[W&B] Lewis Family

[DColucci at aol.com]

A relative of the Lewis Family has been working on documenting the family  
history - these notes are private - he said I could share with others of  
collecting interest
 
 
William Lewis  - Chronology - City Directory Listings,  etc. 
1840 - W. & W. H. Lewis, suppliers of daguerrian materials, NYC (John  S. 
Craig). 
1844 – W. and W. H. Lewis, Daguerrian rooms, 142  Chatham St, opposite the 
(Chatham) theater.  NYC Directory.  Also 63 ½ Division St.  Offered instruction 
in the art, and  apparatus for sale.  Also advertised  as manufacturers of 
daguerrian apparatus, galvanic batteries, and hat pressing  machines. 
1844 - 63 ½ Division Street (h?) (John S.  Craig). 
1844-5 – W. and W.H. Lewis, machinists, 142  Chatham Street, NYC.  Fancy 
store,  63 ½ Division St, NYC selling Daguerrian apparatus.  Daguerreotypes, 144 
Chatham  St. 
1846 – An ad stated, "Premium manufactory of  daguerreotype apparatus, hat 
pressing machines, etc... hand, brim and fluting  irons, patent heel plates, 
galvanic batteries, etc." It also noted they were the  first regularly 
established manufacturer of daguerreotype apparatus in the United States.   
?1847 - Lewis & Co., Daguerrian, 74 Chambers  St, NYC, NY.  The location was 
later  occupied bt S. K. Barton. 
1848 W. and W. H. Lewis, Daguereotypes,  Instruction, Importing and 
Manufacture.  142 and/or 144 Chatham St, NYC. 
1848-52 – W. and W. H. Lewis, machinists, 142 Chatham St, NYC. 
1849 - W. and W. H. Lewis, First Patent - # 6431 -  Improvement in 
Daguerreotype Apparatus for Gilding Plates 
1849 - W. and W. H. Lewis, US patent # 6819 -  Apparatus for Holding 
Daguerreotype Plates 
1850-1 -  h 21 Eldridge St,  NYC, NY (John S. Craig) 
1851- W. Lewis, general superintendent; W. H. Lewis –  salesman. 
Early 1850's - Briefly owned (opened Nov 1851) a  manufacturing plant at 
Daguerreville, NY, on the Quassaick Creek (today the  border of New Windsor and 
Newburgh), employing 60-70 people.  [In 1818, Townsend ran a cannon mill  there, 
which produced the first cannon made in the US.  In 1859, the mills included 
J. Longking,  Daguerrian instruments.]  It was  reported as closed and sold in 
the May 1, 1852 issue of Humphrey's Journal.  This may have been the factory 
(mill)  once used by Peter Townsend to produce the first cannon in NYS.  It 
was later owned by L. S. Sterrit and  used as a pin factory, failing in early 
1850.  It was later owned by Joseph Longking  and Aaron F. Palmer for the 
manufacture of Photographic instruments, cases and  equipment, but this also failed. 
 In  1862, it was converted to a flour mill, but was destroyed by fire in 
1867.  The family continued in business on  Chatham Square into the 1870's.  
Trouw's N.Y.C. Directory  
1852, May 1 - Announced the closing of the  Lewis  plant in Newburgh (Marder, 
 HJ, p. 28) 
1852, Apr - firm (what part?) sold to Gardner, Harrison & Co.  (John S. 
Craig). 
1853-4 - W & W. H. Lewis, 63 Elizabeth Street,  NYC, manufacturers of 
daguerrian apparatus.  (John S. Craig) (Marder) 
1854-5 - William and William H. Lewis at 63  Elizabeth St., NYC (home or 
business ?).  (Trow’s NYC Dir). 
1855 - h 187 Allen St (John S. Craig). 
1856 - W & W. H. Lewis, machinist, 63 Elizabeth (John S.  Craig). 
1858 – Lewis, William, machinist, h. Portland av n  Myrtle av (Brooklyn City 
Directory, lain, BPL). 
1859 – W. and W. H. Lewis – US patent # 6431 –  apparatus for gilding 
daguerreotype plates.  See patent list for later  patents. 
1860 - W & W. H. Lewis, machinist, manufacturers of daguerrian  apparatus, 63 
Elizabeth (John S. Craig). 
ca. 1860 Moved to Williamsburgh. 
1854-5, 1861 - William and William H. Lewis at 63  Elizabeth St., NYC (home 
or business ?).  (Trow’s NYC Dir). 
1862 - William Lewis, photographic apparatus, 63  Elizabeth, h Portland Av 
and Myrtle Av, Brooklyn (Trow’s NYC Directory).  son ? 
1864 - William Lewis, photographer, 63 Elizabeth,  NY, h 119 Portland Av. 
