Robert Miller Young, Jr.

Robert Young Jr. was born, November 8, 1875^[1], the youngest of five children, had two sisters and two brothers, one that did not survive infancy.^[2] He grew up in the upper middle-class household of Robert Miller Young^[3] and his wife Mary B. Young. His father was a gentleman farmer in Coatesville, owning a 28-acre farm which was on East Main Street between 4^th and 6^th Avenues.^[4] According to tax information, the Youngs had a stone mansion house, a frame farm tenant house, two large frame barns, two horses and three cows. ^[5]

Robert Young, Jr. was baptized at Coatesville Presbyterian Church, where his parents were active members and his father was a trustee. Robert Young, Sr. was a leader in the Coatesville Community, serving on the Borough Council. He was prominent in Coatesville’s growth and development.^[6] He sold six acres of his land for the establishment of Fairview Cemetery.

Mary Eliza Scott, from a socially prominent family in Coatesville, became the bride of Robert Young, Jr. on October 7, 1896. The couple moved into the Young family mansion.

Robert, as a privileged youth, had the opportunity to explore his creativity with a camera.

The Daily Local News of February 12, 1896 reported that he had started selling his views in the following news item: “Robert Young, Jr. has made some excellent pictures taken along the Brandywine during the recent flood. He is selling them at ten cents and they are going rapidly. Mr. Young took them with a Kodak camera. The best ones are those showing the flood north of Main street and south of the dam breast.”^[7]

Young became serious about photography as a career and he turned to Coatesville photographer John B. Gibson for his training.^[8] On April 1, 1897, Gibson retired from his gallery which he established in 1868, and Young succeeded him in business. Gibson remained on hand to assist the young man in his endeavor.

A large advertisement appeared in the Directory and Business Guide of Coatesville, Pennsylvania, for 1897 proclaiming the following:

Young’s moniker of “Expert Photographer” was also emblazoned with large type on his invoices.

The Chester Valley Union ran an illustrated advertisement on February 26, 1898, offering, as you would expect, portraits in the latest styles, crayon portraits and picture frames.^[10] Young updated his services for the amateur photographer as well adding Kodaks to hire and photographic supplies of all kinds for sale. His trade now had to include the rapidly expanding amateur market.

Young had an eye for the artistic processes of the day and produced an album of photographs celebrating his hometown. The Morning Republican of April 25, 1898, reported the following: “Robert Young, Jr., Coatesville’s prominent photographer, has just brought to the notice of the public a very interesting book presenting photographs of interest in and around the borough. The work is finished in fine platinum prints, and presents the topography of Coatesville from a business and residence standpoint. It is nicely bound and the low price will admit of it being in every household as a souvenir of the present time.”^[11]( I have not seen a copy of this album or book and am interested in corresponding with anyone who has one.)

Young found better quarters for his studio according to a report in the Daily Local News of March 8, 1899: “Robert Young, Jr. who now conducts a photograph gallery on Second Avenue and Main Street, has rented the large second story room in the new building of Joseph T. Pierce on Second Avenue, and will open out at that place on April 1^st.”^[12]

Young looked for opportunities to widen his market. The following advertisement ran in West Chester’s Daily Local News, “An Expert Photographer – Robert Young, Jr., expert photographer of Coatesville, will be in West Chester during the Centennial to make photographs of any kind of work. Persons desiring to have work done should drop a postal before hand to Robert Young Jr, Coatesville, PA.”^[13] With all the beautifully decorated buildings in West Chester and floats that had been prepared for the parades, Young hoped to find customers who wanted quality photographs that they could frame of the grand occasion.

The 1900 Census offers a snapshot of the photographer’s family. Robert Jr.(age 25), his wife Mary (age 24) and their 2-year-old daughter Dorothy lived at the farm with Robert’s parents. Robert’s occupation is recorded as photographer.^[14]

Keeping up with all the services the public desired is reflected in his new invoice billheads for 1901. He itemized his services: “Photographs of all kinds of work. CRAYONS, PASTELS AND WATER COLORS. Engravings and Halftones. Frames, easels, picture matts and all kinds of Photographic supplies for sale. All work guaranteed.”^[15] We take it from his capitalization that the crayons, pastels and water-colored photographs were his most popular and profitable products. His business envelopes echoed these services and noted: “View work a specialty.”^[16] Young enjoyed getting out of the studio to photograph businesses and properties.

