This Photo is Not of James H. Laramore, Sr.—At Least I Don’t Believe So.

Author: Julie January 27, 2019 0 Comments

WHO IS THE MAN IN THIS PHOTOGRAPH?

A quick search for James Laramore, Sr. of Georgia on Ancestry pulls up the following image for him in several family trees.

Now, I realize that it’s easy to accidentally mislabel old images of ancestors. I likely have gotten some names wrongly placed myself.

But I don’t believe that this photo is of James Laramore, Sr.

but of one of his sons instead and that the photograph was taken by his grandson.

I have a copy of this image in my possession. It was inherited a number of years ago with a large collection of family photos, many of them of the Laramore family. A number of researchers are labeling it ‘James H. Laramore, Sr.’ Personally, I have never found proof that he had a middle initial of ‘H’, or anything else for that matter, so I leave the initial out. Either way, the man I refer to was born somewhere between 1789 and 1792 in Georgia or Abbeville, South Carolina. He died 22 March 1866 in Lee, Georgia.

Front of the image of either John Louis Laramore or Peter Washington Laramore, not James H. Laramore, Sr.

 

Back of the image in question.

 

On the back of the photograph in question is the studio name, ‘BROWN & LARAMORE’ Photographers, Americus, Ga.  

The Laramore photographer should be W. P. (William Packingham/Parkingham) Laramore. This Mr. Laramore is the only member of the Caucasian Laramore family in the area listed in census records as a photographer in Americus during this era. In the 1860 census, he was only nine years old — obviously, too young to be a photographer. By 1870, at the tender age of 19, he lists his occupation on the census as ‘Photographer.’ Unfortunately, the 1880 and 1890 censuses have not been located for him. By 1900, he is listed as a ‘Contractor.’  His death certificate lists his occupation as a farmer. William was the grandson of the James Laramore, Sr. noted above.

 

Again, William P. Laramore was the grandson of James Laramore, Sr. As noted, James Sr. died in 1866, which means that most likely he had passed away by the time William began his photography career (unless William began his work at the age of 15; possible but a bit unlikely).

 

 

My maternal grandmother was born in 1900 and directly descended from this line.  Many years ago, Grandma Ray wrote on the back of my copy of this image – in her sweet penciled cursive– that this photo was of either John Louis Laramore or Peter Laramore. John Louis and Peter Washington Laramore are two sons of James Laramore, Sr. John Louis Laramore was the father of W.P. Laramore. Looking at other photos known to be John Louis (I have several), I most believe it to be John Louis Laramore.

Below is an image I own of John Louis Laramore, born circa 1824 and died 20 Nov 1882 in Lee, Georgia. A date for the photograph is not known, but I would guess that John was around 25-30 years of age here? If so, the image may have been taken around 1855. If the image above is of John Louis and taken between 1870-1880, then John Louis would have been somewhere in his 50s when the image was taken. That looks about right (though I am guessing).

John Louis Laramore, CdV image from the collection of Julie Jones Cordero.

 

Following is a copy of an original carte de visite photograph I own of Peter Washington Laramore, brother of John Louis and also a son of James Laramore, Sr. Could this be the person in our original image? Having been born in 1830, it is possible; though if this photo was taken by his nephew, W.P. Laramore, then he is too old here. 

Peter Washington Laramore,1830-1903, image from the collection of Julie Jones Cordero

 

So who is the Brown of ‘Brown & Laramore’ Photographers? I don’t know and would be thrilled to figure it out. At https://www.langdonroad.com/photographers-b-2, known as ‘Langdon’s List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers’, one finds a multi-page directory of photographers active in the United States from 1844 to 1950. Numerous persons by the surname of Brown are listed, but none in Georgia. I have searched elsewhere, to no avail. Please contact me if you know who our mystery photog is!

For the record, most of my images of the Laramore family were taken by the well-known middle-Georgia photographer from Macon, Georgia, Mr. Thomas Benton Blackshear. He also had a studio in Americus, Georgia. I vaguely remember at some point finding an image in my records that named W.P. Laramore and T.B. Blackshear both on the back, as if they had joined forces at some point. Today, I couldn’t find one, so who knows.