1850-1866       112 Middle Street, Portland, Maine.

1850 November 13.  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  November 13, 1850, Vol. XX, No. 270, P. 3.

Daguerreotype Notice.  The subscriber having disposed of his Stock and Stand to George M. Howe would respectfully recommend him to his friends and the public generally.  M. Ormsbee.

Notice Extra!  George M. Howe having purchased the Stock and taken the Stand of M. Ormsbee would inform the public that Daguerreotypes can be had at his place as well as at any other establishment in the city or country.  Having secured the services of Ormsbee’s best operators he cannot fail to satisfy his customers.

Miniatures taken in any kind of weather, from one dollar to ten and rendered satisfactory, or no charge, at No. 112 Middle street.

Advertisement ran from November 13 to 15, 1850.

1850 December 26.  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  December 26, 1850, Vol. XX, No. 306, P. 3.

Christmas And New Year Presents!  The most appropriate articles for a Christmas or New Year Present is a good Daguerreotype Likeness—such a one as can be obtained at the old Stand No. 112 Middle Street.

The public are invited to call and examine specimens of the art.  Rooms open at all hours of the day.  Miniatures rendered satisfactory or no charge.  Geo. M. Howe.  Dec. 24.

Advertisement ran from December 26 to 28, 1850.

1853 February 18.  Illustration in American Heritage Magazine.  September 1992, Vol. 43, No. 5, Frontispiece.

Daguerreotype possibly whole plate of the Portland, Maine’s Log Cabin and Hard Cider Club.  From the Maine Historical Society, Portland, Maine.

1851 February 18.  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  February 18, 1851, Vol. XXI, No. 40, P. 3.

The Public Are invited to call and examine Specimens of Daguerreotype! At The Old Stand, No. 112, Middle Street, Where they can also be waited upon with a picture taken in a style superior to any other establishment in the city.

Cases, Frames, Lockets & c., constantly on hand.

Rooms open at all hours of the day, George M. Howe.  Feb. 15.

Advertisement ran from February 18 to August 5, 1851.

1851 June 14  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  June 14, 1851, Vol. XXI, No. 138, P. 3.

A Splendid Assortment of Lockets, Can be found at very low prices by calling at No. 112 Middle Street.  The subscriber is still at work taking Daguerreotypes in a style unsurpassed by any other establishment in this country.

Pictures taken in any weather.

The public are invited to call at my rooms and examine specimens.  George M. Howe.

Advertisement ran from June 14 to August 5, 1851.

1851 November 4.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  November 4, 1851, Vol. LIII, No. 44, P. 1 & 2.

Cumberland County Agricultural And Horticultural Society.  Agreeably to notice, the Fair and Cattle Show commenced on Wednesday, October 15, 1851 in Portland.

The Cattle Show was held in the pasture, corner of Green and Portland streets, the exhibition of produce, Manufactured articles, &c., at the City Hall…

Daguerreotypes:—There were numerous specimens of Daguerreotypes, from Geo. M. Howe, Messrs. Stevens & Gerrish and Mr. Samuel Carlton.  The committee could see but slight difference between those of Howe, and Stevens & Gerrish, both were believed to be as near perfection, as the daguerreotype process will allow, but on the whole the evidence of artistical skill in those of Messrs. Stevens & Gerrish, inclined the committee to give theirs the preference, and they awarded them a premium, 2.00.  To those of Mr. Howe they awarded a diploma.

Mr. Carlton has many admirers in his line, and deservedly so.

1852 July 2.  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  July 2, 1852, Vol. XXII, No. 157, P. 4.

Howe’s Daguerrean Gallery Is still open to the Public at all hours of the day.

The subscriber respectfully solicits the attention of all persons interested in Daguerreotypes!  To the largest collection of Specimen Pictures in the State, (taken in a style unsurpassed by any in the country,) at his Rooms No. 112 Middle Street.

Lockets, Bracelets, Pins, Frames, Cases, &c., of every description, constantly on hand, at the lowest market prices.

Miniatures taken equally in fair and in cloudy weather.  George M. Howe.  my21.

1852 August 10.  Christian Mirror.  (Portland, Maine.)  August 10, 1852, Vol. XXXI, No. 2, Whole No. 1562, P. 3.

Geo. M. Howe, Daguerreotypist, 112 Middle Street, Portland, ME.

Advertisement ran from August 10, 1852 to September 25, 1855.

