Details
Title Finkeldey, John F. (John Frederick)
Date September 9, 1819 - August 25, 1883
Description John Frederick Finkeldey, son of Heinrich and Amiele Finkeldey, born September 9, 1821 in Frenkenberg, Hessen, Germany worked as a lithographer in Philadelphia ca. 1853 to his death in 1883. Finkeldey, descended from a family involved in the leather trade, finished an apprenticeship in the field in 1838 before immigrating to the United States and settling in Baltimore in May 1839. In Baltimore, he learned the lithography trade at the firm of E. Weber and was naturalized in 1844 before relocating to Philadelphia ca. 1852; the year he produced a portrait print of "Hon. W. R. King of Alabama" held in the collections of the Library of Congress. In 1853 he began to be listed in city directories as a lithographer at 24 Pear Street (near Dock Street). Soon thereafter, he entered into the firm established by Maurice Traubel, M. H. Traubel & Co., with fellow German-born lithographers Edward Schnabel and Theodore Leonhardt when they purchased the "Lithographic Institute" of Frederick Kuhl (46 1/2 Walnut Street).
In 1857, Traubel left the firm and Finkeldey established a new partnership with Schnabel and William Demme; Schnabel, Finkeldey & Demme at 218 Walnut Street (i.e., 46 1/2 Walnut Street). Following the departure of Demme by 1858, Schnabel and Finkeldey remained as partners and issued portraits, advertisements, certificates, and view prints, occasionally with German text. Unfortunately, the Schnabel and Finkeldey partnership proved financially burdensome for Finkeldey as a result of Schnabel's poor management and drinking. On March 8, 1863, paper dealer Margarge & Co. bought the establishment at a sheriff's sale orchestrated by Finkeldey and he continued the business as a sole proprietor.
Finkeldey lived in Center City during the 1850s and early 1860s on the 400 block of Lombard Street, 319 Vine Street, and 324 South Juniper Street. In 1859, he married Louisa Fredericka Birkenhauer (1825-1905) and in 1863 relocated to his long term residence at 213 Christian Street (also listed as 11 Strangford Place in census records). John and Louisa Finkeldey had four children, including sons Frederick (1861-1920) and Werner (b. 1865) who entered the lithographic trade with their father in the early 1880s. Finkeldey was also active in a number of fraternal organizations, including the Grand Lodge of Pennsylvania masons, Improved Order of Red Men, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Seven Wise Men.
Finkeldey died on August 25, 1883 of diabetes. He was interred at Union Cemetery, which was later removed to Fernwood Cemetery. The sons assumed the operation of their father's establishment following his death. The firm remained in operation until ca. 1896.
Is part of Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Portrait from private collection.
References See kul, Frederick; Traubel, M. H.; and Schnabel & Finkeldey.
Has format PrivateColl-Stephenson-JohanneFriedrichFinkeldey2.jpg
Call number Philadelphia on Stone Biographical Dictionary of Lithographers
Bibliographic citation Census 1860, 1870, 1880
Groce & Wallace, 226
Jane Stephenson Private Collection
Jeremy Finkeldey Private Collection
Library Company of Philadelphia research file
Merrill, 60
Moras, Carl Heinrich Schmolze (1885), 29
Philadelphia Business and City Directories, 1853-1883
Public Ledger, August 28, 1883
Wainwright, 85
WWWAA, 1121
Image file PrivateColl-Stephenson-JohanneFriedrichFinkeldey2