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David Davidson: David Davidson was the founder of the Davidson Photographic Studios in Providence RI. Davidson went on to become one of the national leaders in hand-colored photography and, in our opinion, his business ranked #2 in total overall sales of hand-colored photographs, with only Wallace Nutting selling more pictures than him. Working most of his career in Providence RI, most Davidson pictures were taken in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New England. A limited number were taken in the Western United States and Canada. For more information on David Davidson refer to " The Collectors Guide to Early 20th c American Prints " book. What follows is an Exploring Early 20th C Prints column that we wrote on David Davidson in 2000. David Davidson...Wallace Nutting's Student Wallace Nutting was undoubtedly the largest and most successful hand-colored photographer of the early 20th century. His name was better known, he sold more pictures, and he produced a significantly wider variety of subject matter than any other photographer of his time. Without question Wallace Nutting pictures are more widely collected today than those of any contemporaries. But Nutting was in no way the only early 20th c. photographer who was successful in the hand-colored photography business. Throughout New England and the rest of the country literally hundreds of other photographers were coloring their photographs in the style of Wallace Nutting and selling them to the gift and tourist trade And of all of these hundreds of photographers, David Davidson sold more pictures than anyone else...except Wallace Nutting. Selling through department stores, gift shops, and two traveling salesmen, David Davidson pictures became so popular that hardly a New England wedding occurred where the bride didn't receive at least one Davidson picture as a wedding or shower gift. Even Davidson's own son received a David Davidson picture as a wedding present from a friend who had never made the family connection. And perhaps the most interesting fact of all: It was Wallace Nutting himself who taught David Davidson the fine art of hand-colored photography David Davidson was born in 1881 in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1901 he entered Brown University in Providence majoring in Civil Engineering. While a student at Brown, Davidson also attended the Union Congregational Church where the Minister just happened to be Wallace Nutting. At this time Nutting was still a full-time Minister who was perfecting his hand-colored photography process on a part-time basis. Nutting had been experimenting with photography since the mid 1890's and although he had already published an article on photography, he was still an amateur at this time. Apparently Nutting, then age 40, was looking for an assistant to help him with some of the more mundane duties associated with his expanding photography hobby-business. And the 20-year-old Davidson was only too eager to help. Nutting was happy to find an assistant to carry his equipment, work in his dark room, handle much of the matting and framing, and many of the other assorted jobs that Nutting didn't have time to do. And Davidson was only too eager to learn photographic skills from his mentor, Wallace Nutting. Nutting and Davidson spent many afternoons in the countryside shooting blossoms, birches, lakes, ponds, mountains, streams, and even animals. They shot many pictures together, trying new techniques and experimenting with different cameras, negatives, angles, photographic papers, colors & coloring techniques. Perhaps the most obvious example of their collaborative work is a series of sheep pictures that were taken in Rhode Island. Three of Nutting's most commercially successful Sheep pictures, A Warm Spring Day, On the Slope, and Not One of the 400, were all shot at the same Rhode Island location and probably on the same day. Davidson's most successful sheep picture was Beside Still Waters. A close comparison of the two would seem to indicate that they were probably taken at the same location, and probably on the same day. Nutting left Providence in 1904. He retired from the church at this time citing ill health and personal nervous exhaustion as the reasons he quit the Ministry. Yet almost miraculously, he opened his first photography studio in New York City just several months later. Like Nutting, Exterior scenes consisting of blossoms, birches, streams, lakes, mountains, and country lanes became Davidson's best sellers. Also like Nutting, Davidson attempted to capitalize on America's Colonial Revival Movement by producing an assortment of Interior scenes. Most featured the fireplace or hearth, the generally perceived center of colonial American life. But that's where the similarity with Interior scenes ends. Nutting's unparalleled knowledge of early American antiques and his access to wealthy friends and their collections of fine antiques enabled him to utilize some of America's finest preserved houses as background for his Interior scenes. Davidson's Interior scenes were not nearly as complete. Whereas Nutting would feature a finely carved mahogany bonnet top highboy or an exquisite block-front slant-top desk, Davidson's Interiors typically included just a few older chairs and a spinning wheel. Davidson's Interiors often included no people at all while Nutting's Interiors almost always featured a woman or two around the fire. Although Davidson never traveled to Europe like Nutting, he did take a trip to the western United States and Canada photographing the Canadian Rockies and American Indian. Although Davidson's Canadian Rockies pictures are unusual, they can still be found. Although several are pictured in his 1917 and 1925 salesmen's catalogs, in 25+ years of searching I have never had the opportunity to acquire one of his American Indian pictures which would seem to indicate that they were very poor sellers. Today most Davidson collectors would give nearly anything to add such a picture to their collection. And unlike Nutting, who won no awards for his photography, Davidson entered his pictures in the 1915 Panama Pacific Exposition competition where he won a bronze medal in the category of hand-colored photography. Over the years Davidson affixed different advertising labels on the picture backing. Although many backings have become extremely brittle or have fallen off over the years, many still remain intact. A label promoting Davidson's award winning medal at the 1915 San Francisco Panama-Pacific Exposition will typically date a picture circa 1915-1925. A larger yellow label would date the picture circa 1925-1940. Knowledgeable collectors frequently look for pictures with these original labels and sometimes pay a premium price for them.. If you would like information on upcoming special exhibitions and artist receptions, send you address to: BOI's of New Hope Art Gallery 9 W. Mechanic Street New Hope, PA 18938 215.862.8292 boisofnewhope@verizon.net |
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| The Porch Beautiful |
| Hand Tinted Photograph |
| 4 x 9.5 |
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