Photographers

Carol Jenkner

Education Director

Santa Fe Trail Center

 

            This week’s article continues with photographers as its theme. Many of the early photographers in towns such as Larned did not stay long. Some never intended to and steadily moved West sometimes making a name for themselves when they found their niche. The earliest photographers found in Larned date back to circa 1880. There were almost certainly earlier ones as well that have not come to light.

            The earliest list of photographers with connections to Larned includes George Benjamin Wittick and R.W. Russell, the men who took the known stereoviews of Larned mentioned last week. There were also J.R. Douglas, Douglas and White, E.A. Harris, and Misters Mojonier and Ritter. The Mojonier name is associated with an early hardware store in Larned located next to Landauer and Schnack Dry Goods noted as being between 6^th and 7^th Streets, presumably on Broadway.

            The 1886 Larned City Directory gave the names of J.J. Hargrave, J.R. Wilson, Smith and Wilson, D.N. Wheeler, L.W. Marble and a Mr. Nutting whose name appears on a photograph as Wheeler and Nutting. Mr. Marble was responsible for the stereoviews of Doerr’s Big Store. The others were noted as being primarily portrait artists.

            By 1910 the city and county directory listed W.B. Conard, the Dirks Studio, D.B. Garver and L.W. Marble. W.B. Conrad showed up in 1921 directory. The Misters Conard and Conrad, both with the initials W.B. appear in the 1921 directory at two different addresses. And then, to confuse matters further, a search through some of the photos in our archives turned up a pair of photographs, one signed C.W. Smith and one signed G.W. Smith. There are some photos just marked Smith, Larned, Kansas. Which one was he?

            By 1930, Larned had the Conrad Studio, the Rowland Studio and a photographer named Grenell with a studio at 9^th and Broadway. In 1931, Rowland was still listed, but Stutzman Studio, and Guys Cottage Studio had been added. Then there was Comrade Smith. More about him next week.