveland Leader in a recent issue devotes nearly a page to an interview with “Cleveland’s distinguished veteran of the camera, James F. Ryder, Esq., who made daguerreotypes in Cleveland when that city was a small town; who was the first American photographer to retouch negatives; who has photographed many famous people and aided several now famous artists. It is accompanied by a large portrait of Mr. Ryder, and supplies some very interesting reading, and gives none too much honor to our esteemed veteran friend. Mr. Ryder makes no claim to what is not his own, and always puts honor where honor is due. Among other things, he said to the Leader interviewer: “Sometimes I have been sorry that I taught retouching photographs to America. Still, if I had not done it someone else would, and I would not have had the start of the rest of the country for a year, with all the advantage that meant. But retouching is deceitful, and I do not like it. Left alone, the camera will not misrepresent; but when a skilful retoucher takes the negative of the face of a woman who wants to be more beautiful than the good Lord intended, the result is not always the truth. The instantaneous dry-plate is another left-handed photographic blessing. It has made the whole world photographers and people are content now with snapshots which they and their friends make, and all there is for the photographer to do is to finish the plates for the amateur. If the amateur snapshotter gets a picture that is funny or cute he is satisfied, and photographic art is left out of the question. How different it all is from the old times, when people went to the photographer and had a daguerreotype taken and finished so that they could take it away with them. If they wanted more than one they sat for each picture they wanted and paid $5 or $10 for each one. With a boy to help me, I used to make as much money as the big galleries with a dozen employees do now. The history of retouching? It is very simple. For a long time I had been taken by the beauty of some portraits that had appeared in a Philadelphia publication devoted to photography.* (*That was this Magazine, then published as the Philadelphia Photographer, and our old friend Dr. Vogel was the one who first woke us all up to retouching the negative.—Ed. W. P. M.) I found that they all came from Germany, and that they were made from retouched negatives. A man named Cyranus Hall, who had worked for me until he had made money enough to go to Germany to study what he called nobler art, meaning painting, happened at this time to be in Munich, from where some of the finest of the retouched work came. I wrote him, asking him to send me a retoucher. He did so, and soon after the venture was so successful that I had him send me over two more. I was the first American to use the process, which is simply doctoring the negatives after they are taken, and smoothing over any defects there may be in the faces or in the lighting of the persons who are photographed.”]

3 b & w. by Philip S. Ryder (Syracuse, N. Y) in: “Our Pictures.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 37:521 (May 1900): 209, plus frontispiece, plus unnumbered leaf. [(Philip S. Ryder and J. F. Ryder were brothers. 2 studio portraits plus a double portrait of the Ryders on p. 209.)

Ryder, James F. “ln Natural Colors.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 37:524 (Aug. 1900): 358-360. [“In the year 1850 the daguerreotypists of the country heard the announcement of the discovery of taking natural colors on daguerreotypes. The Reverend L. L. Hill, of Westhill, N. Y., was the fortunate discoverer. The color of eyes, hair, cheeks, lips and general complexion, as well as the colors of bright ribbons and gay dresses, were said to be taken in a very perfect manner. The discovery was an astonishment to daguerreotype men and of much interest to the general public. The prominent practitioners of daguerreotype of the principal cities made pilgrimage to Westhill, were much pleased with the “pictures in natural colors,” and made tempting offers for the secret of the method of producing them; but the reverend gentleman would not sell, neither would he allow any practitioner to carry a picture away or take it from under the glass which covered it for examination. He preached upon the Sabbath, and may have held prayer meetings on Friday evenings, but sure it was he gathered in many a dollar through the week for the Hillotype Miniature, that being the name of the new picture. Every likeness leaving his hands was carefully sealed from observation of picture men. And all purchasers were cautioned against allowing any commonplace picturetaker to examine them. He just about paralyzed the business for others. People were waiting for the pictures in natural colors. Hard criticisms were issued by the sinful daguerreotype man of small respect for “the cloth.” “That fellow had better keep to his preaching,” they said, “and let picture taking alone.” The practice with men of the camera in those days was, when the picture was finished and ready for the case, to apply prepared dry color with a camel’s hair pencil to the surface of the plate, to such parts as cheeks, lips, etc., where color was required, but the highly polished surface of the plate did not satisfactorily receive it, and it could not forcibly be made to adhere. The anticipated coming of the Hillotype was much desired by picture men. Now the craft throughout the country received circulars announcing the publication of a book by the Reverend L. L. Hill, giving the history and practice of the daguerreotype, valuable formulae and methods to be given complete. The most startling feature of the coming work was that full and complete instructions were to be given for the production of the Hillotype. The price of the book was five dollars by mail, postpaid. No book would be mailed until the entire edition was subscribed for. The money to accompany the order, of course. Those who ordered first would receive the book first, as all would be mailed in regular list order, “first come, first served.” Well! We all tumbled over each other at the doors of the post offices to get our money in first. I got my book in due time and rushed for the chapter on Hillotype the first thing, holding my breath the while. I learned on reading that after our daguerreotype was finished and ready for the case we should flow it with a thin wash of fine transparent glue dissolved in distilled water. This, on drying, would give the surface “a tooth” or slightly sticky quality to which the dry color, applied as usual, with a camel’s hair pencil, would adhere, as it would not to the highly polished surface of the plate. Well! I was the owner of the Hillotype process. I felt that the reverend proprietor had given me as smooth a sell as I could have received from an accomplished horse jockey in a “swap.” I don’t remember ever announcing, by advertisement or otherwise, the Hillotype as one of my possessions. I do not recall an instance of any daguerreotype man making a claim to ownership of that wonderful improvement to our young art. I fancy they felt it “was one on them” and they did not care to parade the fact. If the reverend gentleman be still on earth he doubtless takes an occasional laugh up his sanctimonious sleeve in recalling the “easy scoop he took on the boys.” He surely is entitled to credit of establishing the habit of discovering natural colors in photographs. As often as every two or three years since we have had new announcements of this discovery, which, as a matter of fact, is yet to be perfected. The usual new discoverer is a Parisian scientist—and the discovery made after patient research, or accidentally stumbled upon, though it happens occasionally that a discoverer crops up at Oshkosh or otherwise. These discovery announcements are doubtless gratifying to the persons whose names are associated with them, but they are misleading, because not true. Methods have been discovered by which from repeated printings from different plates—a means partly photographic and partly mechanical—color is given, and some subjects, like fruits and flowers, are made to look very natural, but are not absolutely correct. Color may be given by reflection and transmission of light through colored media, the results of which are in some cases beautiful and are a delight to the eye. These methods are ingenious, and while by their means a photograph may seem to be in natural colors, it is not. The foundation is a plain gray photograph of light and shade, or black and white, invested with color by an ingenious device. A person is not red, green or blue because seen through glasses of those colors. The desire to attain wonderful results stimulates effort at invention and discovery. When the real cannot be compassed, a semblance must be accepted. The Indian whose ambition was to walk over the rainbow had to be content with walking under it. Birds of the air navigate space above the earth—they rest at anchor in the blue, they sail lazily about, they take a sudden lurch and dive, they tack, they make into the wind, they run before it, out to sea they go, and are lost to view. It seems quite simple. The Creator of all made it possible. -The ingenuity of man has not yet devised or built a machine which has successfully rivaled the bird—though flying machines have become as plentiful as color methods in photography. What I understand as Natural Colors in photographs, the actuality of which would be a blessing to photography and photographers, would be that the colors be born with and in the image as it comes into existence from the camera or as it is lifted by the developer from seeming nothingness to a reality. An artificial pretence is not the real thing. A negro is in natural color from birth. A white man blackened up for a cake walk or a banjo solo is an imitation, a deception, a parallel instance to alleged natural colors in photographs, yet color discovery in photographs will doubtless go right on. Thankful and appreciative for what has been given in devices for imparting color to monochromatic camera products, natural color in photographs is, I regret to say, Not Yet. It was at Elyria that I received my book on how to make Hillotypes. That was before the advent of the gold brick.—From Voigtlander and I, a work in preparation.”]

Ryder, James F. “Jex Bardwell’s Lantern Show.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 37:525 (Sept. 1900): 430-431. [“I have been seeing lantern exhibitions for many years, and I have been much pleased with the realism of the best. The exhibition of a few slides by the veteran Jex Bardwell, of Detroit, at the convention of the Ohio-Michigan Association at Putin-Bay has put all former exhibitions quite out of sight. I seem never to have seen anything before worth remembering. How he produces the wonderful effects is quite beyond me to understand. The screen is not as large as is usually employed, but it glows with pictures startlingly rich in color and forceful naturalness. He showed a steamer at sea, with heavy cloud effect above and surrounding it. After a while the clouds change form and density; they dissipate and disappear. Hello! Here is a smaller vessel astern. No one saw it come. By and by it is gone. No one saw it go; but go it did. It was not by the old dissolving method that this was done; it is as far removed as a fortieth cousin. Now come grand views of mountain and glacier, so realistic you hold your breath in wonder. You cannot take your eyes from the view; yet while you are looking it is changed; not quickly, but so gradually that you wonder when and how it was done. What was a few minutes ago the rugged mountain side is now a rushing stream, foaming and dashing, and now there is a great arched bridge of solid masonry spanning the stream. We watch for “what next?” Without a signal or intimation of change we look intently, bound to see when, how, and where the old wizard is going to “do us,” and without knowing “where we are at” it is done. The great river which was dashing down the mountain side is gone. The bridge and all the surroundings are there, looking as natural as though nothing had happened. During the exhibition, to an audience of photographers more or less conversant with lantern exhibitions, and not easily taken by surprise, the applause was most enthusiastic. No person could see the superb work of Jex Bardwell and his lantern unmoved. Surely he has devised or discovered methods hitherto unemployed. He has made lantern work a new art, giving it an interest never before attending it.”]

“Past and Future.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 12:12 (Dec. 1900): 331-332. [“…For fifty-two years Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, worked behind a camera, and recently he has retired from active business. I have secured him to write his reminiscences, which will appear under the title of “Voigtlander and I,” and I can promise a treat. Mr. Ryder’s personality, as everybody knows, is a most loveable one, and his writing is just like himself, in its easy style, whether he is treating of plain facts, telling a humorous story, or touching with tender hand the pathetic chords that respond in all of us.
This, then, is my programme for 1901. Do you like it? If you do, tell your friends about it, for I have one ambition still unrealized. I want the biggest circulation of any photographic journal in the world, and a fifty per cent increase would give it to me for certain.”….”F. Dundas Todd.” (p. 332)]

1 b & w (“Little Bess,”) on p. 539 in: Ryder, James F. “My First Pupil.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 37:527 (Dec. 1900): 539-540. [“Fifty years ago I stopped at Elyria, Ohio, for the winter, having my little studio in a hotel, the Beebe House. One evening a young man came to the hotel, inquiring for me, told me his name was Wykes, and that he came up from Black River, a small village and port on Lake Erie. He had purchased a camera and outfit from Lew Higgins, who was to teach him to make daguerreotypes, from which he could make lots of money. “Lew” gave him a half day’s instructions and deserted him. Wykes desired instructions from me, and could come for them only in the evening, as he was busy through the day. He was obliged to come nine miles, over a poor road and in winter weather. All day long he wrestled with his customers and the rather dark problem of daguerreotype-making without knowing how. I was sorry for the good, honest fellow, and agreed to take him. The instructions commenced that evening, and, as through the entire course, were orally given. I could not teach by demonstration in the evening, and as he fancied he could not stop through the day, and I knew I could not leave my own business and go to him, it was determined we would impart and receive by “talking it over.” The question of compensation was agreed at the beginning to be a gratuitous matter. It cost him something to drive each night, it cost me nothing, and so it was my time against his horse. I taught him first, as well as I could, what was the requirement for quality in a daguerreotype by showing my own sample pictures. Each evening of his coming he would bring with him plates which he had made trials upon since his last visit. We would compare them with my own work, and I would point out and explain where there was a lack or fault in his work, and direct him how to change or avoid a repetition of it. He was a good student, a careful observer, and eager to learn. He did learn, and, to my pleasure and his own, was in a few weeks able to go alone. I was quite proud of both him and myself for having accomplished quite a feat of education under such conditions and in comparatively a short period of time. I drove down with a friend one day to fish from the dock in the lake, and called upon my pupil, Mr. Wykes. I found Black River a very small place, inhabited mostly by sailors and farmers. I could not well see how he could find enough to justify his remaining. He claimed to have sufficient to support him, between his farm and his little picture trade. Later he became quite prominent in his work, and removed to a city that was able to give him a fine patronage. At the Convention exhibition of the Ohio-Michigan Association at Put-in-Bay, Ohio, August last, I met among other friends J. B. Hoff, of Lorain, Ohio, and by him was invited to come and be his guest for a few days. The Black River village of years ago, with a population of possibly 100 souls, is now the Lorain of 17,000 prosperous people, with a big steel plant and a ship building company, where are built the largest vessels floated upon fresh water. It was much like a dream to come back to this smart city, with its several railways and its great tonnage. Mr. Hoff has a snug business, and takes good care of it. He permitted me to assist him in handling the camera and sitters, which seemed like going back to school after some year’s vacation. I send you a photograph of his little daughter “Bess,” the last sitting I have attempted; and what wouldn’t I give for the first one I ever made?”]

1901

1 b & w (“James F. Ryder.”) on p. 11 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter I. The Professor.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:1 (Jan. 1901): 9-12. [“Along in the forties many daguerreotype men styled themselves “Professor,” and their titles were seldom questioned. It was but a step from the anvil or the sawmill to the camera. The new business of likeness-taking was admitted to be a genteel calling, enveloped in a haze of mystery and a smattering of science. The darkroom where the plates were prepared was dignified by some of the more pretentious as the laboratory. A “No Admittance” door, always carefully closed by “the professor” on entering or emerging, naturally impressed the stranger as something out of the usual, and when he came out carrying a little holder to his sitter and from it drawing a thin slide, revealing from under it the likeness just taken, it was no unreasonable stretch of credulity to recognize in the man something of a scientist and a professor. In the fall of 1847 I met the professor who was to lead me into the mysteries of daguerreotypy. I had been three years the boy behind the press, pushing the inking roller over the pages of “ forms ” in a book printing-office, with a vague idea of following the Ben Franklin route, when I met Professor Brightly, a newcomer to our village, a daguerreotype man, and had been encouraged by him to visit him at his rooms, which I did, and I naturally became interested in the new and mysterious work. Professor Brightly was a tall man of rather striking appearance. His silk hat had been much brushed and was shiny. He wore glasses, his hair was heavy, stiff and especially in front, stood straight up. At the sides it was trained behind his ears, at the back it covered his coat collar….” (p. 9) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“James F. Ryder (age 20). From a daguerreotype.”) on p. 43 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter II.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:2 (Feb. 1901): 43-45. [“The first daguerreotype I ever saw was shown me Mrs. Jack Masten, our nearest neighbor, who came bursting into our house one morning as excited as a child, to show my mother a new wonder she had just received from New York. It was a likeness of her sister, Miss Julia Turnbull, a ballet dancer of the New York theaters. The letter accompanying and explaining this likeness said it was a new discovery by a Frenchman named Daguerre, and the picture was called daguerreotype. The process for producing the newly discovered method was brought from Paris to New York by Prof. S. F. B. Morse, the father of telegraphy. The likeness I saw was taken by a Mr. Plumb, who had just opened a studio on Broadway. That picture was the first image I had ever beheld made by a camera. I had never seen a camera and would not have known what it was had one been placed before me. The picture was a wonder to me, and as the first will always be remembered, I recall with distinctness how it looked, can see how the hair was braided, and that she wore a low-neck dress. Suspended from a chain about her neck was a handsome locket. Altogether she was a bright looking and pretty girl. I thought the picture fine and carried the remembrance of it in my mind as a mental study, striving to make my own work resemble it. In after years, the same Julia Turnbull, whom I had never met in person, came into my gallery in Cleveland to have photographs taken. She had grown away from the bare shoulders period and abandoned the locket. She knew nothing of the part her daguerreotype had played in my early struggles as a learner. She seemed like an image risen out of the past, which had been something to me once upon a time.” 66 The Professor was anxious for my progress and helped me all he could. He encouraged me, praised my work as promising and satisfactory, assured me I was surprisingly good for a beginner, and told me it would be greatly helpful for me to work out the difficulties alone, rather than depend upon him. 66 The fact was I asked too many questions, many of which he could not answer. In the first few years most practitioners were plodding in the dark, something like “the blind leading the blind.” There was no literature bearing upon the subject beyond the mere statement of routine description, no sure road yet opened to successful work. Professors” were more plentiful than intelligent teachers. In our work repeated trial was the rule we would try and try again without knowing the cause of failure. Many a day did I work blindly and almost hopelessly, pitying my outraged sitters, and pitying myself in my despair and helplessness. The weak excuses and explanations I made to cover my ignorance were many….” (p. 43) (Etc., etc.)]

|“Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter III.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:3 (Mar. 1901): 80-82. [“Now came Professor Powelson, carrying an air of intelligence and success. His work was fine, yet differing in a way from Mr. Lawyer’s, and because it differed I coveted it and so took instructions from him. He too had a hobby. He showed me that the foundation for fine daguerreotype work was a finely polished plate, which could only be secured by a perfectly dry buff of fine buckskin well rouged, and the finishing touch given with calcined lampblack upon another buff of buckskin thoroughly dry. The Powelson method necessitated a special drying-box slightly heated by a spirit lamp burning under a funnelshaped tube of tin running up through the box. The dry buff produced a fine polish and excellent work; the opposite methods were both good, so I was content to know them both. I had been much troubled in first commencing with the shirt bosoms and other parts which should have been white in the picture coming out blue. I did not like it and asked my first instructor why it was and how to prevent it. He explained that it was bad indigo put in the starch, preparatory to ironing the shirt, and the reflection from it blued the surrounding parts. Since we did not always get blue linen, it might be inferred that all samples of indigo were not bad. A visiting daguerreotypist making a friendly call referred to it as a blemish in my work. I asked him if he knew a remedy for it. He said, “Oh, yes, but I shall want $10 for it.” I agreed to pay his price if the remedy. proved successful. He told me. to slightly increase the blaze of my spirit lamp under my mercury bath and try a picture. This I did and my trouble in that respect was gone. I not only got white linen but secured a richness of tone I had not before, so I was pleased with my investment. The man earned his $10 easily, but it was an advantage to me worth more than I paid. Thus I got my education. Many men had secrets to sell and I was a ready buyer, as it seemed my only course for advancement. A few months later, one very wet day there came into our studio a very wet man. He said he was a daguerreotypist, had missed his boat, and came in for a friendly call. He handed me his card, which read:
Charles E. Johnson,
Cleveland, Ohio.
He was just from New York, and on his way home to Cleveland, where he had a business of his own. He said he had formerly been operator for Plumb, of New York, and that he had a daguerreotype of his daughter and her babe — possibly I would like to see it. He showed it me and I was fairly dazed with the beauty of it. I had seen nothing before to approach it, nor dreamed a thing could be so beautiful. The lady was loveliness itself; the child was a miniature edition of her, sitting upon a little table leaning its baby cheek against the mother’s. The position and every detail of arrangement was perfect. Beaming from the mother’s face was a flood of love for the baby. The superior quality of texture, tone, color, coloring and finish was had never before had such a pleasure in quite beyond my ability to describe. I a picture. Finally he handed me another picture, a view of Superior street, the principal business thoroughfare of his city. It was beautifully taken and showed a fine street. In the immediate foreground of this view was a heavy post extending up from the sidewalk with a large washboard and pitcher on top marking O. A. Brooks’ crockery. store, a landmark remembered by old Clevelanders of half a century ago. I told him I had never before seen anything so fine, and was sure I could never equal it. He said, “Oh, yes, it will be easy enough when you know how, and I can easily teach you.” He told me that quality of work resulted from a discovery of his own he had made a modification in the chemicals ――― employed, using a “dry quick” instead of the usual “liquid quick” in common use. The price was $15….” (p. 82) (Etc., etc.)]

“Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter IV.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:4 (Apr. 1901): 120-122. [“A spirit of unrest possessed me, a natural diffidence and lack of confidence in myself was my bane. I was always fancying that people who had known. me as a boy about the streets only a few years back were seeing the absurdity of my claim to being a daguerreotypist. I had heard “a prophet was without honor in his own country,” and so concluded to go elsewhere. Therefore I advised the Professor I must be relieved of my engagement, as I was bent upon going out for myself. The companionship between Voigtlander and myself was congenial and comfortable. We would go out together and see what fortune had to say to us. Although settled upon going, it was a matter of some days’ consideration before I could determine where. I was timid of trying at first any considerable. town or village and decided upon going into the country among the farmers, where I had some acquaintance. I had been, as a boy, employed by Deacon Lyon, a rich fruit grower who marketed his crops in Ithaca, and during the ripening season drove in two and three times a week with the product of his orchards. I made overtures to him for a visit to the farm, with a view to doing a little business among his neighbors in likenesses. He was quite pleased to have me go. It was something of a novelty to have a daguerreotype man at one’s house. He had some daughters and a son at home who would surely be pleased, and he was quite agreeable to it as well. When within a couple of miles of home he called out to his neighbors in passing that for a few days he was going to have a daguerrian artist at his house, and if they wished to have likenesses taken they would have a chance. At all events they were invited to come up and see the folks, and the pictures. and advertised by him. At one house he drove up and waited for ” the folks ” to come out. There I was introduced to the mother and daughter of the house and the announcement was again made that pictures would be taken at his house for a few days, and the invitation extended for them to come up. It was more than I expected of the deacon, but I was glad to be announced.
There was a broad veranda extending across the front of the spacious home of Deacon Lyon. Upon this the trunk containing my gallery outfit was placed and quite a flurry of interest it developed when Mrs. Lyon and her two young lady daughters learned what it meant. Upon this veranda I concluded to take my pictures. The large trees in front proved a good protection from the too strong light, and softened it to my liking. When, on the following morning, the deacon was about to start for town with his load of fine peaches, showing temptingly in the well-filled baskets, I asked to be allowed to “take” him and his load before tying the covering over the fruit. I objected to his putting on his better coat and hat, and took him as he was, as the farmer market man. It was a hit. That picture went over the neighborhood, was seen and admired by a dozen families, and many came to the deacon’s to see it. I took quite a number of pictures on the deacon’s porch, and was invited to move to other farmhouses and take members of the families. I was kept busy in this work among farm people for some weeks. The district in which I operated was a rich and prosperous one. All were “well-to-do farmers” and could well afford to spend a few dollars for family likenesses. I began to feel the pleasure of prosperity for myself. The consciousness of carrying in my pocket more dollars than I had ever done, or counted upon, was a splendid gratification. Invitations to visit new localities were extended in good time to prevent my taking trouble about where next? It was pleasant to be in demand. There had been two calls for me to go to ” the village,” a quiet little center some five miles distant….” (p. 120) (Etc., etc.)]

