Here is the Philadelphia map of Victorian era photography studios.
| STUDIO NAME | ADDRESS | DATES OF OPERATION |
| J. Creamer & Co | 18 South 8th Street | unknown |
| J.W. Hurn | 1319 Chestnut Street | unknown |
| Gilbert’s Cartes-de-Visite, Photograph and Ambrotype Gallery | 1524 Ridge Avenue above Brown Street | unknown |
| C. Tolan, Photographer | 924 North 2nd Street (above Poplar) | unknown |
| Lovejoy, Photographer | 500 South 2nd | unknown |
| F.S. Keeler | 8th & Market Streets, SE corner | unknown |
| H.C. Vansyckel | 532 North 2nd Street | unknown |
| Bellis, Photographer | 508 Arch Street | unknown |
| Lathrop’s Studio of Fine Photography | 43 North 8th Street | unknown |
| Sawyer & Bro. | 522 North 2nd | unknown |
| J.R. Laughlan’s Photograph Rooms | 12th and Market, SW corner | unknown |
| G.D. Wise | 2nd Street & Christian, NW corner | unknown |
| F. Gutekunst | 704 & 706 Arch Street | unknown (early) |
| F. Gutekunst | 712 Arch Street | unknown (late) |
| J.A. Keenan | 526 South 2nd Street | unknown |
| Rhoads’ New Photograph Gallery | 1800 Frankford Avenue (corner Montgomery Avenue) | unknown |
| E.W. Warren’s Gallery | 1628 Market Street | unknown |
| Chas. H. Spieler | 722 Chestnut | unknown |
| Broadbent & Co. | 912 & 914 Chestnut | unknown (early) |
| Broadbent & Co. | 814 Chestnut | ca. 1861 |
| Wenderoth, Taylor & Brown | 912 & 914 Chestnut | unknown (late) |
| W.W. Seeler | 8th Street & Spring Garden Street, SE corner | unknown |
| Gilbert & Bacon | 40 North 8th Street & 820 Arch Street | unknown |
| M.P. Simons | 120 Chestnut Street | 1846-? |
| L.A. Sawyer | 159 North 8th Street | unknown |
| Rhoads & Shane | 1316 Girard Avenue | unknown |
| P.E. Lehillman | 914 Arch Street | unknown |
| T. Colbeck | 8th Street & Sansom (SE corner) | unknown |
| Applegate | 8th & Vine Streets | unknown |
| Van Loan Gallery, L.H. Purnell, Artist, Daguerrian Parlor | 159 Chestnut Street | 1840s |
| Willard, Daguerrian Parlor | Market Street & N. 16th Street, A-B | 1840s |
| Chas. G. Crane | unknown | unknown |
| J.R. Black | unknown | unknown |
dcphotoartist 
Hi! I’m doing some research on an old photograph I have by Chas. G. Crane. Since you have his address marked as “unknown,” I figured I’d let you know that (at least when my photo was taken) he was located at 632 Arch Street. Thanks for the whole list – they all really clumped together!
Meghan-
Cool, thanks for the tip! I’d love to see your photo. Any idea on when your photo was taken? If you can at least describe it physically, I can help a little. Glad I could provide some interesting info about Philadelphia photographers.
Hi I am doing some genealogy and I have 2 Photos from the Philly area 1 from P.E. Lehillman and one from Strauss but I don’t see Strauss on here. I wish I had more. If you have any questions feel free to ask. I am on Facebook and will post them.
Any idea where I could get old photos taken by Philly photographers in the 1800s identified? They have job numbers on the backs.
While it is theoretically possible, it is unlikely to be able to track them down. You can try the historical society in Philadelphia and see if they have the photographers records.
Hi,
Some years ago, when I was doing some genealogy research, my sister showed me a photo that she thought was likely a family member. I asked her permission to remove it from the frame and scan it, When I did, the identification was on a sticker on the back. The photo was taken by Broadbent & Co. at 814 Chestnut St, and was dated 8 July 1861. It was, in fact, a family member — our GreatGrandfather. NOTE that this is a different address for the company than you have above.
