Samuel Ritter Fisher

Samuel Ritter Fisher was the son of Jacob and Ann Ritter Fisher, born at Bull’s Corner, Chester County, PA on February 9, 1834. The 1850 Federal Census finds the family living on a farm in Lower Merion Township on a road with two other Fisher families. (Note: there is a Fishers Road in Bryn Mawr.) Samuel at age 16 is listed with the occupation of farmer^[4]. He was educated briefly in local public schools but transferred to a select school conducted by Rev. Samuel Aaron in Norristown. Reaching adulthood, Fisher chose to study photography with Thomas W. Taylor in West Chester, PA^[5].

At age 27, Fisher was presented with the opportunity to purchase the gallery of deceased photographer Nathan Parker. He felt prepared to operate a business on his own. His advertisement in The Village Record on 21 September 1861 read:

A handbill printed by the office of the Village Record in the collection of the Chester County History Center announces more of the services he offered:

Examples of his cartes-de-visite in the collection of the Chester County History Center show some unique features. A carte-de-visite of Myra Jane Townsend has a hand-stamped maker’s mark on the back reading: “S.R. Fisher, West Chester, PA.”^[7] This carte-de-visite shows the subject posed beside a pedestal and a floral drape with a balustrade railing behind her. A carte-de-visite of Jessey Mason hand dated “June the 28^th 1863” was mounted on card stock with the preprinted back mark reading: “S.R. Fisher, Photographer, No. 7 ½ E. Gay Street. West Chester, PA.”^[8] The subject is shown posing before an elaborately painted background, resting his hand on a column and pedestal. Another carte-de-visite of Jessie K. Mercer, shows the standing child steadying himself using the back of a chair with a caned seat before a background showing a scene with a lake and cottage in a forest setting.^[9]

Oddly enough, the West Chester tax lists for 1861 and 1862 records his occupation as “laborer” with a low tax evaluation of $50.00. This entry describes his economic level rather than supplying descriptive occupation information. However the 1863 tax list finally records him as a “photographist” with a tradesman’s evaluation of $100.00.

Fisher’s time in West Chester comes to an end when he closed his studio on September 1, 1863 and moved to Norristown. The notice published in the Village Record on August 25, 1863 announced:

Fisher’s career and life in Norristown is well documented by Judith A. Meier in the Bulletin of the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, the Spring edition of 1990. His first studio was at 226 1/2 Egypt Street in Norristown. Later, he moved to 319 DeKalb Street until he built his own studio on Main Street.

However, Fisher did not break his ties to Chester County. He returned in 1872 to make stereographs of several notable properties in the county. Probably the most exciting Fisher photograph in the CCHC collection is a stereograph of the Hartshorne Mansion on High Street in West Chester, situated on the northwest corner of the block containing Barclay Square Park. This stereograph shows the residence before additions were added. The charming imprint on the back of the stereo shows two men in a horse drawn wagon with the advertisement on the side reading: “S.R. Fisher Landscape Photographer 226 Main St. Norristown.”^[10]

Another stereograph with an identical back mark is in the Marion S. Carson Collection at the Library of Congress, illustrated below, it shows a stone house in Birmingham Township. Fisher also made a series titled: “Views in and around Valley Forge.” This historic site is located on the border of Montgomery and Chester Counties.

Fisher took numerous views in Montgomery County including a 48-view series of the Perkiomen Valley.^[11] The Montgomery County Historical Society collections feature many examples of his work.

His desire to photograph landscape and to travel took him abroad to Europe, Asia and Africa. Fisher is known to have spent a summer during the 1890s photographing the Holy Land and upon his arrival home began giving lectures on the customs, culture and archeology. This took Fisher into the lucrative business of making stereoptican lantern slides.^[12]

Fisher died at age 75 in Norristown on August 26, 1908. He was buried at Old Swedes’ Church in Upper Merion.^[13] His wife, Sarah A. Neiman predeceased him in 1890.

©Pamela C. Powell, 2023