George N. Cobb was born in March,
1847 a son of Ziphron and Sarah Cobb.1
On December 26, 1867 he married
Augusta Campbell (1849 - 1942) with whom he had three
daughters, Myra, Nina, and Lena Cobb. By 1872 the
family had moved from Montrose to Binghamton, New York
where Mr. Cobb established his photography studio at
77 Court Street, succeeding A. Hickcox at that
location. In 1878 The
Photographic Times published this
glowing review of Mr. Cobb's work:
Mr. George N. Cobb, of Binghamton, N. Y.,
has sent us some very creditable cabinet
photographs, showing not only fine posing and
lighting, but evidencing a well-appointed
skylight. We recognize several of Seavey's
best backgrounds and accessories,2 which being judiciously
employed, have produced good results. Mr. Cobb is a
careful and intelligent student of the art, and we
predict for him increasing popularity and permanent
success.
That early review of his work was very prophetic as
reflected in the obituary for George N. Cobb in the
Binghamton Press (May 28, 1920) summarizing his life
and career some forty-two years later:
George N. Cobb, called "the
father of photography in Binghamton died late
yesterday afternoon at his home 63 Carroll street,
aged 73 years. Many photographers who afterward
became well know learned their trade from him, and
his calls up memories of the long ago when his only
rival for leadership here was Singhi.
Mr. Cobb learned to make pictures in
Montrose, Pa., in the days before daguerrotypes had
quite disappeared from public favor. He came to this
city about 1880 and opened a studio at 75-77 Court
street, where hundreds of men and women now past
middle age had their graduation and wedding pictures
taken, their heads firmly held in an iron headrest
after the fashion of the day.
In this studio, Arthur F. Newing, M. R.
F. McCarthy, Theodore Rogers, Osborne
[sic], Ostrum and other men who later became known
for their skill as photographers worked in the days
of their apprenticeships, and to Mr. Cobb they gave
much of the credit for their later success.
By the time Mr. Cobb came here the
daguerrotype was no more. It had been replaced
by wet plate, smelling strongly of collodion, which
the photographer had to prepare and sensitise with
silver before he made each exposure and afterward
hasten into the dark room to develop the plate
before it should dry. Also he had to
prepare his own printing paper, which was of
the albumen type and was toned in gold. The
modern aids to photography, such as the dry plate
and film and ready prepared printing papers were
undreamed of then.
In 1903 Mr. Cobb sold his business to
Theodore B. Rogers and retired. He had
lived at 63 Carroll street during all the time of
his residence in Binghamton.
Mr. Cobb is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Augusta Cobb; a daughter, Mrs. Lena Gunnison of
Seattle, Wash., widow of Judge Royal A. Gunnison of
Juneau Alaska, and by two sisters, Mrs. D. E.
Rowlingson of Los Angeles, Calif., and Mrs. A B.
Burnes of Montrose. Another daughter, Nina
Cobb Hess, the first wife of the late C. Fred Hess,
died 23 years ago. He was a brother of the late Dr.
Cobb.
The funeral will be held at the
house on Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. The service
will be conducted by the Rev. Dr. James Benninger,
pastor of the Centenary M.E. church, of which Mr.
Cobb long had been a member. He also was a member of
the Oxford class of that church and of Calumet lodge
62, I.O.O.F.
Despite having sold his studio to Theodore Rogers in
1903 he continued to be listed as a photographer in
subsequent censuses and city directories up to his
death in 1920. Apparently he operated a studio
in his home on Carroll Street. Mr. Cobb is
buried at Spring
Forest Cemetery, Binghamton.
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