1852 November 23.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  November 23, 1852, Vol. LIV No. 47. P. 4.

Official.  Cumberland County Agricultural and Horticultural Society.  (Concluded.)…Report Of The Committee On Fine Arts, &c…

Daguerreotypes from the rooms of Geo. M. Howe, Portland.  These, as a whole, are equal to any that have come under the inspection of your committee.  In the management of the drapery, in the softness and beauty of the shades, as well as in grace of position, they give evidence that old Sol has not done the work without important assistance from one possessing eminent artistical ability, on this terrestrial ball—awarded, 1st premium, $2.00.

1853 August 19.  Semi-Weekly Tribune.  (New York, New York.)  August 19, 1853. Vol. VIII, No. 859. P. 1.

The Exhibition At The Crystal Palace.  XVI.  American Art—Daguerreotypes.  If there be any one department in the whole building which is peculiarly American, and in which the country shines prominent, it is in that of Daguerreotypes, which are exhibited below stairs; and the collection, which is an extensive one, is made up of contributions from almost every section of the Union where the art is practiced.  In contrasting the specimens of art which are taken herewith those taken in European countries, the excellence of American pictures is evident, which is [to] be accounted for by several reasons.  In the first place, American skies are freer from fogs and clouds—from bituminous coal not being much used, the atmosphere of our cities is free from smoke, at least upon the Atlantic coasts.  Then the chemicals and processes are, generally speaking, of a more sensitive character, and the apparatus is more convenient and suitable than that of Europe.  Our little inventions come into play and aid in saving time and developing a good picture, and last, though perhaps not least our people are readier in picking up processes and acquiring the mastery of the art than our trans-Atlantic rivals.  Not that we understand the science better, but the detail of the work is acquired in a shorter time by us, while the enormous practice which our operators enjoy combines to render the daguerreotype art a necessary adjunct to the comfort of life.  Does a child start on the journey of existence and leave his “father’s hall” forthwith the little image is produced to keep his memory green..  Does the daughter accept the new duties of matron, or does the venerated parent descend into the grave; what means so ready to revive their recollection?  Does the lover or the husband go to Australia or California, and not exchange with the beloved one the image of what afforded so much delight to gaze upon?  The readiness with which a likeness may be obtained, the truthfulness of the image and the smallness of cost, render it the current pledge of friendship, and the immense number of operators who are supported by the art in this country shows how widely the love of sun-pictures is diffused.  Several thousand industrious artists and artisans are occupied in the preparation of very pure chemicals, as bromine, iodine, gold salts, hyperphosphate of soda.  Another class prepare silvered plates, cases, buffs, gilding, cut glass, and a hundred little addenda.  Then the manufacture of cameras and the grinding of good lenses is an important branch of the business; for without a camera having good lenses the best operator would fail to produce an image which would be distinct or saleable; and even with a good Voigtlander or Harrison camera, it requires great skill to focus the image; for, strange as it may appear, the point where a good view of the sitter is obtained is not the point best adapted for bringing out a good picture.  In other words the focus of vision and the focus of chemical action are not the same, and hence when we have the one we lose the other.  This is owing to the fact that it is not the rays of color on the solar spectrum which produce the image, but a different set of rays, viz: those of chemical action; and since this is the case, we submit the opinion that it is not possible to obtain a daguerreotype in its natural colors, as Mr. Hill and others have been trying to delude our operators into believing, and leading themselves and others by the [iguis fatuus] of plates tortured into iridescent colors by chemical oxidation.  But we are getting discursive upon this beautiful art, which was intended to subserve many other useful purposes than that of portrait painting.

Everybody known how difficult it is to keep silver from tarnishing, and that the action of the light is to destroy all preparations of silver.  Some of these are more readily acted on by light than others—are more sensitive, as it is termed.  Such are the iodide, bromide, and chloride of silver.  These salts cannot be kept exposed to the light for any reason, even a very short time, without undergoing some change; and when a plate of silver has a thin layer of iodine and bromine on its surface; and is placed in a camera, as soon as the screen is raised the image of the sitter falls on the plate.  The silver plate is acted on unequally, producing the effects of light and shade when brought out, as it is termed, by exposure to the vapor of quicksilver.  It is then fixed or prevented from undergoing further change, by washing it with a solution of gold.

