Monday, October 8, 2012

Old Photos of Red Wing

It would really be cool to find modern photos of the same areas as these to use to compare what the old and new look like.
Photo by Phillips, View of Red Wing

Barn Bluff, 1895
Ferry Crossing from Wisconsin to MN, over the Mississippi, 1890
Another view of Red Wing
Indian Woman, possibly the 4th of July

Wells Fargo in Red Wing, 1903

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Photographer, Phillips

I have some interesting new information about when the photo of Synneve
Berge Vangsness may have been taken.
Here is a link to the Find A Grave page for Synneve.
Here is the link to the Family Database A Beginning - The Vangsness Family.
Again, our friend and helper who wishes to be un-named had an interesting insight. 
On the photo at the bottom, you can see:

Phillips  JP Red Wing, Minn.



This photographer and his sons can be found on the Minnesota Historical Society home page. Many of the photographers did not stay a long time in each place they worked, so it is possible to "guess" with some accuracy when the photo was taken.

John Phillips was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He lived and worked in Lake City, MN from 1878-1879. But, he also lived and worked in Red Wing from 1884-1885. The note also says that he worked in Minnesota in the 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s. There is further information that he was in Red Wing for 10 years, from 1881 to 1891.

John had 3 sons, F.H. Phillips who may have moved to Florida, C.A. Phillips who worked with his father in the 1890s, and another son, Wellington J. Phillips who worked in Red Wing in 1894, as well as 1909-1912.

Now, Synneve died in 1891, so it is very possible that this photo was taken in 1881 to 1891, but most likely taken between 1881 and 1884 or 1885. The photo could have been taken by the father, John or the other son, Wellington J. I have looked on the web and there are several sites with photos by Phillips. I will add those links to my next blog entry. The father, John Phillips did work in Red Wing for 10 years, 1881 to 1891, so the date could have been between those years. She does look very young in the photo, so the date is most likely earlier rather than later. Of course, this is just a guess based on dates that the photographer worked in Red Wing.

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This is what the History of Goodhue County says about John Phillips and Wellington J Phillips, that his father, John, came to Red Wing in 1881 and worked for 10 years, till 1891:
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Wellington J. Phillips, Red Wing, photographer, was born at Fort Madison. Iowa, July 7. 1872. His parents were John and Helen (Brown) Phillips, the former a native of Baltimore, Md. and the latter of England. 

John Phillips learned the business of photography at a time when that profession was comparatively in its infancy and the modern inventions and improvements along these lines were unknown. Later he moved to Burlington, Iowa, and became a conductor on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy railroad. An accident received in a wreck incapacitated him for this employment, and in 1870 he again took up photography, opening a studio in Lake City, Minn. In 1880 his place of business was destroyed by the great fire which visited that city that year, and in 1881 he came to Red Wing, and continued in the business ten years. In 1891 he became conductor on the Duluth, Red Wing & Southern railroad, on the run from Red Wing to Rochester. In 1895 failing health overtook him and he was forced to retire. He is now police judge at Stanley. Wis. 

Wellington J. received his education, first in the Nazarene convent at Lake City, and after coming to Red Wing with the family also studied in the convent here, afterward finishing at high school. Choosing business instead of college, he studied photography and at once started in business for himself. He does excellent and artistic work and has a large trade. He has just completed on Third street a new building, in which he has one of the handsomest and most modern studios in the Northwest. 

He is a Republican in politics, and a member of the Episcopal church. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, and for six years served in the Minnesota National Guards, a member of Company G. Mr. Phillips was married February 12. 1896, at Clinton. Mo., to Mary L. Brooke, of Bristol, Va., daughter of the Rev. Pendleton and Caroline (Bunting) Brooke, of Norfolk. Va. Her father died in March. 1898. and her mother resides at Seattle. Wash. To Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have been born five children: Eleanor L.. April 4,