Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-05-19
DEATH OF IRA G. FRENCH.
Introduced Dasuerreotypes Nearly 90
Years Ago in Dummerston.

Ira G. French. SO. died at the home
OF his nephew, Ira +, Burnett, go CanA
street. Brattleboro. Sunday. after a
long illness. He was the son Of SAM
uel and Sally Gates French, whose Old
home was about half a mile from the
West river bridge In Dummerston. He
married Louisa Fisk. who died some IA
years ago. He came to Brattleboro
after selling his home in Canaan. n.
Y, where he had several fish pre-
serves. He leaves eight nephews and
nieces, Martin. Ira and George Bur-
nett Samuel and Ira French. the first
three of Brattleboro, the other two OF
New York city and Orange. Mass. re-
spectively. Mrs. Ira Higgins of Brat
! tleboro. Hannah French Wheeler OF
Boston and Julia French OF Orange.
Mass. He was direct descendant OF
William French who was killed in the
battle of Westminster, Mar. 10. 1915
by the Tories. and to whose memory
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton recently erected monument.
The funeral was held at the home
of Mr.. Burnett Tuesday afternoon, AMI
the body was taken to Canaan -Four
Corners, n. Y, for burial. Rev. Frank
l.. Masseck of the Universalist church
oficiated.
Mr. French was a pioneer in the art
1
| trade of the late Caleb May OF south
Orange, Mass. in April 1S47, beginning
operations in Woodstock, Conn.,, after
ward returning to his old home IN
Dummerston. He went from house 10
house for the sttings, and as picture
making was somewhat Of a novelty,
had good patronage. About year or
two before Mr.. French a silhouette
maker had preceded him in a tour OF
Windham county. The largest PIC
lures Mr.. French made when he be-
CON we've quarter plates some of
which are still in existence in this
county. He canvassed in Bennington
county and in New York state, ana
made a permanent engagement IN uti-
ca with ID. r. ID. Davie. who sent MN
to Washington in 1850 to get pictures
of prominent men there. Mr.. French
took a room at the capitol where ne
made pictures of all government ofn-
GERS and congressman, including Cay
Calhoun, Webster and Fillmore. one
day he solicited President Taylor for
a sitting. MY time is not my own
said the president. Il work from sun
rise to sunset but / will come and SIT
| If l can get away" These pictures,
some 300 in number. were all MADE LOT
the Utica house. but were subsequent
ly destroyed by fire.
In the fall of 1850 Mr.. French OPEN
ed, the first skylight gallery In Bur
lington, N. Y, where he got the can
fornia fever and in the following
spring sailed for the Pacific coast. To-
eating in Sacramento. where he was
burned out in the great fire or lSo2.
Next he opened rooms in San FRAN
cisco. but after two years work there
returned to New York to study the
art of making ambrotypes. when ne
introduced in San Francisco IN ls9o.
He again settled in Sacramento IN 1921,
where he made photographs OF all the
state senators, and year later ne
made the first life-size photographs
on the Pacific coast. having gotten ms
ideas from a visit to New YORK anu
from reading publications OF the traoe'
Gen. Fremont was one OF MS patrons'
Mr.. French made his last trip TO can
fornia by stage across the plains IN
1860. starting at point about ~
miles west Of St. Louis and going ~
the southern route. The fare was slGo
and it required 21la days to make tne
trip. The horses were changed ABOUT
every IL miles. and no stops "ele
made save for meals which were not
included in the stage fare. The trip
was a most romantic one. crossing ana
recrossing, as it did. the main track
of the buffalo. which We're seen III
droyes of thousands. pursued py iu-
dams. At one point Mr.. french SUI
ceeded in catching a young bunalo
oolf which he carried some distance
In his arms. Los Angeles then had
about $50 inhabitants. In 1862 MI.
French returned to New York, where.
so long as his health permitted. ne
gave his attention to finishing large
heads in India ink