Description: Washington Square New York City 1888 photo by W.T. Purviance 8.5 x 6.5 inch (9 x 7 card). Slight lateral warping of card/mount- slight bit of "schmutz" at top of image in sky above arch as shown. Please refer to the NY Public Library's Digital Collection- 1888 photo of the Brooklyn Bridge by Purviance- the scribing and numbering is identical to this photograph. Photographer William T. Purviance was born in Pennsylvania circa 1830. He was married to Nancy (last name unknown, born circa 1830) and the couple had four daughters and a son. William apparently took up the practice of photography in the 1850‘s and in 1857 was in Allegheny, Pennsylvania working as a daguerreotype and ambrotype artist on Sandusky Street. In 1859-1860, he had a studio in Pittsburgh at the corner of Diamond and Market Streets. In the 1860 census he was listed as living in Allegheny with $300 in personal property; living with William, Nancy, and four children was fellow photographer William Rorach. In 1862 the studio was at the corner of Wood and Fifth Streets, and from 1864 through 1866 he was located in Pittsburgh at 21 Fifth Street and the corner of Penn and St. Clair Streets. During the Civil War, William paid for Class B licenses for a photographer making more than $1,000 a year. Around 1867, Purviance was hired by the Pennsylvania Central Railroad as an official photographer; he maintained a business in Pittsburgh until 1869, but beginning in 1867 established his residence in Philadelphia. In the 1870 census, William, Nancy, and five children were living in Philadelphia. In Philadelphia directories William was listed as a photographer but without a business address. In this period he took numerous stereographic views of central Pennsylvania, indicating he spent a good deal of time outside Philadelphia. From 1883 through at least 1889, William was listed in New York City directories as a photographer, but it was his only son William E. Purviance who headed Purviance and Company Photographers. I did not find a death date for William T. Purviance.
Price: 280 USD
Location: Fitzwilliam, New Hampshire
End Time: 2025-01-13T20:46:18.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Original/Reprint: Original Print
Date of Creation: 1880-1889
Subject: Historic & Vintage
Framing: mounted
Region of Origin: US
Size Type/Largest Dimension: Medium (Up to 10")
Type: Photograph
