Philip L. Dobereiner. Photographer in Caledonia from 1864 -1885

He was 28 years old, and advertised himself in the 1865 Grand River Sachem as Photographer. He specialized in what were known as Carte de visite or Visiting cards. They were inexpensive paper photographs mounted on a 2 ½ x 4 inch card. They were small, cheap to make, as well as inexpensive and fashionable to buy. They were quickly becoming popular all over the world. Philip Dobereiner sold them 12 for a dollar, 6 for fifty cents.

Invented by French Photographer Louis Dodero in 1851. Patented in Paris by André Adolphe-Eugène Disdéri in 1854.  Specially designed cameras with 4 to up to 15 lenses were used to take the photos. The original design initially exposed ten images on one plate, exposed either simultaneously or in sequence.  Once printed onto contact sheet, the photographer would then cut out each individual photo and paste them onto cards to make them easy to carry, share and to mail.  People would give them to each other as calling cards, or send to loved ones, as well as buy them from photo galleries; to collect ones of famous or interesting people of the time. 

The Beginning

Philip Louis Dobereiner was born on June 17, 1828, in Altona, Nord Jylland, Denmark. His parents were Anna Maria & Johan Christian Dobereiner. Together they had 4 boys and 5 daughters. Philip was their youngest child.  In 1841, when Philip was 11, his mother passed away at the age of 56. The following year his oldest brother passes away at the age of 33. In 1843 Philips father dies at the age of 72.  

Aug 16, 1850   New York Arriving Passengers and immigration to Ellis Island has a record of passenger: 

#109. Phil Dobereiner age 22, from Altona. His profession is listed as Book-seller.

Jun 29 1855 New York Census records Philip Dobereiner age 27, bordering a room in Montgomery New York. His profession is listed as Ledger-maker.

May 1863 New York IRS Tax Assessment Lists Philip Dobereiner, Photographer. Philip Dobereiner lived in New York for 13 years.
Then, at the age of 35 years old, he is drafted in the Civil War. Records show that because he was single, men could be drafted at the age of 35 -45. 

  June 1863 U.S., Civil War Draft Registrations Records. New York.

He is listed as:

Dobereiner, Philip. Age: 35. Profession: Artist. Place of Birth: Germany 

Remarks: In the country for 13 Years. An Alien. 

There is no mention of P. Dobereiner in the 1863 Tremaine Map of the County of Haldimand, Canada West business directory.

  

  Nov 22 1864 P. Dobereiner places his first advertisement in the Grand River Sachem. 

His Gallery was on the 2nd floor, over A.C Bucks store on Argyle st. Caledonia, Ontario Canada. 

For the next 20 years he advertised his studio in every issue of the Grand River Sachem, and would change them according to the seasons.

                                                

Barbara Martindale, briefly mentions in a For what its worth, Feb 03,1998

In 1867 when the Sachem was just 11 years old, a photograph gallery was where Morton's stands today. Philip Dobereiner was the photographer.

The article included a small grainy photo of a building on the South Eastern corner of Argyle and Caithness. You can see a large banner across the top of the building that reads PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY.

This is Philip Dobereiners second studio. A two story building on the eastern Corner of Caithness and Argyle.  Again, his studio was on the 2nd floor.  Now with two corner windows windows facing west & North he had the light of day from noon to sundown, and away from the ever present dust from the traffic on the dirt roads.  

According to this advertisement dated Oct 23, 1876, he bought the building.

Over the years, he had a fun relationship with The Sachem. 

Sept 17, 1883 Philip Louis Dobereiner (55) married Anna Sophia Gabe (22) St Martin's Church, Hamilton, Ontario.
Anna Sophia Gabe was born on May 21, 1861, in Alma, Ontario. She was the eldest of 4 daughters of Martha and William Gabe of Caledonia.


September 9, 1884, Philip and Anna had their first child. William Herman Dobereiner in Haldimand, Ontario. He was named after Annas father William Gabe.

 

Philip Dobereiner found love, had a family and a very successful portrait photography business in Caledonia for over 20 years.  

Feb 14, 1885. It was reported in The True witness and Catholic Chronicle dated Feb 18 1885.

A VILLAGE ON FIRE. Caledonia Ont. Feb 14, - A fire broke out in a woodshed belonging to P Dobereiner from a box of ashes about three o'clock this morning. It spread eastward through a wareroom of James Old, sr. Occupied by M. McConnell, agent for J. O Wiser, Son & Co., of Brantford, and through the livery stable of James Old, sr., and occupied by Jas, Gardiner, V.S., to Josiah Cororan's barber shop and residence; also from the wareroom southward through the stable of James Old, sr., which is occupied by Avery & Son, carriage makers, as a stable and wareroom, and thence through the shed of Wm. Old to Wm. Old's brick tin shop; westward it spread on to a large dwelling owned and partially occupied by P. Dobereiner as a photograph gallery and partly by D. Lannedy as a clothing house, and then to ; a brick building owned and partly occupied by Miss M. A. Wigg as a millinery and fancy store, and partly by D. M. Turnbull at a jewelry store. Everything was saved except some lumber and a horse and colt of Avery t & Son, and some machines... ...Dobereiner, building $2,500, no insurance Just twenty years ago today that the same block was burnt down."

