Photographers of Old Mauch Chunk

Photographers of Old Mauch Chunk

The following is a preliminary listing of photographers who worked in Mauch Chunk during the period from approximately 1851 through 1900. Much of the information about these photographers comes from brief Mauch Chunk newspaper articles and newspaper advertisements. Most of these photographers took both portrait photos and Mauch Chunk scenery photos for the tourist trade. Of particular interest among the latter photos are those produced for viewing in stereo (variously called stereographs, stereoviews, etc.). Stereophotography during this period is a study unto itself - see recommended reading section.

It is not clear who the 'first' Mauch Chunk photographer was, but it would seem likely that it was one of following three - Seem, McCarty or Brown. Articles in the newpapers from 1851 forward seem to indicate that Joseph Brown was the first on the scene, but he appears to have moved around quite a bit during the 1851 to 1853 period before settling down for a few years in Mauch Chunk. I have not studied papers prior to 1851, so the honors for the 'earliest Mauch Chunk photographer' may actually belong to another other than one of these three.

J.K. Seem (first name unknown)

Seem appears in Mauch Chunk newspapers from 1851 through 1853. His advertisements list his specialty as daguerreotypes. J.K. Seem operated out of the Knowles Building, 3rd story, from approximately 1851 through 1853. Daguerreotype portraits and stereo daguerreotypes. There are a couple of newspaper ads indicating that Seem was working with stereo daguerreotypes, but the 'technique' seems to not be true stereophotography but more of an optical illusion. If, though, he was truly taking stereo photos, he would be Mauch Chunk's earliest stereophotographer - and at a very early time in the history of commercial stereophotography.

T.W. McCarty

T.W. McCarty occupied the rooms vacated by J.K. Seem in the Knowles Building by May 12, 1855. Hours of operation were 8am to 5pm. Sold frames, cases, etc. in addition to photos.

Joseph Brown (variously listed as J. Brown, Joseph Brown or Joe Brown)

Specialized in both portraits and stereoviews. His stereoviews are outstanding from an 'artistic' perspective and he documented a number of rare Mauch Chunk scenes (like the freshet of 1862 and the refurbishing of St. Mark's). Of course, he photographed a number of tourist oriented scenes like Pisgah Plane. Here's a Brown stereoview - probably from the early to mid 1860s - of the Pisgah Plane - note the split rail fencing that was common in Pennsylvania prior to and during the Civil War.

In the closeup, you can see the coal cars about ready to ascend the plane - note several small children and roof of what was probably a Switchback repair shed on the far right.

The buff color, square corner stock for this stereoview appears to be the earlier stock used by Brown for mounting his stereoviews. Slightly later cards have round corners (still buff color) or are printed on yellow stock. A number of Brown cards have pre-printed labels on the back as does this card. Others, though, are labeled in handwriting on the reverse. Notice this card has handwritten 'Mauch Chunk' on the front right side.

Brown worked in Mauch Chunk from 1851 until approximately 1869 when he moved to Bath, PA. He and his wife both died in Bath.

There were several brief periods of time in which Brown either left Mauch Chunk for another town or went on 'journeys' in the areas adjacent to Mauch Chunk. Brown was in Summit Hill practicing the photographic art in September, 1853. Back in Mauch Chunk by March, 1856. Studio in Knowles Building. Originally doing daguerreotypes; taking ambrotypes by March, 1856. Advertised (June, 1856) 'Pictures taken on Glass, Metal, or Paper, from full size down to ring and pins'. Article in June, 1856 says that Brown was leaving town 'the first of next month'. Apparently he was touring during the summer, taking photos (so, he was a 'traveling photographer'). In August, 1856, though, he was still in Mauch Chunk (exhibiting ambrotypes downsized for lockets). By September, 1856, he had definitely returned to town and taken up, again, in the Knowles Building, 3rd floor. The articles indicates this was his old location, so this is probably the space previously used by both Seem and McCarty. He was again out of town in late 1856, early 1857, learning new photographic techniques and returned by late February, 1857. Brown advertised photographs retouched with 'Pastal, Oil and Water colors'. Here's an example of a Brown portrait:

For the amazing story of this lady of old Mauch Chunk, see Will Brown's page:

http://www.willbrownphoto.com/JennieKennedy/JennieKennedy.html

Here's another Brown carte de visite from 1864. Note tax stamp dated Dec 17, 1864 and initials 'JLB' above:

Up until the Spring of 1857, most of Brown's ads concentrated on his portrait photography (with one exception). A newspaper article from May, 1857 reports that he 'contemplates taking, from different stand-points, several views of Mauch Chunk, copies of which will be furnished visitors and residents at very low rate'. In September, 1857, Brown documented the ascension of the hot air balloon 'Old America' piloted by ballooning pioneer, Dr. John Wise, from Susquehanna Street. By November, 1857, Brown was advertising 'hollowtypes' as an improvement on ambrotypes. In June, 1858, Brown had photographed Mt. Pisgah Plane from the base and was offering this photo for sale. An article from the August 28, 1858 issue of the Mauch Chunk Democrat is the first that I've found that refers to Brown as other than 'Brown' or 'J. Brown', calling him Joe Brown.

