Obscure Photo Finds

How do I find all the names of nineteenth century photographers for this study? Of course I use sources such as newspaper advertisements, directory listings, manuscript material, tax lists and census records. Sometimes eBay provides an image by a photographer I have never heard of. Searching on our local Chester County towns yielded a cabinet card one day by Faton Mohn with a Coatsville address! Just when you think there is no more to find – here is a new name to research!

Even if Faton Mohn’s work was not high quality, he gave it a go, and went into business, not only in Coatesville but also in Downingtown. Why did he choose these locations? Where did he come from? It interests me how photographers moved from town to town and what avenues they used to travel on.

Obviously Mohn was using the Lancaster Turnpike, a major road laid out in 1795 that connected Philadelphia with Lancaster. Major centers of business & population were in Downingtown, known for milling & paper making and Coatesville, an iron and steel town. Not only that, the Pennsylvania Railroad was built beside it, established in 1846.

Other major throughfares were key routes for traveling photographers. The West Chester Pike brought itinerants from Philadelphia to the county seat. Likewise, the Wilmington Pike offered a quick route to Wilmington and south to Baltimore. All of these roadways connected the largely rural Chester County with major city centers. The majority of photographers seeking to establish studios used these east-west routes. Mohn was one of the very few who traveled from west to east. He was the first one I have found who was born in Lancaster County.