Ryder, James F. “The Advent of Negative Retouching in America. How to do It.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 38:532 (Apr. 1901): 134-136. 1 b & w. [(Illustration is a portrait of a woman by Fritz Luckhardt, Vienna. “A print from the collection referred to in Mr. Ryder’s paper on “Retouching.”) “The most important and first real improvement to the portrait photographer after the advent of collodion was retouching of negatives, which method of finish came to this country from Germany in 1868. Dr. H. Vogel sent examples of this work to Edward L. Wilson, editor of the Philadelphia Photographer, and from him I secured a small collection. The pleasure I found in these little portraits which got their smooth, soft, and delicate finish from the retouched plate was most gratifying. The coarse skin texture, the pimple and freckle blemishes were converted into fine, soft complexions, most gratifying to the eye, and especially to the eye of the person represented in the picture. This was a phase of art wrought out by the patient German and but recently introduced by him, while in America it was unknown. I expected it would be captured and introduced by some prominent New York photographer, as we look to that city to take the first bite at every pie coming from abroad. I was anxious it should so happen that I could take a later chance at securing it for my own practice. The metropolis was tardy; I was impatient. I concluded to take the liberty of giving Cleveland a chance, and set about it. Mr. Cyrenius Hall, an artist skilled in water-colors and India-ink work, who had been some years in my employ as a finisher of photographs, had gone to Germany to study more serious art. To him I wrote, telling him of my want, describing what I had seen, and asking him to secure for me a skilled artist in retouching. He was successful in finding an excellent man—Herr Karl Leutgib, of the Munich Academy, who was desirous of coming to America. Mr. Hall soon closed a contract with and secured passage for him on the steamer Schmidt, for New York. I had a friend to meet him at the steamer’s dock, with photograph in hand, held aloft, standing by the bridge as he came ashore and see him safely on board the train for Cleveland. For reasons, I did not want him to loiter about New York or visit any photographic establishment in that city. On his arrival in Cleveland we made him very welcome and comfortable, sounding no trumpets in his honor or in our exaltation. Very quietly we prepared a creditable display of the new work, selecting well-known citizens, among which were beautiful young ladies and children. These we exhibited with pride. A decided impetus was given our business from the introduction of the new finish, and I soon imported two more artists. In the spring of 1869 was to be held in Boston the first convention exhibition of retouching and retouchers. Great was the demand and meagre the supply. The soft and delicate effect it gave appealed to all and pleased all. A method which made a person look finer and handsomer was welcome—a much desired and valuable improvement. I had applications galore for instructions. I had come into a valuable adjunct to photography. I had secured it for myself. Good business policy did not suggest that I immediately open my hand and give to my neighbors and friends what they surely would not have given me. So for a time I took no pupils. When I did it was as a courtesy, and never for pay. In an amiable way I tried to be helpful to friends, but never pledged myself to give complete, full instructions. It was surprising to learn how many of my applicants could master the art in a week. Some were so confident of their ability they would only ask for an hour’s teaching. How true—
“Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.”
The facts are that the student for negative retouching needs some capital, to wit: A knowledge of art sufficient to enable him to draw a head from life, and do it well; a knowledge of photography sufficient to judge of the quality of the negative he is about to retouch. A person possessing the above qualifications may, with patience, judgment, and care, learn to become expert in this delicate work. It is, indeed, a rare and delicate work. The lightest hand and a light touch arc required to give a soft effect. Where not to touch the plate is fine judgment; how to touch it is the best art. To so retouch the plate as to make the print from it look as though a pencil had not touched it, but that it was a very perfect ////retouched plate, is, to my idea, the acme of skill. In most faces is a surface texture which is precious. Let us look into the face of an elderly woman. There are lines made sacred by the drift of years, by sleepless nights over restless, tossing children, by anxieties of family cares, by the happenings of what makes up life, her thoughts, perhaps, following a son in the army of his country, upholding the dear old flag. In this motherly face these lines have been honestly earned: they are the heritage of an honorable life; they are records of unblemished, kindly character. Shall they be wiped out with a ruthless pencil in the hand of a $6 per week botch, self-styled “first-class artist?” No. Get thee back to the farm and behind a hoe; don’t desecrate that dear old face. Let a man who has a mother, who has consideration, who has skill, retouch that plate. He will soften and not exterminate the lines; he will soften and gently smooth the roughness so carefully as to make it seem a very sweet roughness. The “mechanic” retoucher I am not in sympathy with. He will “sheet-lead” a face, covering the whole surface as unsympathetic as he would paint a floor, commencing in one corner of the room and spreading the entire surface. If he could retouch with a jack-plane he would do it. Some examples of his work look like a picked chicken before the pin-feathers were scorched off. Again his “real fine” efforts frequently make a face look like a distended bladder, or as though stung by a bumblebee after the swelling had taken effect, showing about as much expression as a hen’s egg—I beg pardon of the conscientious, painstaking hen; I was thinking of the porcelain egg, without the pebbled surface grain which proclaims genuineness that characterizes real motherhood of an honest product. So much have I seen in the past thirty years of the faults and abuses of negative retouching that I have condemned myself to shame for what I was formerly proud of. Evolution brings us around face to face with what we have thought good and have been sure was bad, that we have a chance to find pleasure or discomfort and take our choice. I am glad to see that the extreme of bad retouch is hidden under something else.”]

“What Constitutes a Photographic Portrait?” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 32:5 (May 1901): 148-151. [“A letter, similar to the one printed below, has been sent to several of our best-known portrait photographers and their answers will be published, as received, in subsequent issues of the Bulletin. We believe the question raised is a live one and one that is not as easily answered as may at first seem to be the case. The Bulletin will welcome the opinions of its readers on this subject and any other, and hopes that the points brought out in answer to this question may result in good. The letter is as follows: My Dear Sir: The question often arises, in examination of photographs in which one or more figures or parts of figures form a more or less prominent feature of the composition, as to whether or not such pictures may be properly called portraits, and in view of this question the Bulletin is desirous of publishing the opinions of a few American portrait photographers as to what, in their belief and practice, constitutes a portrait, pure and simple. May we have for publication in the Bulletin your views on this subject as briefly as you please, indicating where, in your judgment the dividing line should be drawn between a pure photographic portrait, and the several other classes such as genre photography, landscapes with figures, etc. We believe that your interpretation of this matter will be of wide interest to the profession, and will do much to render easier the work of exhibitors and judges in photographic exhibitions. Very truly yours, Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin.
(Replies from E. B. Core, Pres. P. A. A.; George G. Rockwood; C. M. Hayes; C. H. Zimmerman; F. M. Somers and James F. Ryder.)
“Dear Sir,—In reply to your question of 15th inst. as to what may properly be called portraits in photography—” What Constitutes a Portrait, Pure and Simple?” To my mind this: So long as the image is a fair representation—a likeness giving characteristic points of resemblance and expression, it is a portrait. When a number of persons are grouped together, all answering to the above description, they are portraits. (p. 150)
When, from posing a head, or heads, as in genre work, the aim is to disregard likeness, but to secure object, comes the place where portrait is obscure and lost in object. I confess my inability to draw a line that would stand. Circumstances must determine. A spade is a spade until we can no longer recognize it as a spade. Yours respectfully, James F. Ryder.” (p. 151)]

“Voigtlander and I. * Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder, Chapter V. Quilting Bee.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:5 (May 1901): 142-144. [“For some months I drifted about and at length got into northern Pennsylvania. At one small town the landlady of the hotel where I was stopping asked me one morning if I could not use some other room than the ball-room the following day, as the ladies of the church were going to have a “quilting” and there was no other available room in the village where two sets of frames could be set up. The quilting was to be followed by a dance in the evening. Of course I was very willing to vacate the room for the ladies, and so told Mrs. Jenks. For the benefit of city people who buy quilts and comfortables at stores, who have never made quilts or seen them made, I will explain. Quilting frames are about eight feet long, four inches wide and perforated with holes every eight or ten inches through which wooden pegs or large nails are pushed to hold them together when set up for use. Along the entire length of the frames is tacked listing the marginal edge of heavy wool cloth to which to which the sides and ends of the quilt can be sewed. When not in use these frames are usually kept away up-stairs, out of the way. It is not considered necessary for all families to possess these frames, but it is expected that owners will lend them, and so a set will do for a neighborhood. As an extra set was wanted for this occasion Mrs. Jenks sent her son over to the Wilkinses for theirs. Mr. Wilkins failed to tie the ends together, but just balanced them. upon Henry’s shoulder; told him he should carry them steadily and he would get along all right, then started him off. Any boy who has carried quilting frames upon his shoulder knows their tendency is to slip-generally forward, and they are also liable to spread apart at the ends. Henry’s efforts to keep them well bunched and balanced were not successful, for the ends would spread apart, and they would slip endwise. He tried to hold them together by leaning his head over upon them, the sharp edges hurt his ear and brought mutterings of bad words from him. In his impatience he pitched them off in the road and kicked them, using meanwhile very objectionable language. He tried again, and after several repetitions of loading and unloading finally reached home and slammed them down upon the porch with such violence as to bring his mother out with the exclamation, “Why Henry! My son, what’s the matter?” Henry replied in a voice bursting with rage, ” I’m going to run away and go to sea that’s what’s the matter! No more carrying dod dummed slippery quilting frames for me.” A few minutes later Henry was seen with a piece of pie so large it took both. hands to keep it from breaking apart; and bites out of it, surprisingly wide and deep, certified to the abatement of his anger. Into the ball-room were now brought eight chairs, which were placed six or seven feet apart with the back of each chair toward the center of the room, and upon the backs of these chairs were placed the quilting frames, the holes adjusted, and heavy nails pushed through, thus holding them together. The two sets of frames being set far enough apart to admit of two women to sit at each end and each side, the room began to assume an air of business. While a part of these good women sewed the bottom or wrong side of the quilt to the listings and spread the cotton batting evenly over it, others were engaged in preparing the blocks which formed the pattern and right side. “Oh! what pretty blocks,” said Mrs. Cummings, as Mrs. Ruggles spread out some squares. “Yes, I think them be rather pretty. My Melissa done them of evenings last winter, besides cutting and sewing carpet rags for our sitting-room. Melissa is a powerful smart girl, if I do say it as shouldn’t say it….” (p. 142) (Etc., etc.)]

“Voigtlander and L* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter VI. The Bite.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:6 (June 1901): 184-187. [“With trimmings!” answered Mrs. Cummings. “How will you have yours, Miss Ruggles with sweetening?” “No, just plain, Miss Jenks. I like it so best it rests a body so.” At this juncture a side door to the dining-room opens a few inches and the voice of Henry is heard: “Ma! save me some of the custard!” 66 ――― Why, Henry Jenks! I’m ashamed of you. Where’s your manners? Go, like a good boy, and find the dogeretippe man, and have him come and take tea with us, ‘stid of waiting for the regular supper. He’s good company, and I’m sure the ladies would like him.” Continuing she added: “Did you see the picture he took of the Chambers girl? Her freckles didn’t show hardly a bit and he made her look real pretty, I do declare.” 66 Mr. J., pass the cold meat to Miss Higgins, and pass the biscuits too. I don’t know as they’ll be fit to eat, I didn’t have very good luck with them.” “Why, Miss Jenks, what makes you say so,” exclaimed Mrs. Ruggles, “I think them just delicious, they’re so light and tender; I wish I could make such good ones; with your nice butter and honey they just melt in a body’s mouth. I must get your recipe for making them.” The pride which animates the heart of a noted good cook at praise of her baking shone from the happy face of Mrs. Jenks, as she said, “Certainly. Miss Ruggles, you’ll be very welcome.” “I hear,” said Mrs. Ruggles to Mr. Jenks, “that Thomas’s dog has been killing some of your sheep?” “Yes,” said Mr. Jenks, “I seen Thomas an hour ago. I just went to work and told him I’d kill that dog soon as I laid eyes on him. He had the imperence to say I’d get in trouble if I teched that dog….” (p. 184)]

1 b & w (“My Small Sister Kate.” “Taken by James F. Ryder in 1849) on p. 1849 in: “Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter VII. Jeduth [sic] Graves.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:7 (July 1901): 202-206. [“A few days after the dance, Mr. Jenks introduced me to a man who had come to his hotel on business relating to an estate in which they were both interested. His name was Graves. He was a cousin to Jenks, and he was also a tavern-keeper in the adjoining county, on the other side of the mountains. He took a fancy to me at once and wanted me to go home with him. He said no one had ever been there taking likenesses and he thought I could do well. At least I could have a good time-plenty young people, socially inclined, and the older class genial and hospitable. Great trouting, over there; the brooks so full they crowd each other. “I’ll take a day off and show you around. Come! What say, young fellow?” I told him I was as wax in 66 his hands”; that I would follow wherever he led. “Now, that’s the stuff, young fellow,” said Mr. Graves. “I keep a strictly temperance house. No drunkards made or harbored about my premises.” Having no inclination for indulgences of a barroom character, I was well pleased, and wondered why he should gratuitously give me such information. Perceiving him to be agreeably eccentric, with a leaning to humor, I soon adjusted myself to his whimsicalities, and gave him good length of rope. His philosophy was to make the best of the world as it unfolded itself to him, and to never “cry over spilled milk.” The stage which was to carry us over to his place was due at noon. I packed up and was ready for the stage coach when it halted for dinner at the Jenks tavern. I bade good-bye to Mr. and Mrs. Jenks and Henry Jenks and Henry-whose capacity for custard pie I shall never forget and away we started up the mountain. It was a slow, tedious pull to the summit, from whence it was down hill all the way to our destination….” (p. 202) (Etc., etc.)]

“Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter VII.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:8 (Aug 1901): 231-234. [“Through the vapory combination of tankard and cigars Mr. Graves found inspiration for spinning and weaving. A reminiscent wave swept over him. He delighted in his boyhood and his mother, who was mother and chum. He could always go to her for counsel, advice and sympathy. She seemed to understand the boy-nature better than his father did. She thought it better to lead his mind by gentleness than to obstruct it without giving a reason or explanation….” (p. 231) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“A 271.Family Group taken in 1850.” Negative by James. F. Ryder.”) on p. 271 in: “Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter IX. For Ohio.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:9 (Sept 1901): 270-273. [“That the seeing of a fine daguerreotype should pull a young enthusiast through three States to have another look at it should seem strange, I will admit; but it was the only way to satisfy a longing, and I yielded to it. I had not forgotten Mr. Johnson and his invitation to visit him if I ever went to Cleveland. I had not forgotten the beauty of the work he had shown me, it had lived in my mind as an ideal I hoped to attain. I cherished a hope that I might some day, through supreme effort and patience, find in my own work a semblance to his. I used to think if I could sweep the floors of his studio I would cheerfully do it for the privilege of seeing him work, and working with him. Yes; I was headed for Ohio, and ultimately for Cleveland, bent upon further instructions from Mr. Johnson. From the car windows as we went rushing through the country in its early shrubs, I was delighted with the valley spring dress of tender green and young of the Susquehanna, and the sweeps we made in rounding the curves of that beautiful river, presenting to view a new picture every few seconds, which was scarcely seen before another burst into view more striking in picturesqueness. Farms, homes and barns seemed to fly past us and out of sight rapidly. I was in a pleasant country, following in the beauties spread before us, enjoy the shores of a pleasant river, drinking ng every change of the rapidly growing and vanishing panorama. beauty of the Susquehanna, my mind While recognizing and enjoying the reached out in a grasping sense to Ohio, wondering if it could be anything like this. The comparison was soon dropped, for Ohio was a new country and could not be. From my home in central New York there were occasional instances of people emigrating to the Western States….” (p. 270) (Etc., etc.)]

“The National Convention—A Retrospect.” ANTHONY’S PHOTOGRAPHIC BULLETIN 32:9 (Sept. 1901): 281-328. [“In accordance with the custom of the Bulletin and as a part of the agreement under which the photographic journals are provided with a complete stenographic report of the Convention from year to year, the Bulletin takes pleasure in presenting to its readers in the present number a complete report of the Convention as recorded by the official stenographer, with the exception of four addresses, which will follow in the October number….” p. 281. (Etc., etc.)
“…Third Day—Morning Session.
The Convention was called to order at 10.30 o’clock, President Core in the Chair.
Immediately after the President had rapped to order there was a round of applause in consequence of the arrival of Mr. J. F. Ryder, who came in response to the invitation officially sent to him yesterday upon the motion of Papa Cramer. Mr. Ryder came forward to the platform, when; he was received by the President and given a seat beside ex-President Potter and Mr. Jex Bardwell.
Mr. Ryder said: “Ladies and gentlemen and old friends, I feel peculiarly happy to meet you to-day. I was honored yesterday by a call from you to come, and as a big Indian would say, ‘ You sent for me and I am here.’ I am very glad to see you all, and to see the Association prospering, and I hope I will have the pleasure of meeting you on many future occasions….” p. 314. (Etc., etc.)
“…President Core: “This is the closing day of the Convention, and as the Chair would like all the support he can have up to the last hour, I would ask that all ex-Presidents in the audience take seats upon the platform. It will add to the dignity of the occasion, and you know the invitation is heartfelt.” (Applause.) In response to this invitation, Ex-Presidents Ryder, Cramer and Bellsmith came forward and were seated upon the platform….” (p. 324.) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. G. Cramer: “Our old friend, Mr. J. F. Ryder, has come here from Cleveland by special invitation from us. He is ‘all right,’ as you say. I hope that next year, when we meet in Buffalo, he will be all righter. (Oh!) I hear that he is writing a book entitled, ‘ My Experiences in Photography.’ I, for my part, am very anxious to receive that book, relating to fifty-two years’ experience in photography. Certainly that would cover a great many interesting items that concern our craft. I hope when that book comes out that every one of you will want one of them. I want several. I desire to move a vote of thanks to Mr. Ryder for so promptly responding to our call.”
Carried, by special request of “Papa Cramer,” by a rising unanimous vote.
Mr. Ryder: “I thank you, gentlemen, for the kind attention shown me, both in sending me a telegram and in following it up by all these pleasant things. I am enjoying the meeting with you, gentlemen, with whom I have been in the habit of meeting for forty years; although I feel that I cannot talk very much, like the other gentleman here on the platform, who could not say much a while ago.” (Applause.)…” (p. 326) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b &w (“Kirtland Mormon Temple.”) on p.308; 1 b & w [?] (“Oh, Brigham! How Could You Leave Us?”) on p. 315 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter IX. The Kirtland Mormon Temple.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:10 (Oct 1901): 308-315. [The “Oh, Brigham!” image, depicting approximately twenty women in deep mourning gathered in a room, may be from a painting – if not, it is an exceptional group portrait for that time. A commemorative poem by Julia A. Moore is included in the article. (See the “Books” section of this bibliography. WSJ.
“I had heard of the Mormon Temple at Kirtland, some ten miles from Painesville, had a curiosity to see it, and determined that should be my next stopping place. I bargained with Mr. Robert Briggs (familiarly known as Bob), a citizen of Painesville, who kept horses for hire, to haul me over. The price was a daguerreotype of himself and a silver dollar. When last I saw him he told me he still had the likeness but had lost sight of the dollar. The drive from Painesville to Mentor is as fine as can be found — straight, broad and level, fine farms on either side, orchards, broad fields with grazing cattle, well fed and sleek. The homes of the farmers were well kept, well painted and well fenced, showing thrift and prosperity. Shade trees were in abundance to protect and beautify them; flowers and vines climbing over latticed porches, doors and windows; hollyhocks in rows and in many colors; sunflowers, poppies, marigolds and peonies. Old-fashioned flowers testified to the presence and good taste of the farm wives and daughters and the pride they took in tidy front yards and gardens, for be it known that superb road is a continuation of Euclid avenue, the pride of Cleveland and famous as one of the most beautiful avenues in the world. Verily, on this delightful day the country through which we drove. “had its face washed and its hair combed.” Mr. Briggs entertained me with information as to the names of the residents and gave me gossippy sketches of their financial strength and moral standing. Not in a single instance did he report a blemish upon the character or good name of any resident. Really! is this Arcadia, or a road in Ohio? On reaching Mentor, we turned. south, taking the road which leads to Kirtland, three miles distant. The flat evenness of the drive between Painesville and Mentor is changed as we proceed upon the crossroad, and we find waves of undulation. We are approaching a valley through which runs a winding stream emptying in Grand River at Painesville, and by that route finds its way into Lake Erie. As we approached the brow of the hill, down which we were to go, we stopped to admire the picturesque valley stretching to the east. Before us was a winding road through overhanging trees leading to the flats or lower part of the village. Kirtland flats comprise the portion lying in the valley where was located the business of the village, the store and postoffice kept by Mr. Isaac Sherman, a grist mill, a wagon and blacksmith shop, and quite a number of scattering homes. Kirtland on the hill represented more territory. Overtopping all was the Temple, a Young Ladies’ Seminary. once presided over by the late Gen. M. D. Leggett; the School for Children, apart from the seminary, two taverns and a good number of residences. We drove down the hill under the arching trees, across the flats and over the bridge. Bob stopped at the watering trough, gave his horses a drink, then commenced the ascent of the hill….” (p. 308) (Etc., etc.)]

“Echoes from the Detroit Convention. Opinions of Prominent Photographers concerning the Work.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 38:538 (Oct. 1901): 401-403. [“…Mr. J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio, one of the pioneers in Convention work, came to the Convention in response to a special invitation by telegraph, and enjoyed his holiday exceedingly….” p. 401.
(On p. 358 in the “Official Report” of this year’s P. A. A. convention, there is a note that the ex-Presidents Ryder, Cramer and Bellsmith were called from the audience to sit on the platform during the ceremonies.)]

1 b & w (“Artemus Ward.” “From a photograph made and lent by James F. Ryder, taken about 1857.”) on p. 52 in: Trent, W. P. “A Retrospect of American Humor.” CENTURY MAGAZINE 63:1 (Nov. 1901): 51-64. 25 b& w, 7 illus. [Portraits of male writers.]