Additional J. Brown stereoviews:

View of East Mauch Chunk

View of Courthouse and Bank

Susquehanna Street

Winter Time in the Mountains - Mauch Chunk

Mauch Chunk Narrows

Mauch Chunk Overview from Bear Mt.

Nature's Christmas Tree (detail)

Inundation of Mauch Chunk - 1862

Another Freshet of 1862 View

Coal Docks at East Mauch Chunk

Another Wintertime View near the Leisenring House on Packer Hill

M. A. Kleckner

M.A. Kleckner was a prolific stereophotographer operating in Mauch Chunk from around 1869 until around 1875. A Moravian and born in Bethlehem, PA, Kleckner began his career by taking photographs and stereoviews in and around the Bethlehem area, later branching out to other neighboring locales, including Mauch Chunk and Panther Valley. Prior to moving to Mauch Chunk, Kleckner was working out of Allentown. By 1879, Kleckner moved to Atchison, Kansas, continuing to pursue his photography career. Kleckner died circa 1930 in Kansas.

Notice tax stamp required during the 1861-65 period on reverse with initials 'MAK'. One cannot be certain that Kleckner was actually in Bethlehem during this period or whether he was only usually older card stock.

While in Mauch Chunk, his studios were in the Mansion House on Susquehanna Steet. Kleckner photographed a number of very important scenes in and around Mauch Chunk during a pivotal time in the town's transition from a coal terminus to a more tourist oriented location. For example, he chronicled the coal schutes at Mauch Chunk prior, during and after their removal (1872). Kleckner produced several series of stereoviews while in Mauch Chunk and Bethlehem:

Lehigh Valley Views - Mauch Chunk and Vicinity
Views on the Line of the Lehigh Valley RR - A Trip Around the Switch-Back RR
Kleckner's Stereoscopic Gems of the Lehigh and Wyoming Valleys.

Kleckner stereoviews were most often on yellow card mounts, in either regular or cabinet card size. Occasionally, one finds Kleckner using light green card stock popular with photographers in the late 1860s. The quality of his photographs is excellent, showing great clarity and depth.

For a listing of some Kleckner stereoviews (from series listings from card reverses) and examples of his work, click here.

Some Kleckner stereoviews:

James Zelner (also spelled Zellner)

Originally from Mauch Chunk, Zelner worked from approximately 1870 through to the mid 1890s, producing a great number of excellent stereoviews for the tourist trade and documenting a number of the local citizens through portrait photography. Zelner died in 1897 and is buried in the Upper Mauch Chunk cemetery.

Zelner's shop was at the corner of Race and Susquehanna - second story. The first floor was occupied by a shoe shop (at one point run by P.F. Murray). See photo.

Lehigh Valley RR Building (detail 1) (detail 2)

Overview Of Mauch Chunk

Rare Zelner large photo of Harry Packer Mansion Close up of bottom window

Nice hand-colored photo of child by Zelner

J. B. Readman

I’ve not been able to find much about this particular photographer. He seems to have been active in Mauch Chunk during the mid-1880s, operating a studio at the corner of Broadway & Susquehanna. Various short newspaper articles (Mauch Chunk Daily Times) about Steadman – none with much detail – appear during the1885/1886 time period. I have run across one photograph taken by him. Click here to see this photograph and a theory about its subject matter.

Samuel Zelner (East Mauch Chunk)

Samuel was the son of James Zelner and ran the studio of his father from around 1895 until 1900 when the building housing the studio (corner of Race and Susquehanna) caught fire. The studio was a total loss and was not insured. One can only imagine the photos that were lost.

Lewis Peters (East Mauch Chunk)

Peters was active during the 1890s both as a stereo and portrait photographer. He took some extraordinary stereoviews of Glen Onoko both in winter and summer. The photographic clarity of his stereoviews is exceptional. Additionally, he took a number of photographs of churches/pastors in and around Carbon County which he had encased in glass paperweights and which he offered for sale. Here’s a picture of Peters with one of his cameras (no a stereoview camera) – click here.

Other Photographers Photographing Mauch Chunk

Gates

Purviance

Woodward

Jarvis

Walker