Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1905-05-19
PIONEER PICTURE MAKER.
Ira G. French, Who Died Saturday, Made
Pictures Of Clay, Webster, Calhoun and
Fremont.

Ira G. French, so, an old-time portrait
maker and a pioneer in his art, died Sat
urday forenoon at the home of his
nephews, Ira f. and George w. Burnett,
at go Canal street He had been gradual
ly breaking down a year or more and his
last illness covered period of about two
weeks Mr.. French was born in West Dunn
merston Oct. 80, 1922, on the old French
farm about half a mile from the West
river bridge. After the death of his
parents, Samuel and Sally (Gates) French,
he went to Massachusetts, to work in
shop until he began his trade OF picture
making in Orange. Caleb May of South
Orange taught him to make daguerreo-
types in 1877. He secured a good outfit
of Benjamin French of Boston and after
plying his trade a short time in Wood
stock, Conn, he returned to Dummers-
ton. This was some 10 years after
Daguerre's art had come into use in
France. Picture making was a great
novelty then, and MIR. French often was
called out to the homes OF his neghbors
to take family groups. The largest pic
lures made at that time were known as
quarter plates, and some of them are now
in the homes of old-time families.
From Dummerston Mr.. French went to
Dover, Marlboro and Wilmington, thence
to Bennington county, finally drifting to
Utica, N. Y, where he made an extend
ed engagement with d. d. T. Davie
and in January, $780, he was sent to
Washington, ID. c., to secure the pictures
of prominent men. He made pictures of
| all the government officials and members
of Congress, including Clay, Calhoun.
Webster and Fillmore. The collection
numbered about 300, but subsequently
they were destroyed by fire.
Mr. French went to Burlington in the
fall of 1850 and operated the first sky
light gallery in that city He sold out in
| following spring went to Sacramento,
California. He was burned out in
the great fire which destroyed that
| city in 1852 The next January he opened
| rooms in San Francisco. Two years later
he returned to New York and learned
to make ambrotypes introducing them
| in San Francisco in 1856. The next year
he returned to Sacramento, where he
| made photographs of all the state sena-
| tors, and in 1858 he exhibited the first life
sized photographs seen on the Pacific
coast. General Fremont was one OF his
| patrons.
His last trip to California was made
by stage across the plains in 1860, starting
at a point 80 miles west of ST. Louis ant
going by a southerly route. The far,
was $3.50, and 1t took 21iA days to make
the trip. A change of horses was mad,
about every u miles, and no stops wer,
made save for meals, for which the stag
] ldIe pau. Inc "Trip CTOSSeu anu IeCIOSS
ed the main track of the buffalo, anS
these animals were seen in herds o
thousands. occasionally being pursued b!
Indians Mr. French once caught
buffalo calf, which he carried some dis
lance in his arms. In 1862 he returne,
to New York, after which he devoted hi
| time until his retirement to finishing
large heads in India ink, some of hi
work in that line being done for Brattle
boro photographers.
Mrs. French, who was Loose Fisk die
Dec %. 1891, in Canaan, N. Y, whic
was then their home. In 1896 Mr.. Frenc
sold his place in Canaan, which include
several fish preserves, and came to Brat
tleboro to live. He was direct de
scendant of William French, who wa
killed in the Westminster massacre, an
was the last survivor of his father
family. He leaves five nephews, NJ. S
! Burnett of West Dummerston, Ira
Burnett and George w. Burnett of Brat
tleboro. Samuel French of New Yor
and Ira c.. French of Orange, Mass
; and three nieces, Mrs. Betsey f. Higgin
of Brattleboro, Mrs Julia Ormsbee {
Brockton, Mass. and Mrs. Hanna
| Wheeler of Boston. He also leaves tw
cousins, Mrs Hiram Knapp Of West Brat
! | tleboro and Daniel Gates of East Dunn
merston.
The funeral was held at the house a
t o'clock Tuesday, Rev. Frank l.. Mes
) seek, of the Universalist church, officiat
ing. Mrs. Katherine O'Connor Week
= sang two selections. Ira Burnett an
l | Undertaken William II. Bond went wit
/ the body Wednesday to Canaan, n. Y
t where the burial took place.