Ryder, James F. “Open Letters. Recollections of Artemus Ward.” CENTURY MAGAZINE 63:1 (Nov. 1901): 151-155. [“On going into the Cleveland “Plain Dealer editorial rooms, one morning, I saw a new man, who was introduced to me as Mr. Browne.
He was young, cheerful in manner, tall and slender, not quite up-to-date in style of dress, yet by no means shabby. His hair was flaxen and very straight; his nose, the prominent feature of his face, was Romanesque, quite violently so, -and with a leaning to the left. His eyes were blue-gray, with a twinkle in them; his mouth seemed so given to a merry laugh, so much in motion, that it was difficult to describe.
It seemed as though bubbling in him was a lot of happiness which he made no effort to conceal or hold back. When we were introduced he was sitting at his table writing. He gave his leg a smart slap, arose, shook hands with me, and said he was glad to meet me. I believed him, for he looked glad all the time. You could not look at him but he would laugh. He laughed as he sat at his table writing.. When he had written a thing which pleased him he would slap his leg and laugh.
I noticed that George Hoyt and James Brokenshire at their tables were pleased with his merriment and indulged in broad smiles. As I bade him and the others good morning, he said, “Come again, me liege.” I thanked him, said I would, and went my way, thinking what a funny fellow he was.
Within a month thereafter appeared in the columns of the “Plain Dealer” a funny letter signed “Artemus Ward.” The writer said he was in the show business, had a trained kangaroo, “a most amoosin’ little cuss,” some “snaix,” and a collection of wax figures, which he called a “grate moral show.” As he was coming to Cleveland to exhibit, he made a proposition to the proprietor that they “scratch each other’s backs”–the publisher to write up the show vigorously, and the showman to have the handbills printed at his office and give him free tickets for all his family. So I found my young friend of the gurgle and hay-colored hair to be an embryo humorist just bursting into bloom. Artemus, as from that time he was best known, soon had a city full of friends, myself and family among them.
He sat at our table every Sunday. We learned to know him well and to enjoy his cheerful peculiarities. His humor was like a bubbling spring, “on tap.” His merry laugh was ever ready, and was easily called out. On his jaunts about town in quest of items, for he was city editor,— he often called at the studio to learn if we had anything new for him. When not, he would frequently manufacture an item and start away upon his rounds again.
One morning he paid me the usual call, and I noticed in that evening’s “Plain Dealer” that I (designated as Cleveland’s favorite artist) had been engaged by “Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper” to go to the Crimea as staff photographer.
For a time he called me the “favorite artist,” afterward referring to me as the “Cleveland Pet.” This pleased him greatly, as at that time there was an ugly-looking “bruiser” in the city who bore that endearing title. He enjoyed getting a joke upon a friend-the nearer the friend and the harder the joke the better he was pleased.
When the Japanese embassy visited America to acquaint themselves with “things worth knowing” touching government, commercial progress, and business methods, they brought with them a phenomenal boy known as “Japanese Tommy.” He became a pet with the ladies in Washington society and, in a way, something of a lion. He was the best-advertised youngster this country ever knew.
Photography was entirely new to them, and some members of the embassy became interested in it. Tommy was struck with a desire to learn, and began to study.
Through Artemus some photographs from my hands came to Tommy’s notice, and so well was he impressed with them that I was asked for the formulas and methods of production, which I was glad to give. I was rewarded by presents from Tommy of an elegantly wrought pair of silver suspender-buckles and a number of Japanese coins.
I exhibited these in my show-case of photographs at my entrance-door, and was proud of them. I considered this kindness a good offset to the “Cleveland Pet” joke.
Browne’s mother, from Waterford, Maine (where Browne was born April 26, 1834), spent some time with us one summer, when we found that he got his drollery by inheritance. Mother and son were comrades; they enjoyed good fun, and, like overgrown children, were always having a jolly time. He called her Caroline, and she called him Charles. (p. 151)
Mrs. Browne was funny without realizing it. Artemus was appreciative and watchful of the humorous phrases she let fall. He quickly picked them up and stored them away for future use. He was devoted and loyal to “Caroline.” He would lure her to talk of the early days when his uncles and aunts came to visit them at Waterford.
“And now, Caroline,” he said, “tell me the names of them all. I am forgetful, you know, and I may have lost some of them.”
“Well, Charles,” she said, “there was your uncle Daniel, and Marlboro, and Jabez, and your father, Levi,-and Thaddeus. And your aunts Susan and Mary and Mercy and Sarah; and that’s all.”
“Well, was n’t that enough?” said Artemus. “But where do you come in?”
“Well, being a Farrar, I didn’t come in at all, except I be counted with your father-Levi. You remember, Charles, my father, Mr. Farrar, kept the store at Waterford, and your father hired out to him as a clerk.”
“Why, Caroline, how could I remember? That was before my time.”
“Well, yes, ‘Smarty’; but I guess you’ve heard of it. It was common report about Waterford years ago. Your father and I got married, and my father took Levi in partnership, and it was Farrar & Browne. Now, that’s so, faithful.”
“Oh, yes,” said Artemus. “I remember seeing a sign over the door. Your father and my father, why, what relation does that make us?”
“Now, Charles Farrar Browne, behave yourself -be respectful to your mother. Remember what the Bible says!”
“Well, I expect I ought to; but it is so different from the ‘Plain Dealer’ I don’t ‘putter’ with it much. You know it says a man can’t serve two masters. And I’m a Democrat.”
Thus these two people would chaff each other by the hour.
Mrs. Browne was very proud of Charles. She said he was a strange child from a baby, but had been a good boy and good to her.
I have said there was always a laugh or a smile upon his face. Let me record an exception. I had a little baby daughter of whom he was very fond. He called her “papoose,” and talked “baby Indian” to her. She seemed to understand him and accept him for a friend. Her joy was freely manifested. She tried to talk back, and delighted in clawing his nose, which, by way of encouragement, was held within easy reach. Her feet and hands would begin talking as soon as she heard his voice on entering the room.
The little one died, and on the morning of her death I met him on the street. He tried to talk, but his words turned to tears, seeming to disregard the publicity. I was surprised to see this man of fun-making weep so unreservedly in the open street. It made me love him more.
Artemus was fond of the colored people, and had many friends among them. He attended their functions in the old church at the corner of Champlain and Seneca streets, where now stands the Bell Telephone Exchange. It had been abandoned as a place of worship; the lower floor had to be converted to manufacturing purposes, and the large up-stairs rooms were well suited to meetings, dances, etc., and were used by the colored people as a place for the festival meetings connected with their religious society.
When a festival was to be held, Artemus was invited, and on the following morning the “Plain Dealer” was watched with interest by the promoters of the entertainment. Mr. Charles Park, my brother Jack, and I frequently attended these festive occasions with him.
Members of the legal, medical, and other learned professions, as well as men prominent in business, who possessed a taste for unique enjoyment, were generally in attendance. An attractive feature of these festivals was the refreshment-tables, always daintily spread. It was “Mistah Browne” here and “Mistah Browne” there.
Artemus found pleasure in attending the Methodist meetings at the colored church at the corner of Ohio and Brownell streets. In times of their revivals, which were held every winter, and usually continued through several weeks, these people sometimes indulged in extravagances inconsistent with divine worship as usually conducted. But no one doubted their sincerity. They were emotional and enthusiastic, their intense natures were deeply stirred to religious sentiment, and in their earnestness they sometimes forgot themselves.
It was more particularly during these revival meetings that Artemus was found in attendance, and his friends of the festivals were glad to see him there, and welcomed him warmly.
On one occasion, when a sermon of unusual power had been preached and Artemus had followed it closely and with eagerness, as the minister closed, Artemus arose from his seat at the extreme front, walked into the pulpit, grasped the preacher’s hand, and thanked him for the splendid sermon and the great good he was doing in rescuing his people from sin. He turned and walked back to his seat, beside my brother, with moist eyes. As my brother claimed, the act was unpremeditated, and without intent of disrespect.
The winter evenings that Artemus spent with us were very enjoyable. With his long legs stretched toward the fire, he would chatter and gurgle, and burst into occasional explosions of laughter so hearty that he would sometimes slide out of his chair and land upon the floor.
He was sure to be entertaining. It always happened that he had seen some one or something during the day to please him, and he would tell us about it.
Down on Canal street, one day, he encountered a “Mrs. Mulligan” over her wash-tub, with her dress pinned up about her waist, barefooted, and rubbing away upon her wash-board, with some dirty children playing about. He accosted her with a “Good morning,” and inquired if she would like to do his washing, and what was her price.
She straightened up, put her fists upon her hips, and with a withering stare said: “I’m not one of (p. 152) those that does washing out of my own family. You ‘re a fine gossoon. I don’t even know you by eyesight.”
Turning to the two boys, she said: “Here, Joseph Ander, take Thomas Ander by the hand and lade him off til skule”
Said Joseph Ander: “I’ve not had me breakfast.”
“Yes, and ye have. Ye had the blue duck’s eggs and pancakes sopped in, gravy. Now be off wid yees.”
And Artemus said he thought it was time for him to go, lest she might take a fancy to wash his shirt without his taking it off.
The menu pleased him so much that he repeated it again and again, laughing heartily at each repetition: “The blue duck’s eggs and pancakes sopped in gravy.”
He told us one evening of a boarding-place he had down East, where the woman was possessed of great executive ability. In his words, “she was a splendid manager,” a pusher, while, on the other hand, the husband was gifted with a great lack of stored energy. He told us this woman was “great on hash “; she furnished it very often. And he added: “I tell you, Susan, there’s one thing I like about hash. When I have it, I know just what I’m eating.”
The husband was always out of work, but would sometimes go fishing, and one day he was drowned. The body was recovered. The bereaved wife bore up well. She provided a good coffin for her husband, and was to give him a fine funeral. She said it was the last thing she could do for him, and it should be done right.
Artemus was to be a pall-bearer, and was looking as “cast down” as possible out of respect to the occasion. When the minister had concluded the services and the undertaker had announced that burial would be private, “at the convenience of the family,” and friends were told that they now had an opportunity to view the remains, and would please pass through the room and out of the front door, Artemus, with the other pallbearers, was seated in a bedroom off the parlor. The widow appeared at the door of their room, and said: “Now, you pall-bearers, just step into the pantry, help yourselves to a drink of rum from the jug, and we’ll start this man right along.”
Artemus was fond of theaters and public entertainments. He was also given to dancing, and on winter nights joined the sleighing-parties to McIlrath’s in East Cleveland. McIlrath was “publican,” farmer, giant, and noted hunter. His tavern was the home of every man or woman under its hospitable roof. The great open fireplace in the receiving-room, which was office and bar-room, was piled with logs six feet in length, and was surrounded by guests just in from the cold weather outside. The bar was not a drinking resort, but a glass of something hot to drive out the chills could be had, and the practice was never abused in that staid old house.
In the dancing-room up-stairs would be found Von Olker’s string-band, and John von Olker, from fiddling night after night, was liable to be found fiddling as he slept the only man I ever knew who possessed that talent.
The dances were always good, the suppers fine, and Abner McIlrath always happy. A very pleasant friendship existed between Artemus and Abner. Abner had a black bear with which he used to wrestle. Giant as he was, he was quite equal to it. He never could succeed in getting Artemus to try a “square hold” with Bruin.
Artemus’s fame as a humorist and writer of humor resulted in calls to other fields. He was outgrowing Cleveland, and accepted a call to New York city as a writer for “Vanity Fair,” and in a little while he became its managing editor. While in New York he published his first book, and later prepared his version of “Babes in the Wood” for a lecture, and went touring the country with it.
In the spring of 1861 my wife and I went to New York, I to get “spring fashions” in photographs, she to look in shop-windows in Broadway and to visit friends, not the least of whom was Artemus.
Soon after our arrival, he came to our hotel, and was pleased to see us. After the usual greetings, he turned to my wife, and said:
“Now, Susan, put your bonnet right on. We’ll make it lively for New York while you stay. Where shall we go first, my pretty gazelle?”
“To Barnum’s Museum,” said the gazelle, and away they went.
The evening following the visit to the museum there was a special event at Wallack’s Theater, “Oliver Twist” being given for a benefit to Agnes Robertson Boucicault, with the following great cast: Oliver, Agnes Robertson Boucicault; Nancy Sykes, Charlotte Cushman; Bill Sykes, Lester Wallack; Fagin, J. W. Wallack; Artful Dodger, George W. Jamison; Bumble the Beadle, William Davidge. To see the cream of the stage together in a play where the strength of the characters and that of the actors representing them were so ably blended, to see a representation so wonderfully held together, so powerfully carried, was an event never to be forgotten. The audience was tremendously moved by the powerful impersonations. When Nancy’s pleadings with Bill availed not, and he killed her, tears filled all eyes. From the balcony where we sat, Artemus looked down, then turned to my wife and told her the people below were putting up their umbrellas because of her flood of weeping. With his own eyes filled he could not resist the opportunity of a joke.
Becoming restless for further acquaintance with the country, he left “Vanity Fair,” to tell to the cities of America the pitiful story of the “Babes.”
His mother had never heard him lecture. She wondered what he could find to say that could interest an audience, and with a desire to gratify her, he sent for her to come down to Boston when he gave his lecture.
The evening came. She was patiently waiting at the Revere House for Charles, and he, in accordance with one of his peculiarities, had forgotten all about her. Suddenly he thought of her (p. 153) as the time approached for the lecture. He hurriedly explained the situation to his “friend all the year round,” Mr. C. W. Coe of Cleveland, saying: “Hurry and get Caroline, while I hold up this stage.”
Mrs. Browne got there in time, but she did not see the “Babes” nor hear a word about them.
From Pittsburg he came to Cleveland. His success had been most gratifying; he came in the light of a man who had made his mark. The Academy of Music, where the lecture was given, was filled with his friends. It was an ovation, a tribute to his popularity to which he was well entitled, and which made him happy.
I had secured seats near the front for my wife, her brother Charles Park, and my brother Jack. Considering our intimacy with the lecturer, and the disposition of Charles and Jack to “guy” an amateurish showman, it was rather a hard party to face.
Artemus came upon the stage in dress-suit, his usual straight hair broken up into a mass of curls. He looked sweet enough to eat. He stepped to the front of the stage and smiled; that settled the matter. Every person in the house was immediately his friend. His reception was generous and genuine. While at first I resented the curled hair, his smile made me forgive it. He was truly our own Artemus, and we were to stand by him.
We found the lecture disregarded the title. We heard nothing and saw nothing of the “Babes,” but we did not question it; we knew he would carry us through all right, and allowed him to take his own course. He told us of a lazy man who, upon a certain hot day, was possessed of an extreme thirst; but his disinclination to walk five rods to a cool spring of pure water inclined him to take a tea-kettle from a hot stove and pour therefrom a bowl of its boiling contents, with which, by waiting and blowing over the surface until he reduced the temperature below scalding point, he managed to slake his thirst.
Then stepping to the front, in a manner peculiar to himself, he took the audience into his confidence. He said he did not like to spoil a story “for relation’s sake” or shield a shirk from public gaze, so he pointed out the hero of this true tale, saying: “It is Charley Park, sitting right down there, in the second seat.”
Well, if any one in the house laughed louder than any one else, it was Charley Park; and he had his quietus for the rest of the evening. No more grimaces to distract the lecturer that night. When the “Babes” were tucked away for the night, and Artemus had made his bow, an impromptu reception was given him. This was headed by the Elephant Club, of which he was an honored member.
After giving Cleveland this burst of sunshine he continued west. Having heard favorably of Brigham Young, he desired to meet him and show his “Babes.” It is a matter of “Ward history,” as shown by his published letters, that he was graciously received by the prophet.
As a bit of stage business during his lectures he was sometimes attacked with a paroxysm of coughing of such severity that a chair would be brought upon the stage, in which he could sit and rest. Wishing to keep his audience entertained during the interruption, he would seemingly depart from the line of his subject and tell a story. He told one of the wife of a middle-aged farmer “passing away.” The neighboring women were early on hand to offer assistance and tender sympathy. Along in the forenoon, after doing the chores of the morning, the men began to call to express condolence and offer assistance. Not finding the bereaved husband, inquiry was made where he could be found. The women-folk could not tell exactly, but said he could n’t be far away. So they all filed out of the back door to look up the sorrowing man. He was not found at the barn, and was nowhere in sight. One of the neighbors thought he heard a noise in the well, and, on looking down, saw the bereaved one and asked what he was doing down there; to which he replied that his wife’s death had made rather of a broken day and he thought it would be a good time to clean out the well.
The roars of applause which greeted this story were construed by Artemus as an encore, to which, after rising, bowing, smiling, and reseating himself, he responded by relating another story, which he certified to be as true as the one just told.
Artemus learned the printer’s trade in the office of the “Oxford County Advertiser,” Norway, Maine. He had a brother Cyrus, who was also a printer, and learned his trade in the same office. He was afterward editor of the New Bedford “Standard.” Like Artemus, he was a humorist, and more droll than his brother, because of a peculiar drawling voice which emphasized his drollery. He died some years before Artemus.
Dr. J. C. Gallison of Franklin, Massachusetts, also learned the printer’s trade in the “Advertiser” office. Artemus preceded him, and had left something of his fame for the new boy to look up to. He says: “I was a mere boy, a very young man. I regarded Charley Browne with mingled worship and awe, for had he not traveled?” It was told of him that while “devil” on the “Advertiser” he became disgusted because of the continual boasting of the rival paper that a new window had been put in, and the week following that the casing had been painted. Other small matters were announced certifying to the enterprise of the establishment. Artemus wrote and the “Advertiser” published: “We have bored a new hole in the sink and put a brand-new slop-pail under it. What will the ‘hell-hounds’ of the other office say to that?”
Referring to Ward’s traveling abroad, the doctor says: “An old schoolmate of his in Waterford, Horace Maxfield, son of the old stage-driver Maxfield, accompanied him, and was with him through his last illness and death. Maxfield brought home with him some admission tickets which had been used for entrance to his lectures. These were distributed among Ward’s immediate friends.”
The doctor further says: “I have one of these tickets, which, together with my old printer’s (p. 154) rule, is in the drawer of the desk at which I am writing, and which I keep as relics, as mementos, of Artemus and the old days.”
From Charles E. Wilson, now of Hartford, Connecticut, I get the following touching Artemus’s wanderings:
Being of a roving disposition, he left the “Advertiser” of Norway, Maine. He worked for a time at Skowhegan and at Gardiner, Maine, and later drifted down to Boston, where he obtained a situation in the composing-room of the “Carpet Bag,” published by Benjamin P. Shillaber (“Mrs. Partington”). While employed in this office he wrote his first article of any pretension, and shoved the copy under Shillaber’s sanctum door.
He was much gratified a few days later to see the copy come into the composing-room to be set up; and being thus encouraged, he wrote another article, rather historical in character, making no attempt to be funny. This also went under the sanctum door. Neither of these articles was signed, but Shillaber was satisfied they were written by some one in the office, and accordingly made inquiry, which resulted in Browne’s acknowledging that he wrote them. Shillaber patted him on the back,-metaphorically, told him he manifestly had ability, and encouraged him to make literary work a study and profession.
Noticing one day, in one of the local papers, an advertisement, “School-teacher wanted” at a small town in Kentucky, near Cincinnati, he answered it, and secured the position, but taught the school only one week. There were several big boys in the school, and he learned from local gossips that these young toughs had “licked” every schoolmaster that had attempted to keep school there for several years previous. As he was not particularly robust and had never studied the “noble art” of self-defense, he concluded the climate of that Kentucky village would not exactly suit him.
At the close of school on Friday night he packed his modest wardrobe in his down-East carpet-bag, and without waiting to collect his week’s pay, started early Saturday morning for Cincinnati. He did not remain there long, however, but pushed along up the Cincinnati, Hamilton, and Dayton Railroad, stopped a short time in Dayton, thence went on to Springfield, where he obtained a situation as compositor, remaining there several weeks. Major W. W. Armstrong, publisher of the Tiffin “Advertiser,” along in the fifties, engaged Artemus for his paper, temporarily, to fill a sick man’s place. Artemus walked from Sandusky to Tiffin, a distance of thirty-four miles, to take the job. The major says he reached Tiffin late in the day, wearing a long linen duster and a shilling chip hat, and with his carpet-bag; he was hungry and weary, but jolly-considered the feat a good joke.
When he came again a few years later to exhibit his “moral snaix and waxworks” at Webster Hall, he averred that a prejudiced citizen smashed the face of Judas Iscariot with a brick, declaring the “betrayer” could never again show his “ugly mug” in Seneca County.
His next stopping-place was at Toledo, where he secured the position of market reporter on the Toledo “Commercial.” It was on this paper that his work as a writer really began. When James D. Cleveland, later Judge Cleveland, who had held the position of city editor of the “Plain Dealer,” was called as assistant clerk to the United States District Court, Artemus was called to fill his chair. How well he filled it is generally known in Cleveland and throughout the country.
From a letter dated March 15, 1867, written by Albion Chadbourne of London, England (formerly of Waterford), to Daniel Browne of Waterford, Maine, an uncle of Artemus, I get information of interest.
Mr. Chadbourne, a close friend of Artemus, in the early days of his coming was active in introducing him among his friends, and took with him a good number of friends to the lecture, with a view to encouraging and applauding him. He found it quite unnecessary, as Artemus’s reception was an ovation. He and his friends had difficulty in getting into the hall even, so crowded was it. Never had an American visited London as a stranger who so quickly found his way to the favor and friendship of the English people. His popularity was unprecedented. He was soon admitted to membership of a club of authors and artists, where, when in London, he spent many happy hours.
At the residence of Mr. Millward, one of the foremost members of the club, Artemus spent his first evening in London, and after his death (March 6, 1867) his body was brought from Southampton to Mr. Millward’s, and lay in state until his burial, which occurred in the chapel at Kensal Green, where all that was mortal of that sunny nature lies in a tomb by itself. Mr. Chadbourne, who was one of the pall-bearers, says that many honest tears were shed in the circle of friends who surrounded his grave.
Dear Artemus! His mission was to “tickle the ribs” of the world, and the world stood the tickling right cheerfully.” (p. 155)]

“Among the November Magazines.” CURRENT LITERATURE. A MAGAZINE OF RECORD AND REVIEW 31:5 (Nov. 1901): 632. [“…The Century this year intends devoting much space to American humor, and Prof. William P. Trent, now of Columbia, begins by a general retrospect of the subject, while among the Open Letters are-and they make perhaps as interesting an article as the number contains-some recollections by James F. Ryder of Artemus Ward. It is interesting to find evidence that Artemus inherited his fun from his mother. Here is a side light on the humorist’s character:…” (p. 632)]

“Voigtlander and I* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter X. Chagrin Falls.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:11 (Nov. 1901): 336-340. [“I found Chagrin Falls to be a cheery, sociable and charming village. Dr. D. W. Bliss, who will be remembered as surgeon to President Garfield through his long suffering from the assassin’s bullet, invited me to come to the Falls and start my business. He introduced me among his friends and He asked me one day to drive over to Gates’ Mills, a charming spot three miles. down the river, to visit his neighbor and chum, Dr. Tom Moore, an Irishman proud of his country and proud of his name genial, kindly and tender of heart, voice soft and brogue most delicious. It was a joy to see “the two o’ them” together together a happiness to me to make the third. Here’s a health to thee, Tom Moore.” Gates’ Mills helped to make Chagrin more delightful, and visits were frequent. kept a friendly eye on me. 66 At the Falls I lived at Bayard’s Hotel, a pleasant village inn, a stage house station on the Cleveland and Pittsburg pike. The mail was carried upon the coaches of this line and their arrival each day was an event. The Bayard House brightened up at the sound of the welcome horn before the coach drove in sight. Old General Knox brought his chair out upon the porch of the hotel, followed by guests or frequenters of the house to witness the arrival of coach and passengers. The Bayard boys hustled out their cart to receive and rush the mail bag across the bridge to the post office, where Mr. Shaw, the village postmaster, stood in the door to receive it. Henry Breeze, a typical joker and the admiration of the town, drove one of these coaches. As he came winding down the hill his horn awakening echoes up and down the valley and resounding from the hilltops, made a pleasant sound. In his line, Henry was an artist….” (p. 336) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“Chagrin Falls”) on p. 365; 2 b & w (“Sculptured Rock, Chagrin Falls, Ohio.”; “Bedford Glens, Bedford, Ohio”) on p. 367 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XII. Bedford.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 13:12 (Dec. 1901): 365-368. [“Tinker’s Creek is wild and savage enough to seem out of place in a peaceful little village only a dozen miles from Cleveland. It runs through a gorge of rock a hundred feet deep, the walls of which are nearly perpendicular, the bed of the stream filled with heavy broken stones, washed for scores of years, and in winter covered with masses of ice which look cruelly cold. From the seams in the rocky banks there thrust out bushes and small trees of rugged growth. In the glen were nooks never reached by the sun, where in hot days visitors could sit in the grateful shade and hear the monotony of running water. Upon the top of the west bank sat Bedford town, with its two hotels, its public square, its complement of stores and shops, its snug homes and its friendly people. It was a trading center for a farming district of half a dozen miles around.
Through Bedford was now under construction the Cleveland & Pittsburg Railroad, which gave the town an un usual activity. Spanning the chasm of Tinker’s Creek was being built a trestle bridge or scaffolding upon which to carry the stringer for the truss. This manner of work was a novelty to the people of the village, as it rose from the broken rocks in the bed of the creek, a succession of timbers end upon end to grade level, where the rails would be laid….” (p. ) (Etc., etc.)]

