Read from the beginning here. **Click on the images below for larger versions**
The type, style and imprint of Photo No. 40 exactly match that of Photo No. 39. Since they were on the same page in the Friends Album, I’m thinking the individuals pictured may be related:
Friend No. 40
Unfortunately, that’s all I can divine from this photo, as there were no other markings.
Photo No. 41 was taken by the same studio, but in a different iteration:
Friend No. 41
Above, the imprint shows the studio name is now Folsom & Moffitt’s in Danbury, Conn. Below is the imprint on the back (no other markings, but check out the detail in the doorway):
Reverse of Friend No. 41's photo.
I’m having a hard time figuring out when this studio actually went by the name of Folsom and Moffitt’s. Mrs. J.H. Folsom’s is listed in 1886-1890 Croffut’s Danbury City Directories. It is listed simply as Folsom’s in 1887-88, 1890, 1895, 1896 and 1897 in various other city directories. Ads for Folsom’s, located “Over Danbury National Bank,” can be seen in 1891-1894 Crofutts’ Danbury directories. The studio isn’t listed at all in 1898-1901 Danbury city directories. Moffitt is never mentioned… Nor did I have any success finding a photographer by the last name of Moffitt in the area in records like the census.
Based on the location given in the imprint and the ads I found in the directories, I’m going to guess it’s likely that this photo was taken in the early 1890s. I can only assume the Moffitt partnership was a brief one…
Here’s a bit of fun. The imprint above mentions that the bank building is located next to the city library. I searched for the library and found a historical image of the block:
Below is a postcard image that I found on Etsy. I’ve highlighted the bank building in pink:
Danbury City Library (right) and bank building (highlighted in pink). Photo links to Etsy original.
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Crofutt’s Danbury City Directory, 1886-1901. Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2011).
Danbury, Connecticut Directories, 1885-1890. Provo, UT, USA: The Generations Network, Inc., 2000. Ancestry.com (www.ancestry.com : accessed 26 March 2011).
Library and Danbury National Bank DANBURY Conn 1906 Undivided Back Vintage Postcard; Etsy.com (www.etsy.com : accessed 26 March 2011).
