J. Will Barbour was 'The People's Popular Photographer' in late 19th-century Chambersburg
The art of photography is to capture an image of an interesting subject and to develop it for a lifetime treasure. Some of my favorite styles of photographs are cabinet cards and stereoviews.
The cabinet photo was introduced circa 1870. It was a thin photo mounted onto a hard card stock that measured 4.5 wide inches by 6.5 inches long.
The stereoview (also known as stereograph) ranged from 1860 to 1920. These double-view cards were placed on a device called a stereoscope, which made the two photos appear as if they were one 3-D image. The card stock measured 3.5 inches wide by 7 inches long.
Franklin County, Pennsylvania had a number of great photographers during the late 1800s and early 1900s who produced high-quality work. One of these noted local photographers was Chambersburg's James William Barbour.
Barbour took a deep interest in the advancement of photography and is credited for inventing the three-color process for cabinet cards. Born in Chambersburg on November 10, 1868, he was educated in Chambersburg and graduated in 1886. Barbour was known as J. Will or Will.
As a young man, Barbour's first photography studio was located in the Hoke Building near Memorial Square and adjacent to the former Franklin Repository building on the northeast side of North Main Street.
It was a few years later that Barbour relocated to 47 South Main St. and opened his new studio known as the Skylight Gallery. Barbour had produced some really fantastic cabinet and stereoview cards. With all the superb photos that Barbour produced you could say that every one of his images told a story.
It was late in January 1891 that Barbour took a picture by moonlight as the full moon glowed on the snow-covered ground around the nearby buildings and Chambers orchard near the Wolf and Company shops. He exposed the glass plate for one hour, which was longer than he would've needed for a photo taken during the daylight.
The residents of Chambersburg by the early 1890s were referring to Barbour as “The People's Popular Photographer."
Barbour advertised in September 1894 about the upcoming “Our Baby Day:" "We will celebrate the beginning of our fall trade on Monday, October 1st by making a cabinet picture 'Free of Charge' of every baby brought to our studio between the hours of 8 A.M. and 4 P.M."
Barbour issued 150 tickets that day for free photos. The people on the sidewalk could see the many baby carriages lined up outside waiting their turn.
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Once again Barbour relocated his photo gallery back to the Hoke Building in early 1895.
A letter written by Barbour and his family reveals some of their daily experiences. For example, he wrote that Nov. 19, 1897, was a busy day for making prints, including photos of himself and his 8-month-old son J. Murray. He also said that he would soon get a Christmas tree for his family.
In need of a larger home, it was on May 13, 1898, that Barbour met with well-known Chambersburg architect and builder Maurice Rhoads (1863-1926). Barbour and his family moved into the new home at 39 Hazel St. in early January 1899.
Babour had an interesting experience on March 2, 1899, when he used a telephone for the first time. That same month, he and other local people gathered at the Cumberland Valley Railroad Station on Third Street to welcome home the Spanish American War soldiers.
In addition to photography, Barbour was talented at drawing cartoons. Pieces focused on one of his sons, J. Murray, were called "Ten Pin Figures."
Barbour was always interested in his community and it was on Sept. 19, 1900, that he was appointed as the Chairman of the Wolf Lake Pageant Committee. He was also a member of the Executive Committee, where he helped to work on and design several floats for parades.
There were some unfortunate times ahead for the young photographer. Barbour's health began to fail in 1901 when he contracted tuberculosis. His doctor advised him to travel west to a different climate, so he headed for Denver, Colorado, and then Cheyenne, Wyoming for a six-month respite during the winter of 1902 through the spring of 1903.
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When he returned home, he placed an advertisement inside the window of his photo gallery that said: "Photographs, 'Good Work at Fair Prices,' year after year of increased business have enabled us to give our customers a better value for their money. Give us a chance to please you in Photographs, Large Portraits, Photo Jewelry and Photo Finishing."
But it was only a short time after returning from his trip west that his health worsened. He went to California in the hopes of improving.
In early 1906 Barbour wrote an article for the publication, “The Christian Advocate”, entitled, “The Eye and the Camera." He wrote “I have said nothing about the iris of the eye, which corresponds with the diaphragm in the camera, or of the lids which represent the shutter, the retina serving as the plate or film, and the wonderful result of the eyes working together, which we imitate in using the stereoscope. Even if I had the space and ability to describe all these things in detail there would come up the greatest question of all : How does the soul behind the eye to see?”
The curtain would soon be closing for Barbour, as after four years of suffering from the effects of tuberculosis he was confined to his bed at home for nine weeks. Sadly this gifted individual passed away on May 20, 1906, at the age of 38. He was survived by his wife Irene, two sons, 9-year-old J. Murray and 4-year-old Edgar, and three sisters.
J. Will Barbour was definitely “The Man with a Vision." His funeral service was held in his home, and he was buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery off North Franklin Street in Chambersburg. His magazine article, “The Eye and the Camera,” was published on Oct, 27, 1906, five months after his passing.
M.L. “Mike” Marotte III is an Author, Historian, and Journalist who writes about the rich History of Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Read more of him at www.vintagefranklincountypa.com
This article originally appeared on Chambersburg Public Opinion: J. Will Barbour: Franklin County photographer died at 38 from TB