1902

1 b & w (“East Branch Falls, Elyria, Ohio.”) on p. 21 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XIII. Muddy Roads.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:1 (Jan. 1902): 21-24. [The photograph is a landscape of a small waterfall, with a male figure sitting beside it. Possibly Ryder, but taken ca. 1902, not earlier. WSJ]
“In looking back upon the callow days of my wanderings I am impressed with the good fortune I found at every step. People attached a more grave importance to having likenesses taken then. It was more the parents having likenesses taken for the children, a matter more seriously considered; something more in the way of duty, possibly a last duty certainly a sacred one from parents to children a legacy of love. I had settled upon Medina, a place twenty miles distant, for my winter quarters. It was the middle of November and the roads were getting bad. I employed a man with a strong team. and as light a wagon as would do in anticipation of mud. — We started, leaving Bedford and Tinker’s Creek behind. As we got beyond the village limits, inside of which greater care was taken to keep ruts and holes filled and packed, we found mud enough to sling at political candidates throughout the States, and for children to supply the pie market for Ohio indefinitely. A lake of liquid mud with small islands cropping up here and there, covered the entire width of the road, and between the road-bed and the fences deep-cut tracks of wagons were It was a discouraging outlook, much worse than we had expected, but seen. (p. 21) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“East Branch Falls, Elyria, Ohio”) on p. 53 in: “Voigtlander And I* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XIV. Amateur Theatricals.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:2 (Feb. 1902): 52-54. [“Private theatricals are interesting as a departure from robust professional dramatic work, there being a freshness. and originality cropping out at unexpected times and places to challenge and amuse an audience. Doubtless all people of both sexes have secret desire to tread the boards and astonish friends with latent and unsuspected talent which has lurked in their breast and been smothered for opportunity to come forth and shine. The world knows not what may have been lost in unrevealed genius or what it has escaped by its suppression. The enjoyment found in some plays by amateurs quite overbalances the pleasure found in serious bona fide performances. We thought the present opportunity was one not to be missed, and drove over to the village in the afternoon and put up at the tavern in whose ballroom the play was to be given. We were well received by the landlord, given a good supper and secured a room. for the night, as after the play it would be too late to return. The leading man, or the hero of the tragedy of the evening, was pointed out to us as the brightest scholar in the school and particularly strong in declamation. Not exactly with ostentation, but with a tread of consciousness, he walked up and down the office of the hotel as though studying his part or anticipating a triumph. He was not in the least embarrassed that people were regarding him with attention he was to be the hero of the play and was not ashamed to be known as such. As evening came on an activity was commencing people were coming in, passing through the hallway and upstairs. The landlord came to us with a suggestion that if we wished to secure good seats perhaps we had better go up. Of course, we wanted good seats, and we went up, none too soon, for the room was being rapidly filled. There was a good bit of interest in noting the audience, the expectant and impatient manner of it. The room was lighted by lamps hung upon the walls with tin reflectors behind to throw added strength of light, which was not, however, a great success. There were no footlights, no chandeliers for a more brilliant lighting. No orchestral overture to help kill time before curtain rising — no cat calls ” from the boys-no impatient stamping of feet just a patient wait. The drop curtain was of plain white cloth, and thin, so the actors and actresses showed plainly through. The stage being lighted more than the auditorium proper, the company was more in sight than the audience, and without knowing it at all. The stage was greenroom without being aware of it. The posings and primpings of the players was a free show, and I fancied a better one through the curtain than we would see when it was raised. A little girl sitting beside me who had a vial of peppermint essence to which she was touching her tongue occasionally, I found accessible to conversation, which was carried on between us in a low tone. She gave me good information as to who the actors were that would appear. She pointed out her sister who was upon the stage and would take a part. I was satisfied she was one of the eleven whose teeth had come through upon the dollar, and here was my little friend of the essence, whose gums had yielded to the silver disk. I was in luck to make such valuable finds. At last the stage was cleared, the curtain raised, and a young lady came blushing upon the stage, and in a sweet voice pitched to pleasant tune told us in song, “I love the merry, merry sunshine, it makes the heart so gay.’ She looked so innocently sweet I did not blame the sun for shining upon her. The song completed she withdrew, loudly applauded….” (p. 52) (Etc., etc.)

1 b & w (“Fourscore and Four” “Photographed and copyright, 1894, by F. Dundas Todd.” “From collection of Jas. F. Ryder.”) on p. 83; 1 b & w (Child in costume. “Negative by Frank R. Bill, Cleveland, Ohio. From the collection of Jas. F. Ryder.”) on p. 85 in: “Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. In Natural Colors.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:3 (Mar. 1902): 83-86. [“In the year 1850 was announced a wonderful discovery in the daguerreotype process. No less a discovery than taking with the picture the natural colors of life. A clergyman of the name of L. L. Hill, of Westkill, a village upon the Hudson river, New York, was the fortunate discoverer. What Daguerre gave the world an image in light and shade – was an astonishment, but it lacked the perfection of color of nature and life. Certainly a great lack and regret. Now came the reverend gentleman with his discovery to make the infant art complete. We might now expect to see the blue or violet eye in its perfection-peach-tinted cheeks, rose-leaf lips, the varied shades of gold in baby’s hair would delight us.
Bright and rich colors of ribbon and dress of course were not overlooked in Mr. Hill’s discovery. Everything was said to be there. The newspapers said these things and it is as easy to make vivid and pleasing colors as weak or fady on an editorial table.
— Daguerreotype men of prominence from the large cities visited Mr. Hill, and, it was alleged, made tempting offers for his secret of producing natural colors. He would not sell. He guarded it closely, all pictures were carefully sealed from examination or inspection. All customers were cautioned against permitting likeness men to remove the glass covering the picture, or in any way to tamper with them. Things much coveted and not attainable are more wildly wanted than the easy things of life. So the Hillotype was pined for by many. We fellows at a distance from New York had never seen one of the Hillotype pictures; for that matter, very few had….” (p. 83) (Etc. etc.)]

“Subscription Competition.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:4 (Apr. 1902): 102. [“This competition closed on the 28th day of February, and resulted in the addition of 729 new names to our subscription list. According to our books, the prizes have been awarded as follows:
New Subscribers.
First, W. A. Semple, Utica, N. Y. 61
Second, C. N. Jenkins, Cedar Rapids, Iowa 51
Third, W. H. Lyman, Buffalo, N. Y. 27
Fourth, J. F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio. 24
Fifth, W. H. Monroe, Leominster, Mass. 23
Sixth, J. L. Tincher, Danville, Ill. 19
Seventh, George H. Hazlitt, Chicago. 14
Eighth, A. M. Kroff, San Diego, Cal. 9
Ninth, F. Sidney Nisbett, McKeesport, Pa. 9
Before publishing the above figures, we have written to each of these gentlemen to learn whether or not our figures were in accord with theirs, and have also written to a number of the runners up to see whether or not they could claim higher totals than our books show, and so, to the best of our knowledge and belief, the above is the proper order in which the competitors should be placed. Before mailing the checks to these gentlemen, we will allow a period of fourteen days to elapse after the publication of this issue in order that any other competitor who feels he has not been given proper credit may lodge his claim. No consideration will be given to claims made after that date. F. DUNDAS Todd.

“Voigtlander and I* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XVI. Incidental Lighting.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:4 (Apr. 1902): 114-117. [“As the dawn comes out of darkness to awaken the day, so comes the faculty of observation and noting. What had been a blank, takes form and definiteness. I began to see faces of men, women and children differently than I had done. I began to observe. It did not occur to me that I should do it, but gradually it came to be a habit and was resolved into a study. A pleasant, interesting and, finally, a perpetual study. What one sees that may be helpful in his business or profession to adapt and store away for future needs are really additions to his capital. My study was to notice how light fell upon the face and how the shadows were made. I quickly recognized and accepted what seemed correct and desirable, at the same time rejecting the incorrect. I was always seeking and adapting good lighting for portraits. That portion of the human world one sees is an open schoolevery face is a lesson offered gratuitously. The study is never a task, but always a pleasure, pursued without effort and unconsciously a never-ending habit. Where could be found a study of such interest as the human face and head? Of the millions who people the earth, no two are exactly alike, a distinctive character to each. A man don’t necessarily wear a wart upon his nose to be distinguished from other men. The wonder of God’s creation could hardly be more significant than in this particular. Nature has stamped its trade-mark on every human face. Students in physiognomy who study deeply and sincerely see faces more thoroughly than do other men. The evil passions of brutal, hardened hearts, the vengeful spirit, the treacherous vindictive spite, the flashing eyes, the corrugated brow, the compressed lip, the expanding nostril, the clenched jaw, the murderous thought are indexed in the faces of some; as also the generous, sympathetic, kindly promptings, the pleasant eye, the beaming smile, the welcoming spirit which springs out to meet and greet are found in the faces of others. Wonderful study, truly. We find the rascal and hypocrite to be a poor imitation of a true and manly man. I found my models in men at their desks, behind counters, in cars, in church, at the work bench — wherever there was light and people there was my school. In the office of the business man at his desk while discussing a trivial or important matter I notice how the light falls his face. I note from whence upon it comes, how it is distributed. I adapt the lighting for a portrait. If, unconsciously, he turn his head toward or from the source, he gives me a more or less desirable change in the distribution and blending of shadows. He is my model and my study. He is posing to me without knowing it. The child with whom I am making friends, whether he be shy or fearless, in the innocence of his little heart as he looks up, down or askance, has given me a pose and expression which delights me and which in my mind is transferred to the camera. a common The stranger I meet upon the street who inquires for the City Hall has given me a hasty sitting. I quite liked his face while asking me question he was doing me a great service. Like Dickens’ “little Jenny Wren ” I was always a “trying on ” and have a collection of mind images too great to be catalogued, and yet the work goes steadily on. It gives the student valuable training. ――――― This study has led me to observation photography, and is in line of interest beyond the camera, or its application to the ladies….” (p. 114) (Etc., etc.)]

1 b & w (“Old Folks at Home.” Negative by A. H. Mowrey, Ashland, Ohio. From the collection of Jas. F. Ryder.”) on p. 141 in: “Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XVII. Cleveland.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:5 (May 1902): 140-142. [“To replenish my stock of materials. used in likeness work, I made occasional trips to Cleveland, and always called at Mr. Johnson’s gallery in the hope of meeting the man who lived in my mind. as the high standard of photography, but was never so fortunate as to find him. One day, to my surprise, he came into my rooms at the Beebe House, in Elyria, to find me, and, as he soon advised me, to secure my services as operator and manager of his business in Cleveland. He was opening a studio in New Orleans, where he would remain through the winter, and paid me the great compliment of offering me a position to step into his Cleveland establishment to take charge: to represent him until the following spring. I was really dazed that by so prominent a man as Mr. Johnson I could be considered competent to fill a position of such importance. I doubted my ability and candidly avowed it, but he encouraged me to believe I could fill the requirement. So, with some timidity and much pride, I accepted. I was a very happy young man that so fortunate a happening should fall in my way. It was an advance beyond my wildest dreams, and ambitious young fellows dream pretty wildly sometimes. Now, instead of the limited facilities of outfit that I carried in a packing trunk even though it were a large one from village to town in my practice to this time, I was to step into an established studio, having permanent fixtures and furnishings upon a liberal scale. A city gallery, with fine accessories and surroundings. Here I would have, too, fine examples of work to study. I would be taken out of a field and transplanted. into a garden of richer soil. When I told Park I had engaged with Mr. Johnson for his Cleveland studio, and was soon to go, he, more than any other person in Elyria, could understand my exultation, and rejoiced with me. This move meant promotion to him also. He would take charge of the Elyria studio and stand in a similar relation to me that I did to Mr. Johnson. Like other beginners, having an ambition to progress, Park and I talked over the little we knew and the much we desired to learn in the daguerreotype art. I transferred as much as I could of my greater knowledge than his, and together we coveted the finish of New York, for that city seemed the vortex of all excellence. New York, we fancied, showed a smarter style of finish than any other American city, and we had the hardihood to fancy we might hope some day to come within a day’s ride of New York quality. ― A country tailor likes to see a Broadway coat. In the same sense a daguerreotype man may take a lesson. Park wished to learn of me the names of the most prominent men conducting the business in the principal cities. He was desirous of visiting the noted establishments to see the best achievements of the camera in skilled hands — a common wish, but few can compass its indulgence. We would sometimes see in the hands of people from larger cities examples of work bearing a metropolitan air and smarter style. These we would carefully study. They were our chance opportunities, always welcome, our “pickings by the wayside,” never to be neglected. I was somewhat familiar with the work of some of the New York establishments, but could not make him see from my description as I could remember from having seen, but felt confident we would go together sometime and have a good look. Coming back to the point of former question as to whom I considered the ablest picture man in New York, I said, “Well, Charley, there are many prominent daguerreotypists in that city some in a particular way in advance of others, and it is difficult to discriminate. I think Brady stands at the head as to prominence. He has studios in New York and Washington. He has taken portraits of more public and prominent people than any of his rivals….” (p. 140) (Etc., etc.)]

“Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XVIII. Growth.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:6 (June 1902): 187-189. [“I remember, on awakening one sleepy Sunday afternoon, my room darkened by heavy green paper shades, closely rolled down, my surprise at seeing upon the wall at the foot of my bed clean, whitewashed wall, a miniature cow walking leisurely along, every motion, even to the swish of her tail, as natural as possible. I could not account for it the image was distinct and clear. She was walking upside down, her feet toward the ceiling of the room and her back toward the floor. I wondered if I could be dreaming, or from what the illusion could be caused. ― I had never seen or heard of such a manifestation before. I hurriedly got off the bed to investigate, pulled the curtain aside and looked out upon the street there was the cow moving contentedly along unmindful of the exhibition she had given me or the mystery I was in about her. She had demonstrated the principle of the camera obscura and of pinhole photography. There was, as I found, a hole the size of a pin-head through the paper shade, located near the center, through which had been carried the image of “bossy’ as through a lens. The reversal of the image I was conversant with from the use of the camera, and by it was helped to an understanding of the upside-down cow phenomena….” (p. 187) (Etc., etc.)]

Ryder, James. F. “Comments on the Portraits by Rocher.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 39:547 (July 1902): 279-280. [“We present herewith two letters, concluding the series of comments on the portraits by Henry Rocher, given in the March number of this Magazine. Several other communications dealing with Mr. Rocher’s work were received, but they were not considered as adapted for publication. The pictures seem to have awakened many pleasant memories in the craft, and have drawn general attention to the splendid results achieved in portraiture a quarter of a century ago. The award of $10 offered for the best letter on the pictures has been given to Mr. Gordon Hatfield, of Tusket, Nova Scotia, whose contribution was published in our last issue. A check for the amount has already gone forward to Mr. Hatfield. We desire to explain, in justice to Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, whose letter appears herewith, that this gentleman’s critique was unfortunately mislaid, and the letter now published is a later substitute. “It was written,” says Mr. Ryder, “not in competition for the award, but as an affectionate tribute to an old master in photography.”—Ed. W. P. M.]
III. Dear Mr. Wilson: For the pleasure you have given your readers in reproducing the Henry Rocher photographs of twenty-five years ago, as a showing of American photography at that period, I give you herewith my hearty thanks, as doubtless many others have done. These pictures carry me back to the days of twenty-five to thirty years past, and open the doors to his fine studio, where I passed some profitable hours in studying his work, and listening to his talk. He was always inspiring and instructive. I felt honored by his kindly attentions and realized that I was in the presence of a master. The sincere worker of the present day may look at the work of Mr. Rocher and ask who surpassed it twenty-five years ago? He may be asked how many surpass it to-day? Henry Rocher was certainly in advance of his time. There was no sham or pretence in him, nor in anything that entered into his work—it was genuine. The furnishings and fittings; his furniture, his draperies, hangings, rugs, etc., were real. His lenses were the best that could be bought; he called them “his children” and cared for them tenderly, keeping them in a safe which was lowered each night into the basement of the building. Even in collodion days he used for his portrait work rectilinear lenses, which were considered too slow by other photographers. We have only to examine the examples reproduced in the March Magazine to notice the delicate detail in the white draperies, the gentle rounding of shadows in faces and arms, the depth of effect in the pictures throughout, to recognize the wisdom of his selection. The “chewing of the string as a test of the pudding” is well exemplified here. I was present one day when a messenger presented a note to Mr. Rocher, who seemed embarrassed in the reading. He scowled for a few seconds, then the usual kindly look came back into his face as he turned to the boy and said, ”Tell my neighbor I cannot lend my children. I am sorry he asked me.” He explained to me after the boy had gone that the messenger was sent to borrow one of his lenses. The whims and fadisms of to-day had not entered into photography in Rocher’s time. He followed no man’s fancies but his own. Common-sense, conscientious photography, without frills, as he saw it in his day, was his aim. He was exacting with his help, and did not always find the sympathy from them he expected. He knew what he wanted and how he wanted it done. He would spend an hour with the man who cleaned his negative glass to train him to do it properly. In all his work, at every step, must be the integrity of Henry Rocher. Failing in any point to do things just right was by him construed as an injustice to him, and through him to his patron. Telling me one day of his trials with his employees who thought they knew better than he what were best methods, and where they were right and he wrong, he said he had suffered most from men who had written books of instruction. He said he would sooner take a farmer boy and train him his way than have a writer of books upon the subject of photography. Years may pass and new men replace the old ones; we may have “impressionism,” new schools, advance styles, “smudge ” and “hazy ” instances of the “utterly utter.” The admirers of this style of work may say, ”how perfectly dear” and give utterance to silly expressions concerning it. And perchance they may occasionally stumble against a really good portrait by Rocher, made a quarter of a century ago, and wonder “where they are at.” Respectfully, James F. Ryder. Cleveland, O.”]

“Voigtlander and I. Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XIX. Collodion.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:8 (Aug. 1902): 242-243. [“Collodion is a mixture of alcohol and ether in which is dissolved gun cotton, the addition of which changes it from the most limpid fluid to a glutinous, slow-flowing substance resembling syrup. In the collodion is introduced a soluble iodide and bromide. In preparing to make a negative or positive image, the collodion is flowed over a carefully cleansed plate of glass and the excess is drained from the plate back into the bottle from which it was poured. The alcohol and ether being very volatile, evaporate quickly, leaving a coating like a heavy varnish upon the plate. The plate is now immersed, by means of a forked rod upon which it is placed, into a solution of nitrate of silver, held in a bath vessel especially constructed for the purpose, and immediately the silver in solution is attracted to the iodide and bromide in the collodion film, changing the latter from a colorless condition to a cream white, which is the sensitive principle, bromo-iodide of silver. This preparation must be made in a darkened room, else the light would destroy the sensitiveness of the film upon the plate. After the exposure of the plate in the camera on the sitter, it is returned to the darkroom and developed by flooding it with a solution of sulphate of iron. It is an interesting part of the process to watch the image rise from the film from apparent nothingness to the reality of at truthful likeness of a person. The ambrotype came as the first product of collodion in photography. It was a departure from, yet resembling the daguerreotype, being a case picture, taken upon glass instead of the silver surface plate. The mirror-like surface. of the polished daguerreotype plate was abolished in the ambrotype and the image more readily seen, a pleasant change and welcome improvement. photography, calling it Humphrey’s Journal. To be able to hurl it with greater impetus from a central point, he went to New York city for his publication office and headquarters. I subscribed for Humphrey’s Journal and continued a subscriber as long as it lasted several years. There was another magazine, under the title of Photographic and Fine Art Journal, by H. H. Snelling, also of New York city. To this I also subscribed and continued during its life of several years. dion and the advantages which would From these journals I read of colloresult from its introduction. I opened correspondence with Mr. Humphrey, with reference to introducing the ambrotype in Cleveland, and asked for the address of a competent instructor. He offered to come himself, provided I could secure him a class that would justify it. I quickly had a class of ten, at $100 each, of photographers from surrounding towns and cities who were anxious to be instructed. Mr. S. D. Humphrey, of Canandaigua, New York, started a journal of We wanted to drink from the fountain head and were satisfied; from Mr. Humphrey we got the sparkle and foam as well as the real body. He gave us careful instructions and a fine start. I desired to hold Cleveland exclusive to myself for as long a time as I could in the new picture, and was rewarded with a fine business by holding the control. The ambrotype was a very popular picture. While inferior to the daguerreotype, in fact it was something new, took a smart run and practically extinguished the daguerreotype. To stop solidity to the collodion image, it was the transparency of the glass and give necessary to coat the glass with asphaltum black varnish which in time would crack and flake off the glass. A remedy for this and a shorter cut to the work was the introduction of the so-called tintype, which, in turn, superseded the picture upon glass and has shown wonderful vitality. Pleasure resorts without them would seem a hollow mockery. In both styles, the daguerreotype and ambrotype, a separate sitting was required for every picture made….” (p. 242) (Etc., etc.)]

“Voigtlander and I.* Being the Reminiscences of James F. Ryder. Chapter XX. Luck And Work.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:9 (Sept. 1902): 265-268. [“A man can not live upon the dinners he ate last year. A courageous spirit must be fed and sustained. In his march through life he must keep his place in the procession. It is better that he step upon another man’s heels than have his own stepped upon. He must keep pace with the crowd of strugglers reaching for the front. He must not be jostled or elbowed from the straight course. He can not halt and hold his place; the man behind would step in front of him. Verily, it is the persistent, continuous march by which the goal is reached. There may be stretches of level, even gentle undulations. but the sum of the journey is up-hill. It is the story of every active man’s life, if ambition to win be the incentive. Fortune and misfortune lie beside his path; he sometimes gets a boost, sometimes a “throwdown.” He must be up and off again. He must never know he is “licked.” The strenuous element in some natures make it possible for men to force the fight, to climb the heights and to finally reach the summit.
“There’s a river called Luck that runs through our lives,
But her flood it is sluggish and slow;
And the treasure which by her false current arrives,…” (p. 265) (Etc., etc.)]

