I got this off Northeast Roots List Thought it might be of interest Dave Wells dwells@zekes.com Listowner: WELLS-L@rootsweb.com Listowner: HOWE-L@rootsweb.com Proud RootsWeb Sponsor ---------- > From: Terry Perham <tess@sover.net> > To: NORTHEAST-ROOTS-L@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > Subject: 1925 obit-John C. Howe- Brattleboro, Windham Co., VT > Date: Monday, April 27, 1998 10:57 AM > > from the Brattleboro Reformer > Brattleboro, Windham County, VT > 1925 > RANKED HIGH AS PHOTOGRAPHER > John C. Howe Dies of Hardening of Arteries This Morning > WAS IN BUSINESS HERE 55 YEARS > Retired Jan. 1, 1922, After Selling Studio Conducted by Father, Cleb > L. Howe--One of New England's Best Exponents of Photographic Art > > John C. Howe, 75, formerly for 55 years engaged in the photographic > business in Brattleboro, died at 7:30 o'clock this morning in the house > at 7 Linden street which had been his home the past 30 years. Although > he was confined to his bed only about two weeks he had been in failing > health two years. Death resulted from hardening of the arteries. > > Mr. Howe was the oldest of five children of Caleb Lysander Howe and > Martha B. (Simonds) Howe and was born in Dover, May 16, 1849. His > father was a native of Dummerston and his mother was a daughter of > Deacon David Simonds of Peru. As a boy he spent many hours drawing > plans of buildings and had an ambition to become an architect, but after > his graduation from Brattleboro high school he began work in the > photographic studio owned by his father, which was established here in > 1856, remaining there until he retired Jan. 1, 1923. > > He leaves his wife, who was Miss Florence Fisher of Newfane and whom he > married Sept. 17, 1873, also a daughter, Mrs. Park R. Hoyt of Laconia, > N.H. and a grandson, Park R. Hoyt, jr. He also leaves two sisters and a > brother. They are Mrs. Alice Holloway of Knightstown, Ind.; Lucien > Howe, a well-known musician, of Boston; and Mrs. Mary Howe Burton of > Worcester, Mass., formerly a widely-known opera singer. A > brother, Fred L. Howe, successful proprietor of the Princess hotel in > Bermuda and the Apsinwall hotel in Lenox, Mass., died Aug. 9, 1921. > > ] The funeral will be held at the home at 4 o'clock Wednesday, Rev. Dr. > Herbert P. Woodin, pastor of the Centre Congregational church, > officiating. The body will be entombed until spring. > > Mr. Howe was a member of Brattleboro lodge of Masons, Fort Dummer > chapter of Royal Arch Masons, and Beauseant commandery, Knighrs > Templar. When Quonekticut tribe of Red Men was organized in 1888 his > name was on the charter list, but in recent years he had not been > affiliated with the tribe. > > The Howe business was begun in 1856 on the third floor of the building > now owned by L.R. H. Wagner, shoe dealer, by Mr. Howe's father, the late > Caleb L. Howe, who came here from North Adams, Mass., and bought the > J.L. Lovell studio. Mr. Howe bought a traveling studio while he lived > in Dover and went to Wilmington, but feeling that the field was too > small he went to North Adams. At that time the business was confined to > daguerreotypes, the forerunners of the ambrotype and ferrotype, which > preceded the photograph of today. His son, the late N. Sherman Howe, > was associated with him in business until 1870, when the latter went to > Chicago and was engaged in a similar business for a short time, > afterward managing the Princess hotel in Bermuda until his death in > 1907. > > Caleb Howe followed the profession of photographer until his death in > 1895. In 1880 his son John C. Howe became associated with him and the > business was moved from the studio in Union block, where it had been > since 1865, to the quarters it now occupies in the People' Bank > building, the firm becoming C. L. Howe & Son. He had practically > decided to enter the Massachuetts Institute of Technology when he was > taken into the firm. > > John C. Howe was one of the very few photographers in New England who > have made pictures by every process know to the profession. When he was > a boy in his father's studio all the paper used for printing was > imported and when received by the photographer it had to be treated to > remove the sizing. Today the paper comes ready for use. The old time > photographer bought his glass in sheets for use in framing > daguerreotypes and cut it to fit the different frames selected by his > patrons. up to a few years ago most of the professional photographic > printing was done by long exposure to the sunlight. Today the printing > is done largely by exposure to strong artificial light. Mr. Howe sold > the business to Calrton E. Shorey Jan. 1, 1923. His retirement meant > the loss to New England of one of its best exponents of the photographic > art. > > From 1860 to 1864 sittings at the studio averaged about 20 a day and > during the 29 years preceding 1910 from 2,000 to 4,000 sittings were > made there annually. Among the negatives in the studio were those of > the late Larkin G. Mead, the fanous scupltor; the late William M. Hunt, > the well-known artist; and the late W. H.H. Murray better known as > "Adirondack Murray." many of the photgraphers in New England were > pupils of C. L. Howe. > > Those house which has been the Howe home the past 30 years was occupied > in the early 50's by Wentworth Higginson, the distinguished > abolitionist, soldier and author. > ************************************************************************ > Terry Perham > Hinsdale, NH > tess@sover.net > > ----------------------------------------------- > To contact the list owner, use stephenL@indiana.edu > > Remember, to leave NORTHEAST-ROOTS-L, send > SIGNOFF NORTHEAST-ROOTS-L > to > LISTSERV@LISTSERV.INDIANA.EDU > > DON'T send it to NORTHEAST-ROOTS-L-request ... that won't work!