William H. Hayes Jr.
William H. Hayes Jr.
Photographer: Napoleon Sarony (Canadian American, 1821-1896)
Backmark: Sarony’s Carte
680 Broadway, N.Y.
Removed 37 Union Square
Elevator from the Street
Place: New York City
Date: ca. 1871
Provenance: Adelicia to her daughter Pauline Acklen Locket, unknown, purchased by Belmont Mansion Association from a photograph dealer in Pennsylvania
2016.01.53 BMA purchase
This is believed to be a photograph of Adelicia’s New York cousin, who accompanied the family on the grand tour in 1865/66.
Sarony moved to New York around 1836 where he worked as an illustrator for Currier and Ives. He started his own lithography business with James Major in 1843. Sarony left the firm in 1867 to open a photography supply store at 680 Broadway. It was there that he started experimenting with different poses and backdrops for photographing people. In April of 1871, he moved to 37 Union Square, a more suitable building for expanding his client photography. He quickly became the best known photographer in New York because of his success at photographing the famous musicians and theater people of his day. He was influenced by C. D. Fredricks, who also photographed the Acklens.