To produce a daguerreotype picture there are five operations necessary.  The first is cleaning the plate.  This is the stumbling block of most operators.  They are not cleanly enough.  Several views in this Exhibition show that the plates were not well enough cleaned.  Never was a maxim more true than the old one, that “cleanliness is a virtue”—when it has reference to daguerreotyping.  The second the second is the foundation of the sensitive iodide of silver over the surface of the plate.  The third is the adjusting the plate in the camera obscura, for the purpose of receiving the impression.  The fourth is the bringing out the photographic picture, which is invisible when the plate is taken from the camera.  The fifth, and last, is to remove the excess of sensitive coating, and thus prevent that susceptibility to change under luminous influence which would otherwise exist and ultimately effect the picture.  The second operation is that which gives tone and warmth to the picture, and when performed by skillful hands makes a daguerreotype a beautiful piece of art.  The clearness and distinctness of the image is produced by the third process when carefully conducted, and the whole picture should be distinct over the whole plate.  These remarks will serve to illustrate the subjoined notes upon the collections in the Exhibition.

Mr. Lawrence exhibited a case in which softness of tone and distinctness of image are united with artistic arrangement.  The latter quality is specially noticeable in “The Three Ages.”  The mechanical execution of these pictures is unexcelled.  These pictures of Mr. L. were exhibited in London.  Mr. Brady’s collection is not very large, but there are a few very good pictures exhibited by him.  In Gurney’s collection the coloring of the background has a fine effect; there are some very well executed portraits, among which is one of Mr. Forrest, worth notice as a work of art: taken as a Whole there is less softness and more distinctness in this collection than in that of Lawrence.  The picture of Ware and his sister is an instance of a picture well developed when the chemical action extends to the margin of the plate.  D. Clark, New Brunswick, N. J., has four pictures of merit; and Van Schneidan a small collection of well-selected heads.  J. Brown has a collection of portraits of Commodore Perry and the officers of the squadron for the Japan Expedition, in half-size plates: the interest of this collection is much marred by the names of the officers not being attached underneath the plate; it is not too late to rectify this omission.  Haas has a whole-plate allegorical figure of a family man reading the paper at home—an excellent idea and well executed.  Besides this, he has a couple of other pictures, though on the whole his show is mediocre.  In the cases of Harrison & Hill there is displayed excellent artistic arrangement with very indifferent mechanical execution.  In the mammoth plates occupied by allegorical designs, the back-ground is wretchedly brought out—the plates were not properly cleaned, and are full of scratches; there are a few half and whole-sized pictures set in gaudy frames.

Webster, of Louisville, KY., has twenty-three pictures possessing clearness.  They have, however, been exposed a little too much in the camera; they lack warmth, but are otherwise well developed and exhibit good mechanical execution.  Alex Hesler has a collection of whole plates handsomely executed, possessing a nice arrangement of of the drapery, which has the effect of throwing the head out in good relief.  There is artistic arrangement in this collection, especially evinced in the picture “Driving a “Trade,” one of a series illustrating character and passion.  The panoramic view of Galena, Ill. Shows that city to advantage; and the three views of the Falls of St. Anthony possess great merit.  Mr. North, of Cleveland, O., has a case of pretty fail likenesses, perhaps exhibiting the lights too strongly.  Bisbee, of Dayton, O. exhibits a panoramic view of Cincinnati from Newport, upon six large plates.  This view is, without exception, the finest thing in the whole room; we might even go further, and say that it is the finest view by the Daguerreian process ever exhibited.  The mechanical execution is excellent, the perspective good, and the development unsurpassed.  The effect of the smoke over the southern part of the city is very finely given.  the distinctness of the letter signs, three-quarters of a mile distance and across the Ohio river, is well brought out.  The rest of the collection is fair, possessing no peculiar merit.  Williamson exhibits a poor collection.  Dobyn, Richardson & Co. have several whole size well-executed specimens, in which the mechanical part, the artistic arrangement and the chemical effect is good.  The “Cupid Reposing” is a very ungraceful picture of an ill-formed child, and the coloring is bad.  That of the Bateman Children, in character, is a good picture.  There are some exceedingly well executed heads in this collection.

