Tag Archives: S. H. McGrew

McGrew, S. H.

Ambrotypes, Melainotypes, , ,

1857                Smith House, Van Buren, Arkansas.

1857 March 13.  Arkansas Intelligencer.  (Van Buren, Arkansas.)  March 13, 1857, Old Series Vol.  XV, No. 2, New Series III, No. 27, P. 2.

Something New.  Call at McGrew’s Melainotyping rooms at the Smith House, and have your pictures taken on Iron.  They are very beautiful and durable.  Mr. McGrew is an experienced artist, we advise all who want fine pictures to call on him, they are superior to any we have ever seen.  He will also take Ambrotypes in the finest style.

1857 March 13.  Arkansas Intelligencer.  (Van Buren, Arkansas.)  March 13, 1857, Old Series Vol.  XV, No. 2, New Series III, No. 27, P. 3.

Melainotypes & Ambrotypes.  The latest and most approved style of pictures taken by the undersigned at the Smith House.  Ladies are respectfully invited to call and take settings, citizens and strangers are requested to call and examine for yourselves.  The melainotype picture is taken on iron [plate] and is warranted not to fade, pictures taken in cloudy weather, pictures of corpes and invalids taken at their residence.

Patronage solicited, satisfaction or no charge.—Locket and pin filled to order.

N. B.—Instruction given in the late styled pictures.  S. H. McGrew.

Advertisement ran from March 13 to 27, 1857.

1857 March 20.  Arkansas Intelligencer.  (Van Buren, Arkansas.)  March 20, 1857, Old Series Vol.  XV, No. 3, New Series III, No. 28, P. 2.

Melainotype.  Our citizens who are desirous to see splendid life like pictures well executed, we request them to call at the “Smith House” and examine specimens of the art taken by Mr. McGrew, on iron, which gives a durability and purmanency [sic.] heretofore unknown.  We speak from personal observation in regard to the merits of this peculiar mode of picture taking.  Our citizens would do well to call and obtain a likeness, as Mr. McGrew has but a few days to stay.

J. M. McGrew

Ambrotypes, Melainotypes, Photographs, , , , ,

1857                Address Unknown, Fort Smith, Arkansas.

J. M. McGrew was recorded in one advertisement that was recorded on April 11, 1857 in the Fort Smith Weekly Herald (Fort Smith, Arkansas).  J. M. McGrew, Melainotype, Ambrotype and Sperotype Artist, would respectfully announce to the citizens of Fort Smith and vicinity, that he will visit their city in a short time, for the purpose of taking likenesses in any of the above arts; and, as he has been engaged in the business for the last 10 years, he flatters himself that he can give entire satisfaction, and asks of all to give him an impartial trial, and then compare the likenesses taken by him,, with those taken by other artists, and judge for themselves.  Mar. 28. 

J. M. McGrew is not recorded in other photographic directories.  Note the date at the end of the advertisement Mar. 28, another advertisement for S. H. McGrew[1] ran from March 13 to 27, 1857 in the Arkansas Intelligencer Van Buren, Arkansas.  The distance between Van Buren and Fort Smith, Arkansas is 7.3 miles on modern roads.  It is unknown if they are the same person or possibly related.

[1] Also recorded in Pioneer Photographers From The Mississippi To The Continental Divide A Biographical Dictionary, 1839-1865, and in Arkansas Made a Survey of the Decorative, Mechanical, and Fine Arts produced in Arkansas, 1819-1870, Vol. 2.