Here on Photographs, Pistols & Parasols I often mention how the stories I share confront the “myths” (i.e. the many misconceptions) about early women artisan photographers. For example, a persistent misconception is that a widow of a photographer runs the business after her husband dies for no more than a few years after his death. The idea is that she is just tying up all the loose ends for the business or that she is just keeping the business going until the photographer’s son can take over.
But, as we’ve seen time and time again, that’s just not the usual story. Many widows of photographers keep the business going for years and years – for example, recall the recent story of Mrs. J.H. Folsom from Danbury, or the story I shared a few years ago about Emma Fontaine, a photographer in Lowell, MA. To name but two.
But there are, of course, women who on the face of it do seem to have a story that is much like the “myth”, where they run the business for only a short time after their husbands die. Today we’re going to meet one of them: the early PICT Emily Appelquest from Middletown, Connecticut .
Emily Appelquest (1863 – 1957) was born in Sweden. She moved to the U.S. in her youth, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen in 1882.
Around 1890 she marries photographer Gideon H. Appelquest. They settle down and raise their two children, Olga and Jerome, in Middletown, CT. When Gideon Appelquest dies in 1902, Emily takes over the Appelquest studio for a short time.
First, she successfully keeps the studio going for a few years, listing herself in the Photographers business section.
Here’s the ad mentioned on p. 320 in that same directory:
It’s actually the same ad her husband, Gideon, used when he was alive.
By 1905, the Middletown city directory indicates that the studio at 572 Main Street is being now run by Oscar B. Welker — there is no longer an Appelquest studio in town. Mrs. Appelquest continues to lives in Middletown for many more years, but she no longer lists any profession for herself in the city directory.
So, yes, technically Emily Appelquest ran the studio for only a handful of years after her husband’s death. So that does seem to match the “myth” of widows only running the studio for a short time.
However, Mrs. Appelquest doesn’t just trade on her husband’s name: the studio is listed under her name, not his, in the directories after his death. Plus. Mrs. Appelquest continues to invest in advertising for the studio during her time running it. So it’s not as though she’s just letting the business flounder under her stewardship.
And, although the Appelquests do have a son (Jerome) who is only 13 when his father dies in 1902, he does not take over the business when he gets older, so it doesn’t seem like Mrs. Appelquest was trying to save the business for him.
Side note: The location “572 Main street” is in what’s called the “Appelquest Block”; that part of main street continues to be called the “Appelquest Block” even after the Appelquest studio shuts down. Fun, eh? Perhaps the Applequests owned stores in the whole block, including one that was used as a drug store. Emily Appelquest still seems to own the store-front in 1909 when she advertises that it’s available for a new tenant:
So even when the studio shuts down it looks like Mrs. Appelquest was still at least a property owner afterwards.
In any case, by 1920 Emily has moved to live in Schenectady, New York City wtih her married daughter, Olga, and Olga’s family. Emily Appelquest never seems to have worked as a photographer again after 1905.
But for a short time, Mrs. Appelquest continued the legacy of her photographer husband, running the Appelquest studio in Middletown at the beginning of the 20th century.
By the way, here’s a nice example of the photos coming out of the Appelquest studio:
(Culy-McIntyre collection)
