hen my Grandfather decided on photography as his chosen craft, he apprenticed himself to several photographers, Sittler & Lanney in Shelbyville, Illinois and Latour in Sedalia, Missouri. After several short lived attempts to start his own photography studio, he established a new studio in Fulton, Missouri in 1886. In 1893 he relocated his studio to Jefferson City, Missouri, which as a larger city and the capitol city of Missouri, offered greater photographic opportunities. He remained in business there until 1903.

e frequently used himself and members of his immediate family as subjects in photographs in which he attempted to experiment with new artistic techniques. The photo at the left is his hand rendered advertisement for Oliver Photography Studios while located in Fulton, Missouri. This photo includes photographs of himself (upper-left, upper-middle, and lower-left), his wife Caroline (upper-right and lower-right), his twin boys, Lewman and Latour (middle-left), and his daughter, Faye (middle-right), and was taken in the period before there were more additions to their growing family. The photos of B.F. and Caroline at the bottom of the photo were their wedding photos, taken in Fulton and Kansas City respectively.

y Grandfather was a resourceful man, always looking to improve himself in his chosen craft and to add as much of his artistic flair, as possible, to he photos that he was taking. In the Self-Portrait photo to the right, he found a way to present himself at the work of photography, much as Van Gogh exhibited himself in his own artistic self portrait.

nd now in his own words from his book: Genealogy of the Oliver, Jennings and Kindred Families, we learn of his life as a photo artist.

I remained on the farm, working, hunting and trapping, for we were all sportsmen in those days, and going to school in the old log cabin school house near by in the winter until I was twenty years of age. In 1878 I went to St. Louis and from there to Shelbyville, Illinois to visit my kinfolks I had never seen. While there I apprenticed myself to Sittler and Lanney the noted photographer and artist to learn the art of photographing. After finishing up I returned to my home in Missouri and remained a few weeks. In the summer of 1880 I went to Sweet Springs, Missouri, a summer resort, and bought a photograph studio and started up in business. I remained there until the following Spring 1881. I moved to Butler, Bates County, Missouri and continued in the business about two years and sold out, and accepted a position with Latour the famous photographer of Sedalia, Missouri, and remained with him for two years. I then went to Kansas City, Missouri where I met Mr. Lewman a manager for a Chicago Photograph Supply House with a branch in Kansas City. I was engaged as the traveling salesman for him. I traveled over a large portion of Kansas, Nebraska and Southwest Missouri. In 1886 I went to Fulton, Missouri, the Kingdom of Callaway County and started a photograph art studio and remained seven years. While there was appointed by the World Fair Commission of Missouri to photograph the Missouri State buildings to be exhibited at the Chicago Worlds fair of 1893. I then went to Jefferson City, Missouri where I continued and made frequent extended trips over the state taking views, landscapes, etc., until 1901 I came back to the old farm to take care of my dear old mother who was left alone. She lived out her days and passed away in 1908.

y grandfather passed away on that same farm in 1949. His cameras and glass plate negatives have been in my care since that day.


Richard Oliver Snelson