“The National Convention.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 39:549 (Sept. 1902): 329-361. [“…Buffalo, August 5 to 8, inclusive, 1902. (Officially Reported By Douglas A. Brown.) The Twenty-second Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America was held at the City Convention Hall, Buffalo, N. Y., August 5th to 8th, inclusive, its deliberations being presided over by Mr. George M. Edmondson, of Cleveland, Ohio. The following is the official stenographic report of the proceedings, complete in every detail:…” p. 329. “…President Edmondson: Under the head of new business, which is next in order, I have asked Mr. H. A. Collings to say a few words about Mr. J. F. Ryder’s new book, which is now in course of publication, a book that will be of interest to the fraternity at large. I ask Mr. Collings to kindly come forward and tell the members about it.
Mr. H. A. Collings: Brothers—I can truly call you brothers because in this Convention as well as in the conventions we have had in the past there is a fraternal feeling existing. And it is a feeling that we can well be proud of. It is a feeling that makes all members of the Association feel at horne. The object and purpose of coming to the Association to look at a few pictures, even without any enjoyment connected with it is money well spent. Yet, money that the majority of us cannot afford to spend for that purpose alone; but, when we take into consideration the fact that we are having an enjoyable time, a pleasant vacation, seeing sights, and meeting people, and which we will look back to in the future, we feel well repaid for the effort and money expended. I will speak to you for just one moment in connection with this work. I am doing this with the kindest feelings to a member of this Association; perhaps one of the oldest members that we have. Twenty-one years ago I went to the city of New York, and I remember putting up at the Sturtevant House, and calling the proprietor down—the clerk would not do —to see what time they locked up, because 1 wanted to go out aud see the electric lights, and did not want to get locked out! (Laughter.) At that time I met tbe Past President of the Association, Mr. J. F. Ryder, of Cleveland, one who has stuck close to the Association and who has done as much, if not more, for the photographic profession in the last twenty years than any other one man. To-day he is publishing a book that is worthy of publication in my friend Mr. Todd’s magazine, The Photo Beacon. Remember that I am not hero to advance my own interests, but to speak for this book, because if you have it once in your home you will never regret it. It is my wish—not only my wish, but the wish of the Executive Board—that all members of the Association present subscribe for this book, because It is well worth the $2.50 that is asked for it, and I would request that each one of you make yourselves a special committee to see not only your friends that are here, and other members of the Association that are not in the room now, but also to see your competitors at your homes. It sounds funny to speak of competitors, but it is getting so that we do not shoot our competitors in the back as much as we used to, and I am glad of it. So I ask you to see your competitors in your own towns and tell them about this book of Mr. Ryder’s, who was the first President of the Association, and who Is now here within hearing of my voice. He has attended all the meetings in the last twenty years, and his book should have a boom and sell everywhere. I hope he will have your consideration, and that you will purchase the book. (Applause.)…” p. 337.]

“Voigtlander and I. Mr. Ryder’s New Book.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 39:551 (Nov. 1902): 425-427. 1 b & w. [(The illustration is a portrait of Ryder.) Book review. Voigtlander and I. A story of Fifty-two Years in Photography. By James F. Ryder. Pp. 115, 6×9; 120 illustrations; cloth bound, S2.50 postpaid. Edward L. Wilson, New York. “On page 261 of Photographic Mosaics, 1900, appeared an article by Mr. J. F. Ryder, entitled “Palette vs. Camera,” which he said was “from a forthcoming work,” supposed to be by himself, and which he meant to be Voigtlander and I. Ever since then the fraternity has been on the lookout for this “work,” and with no little patience waited for its finish, because the sample alluded to above made them eager for more. We are glad to announce that the “work” is ready now, and that an advance copy lies at our pen-hand as we write. It is a good book—one that will interest every votary of the camera, be he amateur or adept—and be profitable to every man in photography, and everyone of the contrary sex. (No offence intended.) When the author’s mind was convinced that he was called upon to write this book he began the labor. After a few sheets were written he stumbled. He did not know what title to give his effort, and making a bluff at it gave it a name almost as long as one of the chapters of the book. Then he sent the few sheets to us for advice and help. We at once gave it as our opinion that no dealer would ever keep or sell a book with such a long title; no photographer would ever write or ask for it, because that would absorb too much valuable time. So, as the matter of the book so far was so good, we suggested a title with more brevity in it. Finally, Voigtlander and I was the title chosen, and the good work went on. This explanation is publicly given in the preface: “I may as well tell you at once, Voigtlander was my camera, and I am “Yours truly, J. F. Ryder.” Now, friendly reader, you know a good deal about the book already, for the majority of you know Mr. Ryder, and you all know Voigtlander, a name that was engraved upon about every lens in the junior days of photography. In Voigtlander and I we find an account of the doings and misdoings of a typical, enterprising, practical, popular photographer, whose course in the art ran on from 1847 to 1902; from the days of “quick stuff” to those of collodion and gelatine; from the time when the fumes of iodine flashed a picture into existence to the use of emulsions and dry plates; from the days of a sixty-second exposure to the snapshot; from the time when our art had ”no primer” or other literature to these days of books, magazines, societies, and conventions; from the days when to get a new item of practice was to pay great, good money for it, to these days of “give all— take all;” from the time when hours were spent with a “dry buff” to do what the burnisher does in a second now—metal was used then—we use paper now; from those dear times when “bad indigo put into a shirt by a careless laundryman caused solarization” to these, when backing of the plates is adopted to prevent a similar “stick.” Then of his own more personal experience Mr. Ryder makes confession in detail. He is at his best now; he tells that his “first skylight was an open door;” how he made his “first gold;” when he carried his traps or outfit to farmhouses, and made “likenesses;” thence into the home of the village merchant and postmaster; from there to a hotel in North Pennsylvania, where the ball-room was placed at his service for studio use, and the “quilting bee” all upset by his appearance; then by mountain stage-coach (his outfit always along) to the home of a rich friend, where the neighbors flocked to him for sittings, and, finally, he reached Ohio. Full of incident and accident, now, this strange career goes on until our enthusiastic young artist holds up at the first Mormon Temple at Kirkland, O. There, the saints all gone, he turns out the ”images” of all who apply to him. At one time he heard of the existence of a fine daguerreotype in a distant place, and ” travelled through three States to see it,” showing the same spirit that some of our modern workers do in visiting our conventions. From “labor to refreshment,” then; after a day of exciting labor, the “marvel ” sauntered across the bridge through the paths of the meadows, where—see p. 30. Wherever he went he “was always finding models “—wherever there was light and people—a good habit. Eventually arriving at Cleveland, he had experiences both rich and rare. We are given anecdotes of great people who there faced Voigtlander in the studio of I, and are treated to revelations of his business ventures and interviews with President Garfield, Artemus Ward, Bret Harte, Josh Billings, the “Sweet Singer of Michigan,” Willard, the painter of “Yankee Doodle,” and to accounts of the compliments and comfortings which came to our artist from such noted patrons. Altogether, we are treated to pages of photographic lore, anecdotes, stories, etc., that are as funny and as enjoyable as the stories of Uncle Remus. Nothing seems to have been forgotten. Mr. Ryder passed through it all, and has produced a most entertaining work. More than this, such chapters as XII. (part of which we are permitted to give on another page) are well worthy of the thoughtful attention of our modern workers, old and young. The engravings from all sorts of photographic subjects are fine, were selected from all over the country, and count up one hundred or more. A fine portrait of Mr. Ryder and an introduction by Professor Griffith add greatly to the interest of the book and enhance its value. The camera-worker who does not quickly obtain Voigtldnder and I, read and study it well, soon misses a great advantage to himself, and promptly falls out of date. Then read it, get your patrons to read it, and secure it for a Christmas present to all you can. Mr. Ryder tells some things that are not of his business and none of ours. As Artemus Ward would say, that, perhaps, “is why he tells them.” Permit us to commend Chapter XXVI., “Luck and Work,” also for an early reading. We expect to return to this subject again and again, and so for the present desist. We wish and predict great success for Voigtlander and I. The “likenesses” of this congenial twain are given above— taken for our own especial use since the book went to press.”]

Ryder, James F. “Incidental Lighting. An Extract from ‘Voigtlander and I.’” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 39:551 (Nov. 1902): 427-429. [“As the dawn comes out of darkness to awaken the day, so comes the faculty of observation and noting. What had been a blank takes form and definiteness. I began to see faces of men, women, and children differently than I had done. I began to observe. It did not occur to me that I should do it, but gradually it came to be a habit, and was resolved into a study. What one sees that may be helpful in his business or profession to adopt and store away for future needs are really additions to his capital. My study was to note how light fell upon the face and how the shadows were made. I quickly recognized and accepted what seemed correct and desirable, at the same time rejecting the incorrect. I was always seeking and adapting good lighting for portraits. That portion of the human world one sees is an open school—every face is a lesson offered gratuitously. The study is never a task, but always a pleasure, pursued without effort and unconsciously—an unceasing habit. Where could be found a study of such interest as the human face and head? Of the millions who people the earth, no two are exactly alike, a distinctive character to each. A man does not necessarily wear a wart upon his nose to distinguish him from other men. The wonder of God’s creation could hardly be more significant than in this particular. Nature has stamped its trademark on every human face. Students in physiognomy, who study deeply and sincerely, scrutinize faces more thoroughly than do other men. The evil passions of brutal, hardened hearts, the vengeful spirit, the treacherous, vindictive spite, the flashing eyes, the corrugated brow, the compressed lip, the expanding nostril, the clenched jaw, the murderous thought, are indexed in the faces of some; as also the generous, sympathetic, kindly promptings, the pleasant eye, the beaming smile, the welcoming spirit which springs out to meet and greet, are found in the faces of others. Wonderful study, truly. We find the rascal and hypocrite to be a poor imitation of a true and manly man. I found my models in men at their desks, behind counters, in cars, in church, at the work-bench—wherever there was light and people, there was my school. In the office of the business man at his desk, while discussing a trivial or important matter, I note how the light falls upon his face. I note from whence it comes, how it is distributed. I adapt the lighting for a portrait. If, unconsciously, he turns his head toward or from the source, he gives me a more or less desirable change in the distribution and blending of shadows. He is my model and my study. He is posing to me without knowing it. The child with whom I am making friends, whether he be shy or fearless, in the innocence of his little heart as he looks up, down, or askance, has given me a pose and expression which delight me, and which in my mind are transferred to the camera. The stranger I meet upon the street who inquires for the City Hall has given me a hasty sitting. I quite liked his face—while asking me a common question he was doing me a great service. Like Dickens’ “little Jennie Wren,” I was always “trying on,” and have a collection of mind images too great to be catalogued, and yet the work goes steadily on. It gives the student valuable training. This study has led me to observation beyond the camera or its application to photography, and is in line of interest to the ladies. Nature says they are of the gentler and softer sex; endowed with finer sensibilities, gentler and sweeter natures, more sympathetic and more refined. Without venturing to dispute so great an authority, we admit the claim and accede to it. We recognize in woman the cream of God’s creation. From the cradle to the grave she is our dearest blessing. The little breathing bud in her cradle holds our hearts in her tiny hands, she is our princess, we her slave. The “wee tot” who runs to meet us with merry heart, and gives us welcome to our home, is the brightest sunshine and our sweetest pleasure—bless her! The maiden sweet and shy, just realizing that she has a heart; trusting, innocent, pure, honors her father and her mother—bless her dear heart. The wife, the mother, the woman, the maker of a happy home, faithful, loyal, unselfish—bless her noble heart. The dear old grandmother in her easy chair, sweet in her lavender and laces; proud of her great brood of three generations; full of stories for the children; loved by all, seeing Heaven plainer as she nears it—bless her dear old heart. To such as these should come only the eider-down of kindness, the soft breath of laden fields—all that contributes to harmony should be theirs. Instead of rough winds, the gentle breeze. Rather than a blaze of light, a soft subdued illumination, a light which is mixed with shadow, a kindly mellow light, ladies, is best for you —the soft light conceals what a harsh or brilliant light discloses. Few people pay attention to or make a study of light and lighting. As ”there are sermons in stones,” there also are lessons in the shadow of a hitching-post. Knowledge and ignorance go hand in hand. Light is both an enemy and a friend, according as it may be used. We know it comes from the heavens rather than out of the ground, yet choose to force it up hill rather than take it first hand from the Creator. The manner of admitting light into buildings and homes is faulty in the sense of giving best effects. Windows should be high in rooms and light admitted through the upper portions, rather than the lower. Rooms should be filled with soft light to give cheer and health. Instead of dark or opaque shades and heavy thick hangings, through which light can hardly struggle, pleasant buff shades which are luminous and convey light, aided by muslin or lace curtains, are best for homes. Shades hung to pull up from the bottom rather than down from above are preferable. As a rule, valuable pictures are given the gloom of hanging space, while the floors are given the light. Dark wall papers are depressing, while lighter tints and colors impart cheer and buoyancy. Ladies may look to advantageous lighting as a means of enhancing beauty. Keep in mind that a strong light produces violent contrast of shadow and illumination, which is trying to a lady’s face. A soft light and soft shadow give gentle rounding and good definition—concealing rather than emphasizing a possible blemish. In sitting at a window the light should pass a little in front of the face and at an angle which would admit of its reaching the shaded side. To sit with a strong light coming squarely in front where both cheeks are equally illuminated is to be positively avoided. It makes the face a blank by robbing it of all shadows. The little depressions and articulations of surface anatomy are lost, while a little turning of the head either way immediately restores the shadows by the changed direction of light, and the lost dimples, the contour of cupid’s bow to the lips, and little “well holes” at corners of the mouth, are all back again. A judicious blending of light with shadow quickly makes or unmakes beauty in a woman’s face. With an understanding of these light and shadow values it is as easy for ladies to look their best as to fail in it. The demonstration of this knowledge is easily acquired. The reward comes quickly and satisfactorily. In choosing a pew in church it should be remembered that a window just opposite and near the sitting is objectionable to good light effect—a seat or two back is more desirable, as it avoids the abrupt shadow. Artificial light, gas or electric, should be shaded with porcelain or ground glass. The most favorable direction for the light to fall upon the person is at the angle of forty-five degrees from above and ten to twenty degrees back of the falling light. Do not try to abolish shadows, but to soften them. Find the soft effects, and wear them if you would be lovely. An instance in illustration of the quality of light and the direction in which it may fall upon a face may be understood by the following description. A lady noted for her beauty—a brunette, with soft dark eyes and clear, fine complexion—spent an evening in my house, to meet some friends whom I had prepared to see a beautiful woman. It so happened that unconsciously she took a seat directly under the chandelier where the force of light struck forehead, nose and cheeks, illuminating them abnormally. The shadows, by violent contrast, quite concealed her eyes, leaving only black patches of shade, with no illumination to give detail or expression. The nose threw a heavy shadow across the upper lip, the mouth, and upon the chin; the lower portion of the cheeks, the throat and neck were in deep shadow. The lines at the corners of the mouth were elongated and inky in shadow. There was a really handsome woman looking absolutely hideous. Every smile she gave was a grimace, a smooth skin was roughened, her hair was like wires. I was greatly embarrassed at the injustice done her by an unscrupulous light; hurriedly called my wife aside; directed her attention to the unfortunate situation, and got her assistance in remedying without exposing it. When on some pretence she got the lady to rise I hastily removed her chair to a position in a good light where justice was done her and my friends were enabled to see her to advantage.”]

“Editorial Table.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 14:12 (Dec. 1902): 384. [“All Photographers, and readers of the Photo-Beacon in particular, will be interested to learn that Mr. James F. Ryder, 3586 Euclid avenue, Cleveland, Ohio, has at last issued his reminiscences in book form under the title of “Voigtlander and I.” In addition to the matter which appeared in the Photo-Beacon there are a great many other chapters which are just as interesting and as readable. It is almost impossible for one to open up the book anywhere without finding an example of pictorial photography, so that the book is very handsomely illustrated, but the pictures are not by any means the only good features of the book. The paper and press work are very handsome examples of the printer’s art, while every page bears every imprint of Mr. Ryder’s genial, kindly disposition. It is an interesting book, a handsome volume for the book-case and a fascinating book to read. The price is $2.50 and it is well worth the money.”]

1903

“Some New Books.” CAMERA CRAFT 6:3 (Jan. 1903): 132. [“…”Voigtlaender and I in Pursuit of Shadow Catching,” by James F. Ryder (Cleveland Printing and Publishing Company). The contents of this book have already appeared in serial form in the pages of our contemporary and have charmed readers with the delightful narrative style and the many reminiscences replete with historical interest. Mr. Ryder has put us all under an obligation in reproducing these articles in book form. It is a series of sketches from the autobiography of an ardent photographer whose wanderings have brought him into contact with many noted men and stirring events. Particularly interesting is an account of his friendship with C. F. Browne (Artemus Ward). The book is excellently and most interestingly illustrated throughout and should find a place in the library of every photographer.”]

“Review of Books, Etc. Received.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES BULLETIN 35:1 (Jan. 1903): 44. [Book review. Voigtlander and I. By James F. Ryder. Cleveland, Ohio. “James F. Ryder is so well known to the fraternity that an introduction is superfluous. “Voigtlander and I” is just the sort of a book one would expect from Mr. Ryder. Just enough photography in it to add a spice, the remainder little stories and incidents in the long and happy life of the author, finely illustrated with well selected half-tones.”]

“Note.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:553 (Jan. 1903): 2. [“Voigtlander and I, by the veteran James F. Ryder, continues to sell rapidly. The present edition will soon be exhausted. Photographers who have not yet enjoyed this delightful volume, with its stories of old days, beautiful illustrations, and hundreds of valuable pointers about studio work, should lose no time in obtaining a copy. It is brimful of useful instruction, and interesting from cover to cover. Price, $2.50, from the office of this Magazine.”]

“Voigtlander and I.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:553 (Jan. 1903): 43-44. [“Not for years has the American photographer so thoroughly shown his appreciation of a good book as he has in the case of Voigtlander and I. The book was published just before the holidays, and already the large edition printed has dwindled to a few hundred copies. We are proud of the book’s success. It is worthy of all the appreciation given to it. It tells the story of a life which deserves appreciation: the life and adventures of one of America’s foremost photographers, his early struggles, his ideals, and their realization. It abounds in stories which amuse by their revelation of human nature. It has its touches of pathos. Its illustrations cover the whole gamut of life and its incidents and accidents. Mr. James F. Ryder has given to our literature a contribution of permanent value. By the author’s courtesy we give a few excerpts from his mail-bag concerning the book. They will interest our readers and show how the book impresses those who have seen it. First, a word from President Roosevelt:
[Copy.] Personal. White House, Washington, Nov. 6, 1902. My Dear Sir: The President is in receipt of the copy of your book which you were good enough to send him recently, and requests me to thank you for your thoughtful courtesy. He wishes me to say that he will be interested in looking through the volume at a leisure moment. Very truly yours, (Signed) Geo. B. Cortelyou, Secretary to the President. Mr. James F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio.
The following letter comes from the Secretary of State:
[Copy.] Department of State, Washington, Nov. 17, 1902. Dear Mr. Ryder: I have received your kind letter of the 12th of November and the accompanying book, Voigtlander and I. I have had much pleasure in looking at the remarkable photographs it contains, and shall take an early opportunity to enjoy the text. I am, with many thanks, Sincerely yours, (Signed) John Hay.
Mr. Morris Burke Parkinson writes from Boston: Nov. 26, 1902.
Dear Mr. Ryder: Inclosed find check for $2.75 in payment for your good Voigtlander and I. The extra quarter is to cover cost of cashing check, sending bills, etc., which is no more than right. It has seldom given me more pleasure to pay a bill than I take in drawing this check. I have glanced at the book enough to know that I shall be highly entertained and instructed. It will always be a pleasant memory to me that I had the pleasure of meeting you personally, though I had known you by public repute for years. And your good wife and your brother and his wife—I can see you all now—sitting at the .dinner-table in Buffalo. Perhaps you cannot all sing, but certainly you are a quartette from which -comes the sweet music of domestic peace. If your declining years are as full of honor and comfort as your life has been of merit, it will be no more than is desired by your friend, Morris Burke Parkinson.
Here is Mr. Ryder’s characteristic reply to the above:
Cleveland, O., Nov. 29, 1902, Morris Burke Parkinson, Boston, Mass. Dear Mr. Parkinson: I have received your letter of the 26th and your check for $2.75, being 25c. above the regular price, showing V. and I. at a premium. I thank you for this, and mark with pleasure that it was you who first declared it above par. Money is a fine thing to receive, but in this case it takes second place to the valued words of your letter. You have made me very happy, and I do sincerely thank you. Very truly yours, James F. Ryder.
The Chicago Record-Herald, in a review extending over several columns, says: “The veteran photographer, James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, has written a book of reminiscences—an uncommonly interesting book, full of original anecdotes and choice pictures. He calls it Voigtlander and I in Pursuit of Shadow Catching, and in a clever preface it leaks out that his truthful and beloved friend, Voigtlander, is his camera. Well may Mr. Ryder extol the merits of this faithful companion, for his camera has brought him wealth, reputation, and troops of friends. President Garfield once referred to him in a public speech as the most successful photographer in the United States. The volume is well written, and abounds in interest of various kinds. Its author’s very original personality pervades the whole. It is generously illustrated with half-tone reproductions of many of the most curious and superb photographs to be found anywhere.”
The ladies, Heaven bless ’em! are unanimous in their opinions for once. For example: A woman in Toledo, in ordering another book to give to a friend for Christmas, says: “I was so much interested in the story I couldn’t stop to comb my hair until it was finished.” A man said to his wife, “I want you to sew on a suspender button for me, Mary.” “Oh! don’t bother me,” she replied; “use a shingle nail; I’ll fix it to-night; I can’t stop reading now. What a funny name for a book, but the book is funnier than the name.” Says Elbert Hubbard, of the Philistine, at East Aurora, New York: “The book you sent us is very charming indeed. It forms a valuable addition to our Roycroft Library.”
No photographer can afford to let so interesting a volume pass unread. It should be on every photographer’s book-shelf and on the centre-table of every photographer’s reception-room. Order early to avoid disappointment. Sent post free, carefully packed, on receipt of $2.50 sent to Edward L. Wilson, 287 Fourth Avenue, New York.”]

“Note.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:554 (Feb. 1903): 77. [“Voigtlander and I continues to delight those who buy it. A busy photographer writes: “I have snatched time to read Mr. Ryder’s book and was surprised by its vivid interest and helpfulness. It has told me many things I wanted to know and, at the same tine, kept me laughing.” Get a copy before the edition is sold out.”]

