DATE: 1864-1897
CREATOR: Boehl, Emil (1839-1919) German-American photographer.
SCOPE: Boehl's career spanned much of the second half of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth. The photographs in this collection date mostly from 1850 to 1880 and include such sites as Chouteau's Pond, Cracker Castle, Old Courthouse, Chouteau Mansion, Lindell Hotel, Grant's Log Cabin, Planters' Hotel, and others.
EXTENT: Approximately 115 photographs, of which roughly 30 are matted. The majority of the images in Series 1: Large Photographic Prints, are available as a .pdf below.
HISTORY: Emil Boehl was a St. Louis photographer who primarily focused his camera on St. Louis streets, buildings, and locales. Born in Calvoerde, Germany, in 1839, Boehl immigrated to St. Louis in 1854. After serving in the Union Army during the Civil War, Boehl returned to St. Louis in 1864 and opened a photography studio with Lawrence Koenig that spring. Koenig pursued portraiture and studio work, while Boehl became one of the most prolific St. Louis scenic photographers active in the latter half of the 19th Century. The Boehl/Koenig partnership lasted until 1897. Boehl retired from photography in 1919 and died later that year on the 12th of December.
SERIES ARRANGEMENT
Series 1: Large Photographic Prints
Series 1 contains photographic prints measuring 11 inches by 14 inches or larger. The majority of the photographs are matte-framed. Some of the images are dated, with the dates ranging from 1850 to 1900.
Series 2 contains photographic prints of the 1904 World’s Fair, more formally known as the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. All of the images depict architectural content such as the various Palaces (e.g. Palace of Electricity, Palace of Varied Industry, etc.), U.S. state buildings (e.g. Missouri and Alaska), foreign nation buildings (e.g. Brazil, Germany, and Japan), the U.S. Government Building, the Sunken Garden, Ground Basin, and Festival Hall. Two overview shots of the Fair are also included. The prints measure less than 10 inches by 10 inches.
Series 3: St. Louis Streets, Buildings, and Landmarks
Series 3 contains photographic prints and film negatives depicting St. Louis streetscapes, buildings, and landmarks. The series starts with street views arranged alphabetically by street (e.g. Chestnut, Locust), continues with depictions of individual buildings arranged by building (e.g. Mercantile Library, Wainwright), and then ends with categorical folders (e.g. hotel exteriors, residences, rooftop views) arranged alphabetically. The prints measure less than 10 inches by 10 inches. Some photos are dated, ranging from the 1970s to the early 1900s.
SUBJECT HEADINGS
Boehl, Emil.
Saint Louis Mo – History – Pictorial works.
Louisiana Purchase Exposition 1904 Saint Louis Mo – Pictorial works.
Architecture – Missouri – Saint Louis – Pictorial works.
Saint Louis (Mo.) – Buildings, structures, etc. – Pictorial works.
OTHER RESOURCES
Palmquist, Peter E., and Thomas R. Kailbourn. Pioneer Photographers from the Mississippi to the Continental Divide: a Biographical Dictionary, 1839-1865. Stanford, CA: Stanford UP, 2005. Print.
Kilgo, Dolores Ann. Likeness and Landscape: Thomas M. Easterly and the Art of the Daguerreotype. Saint Louis: Missouri Historical Society, 1994. Print.
ACCESS: This collection is available for on-site use only in the Rare Book and Manuscripts Reading Room. Some of the material in Special Collection M-100 may be photocopied, digitally scanned or photographed, subject to condition. For collections marked limited access, researchers are advised to contact the library at least three business days in advance of their visit to submit a request to view the physical material.
Researchers are advised to call ahead concerning changes in hours due to University intersessions and holidays. The St. Louis Mercantile Library is located on levels one and two of the Thomas Jefferson Library building.
In observance of security procedures, certain services may not be available shortly before the daily closing time.
Preferred Citation: When citing the material from this collection, the preferred citation is: From the Special Collections of the St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri – St. Louis.
