Pawson & Nicholson Photograph Album
Title
Pawson & Nicholson Photograph Album
Description
Photograph album compiled by James B. Nicholson containing predominantly portrait photographs of prominent local and national members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and their families, including men, women, and children. Photographs depict full-length, bust-length, and vignette portraits; group portraiture; and collages. Several male sitters wear the regalia of the Odd Fellows and most sitters are fashionably attired. Group portraiture depicts employees of Pawson and Nicholson in front of the bookbinding shop (139 S. Seventh), and rosters and meetings and excursions of members of the fraternal organization (1870s-1880s), including Warrior Lodge, no. 873. Collages include portraits of the Rulafson family of San Francisco and examples of work from the respected photographic firm Bradley & Rulafson. Also includes images of the photography department and sculpture at the Centennial Exhibition (1876); photographic reproductions of a Sir Walter Scott manuscript donated to the Sanitary Fair (1864), and an Odd Fellow membership certificate and medal; and a John Sartain engraved portrait of "E. Grand Captain General of Pennsylvania" Varhan Smith.
Photograph album
Title
Photograph album
Description
Photograph album compiled by James B. Nicholson containing predominantly portrait photographs of prominent local and national members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and their families, including men, women, and children. Photographs depict full-length, bust-length, and vignette portraits; group portraiture; and collages. Several male sitters wear the regalia of the Odd Fellows and most sitters are fashionably attired. Group portraiture depicts employees of Pawson and Nicholson in front of the bookbinding shop (139 S. Seventh), and rosters and meetings and excursions of members of the fraternal organization (1870s-1880s), including Warrior Lodge, no. 873. Collages include portraits of the Rulafson family of San Francisco and examples of work from the respected photographic firm Bradley & Rulafson. Also includes images of the photography department and sculpture at the Centennial Exhibition (1876); photographic reproductions of a Sir Walter Scott manuscript donated to the Sanitary Fair (1864), and an Odd Fellow membership certificate and medal; and a John Sartain engraved portrait of "E. Grand Captain General of Pennsylvania" Varhan Smith., Sitters include James B. Nicholson (often attired in regalia), his wife Adelaide, and sons Clarence and celebrated Civil War Colonel John Page; James Alexander Bartram ("first cousin of my father");; Past Grand Master George F. Borie; orator Henry Armitt Brown; Nicholson's partner James Pawson; Pennsylvania state senator George D. Jackson; businessman and District Deputy Grand Master, Clarion County Ruloff Ruloffson; Philadelphia businessman and Grand Treasurer M. Richards Muckle; Grand Sire Samuel H. Perkins; Past Grand Master Francis M. Rea; "Grand Master" Alfred R. Potter; the family of Past Grand Master Samuel Haworth; and "Gutekunst's daughter" attired in a costume., Green morocco binding., Spine stamped: Photographs., Photographers identified by inscriptions on album page., Several sitters identified by inscriptions on album page. Many noted as "Deceased.", Multiple portraits arranged as collages on many of the album pages., Various photographers include W. H. Bennett, P. E. Chillman, Frederick Gutekunst, and David Lothrop., Cataloging funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities (PW-506-19-10), 2010-2012., Album housed in phase box with index to sitters., James Bartram Nicholson was a premier Philadelphia bookbinder in the partnership Pawson & Nicholson established in 1848. He was also a prominent member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows serving as a Grand Sire (1863-1864), grand scribe, and grand secretary (1863-1901), as well as authored "I.O.O.F.: The Story of 65 or The History of the Grand Lodge of the United States... (1896)." He married Adelaide Broadnix (b. ca. 1822) in 1841 and with her had three sons, Colonel John Page (1842-1922), Howard B. (b. ca. 1855) and bookbinder Clarence S. Nicholson (b. ca. 1858) and a daughter Eliza (b. ca. 1852).
Creator
Nicholson, James Bartram, 1820-1901
Date
ca. 1853-ca. 1880
Location
Library Company of Philadelphia | Print Department albums [P.9080]