Ryder, James F. “Overflow, from Voigtlander and I.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:556 (Apr. 1903): 174-175. [“In the early sixties, when we paid three dollars per ounce for nitrate of silver, I resorted to the following method for saving the waste: I had sawed from a board, a foot square, a circular opening large enough to receive the crown of a soft-felt hat. I nailed four legs—one to each corner of the board, and pushed the hat in with the opening up, and placed it in the developing sink beside a cushion-covered box on which I washed my developed plates, leaving a full stream from the faucet to flow upon it. This was in collodion days. Our developing solution was sulphate of iron and acetic acid held in a wide-mouth bottle at the right hand of the operator. The developing-room, unlike the present for dry plates, was sufficiently lighted to enable the operator to work with perfect freedom from danger of fogging his plates. No developing trays were employed. The plates came wet from the holders, wet from the silver solution which saturated the collodion film. The plate was held in the left hand, the thumb lapping over the lower left-hand corner, and the fingers on the under side of the plate, enabling the operator to hold it level. Now, with the developing bottle held upon the lower end of the plate, it was tilted sufficiently to flow the solution quickly over the surface. The solution of iron coming in contact with the nitrate of silver quickly reduced it to a metallic state. The surface solution upon the plate was drained into the hat, which acting as a filter permitted the water to run through while the particles of silver were caught in the felt. When it happened that from undertiming, overtiming, moving of the sitter, a lack of perfect focus, streaks or spots from imperfect cleaning of the plate, the entire film was scraped off into the hat—a thin slab of hard rubber, such as is used for plate-holder slides, was employed for the purpose. These collodion skins were rich in silver, but to a person not understanding their metallic value presented an uninteresting gray mass. Little did I know in those times what reckless loss I was committing in future photographic productions—what fame I was losing in those scrapings—into the soft-felt hat. As the years passed over my head, changing it from a rugged covering to a bald pate, I have awakened to a realization that a genius of photographic possibilities has taken advantage of my sleep and established an “advanced school,” and I am not in it. I see plainly enough I have not kept up with the times. The examples I have seen of the “new photography” in prominent magazines, in popular exhibitions, send me back to the felt-hat scrapings with a wail at my stupidity in failing to discover or claim a discovery. In the innocence of my heart I admired clean work, distinct, soft, and clear. I even liked rich textures. I thought what seemed to me in the portrait of an old man with a sweeping white beard, with silken hair of flossy softness, where from a shadow of delicious depth a soft light went climbing hand-in-hand with a gentle shadow over cheek, nose, and forehead without a stumble; without flattening; without a loss of detail or losing any part— why, I thought it fine. The new school finds beauty in haze and smudge, in what would have seemed to me before I fell asleep a sloppy, scurvy photography. But perhaps I am prejudiced.
This additional chapter to Mr. Ryder’s delightful book of reminiscences affords our readers a glimpse of the pleasures in its pages. The photographer who can enjoy a hearty laugh, as well as the man who feels that he does not know it all, should read Voigtlander and I from cover to cover. Postpaid, $2.50 from the office of this Magazine.”]

“News and Notes.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:557 (May 1903): 208. [“Voigtlander and I. Now that the busy season is well over and photographers have a little leisure for reading, we are receiving many letters from purchasers of Mr. Ryder’s Voigtlander and /. In almost every instance our correspondents express pleasure and surprise at the wealth of practical information given by Mr. Ryder. Apparently those who bought the book were prepared for entertainment and amusement, but did not look for practical instruction. As we have already pointed out, Voigtlander and I is rich in suggestions and the teaching of experience. It could hardly be otherwise, coming from a veteran with more than half a century of life behind the camera. Post free to any address, $2.50.”]

Ryder, James F. “Overflow from Voigtlander and I. A Day’s Outing.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:558 (June 1903): 285-286. [“Having repaired my lost fortune, by fire, at Elyria, and accepted a good position at Cleveland, resolved to celebrate the event by a romp in the country. Park and I discussed the matter: he thought he knew just the place. So, quietly we secured team and lumber, and provided ourselves with the requirements for a dinner. A fish dinner—the fish of our own catch, and started down the river for the place he knew of, to the farm of Deacon Jones, upon the river bank toward the lake. We arrived, and Park went in the house to secure permission to fish from his grounds. The deacon was repairing his fence near the house, and Mrs. Jones referred us to him. I followed Park to interview the farmer. We were well received by Mr. Jones, who said “Hello, Charley! How are you? How is the Colonel and your mother?” I was introduced, and Mr. Jones asked if I was the man who took likenesses at Elyria. Said he had heard of me, and, turning, asked if I thought I could take his. I told him I would be pleased to try if he would give me a chance; he replied. “Yes, I suppose so.” Mr. Park now stated our wants. Said a party of a dozen or so wished to fish and picnic on his grounds, that we had brought lumber to build table and seats; if he would like us to leave it as compensation, we would gladly do it. That we would be very glad to have him, Mrs. Jones, and his daughters take dinner with us. “A fish dinner?” he asked. We said -‘ yes” I thought the sly look on his face as he asked the question was significant. He said, “Mother and I are too busy—the girls are free to accept if they like. Don’t chop my fences up to cook your fish, and you are very welcome.” We built table and seats, made a fireplace, and, with some yellow string, tied tightly around some oranges we bought, we tied them up in the trees of a little grove near by with the aid of a stepladder. Quite a tropical appearance was secured. We left at the house our dishes, food, fishing tackle, etc., and drove back home. We had invited a few friends for a fish dinner—the fish of our own catch was to be a conspicuous feature. A basket party with a bit of lunch going out, and possibly some fish to return. A jolly day by all means was to be had. We were to start from the Beebe House at 8 o’clock sharp. The Elyria brass-band wagon, which would easily seat a dozen, was our conveyance, four of Mr. Darling’s smart roadsters, with Dave Houghton holding the reins, presented a fine showing. To my mind we had a delightfully happy party. My young drummer, Charley Northrop, whose efforts had so materially contributed to my mended fortunes, was given the seat of honor beside the driver. Another friend who I thought might enjoy a day in the country, and possibly record some notable incident of the day, “Voigtlander,” with a few plates, was included in the party. The country was delightful in its spring suit of tender green trimmed with blossoms of white and pink Merry voices from happy hearts rippled with wit laughter, and song as we moved along past farms and fields. It was, indeed, a happy party, and was recognized as such by the farm people along the way. When we reached the summit of Reed’s hill we halted to take a look up and down the river. From above, it came down with a sweeping curve, the light gray monotone of the surface broken by the rippling rapids, the sound of which was as soft music on the morning air, the trees were feathering out with a fresh charm and gently swaying in the soft spring breeze. The sky is such a clean, pure blue that thousands upon thousands of pairs of Dutchman’s trousers could be cut from it, and its azure purity stood as a guarantee of a perfect day. The river in its journey toward the lake now takes a rather crooked path, and appears more sluggish and lazy since leaving the rapids. Opposite us a group of cattle, some on the banks and others in the water, make a picture of easy contentment. They have no dishes to wash, no beds to make, no baking to do. They know no scandal against our neighboring farms. They just chew their cuds, swish their tails, and borrow no trouble; whether school kept or not, was quite a matter of indifference to them. Happy Bossys!, Where the river takes its first turn beyond the cattle a tree had been undermined by the rapid current and was leaning over nearly to the surface of the river. Upon this leaning tree are two boys fishing; away down as the eye followed the winding stream we see a boat with men in it, crossing to our side; farther still between the rising banks of the river the green water of Lake Erie forming a terminal to the vista of hazy atmosphere hanging over the valley. A shout from the boys upon the tree announces to us that one of them had pulled out a good-sized fish, and this was a hint to us that our dinner was still in the river and we must be moving to secure it We start again, and away we go at a good pace until we reached the Jones farm. The girls came out to meet and welcome us. Farmer Jones showed us where to stable our horses, and we all walked down the lane to the fishing ground. As a vigorous onslaught was to be made upon the fish an organized system of management was thought advisable. Charley Park was elected general manager without a dissenting voice. Mose Gallup was elected director of weights and measures. In the installation ceremonies he was solemnly charged to be square in the discharge of his duties. If it was the catch by a pretty girl he was not to make it weigh heavier than it really was. If a fish flopped its tail while on the scales and joggled the weighing in favor of the catcher, it should be ruled “no fair.” The girl that caught the very biggest fish should be entitled to first prize. The girl that caught the most fish in the first half hour should be awarded second prize. Our lunch baskets were huddled together upon the table, the fishing tackle was gotten out, and a half dozen eager anglers set to work to secure our banquet. Preparations were now pushed smartly forward by the whole party, the tables set with the dishes, and a good display of flowers adorning the board, some wood gathered for fire to cook our fish, two hammocks slung up, a bar to hang our kettles for heating water for our coffee, baskets placed upon the bank in which to put our fish as they were hauled up out of the water, a spring scale for weighing the largest of the catch, and tape-line for measuring. “Now girls,-‘ said Manager Park,” attend to your fishing—pull ’em out fast and give us a big dinner.” Soon there went up six little screams from six fisher girls, and the exclamation, ” Sue Park has caught a fish l Bring the scales; bring a tape-line.” All this time the fish was floundering in the grass. Weighmaster Gallup was unable to capture it at once. It was suggested that this fish be measured at first and afterward weighed. By and by it wore its energy to a minimum, and was released from the hook; the excitement subsided somewhat. The tape-line was produced and Mr. Gallup proceeded with his official duties. The fish being liberated from the hook, evidently felt a sense of liberty and flopped when the tape-line came in contact with his glistening side. The interested onlookers crowded about the measurer and the fish to the annoyance of Mr. Gallup, who spoke in a loud voice: “Stand back! make room—give a fellow a chance!” When at last he had made the measurement and was writing down in his notebook the dimensions of the bass, with the party looking over his shoulder, the prisoner made his escape by flopping back into the river, at which there was much tumult and consternation. Nan Brown said “the jig is up now; that fish will noise it about among all the other fish, and we will not get another bite.” In the excitement of the measuring, Cassie Wooster had dropped her pole in the river. She hurriedly got a stick, and in reaching for the pole lost her balance and went floundering into the water. All the young men of the party made a rush to rescue her. Some stripping off their raiment, but before they could reach the imperiled girl she walked up out of the water. The young men declared she had not given them half a chance, the opportunities for rescuing young ladies from watery graves were so few it was a blasted shame that she should so inconsiderately spoil one. With downcast eyes she explained she was afraid the fish would bite her, and so hurried out. Now one of the Miss Jones of the farm, the one of the winsome smile, conducted the “drowned rat ” to the house for a change of dry raiment. Here let it be said, by virtue of the general manager’s obligation to furnish us a fish dinner or fish for a dinner, and the situation beginning to look serious, Manager Park shouted: “A horse! My kingdom for a horse, start a messenger in hot haste to the village for a box of herring. A fish dinner we must have.” A general order was now issued. Taking bits out of lunch baskets was strictly prohibited. The only nibbles permissible were by the fish at the hooks. As an extra inducement the girls were required to spit upon the bait, the manager being of the belief that fish knew a thing or two and would be attracted by dew from rosy lips. Weighmaster Gallup was now called upon for an official report as to the true measurement of the fish which got away, that we might know the extent of our loss and how much our dinner had been cut short. Taking from his pocket the book containing the record, he stated, by way of preface, that owing to the restless disposition of the fish, its flopping and wiggling of its tail, the securing of close accuracy had been difficult, but, as definitely as he had been able to determine, the fish measured four and one-half inches. A vote of thanks was given him for the faithfulness with which he had performed his arduous duties. Now, by way of encouragement, Jennie Holmes pulled up a small whale, possibly five or six inches in length, but it fell off the hook about three feet above the water and made a splash. The outlook for a fish fry was growing dismal indeed. The fish didn’t bite and the girls were getting discouraged. It was Hearing noon, the alleged cheerfulness of the jolly party was evidently forced, but no grumbling was heard—to be hungry and jolly was a bit unnatural; but who of our party would be weak enough to whimper? “Say! Who is that coming down the lane in a wagon?” says Charley Northrop; “blamed if it ain’t Bub Frary. What business has he to intrude upon a private party?” “We’ll find out first,” says some one, “better not snub him.” Bub was a big boy, of perhaps nineteen, but a giant. Stood six feet three; weighed two hundred and fifty or thereabouts, face beardless and complexion fresh as a girl’s; just a boy, and very good-natured. Everybody liked Bub, he was principally fisherman and handy at most anything. “Hello, Bub, what you got in your wagon?” I asked. “Fine basket of bass,” he answered, “also some side pork, some potatoes, and knickknacks, you know—things that will help out a square meal. Me and Mark Galpin have been down to the lake pulling out bass. I couldn’t get him to leave while they were biting so fierce, and I’ve got to go back and get him.” “Well, can’t you spend the afternoon with us?” I asked. “Well, yes, I think I can,” said Bub. I then addressed our little party, saying: “Of course, you all know Bub. He don’t go about posing for an angel as a regular thing, but he is ours, sure enough to-day,” says Manager Park; “but how in thunder did you happen to come to-day?” Bub, pointing his thumb at me, said: “Oh, I had to come, he engaged me three days ago.” He now took from his wagon a basket of bass. Beauties, indeed! We admired them much. He set about dressing them, and in a short time had them in his big frying-pan with some slices of pork, just to give them a tinge. The fire was kindled under saucepan for potatoes, frying-pan for fish, and boiler for coffee (seems though I could smell that coffee yet). Everything was moving fine, and Bub was in high spirits as chef. The young ladies, weary with angling, were resting in the hammocks watching Bub and his fragrant bass, others gathering flowers for the return home. Some screams of delight announced the discovery of the orange grove, which was a charming surprise, and the fruit was plucked and put upon the table as an item of dessert. In the absence of special patters the fish were taken direct from pan to plates; the roast potatoes were passed to each upon a fork. There were sandwiches, biscuits, pickles, and coffee. When all were seated at table I brought out “Voigtlander” to give him a look at our party. There were two rows of happy faces down the length of the table. Just outside of each row I stood on one side my “drummer boy.” On the other “the angel of the day,” genial, robust Bub Frary. The reader may take my word for it that it was a very square and enjoyable meal. If any survivor of that event who scans these lines and thinks he or she recalls a more enjoyable outing, please advise by postal.”]

“In Memoriam. Edward L. Wilson.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:559 (July 1903): 289-304. [“Tributes from His Contemporaries. The announcement of Mr. Wilson’s death brought many letters and sad tributes of affection from friends and coworkers in photography. From among these I gladly select a few, rounding out my poor sketch with views of his personality and work as seen by others, some of whom stood shoulder to shoulder with him in earlier days:…” {Ryder’s note was one of many such published here.) “…I am shocked to learn of the death of Edward L. Wilson. Photography has lost a valuable friend. I give my sympathy to his immediate friends and to his followers at large throughout the country, who recognize the high standard he gave to American photographic journalism. James F. Ryder, Cleveland, O.” p. 296.]

“The National Convention, Indianapolis, August 4 to 7, inclusive, 1903.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 40:560 (Aug. 1903): 337-386. [“The Twenty-third Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America was held…” “…First Day—Morning Session. President Nussbaumer: We will now come to order. I declare the Thirty-third Annual Convention of the Photographers’ Association of America duly open for business. The Past Presidents of the Association are cordially invited to a seat on the platform. [In accordance with this invitation Past Presidents W. H. Potter, Indianapolis; R. P. Bellsmith, Cincinnati, and James F. Ryder, Cleveland, now took seats upon the stage. Their advent was greeted with applause.]…” p. 377. “…I will appoint as Nominating Committee, to nominate officers for the coming year, Messrs. James F. Ryder, Cleveland; Frank Medlar, Spencer, Iowa; J. M. Bandtel, Milwaukee; H. G. Schwarzer, Brooklyn, N. Y.; William Stephenson, Atlanta, Ga….” p. 339. “…President Nussbaumer: It gives me pleasure to introduce to you, gentlemen and ladies, Mr. James F. Ryder, whom you all know and who is certainly endeared to us all. We are to have a series of five minute talks from men whom you all know, and Mr. Ryder will give us the first of them. (Great applause.) “Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I am very glad to be here. It is my first visit to Indianapolis. Among the inducements to bring us here something was said about Hoosier hospitality. I have experienced it. I have been as happy as a man could very well be meeting all my friends. Everything seems to go our way very nicely. I predict that this will be the banner convention of the Association’s history. Even the weather man has shown us some attention and we got an elegant shower last night. He did it all right. Everything so far as I see is all right. We have here a beautiful Soldiers’ Monument, such as I have not seen before. I see much in Indianapolis that has greatly impressed me. Well, as I say, I am happy to be here. I had thought that I was about through attending conventions, but here I am—and I am glad! I like it. I like everything that has gone forward favorably to this convention. The cleverest and most impressive piece of work connected with it that I have seen is the book entitled The Association Review. l like nice books, and I like everything that contributes to our Association. It belonged to the present management to bring that book to the front. It was manufactured in Indianapolis and is as fine a piece of work as I ever saw. I am proud to have been once in the photographic business, if for nothing else because of t hat book. Its illustrations are artistic and beautiful. Everything about it is fine. I would advise everyone here to secure a copy and to carry it home. I have laid aside a few copies which I paid for, in order to give them to my enthusiastic friends at home. The progress of this Association and all that it carries with it—all that it means—is worthy of being perpetuated in the best form, and I consider that little book as being the best thing that has happened here, and I hope that it will have continuance of life. It is really the strongest and best appeal to those people who can appreciate it— and l think mighty well of it. I guess I am done. (Applause.)…” p. 344. “…President Nussbaumer: Mr. Scandlin desires to make some correction in his article in the Association Review. Mr. W. I. Scandlin: My attention has been called to the necessity of the correction of a name and the addition of two or three other names in the historical sketch of this Association which I had the honor of preparing for the souvenir programme, and with your permission, Mr. President, I would request that these corrections be noted upon the minutes of this meeting, as that seems to be the only way in which the matter can be reached. Mr. James F. Ryder calls my attention to the fact that for the first meeting of the Association, which was held in Chicago in 1880, there is named as the list of officers: President, John Carbutt; Secretary, G. A. Douglass; Treasurer, A. Hesler; whereas the correct statement should be: President, J. F. Ryder; Secretary, A. J. Copelin; and Treasurer, A. Hesler. I may say that the reason for the error was that no record was made of the early meeting which elected officers who served until the August meeting, and there being no report of the same in the photographic press, from which my material was collated, I had no means of discovering the omission. The list of officers, however, supplied by Mr. Ryder, as above, should be added to the record. Mr. Ryder informs me that the mention of Mr. O. P. Scott as being elected President at the Boston convention in 1889 is incorrect, as Mr. Scott was defeated and J. M. Appleton was elected at that time…” p. 362. (Ryder comments on policy on p. 362, submits, as Chairman, “Report of the Nominating Committee.” on p. 368.) “…President Nussbaumer: Mr. Ryder finds that he will have to leave us at this time, and before going he wants to say a few words to you this morning. Mr. Ryder: I said the other day that I was glad to be in Indianapolis. I have been glad every day since, and I am still glad; but I have to leave you, and must now make some little preparations for my leaving. I am very happy to have met so many friends and made so many new ones, many whom I did not know, but who knew me. This has been a constant pleasure to me. I thank everyone who has shown me their courtesy and friendship as you have. Now I will say good-by to you all. (Applause.) At a gesture from President Nussbaumer the audience now rose in respect to Past President Ryder, and the members came forward and pressed around Mr. Ryder and gave him a most flattering ovation and many hearty handclasps. This pleasing incident concluded, the business of the convention was resumed….” p. 375.]

1 b & w (“Special General Assembly of the Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and Paperhangers of America Held at Cleveland, Ohio on December 3d, 1894.” “James F. Ryder, Photo. 243 Superior St., Cleveland, O.”) on p. 584 in: “The Second Cleveland Convention.” OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF PAINTERS, DECORATORS AND PAPERHANGERS OF AMERICA. “SIXTEENTH ANNIVERSARY NUMBER (ILLUSTRATED). (Sept. 1903): 582-585.]

Ryder, James F. “A Specimen Story from “Voigtlander and I.” PHOTO-BEACON (THE) A JOURNAL DEVOTED TO PHOTOGRAPHY IN ALL ITS PHASES 15:10 (Oct. 1903): 292. [“In a small village where there was no undertaker, a death had occurred and a casket was wanted, and one of the citizens going to town, was entrusted to secure one. This man was extremely fond of limburger cheese and could not resist purchasing a few pounds. The sample he got was very talented in a wav, and he did not wish to carry it about with him, so he went to the express office to ship it home. The agent declined to receive it on the ground of its being “too loud.” A happy thought struck him and he hied away to the undertakers, and with his prize well wrapped in repeated papers, put it in the casket to be sent to the train for the first run west. Before taking his seat in the coach, to return home, he looked into the baggage car and found “it” was on board. Before reaching the home station he sauntered into the baggage car and found the baggage master with his head sticking out of the side door and the casket placed by the open back door of the car. He looked at it in an interested way and was turning to walk back when the “trunk smasher” asked him, “Does that belong to you?” “Yes,” said the passenger. “Any relation?” asked the “baggage thrower.” “Wife,” was the response. “Well,” said the smasher, with head reached well out, “She ain’t in no trance.” If you want more, send $2.50 for the book to the author, 3586 Euclid ave., Cleveland, Ohio.”]

