Skip to main content
Photography
Looking for a print friendly version of this activity? Download the pdf here.
photographic print
c. 1861
Osborn & Durbec Photographic Studio of Charleston, SC
In 1858, veteran Charleston daguerreian artist James M. Osborn joined forces with Frederick. E. Durbec and opened a multifaceted photographic establishment that offered just about any type of image available, as is made plain by their 1860 advertisement in the Charleston business directory. Shortly after the Florence Hotel (commonly referred to as Gamble’s Hotel) opened on Thursday, March 22, 1860, under the oversight of J. W. Gamble on behalf of the North Eastern Railroad, representatives from Osborn & Durbec traveled to Florence to photograph the fledgling town at the intersection of the railroads. The photographs taken during this trip are the earliest known images of Florence. At the time this photograph was taken, the Florence Hotel was located at the southeastern quadrant of the intersection of Coit and Front streets in Florence.
Make it!
Materials:
Camera (Any type of camera will work, including mobile device cameras)
- By the mid 1800’s cameras were widely available for purchase. How do you think people were using cameras at that time? What do you think they photographed? How are the things they photographed different from what you might photograph? How are they the same?
- How are the digital cameras that we use today different from cameras, like the Camera Obscura used during the 1800’s?
- Why is it important to document the people and places in your life through photographs?
- How do photographs help us remember certain events or time periods?
Document Your Time:
Use the following prompts to guide you as you document your time at home through photographs.
- What does your daily routine look like? When do you wake up? Where do you do your schoolwork? What do you eat for lunch? What do you do for fun? Photograph each part of your daily routine.
- Take a walk through your neighborhood. What do you notice? What animals do you see? Are flowers blooming? Photograph the things that your notice.
Save your photographs in a folder on your computer or mobile device, or print them and paste them into a journal. Write about the photographs you have taken and the things that you have noticed.