Long, of St. Louis, has four frames of 180 heads of Wyman’s School, in that city, with the edifice and Principal; they possess no merit.  A likeness of Prof. Mitchell, Cincinnati, is well executed.  Some of the pictures in this collection are inverted with papier mache frames inlaid with mother of-pearl and tinsel.  As this style of frame appears in a few other collections we may as well here express dissent to the use of this material as being too gaudy and wholly unsuitable for daguerreotype plates. These latter are difficult to be viewed except in one light, and from the brightness of their surface, are much set off by deadened color on the frames, while the glare and iridescence of the papier mache add to the difficulty of discerning the picture; the use of such implies bad taste in the artist.  We felt this opinion growing upon us as we looked at them and found our view corroborated by a boarding school miss, who whisked alongside of us and caught by the colors, exclaimed, “Oh my! aint those “frames beautiful?”  Fitzgibbon has the richest exposition in the Fair—The most expensive frames with a large and passable collection.  The mammoth plate of Judge Colt is very good—That of Jenny Lind the best in the exhibition—those of McAllister, Julia Dean, Kate Hays, and Kossuth, are good pictures.  His collection of Indian Warriors, is a very fine one, which we understand is to be forwarded to the Ethnological Society of London, to have copies and busts made from them.  Masury & Silsbee, Boston exhibited twelve pretty and tasteful plates, with good arrangement and well finished.  The collections of Kilsey, Beals, and Howe do not require notice.  Whitehurst has a few good pictures in a large and passable collection; he has ten pictures illustrating the Falls of Niagara, which are very well executed.  Some of his large heads have their features out of all proportion.  Whipple of Boston, has a collection of photographic pictures, which he calls Crystallotypes, taken from Hyalotypes; there is a plate of the moon daguerreotyped, and one of the spots on the sun.  McDonnell & Co., Buffalo, have a very poor collection—so poor as not to deserve a place in the exhibition; the views of Niagara are fair.   Hawkins exhibits photographs on paper.  Drummond, eight plates of the order of Free masons in their lodge dress.  Fitzgibbon (already noticed) exhibits a very interesting case, which is a frame of electrotype copies from daguerreotype plates, very beautifully executed.  It should not be over looked upon as a mere curiosity to place a daguerreotype plate in a copper solution and take a copper cast from its surface by means of electricity: the copper cast looks much warmer in tone than the original.  It is to be regretted that Fitzgibbon did not complete this frame by the insertion of a third plate, by taking a second copy from the copper copy.  This would be in relief, like the original silver-plate, and is susceptible of being treated like an engraved plate; yielding, when inked, prints resembling mezzotint.  Besides the above collection of daguerreotypes, there is an assortment of cameras, lenses, stereoscopes and photographic paper, which are of interest to those practicing these beautiful arts.

1853 October 25.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  October 25, 1853, Vol. 53, No. 43. P. 2.

[Cumberland County Agricultural and Horticultural Society.]  The Cattle Show And Fair—Second Day.  Pictures…In the center of the hall was a case of photographic pictures, or daguerreotypes on paper, of familiar views, by Smith & Morrison & Co…

Of daguerreotypes, Carlton and Howe contributed two cases of very life-like and beautiful specimens.

1853 November 8.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  November 8, 1853, Vol. 53, No. 45. P. 2.

Second day in the Crystal Palace.  New York, Oct. 31, 1853…

And here we come to the; daguerreotypes, always surrounded by a crowd making out, if not making up, faces, as one would judge from the way they squint in order to counteract the effect of a bad light.  Among the pictures we noticed those contributed by our skillful townsman, G. M. Howe.  Though placed in much more modest cases that the majority, the marked excellence of the pivctures excited general attention.  And as a Portland man, I will say, I felt proud of the specimens of Portland beauty which Mr. Howe has brought to the exhibition, and of the faithful justice he has rendered to the originals.

1853 November 8.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  November 8, 1853, Vol. 53, No. 45. P. 4.

Cumberland County Agricultural and Horticultural Society.  Agreeable to notice , the Fair and Show commenced in Portland on Wednesday, Oct. 19, 1853.  The Cattle Show was held in the pasture, corner of Green and Portland Streets.  The Fair of produce and manufactured articles, at Lancaster Hall…

Premiums on Fine Arts, &c…

In regard to Daguerreotypes and Photographs, which perhaps may not be classed so properly under any other department as this.  Your committee particularly recommend notice to be made by you by a Diploma of the fine Crystalotypes (called Daguerreotypes on paper) exhibited by Smith & Morrison of Portland.  As most creditable beginnings of the introduction into our vicinity, so much to be hoped for, of the beautiful development of Photography.

Of the Daguerreotypes exhibited by Geo. W. Howe, as well as those by Mr. S. L. Carlton, they urge honorable mention as sustaining the reputation which the professors of that art have well earned, during many years for those executed here as being among the most beautiful in the world.