(Lain’s Brooklyn City Directory).  See separate file "Lewis Family and  Early 
Photography in America", for additional information.  son? 
1860 - Wm. & Wm. H. Lewis - Last Patent  together, # 28,876, Improvement in 
Photographic Baths 
d. 1880 
1880-1 Lewis, Mary J., wid William, h 129 N  Portland av (NYMA)  Brooklyn  
City 
US Census 
1870  - Lewis, William, age 70, W, M, Manuf of Photo Inst, $2000, $200, b. 
Wales;  wife, Mary J., age 70, F, W, keeping house, b. England.  Brooklyn, 
20-WD, Boarding house.  Children:  Hannah, age 42, Eliza, age 40, Margaret,  age 
32, Josephine, age 29, Caroline, age 16, Elizabeth, age 15.  [Whose children are 
the last  2?] 
William Henry  Lewis - City Directory Listings 
?  1852-3 Ship Chandlers – Lewis, W. H. & Co – p, 291-2 - Wilson’s Business  
Directory of NYC, published annually, John F. Trow, Publisher and Printer, 49 
 Ann St, NY, 50 cents 
1853-5 William H.  Lewis, Hester Street, corner of Elizabeth, daguerrian, h. 
21 Eldridge.  (John S. Craig). 
1858/9 Lewis, William,  machinist, h Portland av n Myrtle av, Downtown 
Brooklyn. (Lain, BPL) 
? 1858/9 Lewis, William H,  speculator, h 603 3d (West of Prospect Park (?)). 
(Lains, BPL) 
1859/60 Lewis, William,  machinist, h 603 3d. (Lains, BPL) 
?  1862/3 Lewis, William H., clerk, P.O. h 100 Prince, Downtown Brooklyn (Lain
’s  Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1863/4 Lewis, William,  photographer, 63 Elizabeth, NY, h 119 Portland av, 
Downtown Brooklyn.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1864/5 Lewis, William,  photographer, h 119 Portland av.  (Lain’s Brooklyn 
City Dir, BPL). 
?1865/6 Lewis, William  H., clerk, Montague n Court.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City 
Dir, BPL). 
1865/6 Lewis, William,  manufacturer, 4 Howard, NY, (1 Block N of Canal), h 
109 Portland av.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1871, Sep 23 - William  H., US Patent 119,090 for posing chair assigned to 
Scovill Mfg. Co. (Marder) 
1876-7 Lewis, William  H., machinist, h 683 Leonard (NYMA)  Brooklyn City 
(Greenpoint). 
1877-8 Lewis, William H.,  machinist, h 683 Leonard (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1878-9 Lewis, William  H., machinist, h 181 Calyer (Greenpoint) (NYMA) Lain’s 
Brooklyn City 
1879-80  Lewis, William H., machinist, 181 Calyer  (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1879  - d. ? 
Henry J. Lewis - City Directory Listings 
1850’s - 152 Chatham  St, NYC, sold and manufactured photographic supplies.  
(Marder) 
1852  - 176 Centre St, NYC, NY, dealer in Daguerrian apparatus.  Manufactured 
and sold photographic  supplies.   
1852-3 – Partnership as  Lewis and Snyder (Sayder?) (W.H.?).  152 Chatham 
Street, NYC.   
1852-3 Lewis &  Snyder, W. H. (or Sayder), Daguerreotype Apparatus, 176 
Centre (Wilson’s  Business Directory of NYC, published annually, John F. Trow, 
Publisher and  Printer, 49 Ann St, NY, 50 cents) 
1854 - Manufacturing Thompson  Life Preserver seats.  Manufacturing  felt 
hats.  
1854  – Daguerrian apparatus manufacturer, Kent St near Union Ave, Kings Co, 
NY. 
1855-6 - Lewis, Henry  J., manuf, 96 Sulfolk, NY [Hagstrom, NYC p. 1, E-20; N 
of E Broadway, near  Williamsburg Bridge approach]; h Kent St n Union Av 
(Brooklyn City Directory)  (NYMA) (Marder, Brooklyn Dir) 
1856-7 Lewis, Henry J.,  manuf, NY; h. Kent St n. Union A, Williamsburg, 
Brooklyn, (Hope and Henderson  Brooklyn Directory) (NYMA) 
About 1856 - Operated a  photographic materials manufacturing plant at 138 
First Street, (Williamsburg,  or South Brooklyn) Brooklyn.  (Marder, Brooklyn 
Dir). 
1857-8 - Lewis, Henry  J., tradesman (Marder, Brooklyn Dir). 
1858-9 Lewis, Henry J.,  Daguerrian apparatus manufacturer, 1st n S 4th, h 
Kent n  Union av. Williamsburg, (Lain’s Brooklyn City Directory, BPL). 
