Portrait of James Ashburn(?) or John W. Ashbury(?) or William Ashbury (?), London, Ontario

Description

Comments (1)

Mystery Question

Do you recognize this gentleman?

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Creator

Cooper, John, Photographer

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

A formal black and white portrait of a well dressed gray haired gentleman with an abundant mustache and sideburns. He is wearing a dark suit jacket and waistcoat with a white shirt and bow tie. A pocket watch(?) dangles from his waistcoat.

Notes

This is a card mounted print of an original cabinet card from the studio of John Cooper who was in business in London from 1857-1890.

In the past someone had interpreted the cryptic handwriting on the reverse of photograph as James Ashburn. Further research did not find a James Ashburn in London during the time of John Cooper's photography business, but it did reveal the name Ashbury. Two possibilities presented themselves. The first was John W. Ashbury, a London druggist who moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1881 at the age of 46. Since the gentleman in the portrait appears somewhat older and the inscription on the back could be interpreted as "Mr. Ashbury" this may be the second possibility, William Ashbury, an early pioneer blacksmith whose business was at the corner of Dundas Street and Market Lane. William Ashbury died Sept. 3 1889 in his early seventies. His wife, Jane Guest Ashbury died tragically in the Victoria Day disaster, May 24, 1881, when 181 people died after the steamship Victoria overturned in the Thames River.

The map shows the location for John Cooper's photography studio after 1875 when he moved from 198 Dundas Street to 440/442 Clarence Street.

Inscriptions

On the front under the photograph, faintly deciferable: Chromotype Patent Permanent Photograph (and) logo: J superimposed on F (and) John Cooper.

On reverse in handwriting which is hard to decifer : [Mr. Ashb---]

Date of Original