Fredricks' Photographic Temple of Art, New York City

The Fredricks' Photographic Temple of Art at 585 Broadway, City of New York, between Prince and Canal streets, about 1857 (between 1856 and 1858). Photograph by Charles D. Fredricks. Source: Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

Charles DeForest (de Forest) Fredricks (1823-1894) was born in New York City, where he learned the art of the daguerreotype from Jeremiah Gurney (1812-1895). In 1843, he traveled to South America and visited Venezuela, Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. Later, he moved to Paris and by 1853 he was back in New York. He went to Newark, New Jersey, in 1882 and retired from photography in 1889.

In 1854 and 1855, there were two studios of J. Gurner & C.D. Fredricks. One at 349 Broadway, in NYC, and another in Paris. The partnership between Gurner and Fredricks was dissolved by 1856 and, in August that year, Fredricks announced he had removed to 585 Broadway (building in this photo), opposite the Metropolitan Hotel. Fredricks also had partnerships in Philadelphia and in Paris.

According to an advertising in 1857, the gentlemen entrance was at 585 Broadway and the ladies exclusive entrance, at 587 Broadway. It offered photographs, from miniatures to life size, finished in oil, pastel, crayon, India ink and aquarelle by Fredricks' talented corps of Parisian artists, who are engaged by Mr. F.'s Paris house expressly for this establishment. It also offered hallotypes, ambrotypes in colors by V.L. Richardson and daguerreotypes by H.A. Perry.

By 1858, the signs on top of the building were replaced by a large "Fredricks" sign.