1859  - Henry J. Lewis - US patent # 23, 428, living in Brooklyn, Camera 
Stand 
1858-62 – Daguerrian  apparatus manufacturer First St near South Fourth St 
(or av), (South Brooklyn?)  Brooklyn, NY; h Kent Street  (Marder, Brooklyn Dir). 
1859  - Advertised himself as a manufacturer of all kinds of ambrotype and  
daguerreotype apparatus and as a dealer in chemicals and other photographic  
materials at 152 Chatham St, NYC.  
1862  - Lewis, Henry J., daguerreotype apparatus maker, 1st n S  2nd, h Kent 
n Union Av (Lain’s Brooklyn City Directory, p. 253); h  Kent n Union Av, 
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY (1863 Lain’s Brooklyn City  Directory).   
1863, Sep - Factory in  Williamsburg burned out. 
1863-4 - Lewis, Henry,  framemaker, h Kent n Union Av (Lain’s Brooklyn City 
Directory, BPL) (Marder).  
1864-5 - Lewis, henry  J., photo-optician, Freeman nr Union.  (Marder). 
1865  - He moved his plant to Greenpoint,  Brooklyn.  He designed and made a  
camera box with removable inserts to take extra photographs, to circumvent  
Southworth and Wing patents, which used a movable plate holder.  Lawsuits 
apparently doomed this  camera. 
1866-7 - Lewis, Henry  J., photographer, Freeman nr Union.  (Marder, Brooklyn 
Dir). 
1867-8 - Lewis, Henry  J., manufacturer, Freeman nr Union, h, Kent nr Union 
(Marder, Brooklyn Dir). 
1869-70 - Lewis, Henry  J., cabinetmaker, Freeman nr Franklin, (Marder, 
Brooklyn Dir). 
1872-5 - Lewis, Henry  J., photographic apparatus maker, 132 Freeman  
(Marder, Brooklyn Dir). 
1875  - Henry J. Lewis, US Patent # 165,241, to E. & H. T. Anthony, living  
Greenpoint, Improvement in Stereoscopes. 
1875-6 - Lewis, Henry  J., Photographer, Kent and West, h 96 Orchard.  
(Marder, Brooklyn Dir). 
1876-7 – None –  Brooklyn 
1877-8 – None –  Brooklyn 
1878-9 Lewis, Henry,  photographer, h 107 Huron (Greenpoint) (NYMA)  Brooklyn 
City (Marder, Brooklyn  Dir). 
1879-80 Lewis, Henry  J., insts mkr, h 107 Huron (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1880-1 Lewis, Henry J.,  photographer, h 107 Huron (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1881-2 Lewis, Henry J.,  photographer, 127 Manhattan av, h 115 Noble  
(Greenpoint) (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1888-9 Lewis, Henry J.,  photo materials, 103 Milton (Brooklyn Dir, 
Ancestry.com) 
1889-90 Lewis, Henry  J., photo apparatus, 103 Milton (Brooklyn Dir, 
Ancestry.com) 
d.  1905, age 86 
He  conducted his camera making business under the name Lewis Manufacturing 
Company  until 1867, when his son, William H., assumed control and conducted 
the business  under the name William H. Lewis.  During the  
1870's - He received a  patent for a stereoscope and worked with his son 
William Henry.  William H. continued in the business  with the help of his father 
until  
1890 - Henry J. retired.   
1891, Henry J. is  listed in the Brooklyn Directory, as a photographic 
artist, residing at 103 Milton St, Brooklyn. 
1893  -  William H. sold this business, in  Greenpoint, Brooklyn, (having 
employed 87 people), and having been sick for 6  months (see # 121.).    
Richard A.  Lewis - City Directory Listings 
1839 gallery was  established.   
1852-3 Lewis, Richard  A., 142 Chatham, Daguerreotype Likenesses - Wilson’s 
Business Directory of NYC,  published annually, John F. Trow, Publisher and 
Printer, 49 Ann St, NY, 50  cents 
1855  Lewis & Holt. (John S. Craig). 
1858  Lewis, Richard A., daguerreotypes, 142 Chatham, NY, h 55 Cumberland.  
(Brooklyn City Directory, Lain,  BPL). 
1858/9 Lewis, Richard  A., Daguerrian artist, 42 (sic) Chatham, NY, h 55 
Cumberland. 
?  1858/9 Lewis, Margaret I., h 55 Cumberland.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, 
BPL). 
1859/60 Lewis, Richard  A., artist, 142 Chatham, NY, h 96 Cumberland.  (Lain’
s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1859/60 Lewis,  Margaret, wid, h r 49 Douglas.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, 
BPL). 
1859/60 Lewis,  Margaret, wid, h 137 S 2d.  (Lain’s  Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1860  Lewis, R.  A. advertised Lewis and  Holt collodion for sale.  [probably 
 George W. A. Holt, a Daguerrian in NYC, 1841-56.  Ca 1841 was listed a Lewis 
&  Holt.  (John S. Craig). 