1904

Ryder, James F. “Photographing a Railroad.” AMERICAN ANNUAL OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES-BULLETIN ALMANAC FOR 1904 (1904): 144-146. [Anecdotes by Ryder describing his photographing on the Atlantic and Great Western Railway in 1862.)
[“In the spring of 1862, when the Atlantic and Great Western Railway was in course of construction, tapping the New York and Erie at Salamanca, N. Y., running west through portions of New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, I was called from Cleveland to meet Mr. T. W. Kennard, chief engineer and builder of the road, at Meadville, Pa., the then headquarters of the company. Mr. Kennard was one of the brightest business men I had ever met, and a fine amateur photographer. He was from London, Eng., and the road was being built mostly on English capital. That purchasers of shares could feel a greater sense of actuality from seeing photographs rather than from drawings upon white paper in big sheets, was so apparent to Mr. Kennard that he engaged me to go over the road from Salamanca to Akron, O., and the Franklin branch from Meadville to Oil City. Having arranged preliminaries and received instructions to photograph all the important points of the work, such as excavations, cuts, bridges, trestles, stations, buildings and general character of the country through which the road ran, the rugged and the picturesque, I was turned over to Mr. H. F. Sweetser, the General Superintendent, who on learning my wants turned me over to the Master Car Builder with instructions to him to fix me up with what was necessary for the work. It was determined a wrecking car would best fill the bill. The wrecking car is a caboose at one end, and platform with a crane for use in hoisting and clearing up wrecks through the other part of the car. As the crane would be more a disadvantage than a help to me, it was taken, off—the car run into the shop and I was invited to say what should be done with it. I had a good dark room built in a corner, strong shelving and even a water tank and developing sink in the dark room. In the center of the caboose I had rather a large table to do our work upon, clearing our plates, making collodion, varnishing negatives, etc. Nothing could be finer or more complete than our outfit. Our train consisted of engine, new and bright from the works at Paterson, N. J., the tender and our wrecking car. Our crew was Zenas Russell, conductor and engineer, a fireman and a brakeman, myself and an assistant from my establishment in Cleveland. We went up or down the road as we chose, in search of good spots for the camera. We had only to keep out of the way of all other trains. The time table, the universal guide to all stations and trains was our guide. Side tracks were our haven when other trains were near. The very newness of our engine was, to Mr. Russell, an objection. He told me one day while lying on a side track waiting for the express that all engines had to be “broke in.” Admitted ours was a beauty, but said she had things to learn. He was displeased that he was obliged to take her. Said they were giving him too many new engines to educate, and when he had “taken the kinks” out of them they would be given to some less skilled man. He said all new engines must be treated as babes—they had to be petted and nursed; had to be “eased up” or “tightened” until their bearings became worn and easy, and until they knew their master; said to take an ignoramus machine and train her to a bit of intelligence, a man grew to admire and love her. A good engineer is naturally “proud of his girl,” as he called his engine, and dislikes to have another fellow take her off his hands. It seemed to me there was a sort of running fight between Russell and “his girl” throughout the time we were photographing the road. It seemed to me too if he happened to be out of sorts with me, he would vent his displeasure upon his engine. We had nearly finished up our work of viewing when one Saturday evening we were at Meadville with the expectation of remaining over Sunday and starting for Akron on the following Monday morning to complete the work. It occurred to me I would like to spend Sunday in Akron with some friends I had there and asked Russell if he would make the run that evening and be on hand to do the work early Monday. No objection being made we started within a half hour. The road being somewhat new was not very smooth. I noticed this fact as we went spinning along more and more rapidly. I remembered at Adamsville seeing a caution posted at either end of a high trestle spanning a deep ravine, for trains to go slow. We must cross that trestle, and at the speed he was going I was very anxious. Bottles, funnels, negative racks and whatever happened to be upon the table were dancing so violently it kept myself and assistant very busy in trying to prevent breakage. During this activity it occurred to me Russell was “taking kinks” out of his girl and a second thought told me he wanted to stay with his family in Meadville over Sunday and I hadn’t thought of it before. It really seemed to me that engine was running on one foot at times. We had that from side to side swing gait that a monster runaway-a-way elephant might have given. We arrived at Akron without mishap. I went to the hotel and to bed without having a conversation with Russell. My hair did not “turn white in a single night,” but I shall never forget the Adamsville trestle. Meek and humble came Russell on Sunday with apology and explanation. He said he felt obliged to put his girl under the lash for her crankiness. He trusted I would forgive him and not report him at headquarters.
The views I made for the company were fine and satisfactory. For months I was kept busy printing from the negatives, and shipping to New York office for London.
Overflow from Voigtlander and I, in pursuit of Shadow Catching, by James F. Ryder.”]

“Reviews.” LOCOMOTIVE MAGAZINE (THE) [London] 10:137 (Jan. 15, 1904): 14.
[“The American Annual of Photography for 1904. (Times Bulletin.) London: Percy Lund, Humphries & Co., 3, Amen Corner, E.C. 2s. 4d. post free.
“This most attractively got-up annual contains a collection of beautifully illustrated articles concerning present day photography, artistic as well as practical. All the best American authorities, as well as many of our own country, are represented, and we feel sure it cannot fail to be of help and will be appreciated by workers in the study and practice of photography. Among the articles likely to be most attractive to our readers might be mentioned “Photographing a Railroad,” by J. F. Ryder, an account of an official photographic tour over the Atlantic and Great Western R.R. of New York and Pennsylvania in 1862, as well as “The Highway of Commerce,” by A. W. Cooper, which contains practical hints as to the requisites for success in obtaining railway pictures. Illustrations of the Preston accident and of some L. & N.W. trains at full speed accompany the latter article. The bulletin also contains a number of formulæ, tables and other data of considerable utility.” (p. 14)]

“James F. Ryder.” PHOTOGRAPHIC TIMES BULLETIN 36:7 (July 1904): 311. [“In the death of James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., the profession has lost one of its ablest and most distinguished members. Mr. Ryder passed away at his home in Cleveland, O., on June the second at the age of seventy-eight years. There is no member of his craft in the United States who has achieved greater distinction than has been accorded him. Many of the best known and most expert photographers in the country learned their trade in his famous old shop at No. 239 Superior Street, where he followed the profession for more than thirty years, and many of the greatest men of the nation in that long period posed before his camera. When little more than a boy James F. Ryder came to Cleveland and opened a little picture shop on Superior Street near the river. At the outbreak of the civil war he was overrun with business, taking the photographs of hundreds of the boys who left for the front. Mr. Ryder thought that every soldier should leave photographs behind for his mother and his sweetheart, and those of the boys who were not able to pay for the work he photographed for nothing. Mr. Ryder had the distinction of being the first photographer in America to introduce the retouching of negatives. About thirty-five years ago he imported an artist from Switzerland who knew this art, the discovery having been made by a Swiss artist. This innovation brought Mr. Ryder’s’ studio into national notice among members of the profession, but it was only a step in the direction of the success which he afterward attained. During his whole career Mr. Ryder stood always to the fore in his line of his work. He was the first to take up new things, to develop embryonic ideas and to improve upon established methods. His gallery commanded the attention of every man in the profession and his utterances in the photographic trade journals were read with avidity by every ambitious photographer. Two years ago when Mr. Ryder was in his seventy-sixth year he published a book, Voigtlander and I, which is an interesting history of his own career that is coincident with the development of the photographic art. Mr. Ryder received every honor within the power of the association of the Photographers of America to bestow. He filled at different times almost every office and served two terms as its president. At the last meeting of the association held at Indianapolis in 1902 a touching tribute was paid to Mr. Ryder by one of the orators of the occasion, who said that as George Washington had been first in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his countrymen, so James F. Ryder had been first in everything in photography and first in the hearts of all members of the profession.”]

“Obituary—James F. Ryder.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 41:571 (July 1904): 335. [(There are several factual errors in this obituary. It should be noted that the former editor, Edward L. Wilson, died in 1903. Otherwise there would have been a far more extensive and accurate obituary for Ryder in this journal, as Wilson had been a close friend and an extraordinary historian.) “It is with the profoundest sorrow that we record the death of James F. Ryder, aged seventy-eight years, at his home in Cleveland, on the 2d of June. A pioneer photographer, Mr. Ryder entered the profession as a boy, in the city of Cleveland, where he very soon established himself at the head of the profession in that locality. It is claimed for him that he was the first to introduce the process of retouching negatives, shortly after its application in Switzerland. His fame as a photographer rapidly extended until his reputation became widespread. When, in 1880, the first organized meeting of professional photographers was held, and the National Photographers’ Association was formed, Mr. Ryder was elected its president. Since that time he has been a constant and beloved member of the association, and a strong advocate for all that pertained to the good of his craft. Of a genial, loving disposition, Mr. Ryder made friends everywhere who loved and esteemed him to the last. There is probably no member of the photographic profession whose death will be more sincerely felt than his. With his passing, one of the oldest and strongest links that binds photography of the present with that of the past has been severed. Those who attended the last convention at Indianapolis, and were present in the convention hall when Mr. Ryder was called upon to speak, cannot but remember the almost pathetic nature of his remarks and the air with which they were made. It almost seemed as if he felt a premonition that his appearance upon the convention floor at that time would be his last. In his long and well-rounded life he has done much to elevate the standard of photography, and even more to encourage and strengthen the hands of those who labored with him in its development. Thrown, as he was, into correspondence and personal touch with many of the most prominent men and women of his time, his acquaintance was wide, and few have had the honor of photographing a larger or more illustrious circle of men and women prominent in the affairs of life than he. For the past ten years Mr. Ryder had not been actively engaged in his profession, but during all that time his interest in and love for the work never lagged. His latest work, and one into which he had entered heart and soul, was the preparation and publication of his memoirs, under the title of Voigtlander and I, in which are contained many passages that breathe the spirit of the man. Mr. Ryder leaves a widow, one brother, and a sister. The sympathy of the profession will go out to them in their bereavement. His death will come as a personal loss to many who have found in him a friend and adviser of the highest merit.

“Photographers’ Association of America. – Proceedings Twenty-fourth Annual Convention.” PROFESSIONAL AND AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER. A JOURNAL OF PRACTICAL PHOTOGRAPHY 9:11 (Nov. 1904): 426-470. [“St. Louis, Oct. 4th to 8th, inclusive 1904….” (p. 426) (Etc., etc.)
“…Mr. Bellsmith: I think it only right and proper that we should take notice of the demise of our brethren, especially of those who have been of great power and usefulness in our Associations. Therefore I move you that a committee be appointed to take suitable notice upon the death of our ex-President, Mr. James F. Rider, of Cleveland, Ohio, and also in that I might include Mr. Inglis, James Inglis, a man who has been a great power and a great help to the profession, and to the Association. Therefore I move you that a committee be appointed to draw up suitable resolutions upon their death.
Mr. Bandtel seconded the motion.
Mr. Reeves: Let us take it by consent. We loved those old men, and we want to show it.
I will appoint Mr. H. L. Bellsmith, Mr. W. B. Todd and Mr. S. L. Stein….” (p. 445) (Etc., etc.)
“Whereas, We learn with regret of the death of James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., one of the veteran photographers of this country, and former president of the N. P. A.
Be it Resolved, That we in convention assembled, do hereby express our regrets at his death, and desire to extend to the family our sincere sympathy, and that the Secretary be instructed to forward same to the family of the deceased.
R. P. Bellsmith,
J. Dundas Todd,
S. L. Stein,
Committee.” (p. 452) (Etc., etc.)]

“The National Convention.” WILSON’S PHOTOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 41:575 (Nov. 1904): 481-528. [“…Mr. Bellsmith: I think it is only right and proper that we should take notice of the demise of our brethren. Especially of those who have been of great power and usefulness in our Association. Therefore, I move you that a committee be appointed to take suitable action upon the death of our ex-president, Mr. James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, Ohio, and also in that I might include Mr. Inglis, James Inglis, a man who has been a great power and a great help to the profession and to the Association. Therefore, I move you that a committee be appointed to draw up suitable resolutions upon their deaths. Mr. Bandtel seconded the motion….” p. 494. “…The committee appointed to draw up resolutions regarding the death of deceased members made the following report: Whereas, This Association has learned with great regret of the untimely death of our most respected and beloved frater, James Inglis. a man who has been ever a friend of the best in the art of photography, a man with the courage of his convictions, and who ever fearlessly supported them; therefore, Be it Resolved, That we express our heartfelt regret at his death and extend to the family our deep sympathy in their bereavement. And, furthermore, that the same be spread on the minutes and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the family. R. P. Bellsmith, F. Dundas Todd. S. L. Stein. Committee.
Whereas, We learn with regret of the death of James F. Ryder, of Cleveland, O., one of the veteran photographers of this country, and former president of the N. P. A.; Be it Resolved, That we, in convention assembled, do hereby express our regrets at his death, and desire to extend to the family our sincere sympathy, and that the Secretary be instructed to forward same to the family of the deceased.
R. P. Bellsmith, F. Dundas Todd, S. L. Stein. Committee.
Mr. Bandtel moved that the report of the committee be accepted. Mr. Wingus seconded the motion. Mr. Giffin: Mr. President, I regret to say that I feel somewhat disappointed at this report. The death of these two distinguished gentlemen which has come upon us at this time is to me one of the saddest occurrences within this Association. Two men have passed from our midst whose places cannot be replaced. I had expected more from this committee than an ordinary resolution of respect. With reference to Mr. James Inglis I want to say to you that no man has ever been connected with this Association who has done so much for us as that man. Most of you are familiar with the fact that his family (without wanting to make anything personal) are almost destitute to-day. It would be wise, I am sure, that the photographers here assembled contribute something more substantial. I do not want to make a motion as coming from the Association, but I apply to the photographers; and if it be in order, therefore, I move you, Mr. President, that— The President: Your motion is not in order, Mr. Giffin. There is another motion before the house….” pp. 508-509.
(In a way, this cold, abrupt and confused exchange, where Ryder’s condolence letter essentially gets overlooked in the squabble over Inglis at the Photographers’ Association of America, foreshadows the abrupt shift in the public valuation of Ryder. Most of his friends who share his values are dead and a new generation, intent on its own goals and imbued with a newer, leaner, attitude towards its own community, gains ascendency within the field. Ryder’s accomplishments and qualities now seem to feel old-fashioned and out of date. He simply drops out of sight, at least in the literature. Although I haven’t scoured every photographic journal from 1904 to the present for mentions of Ryder, the next time that I know about were Ryder appears in an article occurs in 1976.)]

1913

1 b & w (Artemus Ward, a Master of American Humor.” “From a photograph made and lent by James F. Ryder, taken in 1857.”) on p. 3 in: Johnson, Burges. “Makers of American Humor. Josh Billings, Joel Chandler Harris, Artemus Ward, Frank R. Stockton, Bill Nye, Mark Twain.” MENTOR (THE) 1:20 (June 30, 1913): 1-12. 8 b & w. [Portraits by various photographers.]

1917

Kennedy, James H. “Yankee Doodle” In Paint.” EVERYBODY’S MAGAZINE 37:1 (July 1917): 13-16. 1 b & w, 2 illus.
[Photo is a portrait of Willard, the two illus. are his paintings’ “The Spirit of 76” and “’Pluck No. 1,’ the famous chromo which freed Mr. Willard from the Wagon-shop.”
“Archibald M. Willard, who painted “The Spirit of Seventy-Six” on the eve of America’s centennial celebration in 1876, has lived to see in some degree the fulfilment of a prophecy made when the canvas was for the first time placed on exhibition in the window of a Cleveland art store: that in time it would pictorially become in patriotic American sentiment what “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” already was in song. The artist is now in his eightieth year, and since America’s recent awakening has had many reminders that his trio, who are now seen everywhere marching in life-size to the music of the fife and drums, have become symbols of a spirit that is as fervently strong as it was in the earlier days….” (Etc., etc.)
“…The shop-owner sent the picture to Cleveland to be framed. It fell under the eye of James F. Ryder, the leading art dealer and photographer of the city. He took the framed picture under his arm and entrained for Wellington.
There on the second floor of the wagon-shop, he discovered a big man in overalls, to whom he put the question, “How did the race come out? Get busy, and paint the answer.” “Pluck No. 2” was the response:…” (Etc., etc.) (p. 13)
“…Ryder had the two pictures copyrighted, with Willard as half owner. It was the hey-day of the chromo, when the common people craved the colors and stimulant of art without the cost of art. Two thousand copies of the twin pictures came off the stone, and the number had swelled to ten thousand before the demand came to an end.
Willard bequeathed his overalls to his assistant, and set up a studio in Cleveland in 1873. Ryder was determined to work to its full capacity the vein he had uncovered. Encouraged by the earned increment from several “comics,” Ryder cast about for a further venture in the chromatic line. The first centennial of American independence was at hand, and he was inclined to finance it for the benefit of the partnership. He waylaid Willard on the street which a title, and demanded an idea that might be worked out to fit it.
“Here it is, Archie,” he said: “Yankee Doodle! It’s broad enough for any treatment. Get it ready before the great show opens in Philadelphia-put old Yankee Doodle into something—the more unique and original the better.”…” (p. 14) (Etc., etc.)]

1924

“Editorial Notes.” BULLETIN OF PHOTOGRAPHY 34:871 (Apr. 16, 1924): 484. [“The well-known newspaper, The Cleveland Plain Dealer, prints an article by W. R. Rose, on the history of photography in Cleveland. The honored name of James F. Ryder gets well deserved mention. The writer, while wondering “who is responsible for the awful grotesques that are occasionally dragged from their lairs and introduced around as Aunt Sarah and Uncle Hi,” is also fair enough to refer to the amazing strides in the art, its development as a means of world-wide entertainment, its hundreds of minor uses. But we think the Plain Dealer would find it worth while to handle this subject in a bigger, broader and better way. The majority of the newspapers now do so. It is up to you, Mr. Rose.” (p. 484)]

1926

Sterling, Peter Roman. “‘The Spirit of Seventy Six.’ The Story of Archibald M. Willard’s Great Painting.” NATIONAL REPUBLIC 14:3 (July 1926): 46. 1 illus. [“The Declaration Committee in Session, July 1 to July 4, 1776; Left to Right, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and John Adams.” Curiously, the Illustration depicts, as captioned, a session of the “Declaration Committee of 1776” and not the painting discussed in the article. WSJ]
[“It is doubtful if a more inspiring American picture has ever been painted than the one generally known as “The Spirit of Seventy-Six.” This famous painting was one of the interesting attractions at the Centennial Exposition held in Philadelphia half a century ago. It was painted by Archibald M. Willard, of Wellington, Ohio, a veteran of the Civil War. At the close of the war Willard secured a job as painter in a wagon shop.
Observing that the young painter handled his brushes with unusual dexterity, the owner of the shop asked him to paint him something amusing, With the aid of his three children and pet dog as models, he produced a picture that brought forth smiles and chuckles from all who saw it. It represented the children in a small wagon drawn by the dog at a moment when the appearance of a rabbit caused a wild runaway. It made a big hit with the owner of the shop, and he sent it to Cleveland to be framed. At that place it attracted the attention of James F. Ryder, an art dealer. He carried the framed picture back to Wellington under his arm. He wanted to meet the man who painted it. He found him under a wagon daubing away with red paint.
“Who won the race?” was his greeting to the embryonic artist. “I wish you’d paint another one showing the result of the dash after the rabbit.”
Willard removed his overalls and quit his wagon-painting job. The second painting portrayed the dog as winning the race. Ryder copyrighted both pictures and made careful chromos from them. More than ten thousand copies were sold throughout the country. That was the period of American history when a home was not a home without a framed chromo or two. Willard’s half share in the enterprise gave him a nice start in his career as an artist. The widely-heralded Centennial Exposition aroused the ambitions of Ryder. Here was a chance to do something on a bigger scale than ever before. Calling on Willard, he enthusiastically told him of the great exposition to be held in Philadelphia in honor of the hundredth anniversary of independence and suggested the advisability of a picture with old “Yankee Doodle” as the principal theme….” (Etc., etc.)]

