FOR SEVERAL YEARS, LITERALLY, I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING
FOR EXAMPLES OF THE ARCHITECTURAL WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER CHARLES DUDLEY ARNOLD
FROM HIS NEW YORK CITY OFFICE, COVERING A PERIOD ROUGHLY FROM 1884-1890.
THE SEARCH WAS ABSOLUTELY FRUITLESS UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO (MARCH OF
2003) WHEN AN ARCHIVE OF 33 ORIGINAL VINTAGE ARNOLD PRINTS WERE OFFERED TO
ME BY
A
BOOKDEALER. THESE 33 UNMOUNTED PRINTS, ALL APPARENTLY FROM HIS FAVORITE
CAMERA FORMAT 6X9", OPENED A WINDOW OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHY I HAVE BEEN UNABLE
TO LOCATE C.D. ARNOLD PRINTS FROM THOSE NEW YORK CITY DAYS - THE REASON,
I BELIEVE, IS THAT ARNOLD ONLY USED A REAR IMPRINT, RATHER THAN A NAME IN
THE NEG OR PRINT, TO SHOW AUTHORSHIP OF THESE PRINTS.
AND
AS ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH 19TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY CAN ATTEST TO, ALBUMIN
PRINTINGOUT
PAPERS,
OR POP, AS THEY WERE KNOWN, WERE VERY THIN, VERY CURLY PAPERS.
THESE
WERE INVARIABLY MOUNTED ON BOARDS TO PRESERVE, EXHIBIT, OR STORE IN FOLIOS.
ONCE
MOUNTED,
ARNOLD'S NAME WAS FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES LOST.
IN
OTHER WORDS - ARNOLD'S WORK IS PROBABLY ON VIEW IN NUMEROUS
ARCHIVES,
HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW -
HIS NAME SANDWICHED BETWEEN
AN
ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPH AND A MOUNTING BOARD...MOST LIKELY
NEVER
TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.
ARNOLD,
A BUFFALO, NY RESIDENT, HAD IMMIGRATED FROM CANADA ABOUT 1864 AND
WAS,
I CAN ONLY CONJECTURE, A SELF-TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER. I DON'T MEAN TO IMPLY
THAT
SOME PHOTOGRAPHER DID NOT EXPLAIN THINGS TO HIM, OR ACTUALLY TEACH
HIM
THE RUDIMENTS, BUT WE SIMPLY HAVE NO REFERENCE TO BASE OUR CONCLUSIONS
ON. ONE YEAR
HE
IS A TRAVELLING SALESMAN AND A FEW YEARS LATER HE IS AN ARCHITECTURAL
PHOTOGRAPHER
WITH
AN OFFICE IN NEW YORK CITY. INCLUDED IN THESE YEARS IS AT LEAST ONE
AND PROBABLY TWO
TRIPS
TO ENGLAND AND FRANCE, EACH SEVERAL MONTHS LONG
TO
CREAT A PORTFOLIO FROM WHICH HE NOT ONLY SOLD TO ARCHITECTS
REFERENCE
MATERIALS
OF THE OLD CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE, BUT ALSO GAINED COMMISSIONS TO
PHOTOGRAPH
BUILDINGS DESIGNED BY THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS ARCHITECTS OF THE EAST
COAST
OF AMERICA.
BY
THE TIME ARNOLD BECAME INVOLVED IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE CHICAGO COLUMBIAN
EXPOSITION OF 1893 HE HAD ALREADY WORKED FOR MANY OF THE MOST
PROMINENT
EASTERN
ARCHITECTS THAT AMERICA HAD TO OFFER.
BY
1891 WHEN ARNOLD WENT TO WORK FOR DANIEL BURNHAM AS THE CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER
IN CHICAGO, HIS SKILL AND COMPETANCE WAS ALREADY A GIVEN TO
FIRMS
INVOLVED IN DESIGNING THE MAJOR BUILDINGS AT THE FAIR SUCH AS
MCKIM
MEAD & WHITE AND PEABODY & STEARNS. FOR ALL WE KNOW THAT MAY
EVEN
HAVE
INCLUDED DANIEL BURNHAM HIMSELF.
WHAT
THESE 33 VINTAGE ARNOLD PRINTS SHOW IS THAT ARNOLD WAS NOT AN
"UNKNOWN
EASTERN
PHOTOGRAPHER" AS SOME CHARGED AT THE START OF THE EXPOSITON IN CHICAGO, MOST
NOTABLY
F.C. BEACH - ARNOLD'S CHIEF PROTAGONIST IN THE WAR OF WORDS TO GET
AMATEUR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
INTO THE FAIR FOR FREE.
IN
CONCLUSION, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT ARNOLD MADE WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A DECENT
LIVING FROM HIS ARCHITECTURAL WORK WHILE LOCATED IN NEW YORK CITY,
PROVIDING FOR A FAMILY AND ONE OR TWO TRIPS TO EUROPE. IT WOULD
SEEM LOGICAL THAT HIS ARCHITECTURAL WORK PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL
INCOME WORTHY OF A DEDICATED AND SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER. AS
WAS NOTED IN A 1913 ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE PROMINENT PHOTOGRAPHIC WRITER
AND PUBLISHER W. I. LINCOLN ADAMS, ARNOLD'S WORK WAS OF VERY HIGH QUALITY
AND ALREADY KNOWN TO ARCHITECTS, WHICH IS WHY HE WAS CHOSEN AS OFFICIAL
PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE CHICAGO COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.