1861, removed his  business from 142 Chatham St., NYC to 152 Chatham St.  
Richard A. Lewis, 152 Chatham opp  National Theater, “Photographs, Amberotypes, 
and Daguerreotypes, Lewis and  Holt’s celebrated positive and negative 
colloidions, wholesale and retail (ad -  1862, Wilson’s NY Commercial Directory, p. 
51).  R. A. Lewis announces removal from 142  to 152 Chatham St (his only 
gallery at that time) nr Mellon, Banks and Wilcox’s  Bldgs.  (1862, ½-page ad)  
(Brooklyn City Dir, Marder). 
1860/1 Lewis, Richard  A., Daguerrian, 152 Chatham, NY, h 96 Cumberland.  
(Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1863/4 Lewis, Richard  A., daguerreotypes 152 Chatham, NY, h 96 Cumberland 
(Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir,  BPL). 
1864  Richard A. Lewis, daguerreotype, 152 Chatham, NY, h 96 Cumberland 
(1864, Lain’s  Brooklyn City Directory).   
1864/5 Lewis, Richard, 96  Cumberland.  (Lain’s Brooklyn City  Dir, BPL). 
1864/5 Lewis, Richard,  artist’s materials, 4 Beekman, NY, h 7 Jefferson.  
(Lain’s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL).  (son?) 
1865/6 Lewis, Richard  A., artist, h 96 Cumberland, (Lain’s Brooklyn City 
Dir, BPL). 
1866/7 Lewis, R. A.,  photographer, 100 Chatham, NY, h 96 Cumberland.  (Lain’
s Brooklyn City Dir, BPL). 
1869/70, Lewis, Richard A. – same  ad as below (NYMA) 
1871-2 “Lewis, Richard  A, photographer, est 1839,(2nd Av. 3rd Av, E Bwy, 
Bleecker  St, & New Bowery cars pass the door)  158, 160, 162, CHATHAM, h. 126 
Cumberland, B’klyn” NYC Directory  (NYMA) 
1872-3 Lewis, Richard A. – same  ad as above (NYMA) 
1873-4 “Lewis, Richard  A., Photographer, (established 1939) 158, 160, 162 
Chatham St, 2d & 3d Av, E  Broadway, Bleecker, New Bowery & Grand Central Depot 
cars pass the door h  126 Cumberland B’klyn”  [Hagstrom,  NYC p. 20, D13, 
near Fort Greene Park] 
1873-4 - Lewis Gallery  advertised at in business for over 30 years, located 
at 160 Chatham,  2nd and 3rd Ave, E. Broadway, Bleker Street, New Bowery,  and 
Grand Central, NYC (Trow’s Dir) 
1874-5 Lewis, Richard A – same ad  as above (NYMA) 
1874-5 - Richard A.  Lewis - Lewis Gallery, estab 1839, 160 Chatham, 2nd and  
3rd Ave, East Broadway, Bleeker Street, New Bowery, Grand  Central.  (Marder 
- Trow’s Dir) 
1875-6 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, (estab 1839), 158, 160, 162, Chatham 
St 2 av, 3 av, E7  Broadway, Bleecker St, New Bowery, and Grand Central depot 
cars pass the door, f  126 Cumberland, Brooklyn.  (NYMA)  Trow’s NYC – P 10, 
Full Page Ad 
1881  - Richard A. Lewis, in business over 30 years, 160 Chatham, h. 196 
Cumberland,  Brooklyn.  Gallery valued at  $10,000, free and clear.  (Marder -  R. 
G. Dun & Co, NYC, 1881, Vol 373, p. 1541) 
1876-7 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, 158 Chatham Street, NYC, h 126 
Cumberland (NYMA)  Brooklyn City  -  Also listed under photography 
1877-8 Lewis, Richard  A., 160 Chatham, h 126 Cumberland (NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1878-9 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, 158, 160 Chatham Street, NYC, h 126 
Cumberland (NYMA) Lain’s  Brooklyn City.  ½ page ad next page,  to right. 
1879-80 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, h 126 Cumberland (NYMA) Brooklyn 
City 
1880-1 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, 160 Chatham, NYC, h 126 Cumberland 
(NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1881 Lewis, Richard A., 160  Chatham St.  h 196 Cumberland St.,  Brooklyn.   
1881-2 Lewis, Richard  A., photographer, 162 Chatham, NYC, h 126 Cumberland 
(NYMA) Brooklyn City 
1883  Richard A. Lewis, photographs, 160 Chatham, h 126 Cumberland, Brooklyn 
(1883,  Trouw’s NYC Directory, p. 994).   
d. 1891, age 71. 
1891, Sep 23 - Remained a  practicing photographer until his death. 




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