The February 15, 1863 fire is mentioned in the Caledonia Tweedsmuir community history book, but not this fire.  Interestingly, Les Richardson mentions it in Caledonia Memories and Other Stories, Grand River Sachem May 27,1981

1885.. a fire, starting in the corner block of Argyle St. and Caithness St., later known as the Merrall block, spread eastward to a large feed barn, where later Tom Arrell built a livery stable and Fred Avery had it for a garage. As this barn burned, the Cochrane building next door soon caught on fire. Former Reeve John Scott quickly formed a bucket brigade drawing the water from the pump across the road at the Revere Hotel... The flames spread quickly but Cochrane's home and business was saved by a shift in the wind and the fire spread around the corner wiping out all businesses as far as the Grand Chow Mein Restaurant and Tavern. It looked for sometime as if all of Argyle Street East would go up in flame.

Tragically, this fire destroyed Philip Dobereiner s photography business in Caledonia. The last time he is listed as photographer in Caledonia is in the Ontario Gazetteer business directory of 1884.

 1885 he has a studio on the 2nd floor of a new cement brick building, on the corner of Wyndham St & Macdonell in Guelph, Ontario.

 1886 a short paragraph is written about him in Representative Businessmen of Guelph :

Philip Dobereiner, Photographer, Macdonnell Street. The photographer's art is one that requires much judgment, artistic skill and long practice, to successfully prosecute it. Of late years the process has been scientifically developed, so that now a photograph is a "thing of beauty and a joy forever." business in Guelph is Mr. Philip Dobereiner, of Macdonnell Street, who has been established in his present premises for the past 18 months, although he conducted the same line of business in Caledonia for 18 years previously. The premises occupied by him are 18x85 feet in dimensions and two floors in height, on the lower being the reception rooms and studio, which are tastefully fitted up, and contain all the latest requirements of the photographer's art. His custom comes from all parts of the city and the surrounding country. Mr. Dobereiner is a native of Germany, but has resided in this country for a great many years. He is an expert photographer and a thorough artist, and his works do him praise.

June 19, 1886, Arthur Edward Dobereiner, Their second child is born in Wellington, Ontario. 

 By 1887 he is listed in the Union Publishing directory for farmers and businesses as P. Dobereiner, Photographer..... and under his name is Mrs. P Dobereiner, Dressmaker. 

I don't know who this refers to yet. Perhaps Anna was a Dressmaker.

January 21, 1888 Alma Bertha Dobereiner, their 3rd child is born in Guelph Ontario.

1889 he is listed in the Guelph city directory as P. Dobereiner & Ward in the same location Wyndham St & Macdonell.

(I would like to find out more about this partnership.) 

  May 19, 1890 Lillian Dobereiner, their 4th child is born in Guelph Ontario. 

  May 28, 1890 Lillian Dobereiner, passes away. 

  June 20, 1891 Harriette Ursula V. Dobereiner, their 5th child is born in Guelph Ontario. 

  March 21, 1901 Philip Louis Dobereiner passes away at 72 years old.

The Woodlawn Memorial Park cemetery in Guelph has a tombstone that reads:

  Philip L Dobereiner

 1828 - 1901

 His wife Anna S Gabe

 1854 - 1937

A good life.   He lived in the perfect moment in time to be part of the CDV era.  A young man reinvents himself by coming to America. Lives in Montgomery and Elmira for 13 years; in a time when having your photo taken was finally available and affordable to anyone; and everyone wanted their photo taken. I would love to know more of his decade in America and where he learned photography.   Did he leave America because he was drafted? Maybe. Nonetheless, Its understandable why he left.  The Civil war had been going on for 4 years by the time he was drafted.  By then it must have seemed as if the War had gone on forever and would never end.  

I still don't know why he chose Caledonia, perhaps there are clues in Elmira still to be found for his motivations, but I suspect its probably the same reason we all did. Thankfully, he chose it as his home for over 20 years.  The gift of his photography to the history of Caledonia is unequaled and precious.   Like many of us he built a life here, worked here everyday, got married here, owned property, he was part of the community.  Watched the same sunsets we do, walked down the same streets, sat by the same river.    Then instantly loses everything in a fire. Two decades of work erased from history in an instant. The only photos of his that are left in the world are the ones customers had in their homes or sent to loved ones. His personal archive destroyed. 20 years of promises that negatives preserved, copies can be had anytime, gone. Its understandable why he left town.   

 So he has to start all over once again; but now he has a partner with Anna,  together as a team they build a life in Guelph, Ontario. He rebuilds his business, a new archive, continues to consistently improve on his work and grow their family with Anna.  Together they have 5 children.  He dies in 1901 at the age of 72.  The year the Brownie camera is now in the hands of anyone who has one dollar to buy one; the price he charged for 12 photos.  Philip Dobereiner arrived at the beginning of the carte de visite & photo parlor era, and left as it ended. How wonderful.   

 Sources:

 My personal collection. 

 Bradt family photo archives

 Edinburgh Square Heritage & Cultural Centre, Caledonia Ontario. 

 https://www.canadiana.ca/ https://www.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.8_06526_1803/2

 https://guelph.pastperfectonline.com/bycreator?keyword=Dobereiner%2C%20Philip https://wcma.pastperfectonline.com/Search?search_criteria=Dobereiner&onlyimages=false https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=Nb0HLiwjfsIC&dat=18660307&b_mode=2&hl=en Ancestry.ca Archives of Ontario The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Consolidated Lists of Civil War Draft Registration Records (Provost Marshal General's Bureau; Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865); Record Group: 110; Collection Name: Consolidated Enrollment Lists, 1863-1865 (Civil War Union Draft Records); NAI: 4213514; Archive Volume Number: 1 of 6 The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC, USA; Passenger Lists of Vessels Arriving at New York, New York, 1820-1897; Microfilm Serial or NAID: M237; RG Title: Records of the U.S. Customs Service; RG: 36