Best regards
One thing I’ve found in my research of these addresses is that photographers in that era often moved addresses, sometimes more than once. If you take Mathew Brady as an example, he moved his New York studio at least four if not five times, each time following the carriage trade further and further uptown as the wealthy kept moving toward Central Park. Philadelphia was America’s second city and it would surprise me that photographers didn’t observe similar trends, moving studios to more chic neighborhoods as the city evolved and grew. I’m pretty sure I got the address for Broadbent off the velvet pad on a cased image, which would have been made earlier. Thanks for the info- I’ll add it to the list.
I have an address from the back of a photo by J.R. Black, “Artist & Photographer”, Seventh St. above Washington Ave., Philadelphia. No idea when it was taken! Also, a photo from this same era by Keely at 242 North Eighth Street (late of Fifth and Coates) in Philadelphia.
Thanks for the addresses!
Have a photo from what looks like Eve Kientzle 606 Arch St, Phila…who would have been my GREAT GREAT GREAT Grandparents so maybe in the late 17 or 1800’s Photo has stamped address on it but can’t see date.
Hello, I have what appears to be a photorgraph of a seated Civil War Officer and on the back it is noted that
the photographer was J. R. Black of Washington Ave in Philadelphia. I noticed your listing has “unknown” for him.
The unknown for the photographer is the dates of operation. He was definitely working in the 1860s, but how much before or after that I don’t have a good reference point for.
I really wish I could find out for sure who some of the relatives are in the photos that I found. I was able to identify some based on markings on the back and they are numbered. Has anyone had any luck with this? You mentioned Philadelphia Historical Society above – I would be curious if anyone has had luck with it.
I have quite a few photos – I’ll give you what I have found –
George W. Bew – 1725 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia PA
Rhoads 1800 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia PA
Applegate Vine & 8th Streets Philadelphia PA
Blaul 1937 Germantown Ave, Philadelphia PA
Draper Philadelphia PA 1313 & 1315 Columbia Ave Corner Park Ave, Philadelphia PA
BF Reimer, 613, 615, 617 N 2nd Street Philadelphia
Santman 301 W Girard Ave
AC Gabriel SE Corner 4th and Oxford
Comly T Santman NW Corner 3rd and Girard Ave
R Steinbach 843 N 3rd Street
Henry Arens 3D and Brown Streets OP Red Men’s Hall
Joseph Alter – Northern Liberties Gallery – 731 N 3rd Street below Brown
A Kientzle 155 N 6th Street
Some of these could be duplicates but I wanted to just include a full list of what i had. Hopefully these will help 🙂
Great information. Thank you. I just bought an Ambrotype with address of SW Cor 8 & Arch
Name is Cooper with ambrotype below the name. All stamped on the mat.
Also, patent July 11, 1854
I have, I believe is a tin type, taken by an R.N. Keely, with an address of 232 N. 2nd Street or 22 Street, Philadelphia. I think it’s a great grandmother of my father. Do I need to contact Philadelphia Historical Society for additional information as to approximate year?
I have a photograph from Jas R Black Jr photographer, 1033 South Seventh St at Washington, Philadelphia. Thought you might like the address as you have it listed unknown.
Thanks!
I did not see this one on your list yet: Ph. Zorn, whose studio was located at 730 Spring Garden Street.
I have a cabinet card photo with photo studio name of Wetzel and Ramspacher address 1316 Girard Ave Philadelphia embossed on bottom. You do not have this business listed, but you do have listed at that same address Rhoads and Shane. Found this interesting and wanted to share
I have a nice portrait, that a Facebook group thinks dates to the late 1890’s that says, Hansbury, 914 Chestnut St. Now you have Broadbent, and also, Wenderoth, Taylor and Brown with similar addresses.
Philadelphia, like many other cities, had a “photo district” where many photographers had their studios all in close proximity to one another.
I have a photo from Lothrop’s Studio of Fine Photography 43 North Eighth Street Philadelphia. The photographer is David Lothrop. He was born MA and lived in NJ. His first shop was in 1867 at 1500 Reed St. Then moved to 43 N. 8th by 1873; operated there until 1883 then moved to 54 N. 9th St. until at least 1893
Thanks for the info!