In 1854, as the smoke still cleared from a fire in downtown Ogdensburg, a mysterious horse-drawn wagon rolled into town. It wasn't delivering goods or mail; it was a 'Daguerreian Car'—a mobile photo laboratory. Inside was James Dow, a painter-turned-pioneer who would become one of Ogdensburg’s greatest photographers.
James Dow (1828-1921) became a photographer when this medium became popular in the mid 19th century. He was born and raised in Watertown, NY, beginning his career as a painter. Dow decided to move west and was halfway on his journey when he met a photographer, who wanted him to become a partner in his business. In those days, many photographers were itinerant. Their studios were in wagons that traveled from town to town. After the photographer died, Dow purchased the car and equipment and began his career as a photographer.
Eventually, Dow came back to the North Country with the Daguerreian Car, settling first in Brier Hill, where he met his future wife, Caroline Gordon. He spent the winter there because the plank roads made travel difficult. When spring came, he moved to Ogdensburg, arriving just after a devastating fire that was set by arsonist Robert Wilson. He received permission to set up shop on an empty lot on Ford Street, right across the street from Ogdensburg’s first known photographer, Edward Olds, whose studio was located in the Eagle Block. Dow eventually established his business in the Hopkins Block on the east end of the bridge.
Ogdensburg was known as the New York of the North when Dow was building his business. In the 1850s, Ogdensburg was still a village, but it experienced a boom due to its location on the St. Lawrence River and the coming of the railroad. In 1868, Ogdensburg dropped the “h” and became a city. As a busy port, the city welcomed thousands of travelers arriving by train and boat, potential customers who sought a portrait as a memento of their journey.
In 1854, daguerreotypes were the predominant type of photographs produced. Both Edward Olds and James Dow likely produced these types of pictures. Daguerreotypes were produced on polished silver-plated copper plates and were usually placed in cases under glass to protect them. However, less expensive forms of photography were being introduced by the mid-1850s.
Two new forms of photography would make daguerreotypes obsolete. Ambrotypes were produced through the wet collodion process, which created a negative image on glass that was then backed by dark material to appear as a positive image. Cartes de visite were introduced at the same time and became extremely popular by the 1860s, resulting in a phenomenon known as “cardomania.” These photographs were the first that could be mass-produced, making them an inexpensive way for Civil War soldiers and their families to share images as keepsakes. In that era, a typical carte de visite cost a customer between $1.00 and $15.00 for a sitting and several copies. (Between $38.00 and $579 today)
The carte de visite remained the gold standard of photography for half a century, finally meeting its match in 1900. With the debut of the Kodak Brownie, the 'snapshot' was born, making the formal studio portrait a luxury rather than a necessity.
Photographers were artists and had to be technically proficient to perform their jobs. When James Dow came to town, Edward Olds predicted that he would soon fail. However, Olds, who was a member of a band, frequently left a note on his door that he was “gone with the band.” Potential customers simply crossed the street, where Dow was happy to take their photograph. Dow eventually bought out Olds and sold his Daguerreian Car, becoming the premier photographer in Ogdensburg until he died in 1921. His sons, Frank and Charles, carried on the business. Another son, Eugene, moved to Rochester, where he worked for Eastman Kodak Company. Daughters Jessie and Ella were artists at the business, and Carrie assisted in running the studio as well.
Studios were a necessity in the 19th century due to several factors. Photographic equipment weighed as much as 100 pounds, making it difficult to move great distances. Before the invention of dry film, photographers had to use glass plates coated with chemicals, which had to be developed while the plate was still wet. As a result, the studio would have been filled with the acrid smell of ether, iodine, and silver nitrate. The darkroom had to be very close to the camera because the glass plate had to be wet or the picture would not develop. Studios also provided controlled lighting, which was needed for the image to be burned onto the plate. Finally, due to long exposure times, subjects had to remain still for extended periods. Studios provided iron headrests, which had hidden metal clamps placed behind a sitter’s head to keep them still for the 30 seconds required to capture an image onto the glass plate, and braces to help subjects hold poses.
Dow’s first studio, located on the corner of Crescent and Lake Street, was destroyed by fire in 1873. After that, he moved the business to his home on the corner of Morris and Ford Street. (This location was the site of St. Mary’s Academy and is currently the home of the fire department.) The gallery was then moved to the second floor of the Hasbrouck Building at 125 Ford Street, where it remained for 70 years. Before the business closed for good, it relocated to 422 Ford Street.
James Dow’s foray into photography happened at a fortuitous time in history. Photographs, especially Cartes de visite, were wildly popular throughout the nation. When Camp Wheeler, was established east of William Street near the Arterial Highway, an impressive sight unfolded on Ford Street: entire regiments of Civil War soldiers flocked to Dow’s photo gallery. They marched in formation, eager to have their images preserved in group and individual photographs before going off to war. It was one of these sittings that captured the likeness of General N.M. Curtis, hero of Fort Fisher and Medal of Honor recipient. This photograph was used to create the statue that commemorates his service, which stands at the Dobisky Visitor Center today.
Dow’s Studio was also a training ground for other photographers. Sons Eugene, Charles, and Frank were trained by their father, as was noted photographer Theodore Marceau. Marceau would take the skills he learned to the world stage, establishing a famous studio on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
While Dow was a cornerstone of the city’s photographic scene, he shared it with other great photographers. Prominent contemporary A.C. McIntyre gained fame for his 3-D stereoviews of the North Country, especially the Thousand Islands. And Frank Lesperance and Louis Murray became fixtures of the local scene. In later years, Allen Burns and Betty Steele continued to capture the city’s history through their work.
While modern smartphones have made photography effortless and ubiquitous, the world James Dow lived in was one where a picture was a rare and special event. For many, a studio portrait was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence—a reason to don their Sunday best and sit perfectly still to capture a special moment. Today, these photographs have found a second life; a quick search on eBay often reveals Dow’s original cartes de visite. These surviving mementos allow 21st-century collectors to hold an artifact that a Civil War soldier possibly once tucked into his uniform for safekeeping. James Dow began his career as a painter, but through his photography, he became a guardian of Ogdensburg’s history, ensuring that the faces of the past would never truly fade away.
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