A Mr. Allen appears in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and Kings County Democrat, on December 24, 1846 at 43 Fulton Street, Brooklyn, N.Y.  There is also a Mr. Allen recorded in The Long Islander, published in Huntington, N.Y. on July 2, 1847 at Mr. Silas T. Ketcham’s.  It is conceivable to think that the two possibly are the same person.

In the Long Islander advertisement he states that he has had long experience in the business.  He takes likenesses for insertion in rings, breast pins, lockets or bracelets, and makes copies from paintings, portraits and daguerreotypes.  Likenesses taken of the sick or deceased persons, at their residences, on the shortest notice.  He also offers instructions in the art, and has rings, breast pins, lockets, and bracelets also apparatus and chemicals of all kinds for sale.

Is the statement that he has had long experience in the business hype or has he been active in the business for a number of years? In trying to identify who Allen might be and verify activity dates a search of photographic directories and histories turned up nothing.  Of the twenty six Allen’s that are listed in Craig’s Daguerreian Registry William A. Allen is the only possibility, based on location and activity dates, his first entry is 1848-1849 at the corner of Bridge and Tillery Streets in Brooklyn.  Two other daguerreian’s E. A. Allen who I posted a couple of day ago was in Burlington, Vt. In 1841, and William Allen who was listed in Batavia, N.Y. in 1848-1849, which is over 350 miles away.  But again without additional conclusive information this is only speculation.