1976

Waldsmith, John. “James F. Ryder.” NORTHLIGHT: JOURNAL OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 3:2 (Spring 1976): 4-7. 4 b & w, 1 illus. [(This is an excellently researched and well-written biographical article on Ryder. Normally I would not reproduce the entire texts of a modern (1970’s) article; but the Northlight magazine, unfortunately, is often now hard to locate, and Mr. Waldsmith’s essay was excellently sourced and thus contains information about many additional newspaper references to Ryder’s work. The photographic illustrations include one daguerreotype portrait and three stereo views. The illustration is of Willard’s painting “Yankee Doodle.”)
“Along in the forties many daguerreotype men styled themselves ‘professor,’ and their titles were seldom questioned. It was but a step from the anvil or the sawmill to the camera. The new business of likeness-taking was admitted to be a genteel calling, enveloped in a haze of mystery and a smattering of science. The darkroom where the plates were prepared was dignified by some of the more pretentious as the laboratory. A ‘No Admittance’ door, always carefully closed by ‘the professor’ on entering or emerging, naturally impressed the stranger as something out of the usual, and when he came out carrying a little holder to his sitter and from it drawing a thin slide, revealing from under it the likeness just taken, it was no unreasonable stretch of credulity to recognize in the man something of a scientist and a professor.”
The above description was written by James F. Ryder as the beginning of his personal reminiscences as a photographer from 1847 to 1900. He titled his autobiography Voigtlander and I because his first camera lens was a Voigtlander which his father had helped him pay for. Ryder’s book is one of our best glimpses at what it was like to be a daguerreotypist in the pioneer years of photography. Voigtlander and I concluded a life-time of photographic achievements. Upon his death on June 2, 1903 at Cleveland Ohio, James F. Ryder was proclaimed by Photo-Miniature as “one of the fathers of American professional photography.”
James F. Ryder grew up in Tompkins County, New York, near the town of Ithaca. He worked three years as a printer’s apprentice and had hopes of becoming another Ben Franklin, when in the fall of 1847 he met Professor Brightly. The “Professor” was a “daguerreotype man,” and young Ryder visited him at his rooms and was convinced he should have instruction in becoming a daguerreotypist. He learned the step by step procedures of making daguerreotypes and Professor Brightly told him it would be more helpful if Ryder worked out the difficulties alone, rather than depend upon him.
Ryder explained what it was like learning and working at the same time. “In the first few years most practitioners were plodding in the dark, something like ‘the blind leading the blind.’ There was no literature bearing upon the subject beyond the mere statement of routine description, no sure road yet opened to successful work. ‘Professors’ were more plentiful than intelligent teachers. In our work repeated trial was the rule—we would try and try again without knowing the cause of failure. Many a day did I work blindly and almost hopelessly, pitying my outraged sitters, and pitying myself in my despair and helplessness. The weak excuses and explanations I made to cover my ignorance were many. The lies I told, if recorded, would make a big book which I would dislike to see opened.
“You moved!” headed the list. “You looked too serious! You did not keep still! You winked too often!”
“These and other fabrications to show the necessity for another sitting were made with great efforts at cheerfulness, but the communings with my inner self in the darkroom while preparing the next plate would hardly bear the light, and were best left in the dark.”
Ryder explained that Professor Brightly had his daguerreotype rooms located above J. M. Heggies” harness store in Ithaca. Beside photography, the Professor also practiced as a phrenologist and biologist. Ryder said, “It was no uncommon thing to find watch repairers, dentists and other styles of business folk to carry daguerreotypy ‘on the side.’ I have known blacksmiths and cobblers to double up with it, so it were possible to have a horse shod, your boots tapped, a tooth pulled or a likeness taken by the same man; verily a man—a daguerreotype man, in his time, played many parts.”
While working in Ithaca, Ryder worked to improve his quality of work. He employed a Mr. Lawyer, formerly an operator at Meade Brothers in New York City, to teach him to “moist buff” plates which gave “a deeper and richer polish than could otherwise be attained.” Even with this apparent improvement to his work, Ryder soon afterward hired a Professor Powelson to teach him the Powelson Method of polishing a plate. His method was that “the foundation for fine daguerreotype work was a finely polished plate, which could only be secured by a perfectly dry buff of fine buckskin well rouged, and the finishing touch given with calcined lampblack upon another buff of buckskin thoroughly dry.”
The next photographer to influence Ryder was Charles E. Johnson of Cleveland, Ohio. Johnson had begun his career as a daguerreotypist at one of the John Plumbe Jr. galleries (possibly Cincinnati) and had come to Cleveland in the spring of 1849 where he worked for a short time for Clark S Brothers Daguerrean Establishment in Watson’s New Building, No. 78 Superior Street. A Cleveland newspaper for March 16, 1849 reported, “We saw yesterday a beautiful Lilliputian speciman of the ‘Daguerrean Art,’ taken by Mr. Johnson. It was a likeness of a mother, taken for a son, to be set in a ring. It was admirable in its execution, and creditable in the highest degree to the artist.”
Johnson opened a new gallery at the corner of Superior and Bank Streets on July 9, 1849. Sometime in the early months of 1850, Charles E. Johnson journeyed to New York to buy “new materials and equipment.” Sometime in April, 18S0, on his return trip, he stopped in Ithaca and met James F. Ryder. He showed Ryder his daguerreotypes, which impressed Ryder for their “superior quality of texture, tone, color, coloring and finish.” Ryder paid $15 to have Johnson explain his new modification in chemicals. Johnson explained that he used a “dry quick” instead of the usual “liquid quick” in common use. Ryder could never have imagined that in less than five years he would have his Cleveland studio in the same location as Charles E. Johnson’s of 1850.
In late 1850 or early 1851, Ryder packed his photographic gear in a large trunk and loaded it on a wagon, leaving Professor Brightly and Ithaca to become an itinerant photographer. He travelled from town to town through what is known as the Western Reserve. This is an area from southwestern New York, extending down to Erie, Pennsylvania, and westward to Cleveland, Ohio. Within this area are numerous small rural communities which in the 1840’s and 1850’s were not large or wealthy enough to support a full-time daguerreotypist. Ryder usually stayed at the largest or only lodging house, setting his camera on a porch or in a dining room which afforded a good deal of available light. From available records, he apparently worked this way for about four years.
During his travels he stopped in the little town of Kirtland. In 1831, Joseph Smith, the founder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons), had arrived in Kirtland to build a center for the church and its missionary work. They built an impressive “temple” plus several other church buildings. But conditions in Kirtland were unsettled. Smith and his followers left Kirtland in 1838. When Ryder arrived in the early 1850’s, he found a small community with a few small homes, many of which were unoccupied and a small tavern. He asked permission to set up his daguerreotype equipment in the tavern but the proprietor suggested he use the Mormon temple which was not in use. Ryder was pleased on entering the building, to find a high ceiling with windows extending around the entire upper level. By placing his camera in the loft, he could obtain excellent light to do his work.
He did a brisk trade with the local people and after a few days packed his trunk, not realizing at the time how he had used a historic landmark. The church building today looks much as it did when Ryder was there. Standing in the loft one can imagine the young photographer positioning his subjects to have their likeness made.
The earliest date that I encounter Ryder in Cleveland is October 5, 1855, when he receives notice in the Cleveland Leader “While strolling through the daguerreotype gallery of Ryder, located on the corner of Superior and Bank Sts., we were surprised to find such a collection of superior pictures as we discovered here. Among his pictures are two of Couldlock, as Luke Fielding, which are exact likenesses…and …are particularly valuable.”
As noted above, James F. Ryder had located his gallery in the same one previously operated by Charles F. Johnson. When he took over the gallery is not known, but probably it occurred in the first months of 1855. There is evidence to indicate that Ryder may have introduced the first ambrotypes to Cleveland. Humphrey’s Journal first mentioned ambrotypes on February 1, 1855. The Leader for October 6, 1855, makes the first mention of them in public print in Cleveland. “Ryder, daguerrean artist at the corner of Superior and Banks Sts, showed us yesterday some pictures on glass that are soft, clear, and pleasing, without the glimmer of silver plate pictures. These pictures do credit to his skill as an artist.” In addition to making ambrotypes, Ryder gave instruction to other Cleveland photographers. An advertisement in the January 3, 1856 issue of the Leader was a testimonial. “Having just completed a course of instruction in ambrotyping process from the unsurpassed operator, J. M. (sic) Ryder, I am now prepared to take pictures on glass. E. B. Hoffman, Hoffman’s Block.”
One of the real mysteries about Ryder is his “stereoscopic cosorama.” A notice in the Leader for August 29, 1856, indicated that “Ryder has something new at his daguerrian rooms. It is called a stereoscopic cosorama, and presents views of scenery taken from nature. This is the most complete and beautiful exhibition of landscapes that we can possibly conceive of on so small a plan.” What was the “cosorama?” This is the only notice I have located about it. The exciting possibility is that Ryder may have purchased one of Southworth and Hawes’ “Grand Parlor Stereoscopes.” Patented on June 19, 1855, it was a large stereo viewer which looked much like a small piano. It has always been believed that Southworth and Hawes had only one, which was on display in their gallery for patrons to look into. The “Grand Parlor Stereoscope” today is located at the International Museum of Photography, George Eastman House, Rochester, N. Y., one the second floor in the corner of a small room. It resides there, almost unnoticed by visitors who enter the room. Was this Ryder’s “Cosorama?” Southworth and Hawes indicated in advertising that they would sell others. Every time I enter a Cleveland antique shop I have this feeling that I am going to find one of these elegant gems which once resided in Ryder’s rooms.
Ryder must have been one of the leading photographers in Ohio in the late 1850’s. He is mentioned several times in the newspapers with glowing advertisements such as this one in the Leader for December 6, 1856. “Ryder, in the Merchants Bank building, was awarded the highest premium for the best portraits on exhibition at the recent state fair. He reminds the people of the advantages of giving photographs as Christmas and New Year’s presents.”
In September, 1857, Ryder introduced to Cleveland something he called hallotypes. Like the cosorama, this process remains a mystery. Ryder’s ad stated that he “has the pleasure of presenting to the public the new and beautiful wonder art of hallotype. Specimens can be seen at his gallery in the Merchants Bank Building. These pictures are taken at no other establishment in Cleveland.” (Leader, Sept. 22, 1857). Possibly the hallotype was a type of colored photograph. The earliest mention of his color photographs comes in the Leader for December 29, 1858. “Have all of our readers seen that life-sized colored photographs in Sargent’s window? It was taken by Ryder and painted by Smith. It was taken from a small ambrotype and is truly a most magnificent picture.”
In my search for James F. Ryder in newspaper files, I was always pleased when they mention specific images. I hope some of these are now in collections and by showing interest they will eventually be seen. The mention of these views stimulates the imagination. Such as “Mr. Ryder has taken a capitol photograph of Godard and his balloon. Stop and see it.” (Leader, July 12, 1858).
Another interesting subject is “We have been shown an ambrotype of the Harvey children who went up in the balloon from Centralia, Ill. It was procured by a Mr. Ryder, who, ever seeking for some new attraction, keeps his eye open for all such celebrities.” (Leader, October 2, 1858).
In the early 1860’s, professional photography was growing at a tremendous rate. Many of the established photographers, especially in New York and Boston, felt that a national organization was necessary to control and regulate the profession. In November, 1862, the New York Evening Post suggested an exhibition by the photographers of the country. No doubt the Civil War played a part in delaying the organization and an exhibition. At the end of the war, the leading New York photographers, led by Abraham Bogardus, called for a meeting of photographers to be held in New York City on April 7, 1868. On the evening of March 10, 1868, the photographers of Cleveland, Ohio, met at E. Decker’s Gallery “to consider action in co-operating with a national convention.”
The main issues were the opposition to the re-issue of the bromide patent, and to make an effort to modify the revenue tax. The Cleveland photographers appointed James F. Ryder to be their delegate at the convention. From newspaper reports, apparently Ryder was not the only photographer from Cleveland who attended. Unfortunately others are not mentioned by name. At the convention, Ryder was appointed a vice-president and was elected a member of the proposed National Union. On December 1, 1868, the National Union met in Philadelphia, and Ryder was elected to the executive committee.
The first convention was set as June 1, 1869, in Boston. This first convention in Boston was apparently again a formative meeting. Most of the members’ time was spent in arguing about Cutting’s and other photographic patents. Probably because of the high position in the Union, Ryder convinced the members that Cleveland should be the site for the next convention, set for June 7, 1870.
Unlike the earlier conventions, the Cleveland meeting was the first national convention in which photographers came from throughout the United States and Europe. Ryder wanted to have an exhibition of the finest photographic work plus a display of the newest equipment. He was chosen as general chairman in charge as well as local secretary. He made arrangements to have the Cleveland Bank’s Central Rink used for the event. The main floor was set up for displays and at one end a speaker’s platform was set as a small stage. Along the sides of the room was a balcony for visitor’s seating during the speaking sessions. Several dozen American flags were hung from the rafters and a large sign proclaiming “Photography/1870/America-Europe/Elevate Your Art–It Will Elevate You,” hung in the middle. The two leading suppliers of photographic goods, the Scovill Manufacturing Company, and E. & H.T. Anthony, had large displays at opposite ends of the display floor.
The meeting opened on June 7, 1870 with a speech by president of the Union, Abraham Bogardus. He congratulated the association on the large attendance. James F. Ryder then rose to give the opening address. He said, “I take my share of pride as a Clevelander that our city is honored by this meeting. I am proud to see so many in attendance here, most of whom have come hundreds and thousands of miles. I am proud, too, of our magnificent show of photographs. So large and fine a collection has never before been brought together in this or any other country… As a citizen, and in behalf of the photographers of Cleveland, I bid you welcome” (Leader, June 8, 1870).
The morning Meeting for June 8 was called to “take a collection of $700” for defraying the expenses of the association, and to further the interests of the photographic art. The afternoon session was opened with a speech by Dr. Herman Vogel of Berlin, Germany, who had created something of a sensation with his method of retouching photographs. Ryder had contacted Vogel in 1868 after reading about the method in letters from Edward Wilson, editor of The Philadelphia Photographer. Vogel sent Herr Karl Leutgib, one of the leading German professionals, who arrived at Ryder’s gallery in Cleveland some time during the fall of 1868. Therefore Ryder became the first major photographer in the United States to use retouching and had invited Vogel to be a speaker.
After Vogel spoke, Bogardus asked for motions to determine an official trade-mark and name for the Union. A Mr. Youngman “proposed that the association have a badge or trade-mark by which the work of members of the association should be known. This was voted unanimously. It was decided to have the insignia ‘N.P.A.’; National Photographers’ Association.” (Leader, June 9, 1870). That evening the Germania band gave a concert for the visitors.
The morning of June 9, Bogardus “stated that the sum collected for the indebtedness of the association amounted to $53,300. Officers were then elected for the ensuing year: they were: Abraham Bogardus of New York, president; Albert Moore of Pennsylvania, treasurer; Edward L. Wilson of Philadelphia, Pa., secretary. F. W. Hardy of Bangor, Me.; J. F. Ryder of Cleveland, O., and D. K. Cady of Cincinnati, O., were among the 100 elected as vice presidents.” (Leader, June 10, 1870). After voting to hold the next meeting in Philadelphia in June, 1871, the N.P.A. members went over the Monument Park, site of the Perry Monument. Thomas T. Sweeny set up his stereo camera and George G. Johnson (G. E. Johnson’s son, who was mentioned previously) set up his larger format camera. Because of Sweeny’s long exposure, Johnson appears as a blur behind his camera in the stereo view.
Robert Taft reproduced an enlarged half of Sweeny’s stereo view in page 330 of Photography and the American Scene. I have never located the Johnson photograph. From the list on the back of Sweeny’s stereo views, I know that he took two other stereos of the convention. The only stereo views I have found, however, are those published by E. & H. T. Anthony Co. (There are three versions of the interior, all numbered as #6792).
One June 10, the Cleveland meeting closed. Other conventions were to follow in Philadelphia, St. Louis, Buffalo, and Chicago, but the Cleveland convention was one of the largest and most successful, mainly due to the efforts of James F. Ryder. The total receipts of the convention were $1,117.55, which paid all the expenses.
At this time, Ryder was at the summit of his photographic career. He was re-elected vice-president of the N.P.A. at the Philadelphia Convention on June 7, 1871. He returned home determined to expand his gallery into one equal to the finest galleries in New York City. On August 10, 1872 he had his opening of “Ryder’s Photographic and Fine Art Gallery.” The Leader for August 12 stated, “We shall all feel from this time forward that Cleveland has another permanent attraction, another place downtown to which a visitor may be taken with a feeling of pride. The whole design, without and within, is a monument to the taste of architect Myer, and the liberality of Ryder, who expended upwards of $20,000 in realizing his ideal of what a photographic art gallery should be. His future success is of course, secure, for he has already won it with his new art emporium. The opening reception on Saturday evening was an ovation which ought to make him proud of his work.”
In addition to photographic prints, Ryder also displayed chromos, engravings and illustrated mottoes. Sometime in 1874 he added oil paintings. By doing this he became a good friend and agent for a local painter, A. M. Willard. Willard had received some note for his landscape work but really was not recognized as a great painter. Ryder recognized Willard’s talents and convinced him to paint a patriotic painting for the artist competition which was to be held at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia. On March 27, 1876, Ryder put on display in his window, Willard’s “Yankee Doodle.” The newspapers described the painting as illustrating “the spirit of ‘Old 76.” (Leader, March 28, 1876).
Even though called “Yankee Doodle,” Willard’s painting became known by later generations as “The Spirit of 76.” Today we see it reproduced on everything from juice glasses to shopping bags during our bicentennial year. In April, 1876, the Committee on Art at Philadelphia accepted “Yankee Doodle” and it was given a prominent place in Memorial Hall, where it was seen by millions of visitors. On May 16, 1876, Ryder began the same of his chrome lithographs of Willard’s painting. Because of Ryder’s lithograph, the painting became known to Americans throughout the country. It was sold in various sizes, but I am not sure how many survived.
I have a cabinet card in my collection which is a photograph of the painting, and was probably taken before it was shipped to Philadelphia.
Ryder also displayed his photographs in the N.P.A. building at the Centennial. He received an award, along with L. G. Bigelow of Detroit; Sarony and Kurtz of New York; Henry Rocher of Chicago; Gutekunst of Philadelphia; Brady of Washington; Charles Bierstadt of Niagara Falls; and C. E. Watkins of San Francisco. According to Taft the display was the high-water achievement of the American wet-plate photographer (Taft, pp. 362-363).
Toward the end of his career, James F. Ryder felt that photographers should pay honor to Daguerre. He inaugurated a movement for a statue of Daguerre to be erected in Washington, D.C. In 1889, the statue was unveiled.
Why Ryder wrote his memoirs, Voigtlander and I, is not really clear. He may have felt some responsibility to future generations because he was one of the few photographers who had been a daguerreotypist in the 1840’s who was still alive in the 1890’s. Possibly it may have been an old man’s vanity. The book fails to give details of his later life as a photographer and therefore I had to search the newspaper files to find James F. Ryder.
He died on June 2, 1903, and ended an illustrious career of service to his profession. He had seen photography grow up and become a recognized art form. He had been an experimenter and innovator, leader and artist, truly a photographic master.”]

Faries, Belmont. “At First He Called It Yankee Doodle.” WORKLIFE. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION. 1:7 (July 1976): 33-37. 5 b & w, 5 illus. [Photos by various photographers, illustrations are of painting, with sketches and variants. WSJ.]
[“The choice of the “Spirit of ’76” for the Nation’s first Bicentennial stamp would not have surprised Archibald Willard, the former carriage and wagon painter who created the canvas a hundred years ago. To Willard, the work expressed a timeless theme: “[it] was not painted in commemoration of 1776 or 1876, or any other special period in the life of our Nation, but as an expression of the vital and ever-living spirit of American patriotism.” The artist was relatively unknown when he entered his painting in the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition, where it achieved the popularity that has continued to this day. Born on August 26, 1836, in Bedford, Ohio, Willard was the grandson of an old Green Mountain Boy who was with Gen. John Stark when Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga, and the son of a Baptist minister who left Vermont early in his life to settle in Ohio. His father’s ministry later took him from Bedford to Wellington, Ohio, which he always considered home. Willard’s artistic bent expressed itself early. As a child, “Arch” drew pictures on fences and barn doors, and he even had a few lessons from an itinerant portrait painter. But small towns such as Wellington provided little opportunity for an artist, and at 17 he took up the closest thing he could find to an art career-a job striping and decorating wagons and carriages at the E.S. Tripp Carriage Works. a Library of Congress Archibald Willard’s “Spirit of ’76,” exhibited at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, is in Abbot Hall, Marblehead, Mass. It was this canvas that was used as a model for the Nation’s Bicentennial stamp. Tripp built fine landaus and phaetons as well as farm wagons. Willard was soon doing nearly all the hand painted medallions on the carriage dashboards and the colorful decorations on the sides and tailgates of the wagons. He was also painting pictures. A Wellington street scene he painted in 1857 suggests that by his early 20’s he was already a skillful artist, although his style was rather primitive. With the outbreak of the Civil War, Willard and his three brothers enlisted in the Union army, and the young artist served as a color sergeant in the 86th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. The brothers saw 4 years of hard service, and all returned home safely. With nothing better in sight, Willard returned to the Tripp Carriage Works. His first big break came in the early 1870’s, when he created a humorous painting to amuse Addie, Tripp’s young daughter. The work showed a child’s wagon with a dog hitched to it, the dog chasing a rabbit, and a boy and girl holding on as another boy tumbles off the rear. Willard called it “Pluck.” James F. Ryder, a Cleveland photographer and art dealer, saw (p. 33) the painting and recognized its potential as a chromo, or color print, a popular novelty made possible by the development of commercial chromolithography in the 1860’s. In those days, books were illustrated mostly with steel engravings, and newspapers were illustrated with woodcuts, if at all. This new process enabled printers to reproduce pictures in full color, and many of them were making the most of the new mass market.
Ryder was in a position to have these reproductions made and distributed, and found the subject matter of “Pluck” ideal for this purpose: it was colorful, mildly humorous, and properly sentimental in its view of childhood. Thinking that a matched set of chromos might sell better than a single picture, he asked Willard to do a companion piece showing a happy ending to the adventure. “Pluck No. 2″ has the wagon overturned by a fallen log, the rabbit caught, and the children sprawled on the ground, unhurt. Ryder’s estimate of public reaction was accurate. Nearly a thousand of the chromos were sold at $10 a set, something more than a week’s pay for a working man. How much Willard received is not reported, but it was enough to enable him to give up his job at the carriage works and become a full-time artist. Encouraged by Ryder, he went to New York in 1873 to study briefly with J. A. Easton. On his return to Ohio, he moved his family from Wellington to Cleveland, set up a studio in his home, and began to search for humorous subjects for chromos. He found one in Wellington on the Fourth of July. This was muster day for the militia, and the holiday observance culminated in a parade in the village square. Willard watched one high-spirited group of two drummers and a fifer clowning as they marched, with one drummer tossing his sticks in the air and all three bumping in good-humored confusion. Willard sketched the group on the back of an envelope and showed the drawing to Ryder. He called his sketch “The Fourth of July Musicians” or “Yankee Doodle.” It might well have sold as a chromo, but Ryder had a better idea. The Centennial of the Revolution was approaching, and there were already signs of increased interest in American history. Ryder suggested that Willard forget the humor and paint a serious patriotic scene. The artist worked out the Revolutionary War battlefield setting in a series of rough sketches….” (Etc., etc.)
“…When the canvas was finished, it was displayed in the window of Ryder’s photographic studio. Crowds came to see it, and Ryder had prints made which spread its fame throughout the country. Although Willard had not done the painting with the Centennial Exposition in mind, Ryder and other friends of his hoped it would be shown there. The Centennial Commission planned to display only the best of classical art from the major art centers of Europe and the United States, but (p. 35) its members found it difficult to argue art quality when large numbers of people were arguing patriotism. Eventually, they sent a telegram to Willard, asking him to bring his picture to Philadelphia. The “Spirit of ’76″ turned out to be the most popular work of the exposition, drawing large crowds and counting among its admirers President Ulysses S. Grant, who saw it during a hurried tour and was impressed enough to return later to study it at his leisure….” (p. 35) (Etc., etc.)]

Waldsmith, John. “Ryder Revisited.” NORTHLIGHT: JOURNAL OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 3:4 (Fall 1976): 2. [“Sometimes a search for answers may turn up more questions. With the case of James F. Ryder’s “Stereoscopic Cosorama,” that is exactly what happened. My article, “James F. Ryder” in the spring 1976 issue of Northlight resulted in the receipt of several letters from collectors and nearly all commented on the “Stereoscopic Cosorama.” I was not satisfied with my findings and therefore felt a continued search of the newspaper files was in order. First, it must be explained that I relied heavily on a publication called The Annals of Cleveland. This is a multi-volumed index of the major newspapers in Cleveland from the 1830’s to 1876. The project was sponsored by the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the late 1930’s in order to put out of work historians back to work. The researchers began where any project should, at the beginning. The WPA, founded as a New Deal relief program in 1935, was disbanded at the beginning of World War II. The researchers had compiled information into 1876 and unfortunately never completed the other volumes. Each notation from the newspapers was placed in categories and fortunately “Photography” is noted in chronological order from the earliest mention (1841). The researchers compiled news stories or ads into short four or five sentence entries, noting date and page numbers. In my research, I relied on these short entries up to 1876 and made a tedious page by page search from 1877 until 1904.
After receiving much comment on the “Stereoscopic Cosorama,” I went back to the entry for August 29, 1856, and read the news story in its entirety. The WPA researcher had not left out many words but the following opens a whole new area of consideration:
“It (the Cosorama) presents magnificent views of Winter scenes at Niagara Falls, Goat Island, Suspension Bridge, the Mammoth Bridge at the Portage of the Gennessee, on the Buffalo and New York City Railroad, a wild scene in the mountains of Pennsylvania, and a beautiful Swiss mountain landscape. The pictures are ambrotyped from nature, and present a most faithful and accurate show of the places represented.”
Now the questions begin. It is common knowledge that the Southworth and Hawes “Grand Parlour Stereoscope” used whole plate daguerreotypes. Assuming Ryder did purchase his “Cosorama” from Southworth and Hawes, then most likely the images (ambrotypes) in the instrument were of his own making. As noted in the article, Ryder was an early maker of ambrotypes and was skilled enough to be a teacher of the process. I can find no notation of any trip to Switzerland by Ryder. He made several trips back “East” and may have purchased the stereo ambrotypes from another photographer. Are there any PHSA members who have or know of stereo ambrotypes of the above subjects? If not Ryder, then who took these views? And, above all, what was the “Stereoscopic Cosorama?” We may never know but the search continues.
Finally, there was one mystery connected with Ryder which I did not mention in my article. In tracing the life of Cincinnati photographer Charles Fontayne, who became famous for his daguerreotype panorama of Cincinnati with W. S. Porter, I knew he had died in 1858 (Newhall, The History of Photography, p. 213) but knew nothing of his later life after making the panorama. Readers of Northlight may have noted that Fontayne is given no credit in the Cincinnati Times-Star story which appeared on page 15 of the Summer 1976 issue. In my search for Ryder, I had discovered a mention of a Fontayne in Cleveland. Having my hands full with the search of one active photographer, I had promised myself to check this out at a later time. I wish now that I had gone off on that search after discovering the following newspaper story which does not appear in the Annals of Cleveland:
“Prof. Fontayne, late of the well known firm of Fontayne and Porter, Cincinnati, and the pioneer of the photographic art in that city, has charge of the Photographic Department. His portraits are unequalled in this country. Ryder’s Daguerreotype and Photographic Rooms.” (Cleveland Herald, Apr. 30, 1856)”]