1854 September 26.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  September 26, 1854, Vol. 54, No. 39. P. 2.

The Fair…Passing from this apartment, over the bridge, to Lancaster Hall, a gorgeous display meets the eye, superior in point of richness to anything of the kind ever exhibited in this State, at least amidst which it is difficult to determine where to strike first.  But here the exquisite photographic miniatures of Messrs. Masury & Silsby (Sic.) of Boston draw the attention of all lovers of the fine arts, and excite wonder at the perfection to which this branch of art but a year or two old, has been carried.  In juxtaposition to these is the case of daguerreotypes from Mr. George M. Howe of this city, which won such encomiums at the Great Exhibition in New York.                                                                                                      

1856 December 4.  Maine Farmer.  (Augusta, Maine.)  December 4, 1856, Vol. XXIV, No. 50, P. 1.

Maine State AG. Society.  Awards Of Premiums…. Division IV.  Class VI—Miscellaneous And Incidentals…

G. M. Howe, Portland, daguerreotypes,…………Dip.

J. W. C. Morrison, Portland, photographs,………Dip.

R. Adams, Portland, ambrotypes,……………….Dp.

L. Wing[1], Waterville, do.,………………………2.00.

1857 February 17.  Christian Mirror.  (Portland, Maine.)  February 17, 1857, Vol. XXXV, No.29, Whole No. 1797, P. 2.

Hayden Association.—The following is the list of officers recently chosen:

Present, Francis Blake; Vice President, Albert P. Pennell; First Conductor, George A. Churchill; Second Conductor, Samuel Thurston; Secretary, Charles P. Carlton; Treasurer, Parmenio W. Neal; Librarian, Cyrus Staples; Investigating Committee, John L. Shaw, Arthur L. Ilsley, George M. Howe.

1857 March 10.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  March 10, 1857, Vol. 57, No.11, P. 3.

Pictures!  It is well known that the Ambrotypes & Daguerreotypes, Taken at George M. Howe’s, Are equal to any taken in this country!

All those who desire to see or obtain a satisfactory Picture are respectfully invited to call at the Old Stand—No.112 Middle Street.

1857 March 31.  Christian Mirror.  (Portland, Maine.)  March 31, 1857, Vol. XXXV, No.35, Whole No. 1803, P. 3.

Pictures!  It is well known that the Ambrotypes & Daguerreotypes, Taken at George M. Howe’s, Are equal to any taken in this country.

All those who desire to see or obtain a Satisfactory Picture are respectfully invited to call at the Old Stand—No.112 Middle Street.

Advertisement ran from March 31, 1857 to January 3, 1860.

1857 April 7.  Christian Mirror.  (Portland, Maine.)  April 7, 1857, Vol. XXXV, No. 36, Whole No. 1804, P. 2.

Dr. Cummings.—The friends of the late Dr. Cummings may see an excellent likeness of him in Mr. Todd’s window, Middle St.  It was painted by Mr. J. P. Hardy of Bangor, to whose work we called the attention of our readers last week, and to whose advertisement in our columns we would again refer.  This portrait is prepared from an enlarged photograph, which was obtained from a daguerreotype of Mr. G. M. Howe, artist of this city.  The picture must therefore have the accuracy of a sun-light impression, with all the expression of oil colors.  Oil Painting in connection with the camera, seems to us the perfection of the art.

1859 January 1.  Daily Eastern Argus.  (Portland, Maine.)  January 1, 1859, Vol. XXVII, No. 1, P. 2.

Photographs!  George M. Howe, No. 112 Middle Street, Is Taking Splendid Photographs Go, and see for yourselves.  nov. 22, 1858.

Advertisement was recorded from January 1, 1859 to March 1, 1860.

1859 April 19.  Portland Weekly Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  April 19, 1859, Vol. 59, No. 16, P. 3.

Photographs.  George M. Howe, No. 112 Middle Street….Is Taking….Splendid Photographs.  Go And See For Yourselves.

Advertisement ran five times between April 19 to July 12, 1859.

1859 July 16.  Portland Daily Advertiser.  (Portland, Maine.)  July 16, 1859, Vol. 29, No. 166, P. 4.

Photographs.  George M. Howe, No. 112 Middle Street….Is Taking….Splendid Photographs.  Go And See For Yourselves.

1865 January 10.  Christian Mirror.  (Portland, Maine.)  January 10, 1865, Vol. XLIII, No. 25, Whole No. 2212, P. 3.

George M. Howe, Photographer, No. 112 Middle Street, The finest collection of Pictures in the State may be seen at his Exhibition Rooms which is open to the public at all hours of the day.

Copies made in a superior manner.

Advertisement ran from January 10, 1865 to February 27, 1866.

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[1] Probably Simon Wing.