It looks to me as though the business closed in 1912, but I have no idea who, if anybody, got the records. Perhaps the Blair County Historical Society folks know the answer to that one. Here's some information about the owners and the family, that will give you an idea of the time period in which the business operated, and where - In the 1870 census Robert Bonnie, photographer, lives in Gaysport Robert Bonnie 34 Matilda Bonnie 31 Robert Bonnie 8 Harry Bonnie 6 Elias Bonnie 4 Alice Bonnie 2 A New Building on Fourteenth Street. Mr. Robert A. Bonine, a photographer of Hollidaysburg, has concluded to remove to the city, and has made arrangements for the erection of a new gallery on Fourteenth street, above Eleventh avenue. The building will be of wood, 25 feet front by 45 feet deep, and will be 22 feet high. The work is being done by Messrs. Thomas Davis and R. C. Smith, and it is to be completed, if possible, by the 1st of April. Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., February 14, 1878 http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/newspapers/trib-1878-2-14.txt In 1880 Robert A. Bonine is listed as a photographer in Altoona. Robt. Bonine 44 Matilda Bonine 42 Robt. K. Bonine 18 Henry Bonine 16 Elias Bonine 14 Alice Bonine 12 Elsie Bonine 6 Irine Bonine 2 Blaine Bonine 1M The index of this census is here - http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/census/1880ed154-1.txt 1890 Altoona City Directory Bonine Elias D. photographer, bds 1311 Seventeenth st Bonine Robert A. photographer, 1106 Fourteenth st, o h 1314 Seventeenth st http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/xmisc/1890altoonaatoc.txt 1895 Altoona City Directory Bonine Elias D., photographer, 1106 14th st, home 1314 Seventeenth st Bonine Robert A., photographer 1106 14th st, o h 1314 Seventeenth st http://files.usgwarchives.net/pa/blair/xmisc/1895-b.txt In the 1910 census Ralph and Lyle Bonine are listed as photographers having their own shop. R A Bonnine 63 Matilda Bonine 72 Lyle Bonine 44 Ralph Bonine 28 Elcie Bonine 36 In 1912 E. D. Bonine sold their store building to Wm. F. Gable. It was in back of the then Gable store, and Gable wanted to build on it. JOHN ROY BONINE, Son of Robert and Matilda Bonine, died in Philadelphia, at 5.50 this morning aged 32 years, 4 months and 1 day. Death was due to rheumatism of the heart. Mr. Bonine was an electrical machinist and was employed by the Peerless Auto Co., of Philadelphia. He is survived by his parents and the following brothers and sisters: R. K., of Honolulu, H. S. of Pittsburgh, Mrs. S. M. Bankert of Washington, D.C., Mrs. P. R. MacFarlane, Mrs. H. S. Biddle, E. D., R. A. and Elsie J., all of Altoona. The body will be brought here on the 10.55 train tonight and funeral arrangements will be announced later. Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pa., Tuesday, August 6, 1912, page 1 According to the 1913 BCGS death/obit index: Bonine, Ralph A., 31, Nov. 10 ROBERT K. BONINE DIES IN HONOLULU Word was received this morning by relatives of the death of Robert K. Bonine, a former Altoonan, who died in Honolulu, Hawaii, Sept. 11 of a stroke of paralysis. He was born Sept. 14, 1862, in Altoona, the son of Robert A. and Matilda H. Bonine. For the past seventeen years Mr. Bonine has resided in Honolulu where he was engaged in the photographic and motion picture business. He is survived by these brothers and sisters: Elias D., Mrs. Park McFarlane and Elsie ??? of Altoona, Harry S. of Duquesne, Pa., and Mrs. S. M. Herbert? of Washington. Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pa., Monday, September 24, 1923, page 28 (1862-1923) Robert Kates Bonine American cameraman, photographer Bonine came from Altoona, Pennsylvania and was a noted photographer of ten years' experience when he first worked for Edison in 1898. In June 1899 he was hired again by Edison, which had done a deal with the Klondike Exposition Company for the exploitation of films showing the Alaskan gold rush. Bonine left for Alaska in the company of Klondike entrepreneur Thomas Crahan and took a number of films. Returning in October it was discovered that faulty registration had rendered the results quite unwatchable. Crahan was unable to use the films as promotions for the region at the Paris Exposition as he had intended, and both Edison and the Klondike Exposition Company lost heavily on the deal. Bonine moved over to Biograph, filming in Japan and China for them in the summer of 1901, then settling as chief cameraman at Biograph until 1903, during which time he also travelled to England to film the coronation of Edward VII in 1902. He rejoined Edison in January 1905, where he specialised in travel scenes, notably the aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake, Hawaii and the Panama Canal, then under construction. He continued to take still photographs for himself as well as Edison films, and subsequently gave illustrated lectures on his travels. Feeling isolated by the growth in popularity of fiction films and the declining market value of the actuality film, the disillusioned Bonine left Edison in May 1907 and was not replaced. After a photographic world tour he settled in his much loved Hawaii, where he continued as a filmmaker and photographer. Luke McKernan http://www.victorian-cinema.net/bonine.htm 1920 Altoona Ward 5, Blair County census - Elias Bonine 54, occupation none Elsie Bonine 46, sister, occupation none According to the death/obit indexes on the BCGS website, Elias Bonine died in 1927 http://www.bcgslibrary.org/deaths-am-1927-a-c.html FORMER PHOTOGRAPHER IS FOUND DEAD IN BED Elias D. Bonine, for many years a photographer located at 1106 Fourteenth street, now a part of the William F. Gable store site, was found dead in bed about noon yesterday at the home of a sister, Mrs. Park MacFarlane of 2011 Third avenue, with whom he had been residing. Despondency over ill health, from which he suffered for the past year is believed to have led Mr. Bonine to end his life by cutting his arteries in both forearms. The act was committed while Mrs. MacFarlane was shopping and the body was found when she and her son returned to the home. Mr. Bonine was born in Hollidaysburg, Oct. 31, 1865. He retired from the photography business in 1912. Surviving are two sisters, Mrs. Park R. MacFarlane, with whom he made his home, and Mrs. S. M. Bankert, of Washington, D.C., and one brother, H. S. Bonine of Alderwood Manor, Washington. Altoona Mirror, Altoona, Pa., Wednesday December 28, 1927, page 18 ----- Original Message ----- From: <davej@zoominternet.net> To: <pablair-l@rootsweb.com> Sent: Sunday, May 09, 2010 6:27 PM Subject: [PABLAIR] Photographers I am searching for information about two photographers. I have several pictures, I believe to be of family members, with photographers names shown on the pictures. I am interested in learning when these photographers may have been in business and if any records exist. The photos were probably taken between 1840 and 1880. R. A. Bonine, Holidaysburg Katt/Kott, corner 11th Avenue and 10th Street, Altoona Any help and information would be appreciated, Thanks. Dave Johnston To subscribe, unsubscribe or visit the PABLAIR mailing list archives, go to http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/usa/PA/blair.html To sign up for the Daily Uploads mailing list of PA USGenWeb Archives, go to http://www.usgwarchives.net/mailman/listinfo/padailyuploads ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to PABLAIR-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- No virus found in this incoming message. 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