Passing the Baton

John B. Gibson was the town photographer for Coatesville, operating his studio from 1868 to 1897. Innovations in the 1890s were vastly changing the styles and processes used by the portrait studio photographer. Gibson was ready to retire. Other young photographers were already trying their hand at the portrait business. Charles, son of Thomas W. Taylor of West Chester opened a new studio in Coatesville in 1892, and other practitioners were testing the waters – such as Harry Oakley Mott and Harry Smith. But Robert M. Young, Jr. got the prize, he was trained by Gibson and purchased his studio, continuing the legacy of the hometown studio that everyone relied upon. This was golden.

Not only did Young get the studio, he got Gibson himself along with it. The former proprietor wanted to make sure that his legacy would continue. And indeed it did. Although Young sold out the studio to D. W. Faulk in 1904, Faulk operated the studio until 1953, making a legacy last 85 years. That’s a lot of history of the families of Coatesville, spanning several generations.

You can read about Robert Young‘s adventure into photography in his biography page. This brings me to a mystery. Young published a book of views of Coatesville in the format of artistic platinum prints in 1898. It featured the homes of prominent people and business around the town. I have never seen a copy of this book and I believe one must be somewhere. Please contact me if you have one. Your input is appreciated!