George Smith Cook 1819 - 1902

                                               

The American Civil War ..

     ... was the first major conflict recorded 
         by camera.
     ... was recorded on glass negatives created 
         through the collodion process.
     ... was a process requiring lengthy time 
         exposures.
     ... photography mostly consisted of portraits
         of individual soldiers anxious to be pictured
         before going into battle and views of
         devastation of the conflict produced by
         hundreds of photographers.
     ... was photographed by widely aclaimed
         Mathew Brady, as well as Alexander
         Gardner, Timothy O'Sullivan, Jay D.
         Edwards, George N. Barnard, James 
         Gardner.

     "One name was often overlooked: George S. Cook. Yet, he was the first to take his camera to the scene of conflict, for he pictured Major Anderson with his hand upon his sword two months before the first canonade. he was one of the few who exercised his craft in the face of hostile fire. Initially his daring was highly publicized, but, in later years historians were oblivious to much of his work." (page 7) 

 George Smith Cook's Photography Studios

His Most Famous "Studio": Fort Sumter, South Carolina
... "In early February 1861, he and an assistant rowed to the island. There he photographed the commander and his officers in spite of an objection from one of the major's aides who believed him to be 'a spy .. a lieutenant of a Charleston company.' ... Harper's weekly published a woodcut from Cook's photograph .. March 23 over the words 'Major Anderson's Command at Fort Sumter ... taken in the fort ... from a photograph recently made by a Charleston phootgrapher.' .. Appleton advertised 'A Fine Engraving of Major Anderson, 15 x 17, ... on India Paper, $1.00' ... This was Cook's hour of fame. For the moment, he was the best known photographer in America." (pp 13- 14)

New Orleans, 1840-1845: Daguerreotypist, Mr. Ely's Gallery (p 23)

Portrait Maker in Galleries 1845 - 1850: Newark, NJ .. New York, NY .. St. Louis, MO .. Natchez, MS .. Huntsville, Alabama .. Tuscumbia .. Columbus, GA .. Warm Springs, GA .. Macon, GA .. La Grange, GA .. Charleston, SC (pp 26 - 32)

New York, NY 1851: Manager Mathew Brady Gallery, 205 Broadway (Broadway & Fulton) (pp 35 - 36)

New York, NY 1851: described as "one of the most successful daguerreotypists of the South" and owner of "the fine gallery of C. C. Harrison, in the La Farge building, Broadway" with "the most beautiful specimens of the art to be found in New York." (p 36)

Charleston, S. C. 1852: Portraitist, Photographer and Gallery Owner, "advertised in the town directory listing his location as 235 King Street". (p 41)

Chicago, IL 1857: Opened Gallery in Chicago in partnership with a Canadian, Samuel M. Fassett.

Philadelphia, PA 1858: Purchased from Marcus A. Root and "..Opened a Gallery on Chestnut Street in the city's most fashionable shopping district. By early 1860, this was successful enough to warrant a second studio nearby. Cook traveled extensively during this time. .. he maintained his several galleries. ..." (p 44)

Columbia, SC 1863 - 1865: took family and studio and left Charleston to relocate "in a place safe from military action. He chose a site near the state capital, Columbia, where there would be no danger of invasion by sea. .. By the morning of February 19, 1865 the city was a mass of smoldering ruins. .. Cook's temporary gallery was in the path of the flames and all of his equipment, his work and his records were destroyed. .. Sherman would be blamed for the disaster. .." (pp 72-74)

Charleston, SC Spring 1865: returned and reopened Gallery, 235 King Street, left it for his son George L. Cook to operate. (pp 78 - 97)

New York, NY Jan. 1873-May 1874: Owner Studio at 1134 Broadway, purchased from David and Daniel Bendann. (p 97)

Richmond, VA 1880 - 1890s: Purchased and operated Studio "owned by an able photographer, David H. Anderson, 913 East Main. In late 1890's spent most of his time in Bon Air and mostly left management of studio to George L. Cook, his son. (p 113)

All page numbers above are indexed and quoted as found in
Photographer .. Under Fire
THE STORY OF GEORGE S. COOK (1819 - 1901)
by Jack C. Ramsay, Jr.

©2005 American Author, a division of Cevado Technologies. All rights reserved.