Young worked on modernizing his facilities to be up to date with the latest.. The Daily Local News of October 28, 1901, gave a hint of the improvements “The Young Studio in this place is undergoing extensive improvements. A new printing room of the latest style will be opened the third floor and Mr. Young is greatly remodeling his other apartments. When finished it will be one of the finest in the State.”^[17]

The Chester Valley Union of November 2, 1901, published this report:

Despite these glowing reports of his business, Young was growing weary of the business. Delaney W. Faulk, who bought the studio recounted the story of how he purchased it. Faulk was in Young’s Studio one day and overheard Young bewailing the work of processing so many amateur films. Young was ready to sell up and move on. Young had an offer from another photographer to buy his studio, when amateur photographer Faulk learned that it was for sale, Faulk also offered to purchase it. When the other photographer did not come through with the money the next day, Faulk purchased it for $500.^[19]

Young’s life was changing rapidly in both his family business life. His father died of a massive asthma attack at home on October 7, 1903. Robert and his brother William became executors of the large estate, made complex by large land holdings under subdivision, rental properties, as well as stocks, was not settled until 1921.^[20] Meanwhile, Young began raising poultry on the family farm according to a 1904 county directory. By 1905 he had purchased the grocery business of J. F. Martin at 407 Main St., Coatesville.

According to the settlement of his father’s will, Robert inherited $4,000 in cash and a 72-foot x 200-foot lot of land on Main Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues south to proposed Harmony Street in Coatesville.^[21] This was a choice and highly valuable property. As his father had directed his properties were to be sold and the proceeds divided equally among the four children. The total distributed to the heirs was worth $37,420.00. In today’s currency (2023) this is worth close to a million dollars.^[22]

Young was an ambitious businessman. While conducting the grocery at his 407 E. Main store, he began branching out into real estate, life insurance as well as selling stock. He advertised in the Coatesville Record on July 1, 1909 that his business services rental properties for owners including maintenance, collecting rents and advertising for tenants.^[23] Young added life, fire and livestock insurance policies to his services.^[24] He also placed a large advertisement in the Coatesville Record selling shares of stock in the North Cobalt Gold Mining Company on July 31, 1909.^[25]

Young had ambitions in politics as well. He challenged Squire L. C. Robinson for his seat as Justice of the Peace in the 1910 election.^[26] This was a surprise to the Squire who usually ran unopposed. Young then set off canvasing house to house, determined to speak to every voter. The Coatesville Record reports an amusing incident, when he insisted to speak to a night-shift mill worker who was asleep in bed. Young roused the man from his rest and needless to say did not garner his vote.^[27] Young was defeated by Squire Robinson 893 to 329.^[28]

The 1910 Census documents the family with Robert Young, Jr. recorded as a grocer. He and his wife lived at 558 E. Main Street with their two children, Dorothy (age 12) and Robert III (age 8) with a servant from Ireland.^[29]

The family was prominent in social circles in Coatesville and their activities were frequently reported in the social columns. Numerous articles over several years reported Mary Scott Young as being ill with long bouts of bronchitis.^[30] The Coatesville Record announced on page 1 of the August 2, 1910 edition that the Young family plan to move to Los Angeles, California.^[31] They placed all their property up for a quick sale, including the store and home.

It was a front-page story when the family embarked on the Pennsylvania Railroad to relocate to the west. The Coatesville Record reported the following in the October 1^st edition in 1910:

It is interesting then to find Robert Young listed in the 1920 Census as a 44-year-old photographer with his own photo studio. He is recorded as living in Los Angeles with his family.^[33]

He died at age 77 in San Bernardino, California on March 15, 1953.

© Pamela C. Powell, 2023.