The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1879-12-19
POPULAR PICTURES.

Curtis" of the Inter- Ocean, writes thi,
from Washington:
| interviewed photograph man the
other day. Every year from 10000 tC
100000 strangers come to Washington
mostly tourists, and each one carries
away with him some memento of his Wis
1t. Photographs are popular and CHEAP
relics, and those that are sold most free.
ly indicate pretty well the popularity OF
the subjects. Several people here make
a good living by the sale of photographs
OF public buildings and public men.
There is place near the capitol where
a stock of q, 900 tOgraphs-four-fifths
OF them portraits-Is kept constantly on
hand. There can be found pictures, not
only of living statesmen, but of the dead
ones, running as far back as Andrew
Jackson. | asked the proprietor the
other day whose face was the most pop
ular.
Grants" he replied, "by all odds. l
sell twice as many pictures of Grant as
of any other man. There was a lull for a
time year or so since, when the demand
was very small, but it began to be lively
\ again about three months ago, as the
fall travel set in, and have hard work
To keep my stock up"
"Did you say you had sold more pic
NAANS Va OAAhN tAAau va OllCT
"Oh, no. Lincoln's picture was in a
great demand for fifteen years, and
have sold thousands upon thousands of
them. There are more portraits of Lin
coin scattered over this country than of
any one else, but the call for him has
nearly died out. Grant comes next.
His pictures began to he called for about
1868, and have sold steadily ever since.
They are bought now as fast as when he
was president"
How does Hayes picture sell ~
Poorly. Mrs. Hayes is more popular.
She has striking face, and it looks
well in a photograph. / sell two of hers
TO one of his"
"How do the cabinet SELF"
There is good demand for Sher-
mans picture, and occasionally l sell
one of Evarts and Key, but the others
are scarcely ever called for. don't be-
lieve ever sold ten pictures of Devens
General Sherman is good staple. There
is steady call for him, and Sheridan,
too; but Ol all the soldiers, barring
Grant, l think Pap Thomas sold best"
How about TIE senatOrsr''
"Blaine lays 'cm all over. Every time
he makes a speech, or has fuss In the
senate, l fill my windows with him. and
they go like hot cakes. If Blaine would
let me know when he is going to get up
an excitement in the senate, | would
have boys in the halls with his photo
graph. Blaine is great favorite with
the women
"Who comes next?'
"Well, | guess Zach Chandler does.
That jeff Davis speech was godsend to
me. | sold 200 pictures on it, and since
old Zach died have got rid of pile of
them Lamar sells we'll, and so does
/ ,nOan There wac hiu call far noT,
Cameron when he came to the senate, |
and it revived when he got married"
isn't Conkling called fory"
Yes, but l can't get 'em. Conkling |
hasn't had a negative taken for ten years |
NOT since he got grey-and, although |
keep few of the old ones on hand, |
people throw them one side because they |
don't look like him. l wish Conkling
would give us another negative"
Where do you get your pictures ~
Here in Washington, of Brady, and
/ do big business with New York |
artists"
How did Morton sell ~
Not firstrate. l always kept him on
hand as staple, and there was q steady
sale, and is now, but not large"
"WhO of the house sells best ~
"Well, 1 guess Alexander Stephens
does; then come Butler, Sam Randall,
and Cox. The SOutherners buy
Blackburn most, but most of my custom
comes from northern people. You don't
often see q southern woman here, and
men don't buy man photographs.
Southerners seldom come here except
they want an Office. The money that is
made in this business comes from the
sale of few particular faces, but have
to keep big stock on hand. If l kept
only twenty or thirty sorts could make
more money, because half my stock is
dead loss"