Lowell Gilmore

Lowell Gilmore
Photographer (1821 - 1900)

Lowell Gilmore operated a photographic gallery in Binghamton, New York continuously from 1858 until his death in 1900. He was born in Franklin, Massachusetts in 1821, a son of Joseph and Maria Dilber Gilmore. On December 29, 1845 he married Mary E. Peirce in Wrenham, Massachusetts, and they are pictured together in the above photo estimated to date from about 1856. ¹ Soon after their marriage, the couple moved to Albany, New York, where in February 1848 Lowell became a business partner of Martin Cutler, a bonnet bleacher. Their official partnership ended two months later when Lowell opened his own bonnet store. Three years later, while he was still in debt to his former partner Cutler, that business failed.² While in Albany Lowell and Mary had their first three children, son Ferdinand (1846 - 1866), and daughters Emma (1849-1929), and Grace (1852- ). Lowell and family then moved to Chenango, Broome County, New York (which included the village of Binghamton) where he pursued a living as an artist. In 1858 he opened his gallery as a "daguerreian artist." ³ In Binghamton their third daughter Louisa was born in 1860 but unfortunately died the following year. At that time they were living at 134 Court Street a few blocks east of the gallery.

In 1855, Gilmore's studio was located on the south side of Court Street between the Chenango Canal and Collier Street in the Leroy Block in partnership with John Bloodgood (see location 5 on the map at right and photo below). The first directory, published in 1858 by A.L. Jones, lists Daguerreotypists, Gilmore & Nixon, Francis W. Nixon, and A.B. Tubbs. According to various later city directories and CDV backstamps the studio moved among several adjacent addresses between numbers 68 and 72 Court Street always within the same block as the Post Office. It was known variously as "Gilmore's Photographic Portrait Gallery", "Gilmore & Co., New Photographic Rooms" and "Gilmore's New Portrait Gallery."⁴ In 1867 there was also a branch of Gilmore & Co. in Owego, New York at Lake and Front Streets.   He advertised "Negatives kept for further orders. Old photos enlarged to any size desired and finished in ink, water-color or oil in a superior manner."

70 Court Street (1861-1868)

Shown above is the backstamp for the carte de visite at right with the earlier address of 70 Court Street. Below right is a cabinet card with the later address, 80 Court Street, presumed to be the same location but from after 1878.

Findagrave.com

The Gilmore family grave stone in Binghamton's Spring Forest Cemetery lists Lowell, Mary E. and two of their children, Ferdinand and Louisa. All of the dates shown agree with public records except that of the death of Lowell himself. It indicates that he died in 1890, however he is found alive in the Binghamton city directories for 1892 and 1893, and the United States Federal Census taken on June 7, 1900 in which he is listed with his daughter, Grace A. Henwood, her husband, Jacob M. Henwood and their two children Emma L. and Richard L. Henwood. According to Anthony's Photographic Bulletin Lowell died that same year.

Detail of map of Broome County, 1855

80 Court Street (1888-1900)

The undated photo above is attributed to Lowell Gilmore. Looking southeast upon the block of Court Street between the Chenango Canal and Collier Street it shows the bridge across the canal (now State Street), Leroy Place and Chauncy Marvin's tailor shop, with the dome of the third Broome County court house building (1857-1896) in the background. Reminiscent of Pieter Bruegel's "Landscape with the Fall of Icarus", however, the true subject of the photo is none of these, rather it's Gilmore's own gallery on Court Street in the middle of the block. ⁵

1. The posting for the photo states that it was taken in Albany, New York and that Lowell Gilmore was age 25 and Mary Eliza was 19. It also estimates that it dates from 1856 when in fact they would have been about ten years older and living in Chenango, Broome County, NewYork. (back)

2. In 1850 his occupation is listed as "Bonnet Business, Industry: Apparel and accessories stores, except shoe Business." In addition to his family living in their household are Joseph Bruce (18) clerk, Maria Salbury (21) and Hester Lawlin(35), presumably his employees. (back)

3. In 1860 the family was boarding with Harriet F. Blake (39), milliner and Louisa E. Blake (17), seamstress, perhaps putting to use his former experience in the bonnet business. "Daguerreian" and "artist" were terms often applied to early photographers from 1839–1860, the former in honor of the process' inventor, Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851). Some, such as Seneca Bullock, were also artists in the sense of drawing and painting. (back)

4. In 1888 and 1893 Lowell Gilmore is listed at 80 Court Street which is now the address of the same location on Court Street as his previous addresses (see also note 5, below). The Chenango Canal was closed in 1878 and paved over to form State Street. It was probably at that time that Court Street properties were renumbered (back)

5. The Leroy Place building was built in 1839 by John H. Collier and named in honor of his law partner and early Binghamton lawyer, Daniel LeRoy. At the time of the photo it was numbered 62 and 64 Court Street. That location is now 72 Court Street and called " Green Man Green Space." The vantage point of the photo is the northwest corner of Court and State Streets, now the WAAL-WHWK-WWYL-WNBF-WYOS building at 59-61 Court Street. (back)