W. Francis Grubb

During the midst of the Civil War, Frank Grubb was born on August 17, 1863^[2] the son of West Whiteland farmers^[3] W. Wilson Grubb and his wife Hannah Strode Grubb.

Grubb’s first studio was located on the third floor of Pierce’s Building on High Street, where he was the successor to photographer Henry Paxson as announced in the April 7, 1886 issue of the Daily Local News.^[4]

Grubb’ studio did a good trade in the cabinet cards and cartes-de-visite of the period, as evidence by the portrait collection of the Chester County History Center. In 1887, his studio was located on the third floor above W. S. Hill’s jewelry and watch repair store at 7 N. Church Street^[5]. In the May 29, 1887 issue of the Daily Local News it was announced that Grubb redecorated his studio, “repainted and papered and a handsome carpet laid.”

In 1888, Grubb moved his studio to 25 N. High St. close to the busy intersection of High and Market Streets^[6]. According to an undated handbill in the CCHC collection, Grubb was offering customers 13 cabinet card portraits for $1.50 at the 25 N. High Street address.^[7] An advertisement found in the Fame Fire Company’s Historical Sketch and Souvenir of 1898 expresses Grubb’s portrait making philosophy:

While he operated the photo studio, he invested his money in real estate development in West Chester. He purchased a large lot for $700 on West Chestnut Street in 1892, which he subdivided and built three houses in 1893^[8]. He then rented out the properties at 128, 130 and 132 W. Chestnut Street^[9]. He also bought a lot for $200 on the alley behind Chestnut St. where he constructed a stable.

Grubb’s personal life had a big impact on his photography career. On August 29, 1894 Frank Grubb married Margaret Rapp (sometimes called Maggie or May) at the rectory of the Church of the Holy Trinity, the couple headed off on the train to Philadelphia to celebrate the marriage^[10]. They moved into 220 W. Chestnut St., West Chester and here, three sons, Francis W., Paul T. and Donald were born to them^[11]. At the time of the 1900 Federal Census, Frank Grubb’s occupation was as a photographer.

Frank’s father, W. Wilson Grubb, also lived with them. After the death of his first wife in 1880, Wilson Grubb married a second time in 1882. His second marriage with Williamanna Darlington did not go so well; his wife moved out, but did not ask for a divorce. She is listed in the Boyd’s Chester County Directory of 1893-94 as living at 600 S. High Street^[12]. W. Wilson Grubb’s presence nearly caused the breakup of his son’s marriage.

A newspaper article in the Daily Local News dated July 2, 1901 reports that Maggie and the children moved to South Darlington St. at the residence of her father, Thomas Jefferson Rapp. Furthermore, that she has brought “a suit for maintenance against her husband, which ordered that he provide a place of residence for her and children and that Mr. Grubb’s father, who was objectionable to the wife, should not molest her by his presence.”

According to court papers of the Court of Quarter Sessions filed June of 1901^[13], Frank Grubb offered his wife a new residence in Upper Uwchlan to be occupied by their reunited family exclusive of his father. Part of the court agreement read: “shall maintain the said house,..as a home for himself, wife and children exclusively, and entirely free from the presence, interference and annoyance in any manner or at any time of the said W. Wilson Grubb…” The family reunited and moved to Upper Uwchlan. Ironically, the property they moved to was owned by Frank’s father! Strangely enough, according to the 1910 United States Federal Census, W. Wilson Grubb was again residing with them^[14].

When Frank Grubb moved to Upper Uwchlan in 1901, he ceased his work as photographer at his West Chester Studio and became a dairy farmer. It is possible that Grubb sold his studio to newcomer Joseph W. Belt who went into business at 25 N. High Street in September of 1901.^[15]

The profession of photographer at the turn-of- the-century, was changing fast. The dominant printing process of the nineteenth century was the albumen photograph. These glossy prints were produced by contact printing the negative using sunlight. This was known as a printing-out process. During the 1890s, Grubb added other printing-out processes to his repertoire, using matte collodion prints toned with platinum and also using the cheaper and brighter printing-out-paper. Evidence of the use of all three of these paper types can be seen in the CCHC Photo Archives collection. Grubb tried to keep up with the newest trends of the twentieth century. He began making silver gelatin prints as evidenced by the example seen here of Alice Byers. For whatever reason, Grubb opted to leave photography and move on.

After spending a few years on the farm, Frank Grubb moved back to West Chester. He purchased a taxicab and started a taxi service in West Chester beginning in 1912. His son Donald joined him in the business and his son Francis drove for him for a while before becoming a county detective.

Margaret Grubb died of pneumonia at age 51 in 1920 at the home of her father on Darlington Street. Frank Grubb died at age 76 on March 11, 1938 and was buried at Greenmount Cemetery. According to his death certificate he was a widower living at 132 W. Chestnut St. West Chester and was a retired taxi driver.

©Pamela C. Powell, 2019