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PLATT D. BABBITT (1823-1879)
Pair of whole-plate ambrotypes of a thundering and misty Niagara Falls.
The first is a marvelous group portrait
of 9 family members and the second is a dramatic study of 4 silhouetted figures; in leather cases. 1850s
[2,500/3,500]
From the Collection of Harry Amdur.
One of the most enperising commercial photographers of the 1850s, Babbitt controlled the lucrative
concession in front of Point View, later Prospect Point, on the American side of Niagara Falls. An
accomplished photographer, he was renowned for his firm grasp on this prime real estate.Apparently,
when confronted by a formidable competitor,“Mr. Babbitt and his forces would stand between the
camera and the falls swinging large-sized umbrellas to and fro thus preventing [the other
photographer] from getting a picture,” wrote an observer.