Know? Did You Plant City’s PhotographersPioneer

From glass and metal to paper and pixels, photography has been a constant feature in our lives for 200 years. What began as scientific discovery quickly morphed into the realm of artistic expression, creating a lasting debate. Regardless of how you classify the practice, photographs have always served as preservers of memory. Since its inception, the process has captured key moments in time that those present can use as a catalyst for personal remembrance while those in the future may gaze into the past for what has once been. It is no surprise that such reminders captivate our visual senses and evoke questions about their subjects.

Plant City Photo Archives’ founding was based on photographs, and as such, we continue to not only preserve but also investigate the origins of the photographic material in our collection. Though our collection is made up primarily of negatives and prints from Bill Friend and Gladys Jeffcoat’s careers, each photographer inherited large portions of photographs from earlier Plant City photographers. It was a common practice for photographers to sell their inventory of negatives and prints along with their studios and equipment when they retire or move to a new location.

One of the earliest photographers we have cabinet cards from is Thomas G. Kingsley. Born in Georgia in 1870, Kingsley made his way to Florida and worked as a photographer for a brief time at the turn of the 20th century. Further investigation of old newspapers revealed names and vague locations for itinerant photographers. However, apart from the papers’ passing mentions that these men were operating in Plant City, little has been found about photographers Richardson & Kendig, Sanders & Whitehead, and Wallingham. Traveling photographers offered cheap and relatively fast service. The earliest photograph examples of the mid-1800s were created on tintypes but quickly moved to paper-based products (like the cabinet card) as the century progressed. Photographers set up their studios in numerous ways. They could be in permanent buildings, portable houses and stands, canvas tents, or even in covered wagons. Sometimes, the photographer would set up on a busy street or show up at businesses offering their services. Permanent studio photographers in the city were not always pleased to share their customer base with these transients.

As per early photographs and Sanborn Maps, New York Photo Company had a one-story studio between what became the Western Union Telegraph offices, and the Tropical Hotel on West Reynolds

St. Current research has yielded little information about the company or its proprietor. However, the stand was demolished sometime between 1909 and 1914. Moving into the 1920s, names like A. B. Chamberlain, T. T. Leavitt Photo Co., and Hockett Studio emerge. Like the traveling photographers, we know little about these local studios and research into the photographers is ongoing. Yet, we have them to thank for capturing a major developmental era for the city.

You can learn more about these photographers and travel through historic Plant City via these photographs at Plant City Photo Archives, located at 106 S. Evers St. For additional information or if you would like to share your photos and history, or volunteer with the Archives, please email info@ plantcityphotoarchives.org or call the office at 813.754.1578.