Most Ontario photographers in the late 19th century had precarious careers. Many travelled from town to town or only worked for short periods of time in any one place. The book, The Ontario Photographers List (1851-1900), included the names of those photographers who worked for short periods of time in Smiths Falls: D.F. Hayes, S. Kirkfoot, J. Milliken, D.C. Stone, J. Joynt, and F.M. Crane. Information has been found for three of the short-term photographers noted above – D.F. Hayes, J. Joynt and F.M. Crane.

This 1866 advertisement documents one of Smiths Falls earliest photographers. He worked both a dentist and photographic artist out of his Main Street office. Undoubtedly the two professions dovetailed nicely together.

John Wesley Joynt (1869-1959) was active in Smiths Falls in 1895 and also worked as a photographer in Athens and Cobden.

F.M. Crane is Frederick M. Crane, an American photographer from Ogdensburg in upstate New York. His brother, Edwin N. Crane, could have also been added to The Ontario Photographers List (1851-1900) list for Smiths Falls. Edwin was an established photographer who had worked in Tupper Lake. He opened Crane Studio in Smiths Falls in February 1897 at the same time that his brother, Frederick, was working here as a customs officer for the U.S. Consular.

The February 4th 1897 edition of The Record News introduced its reader to Edwin N. Crane as follows:

New Photo Studio. An addition has been made this week to the business enterprises of the town known as Crane’s studio, Mr. E. N. Crane, an experienced photographer, of Ogdensburg, and brother of the local American Consul, Mr. M.F. [sic] Crane, is in charge of the studio, and from sample of his work on exhibition there it is plainly evident that he knows his business. The new studio is a very bright, attractive looking place, occupying the second flat of Dr. McCallum’s corner building. The rooms have been changed about by partitions etc., and all have been tastefully painted and papered. It would seem as if Crane’s studio would become a popular place for photograph seekers.

Both brothers practiced photography in Smiths Falls. The April 22nd 1897 edition of The Record News mentioned their work:

Fine Pictures. Messrs. Crane, the Photographers, have hung out a case of beautifully finished photographs. They evidently know all about the photograph business.

Frederick Crane has been described as a portrait and landscape photographer. He formed a photographic studio partnership in Ogdensburg known as Crane & Baldwin that lasted until 1880. That partnership produced a set of stereoviews entitled Adirondack Scenery. Frederick’s solo photographic business was mentioned in the local newspaper in 1893 and 1895 and he was noted in the 1882, 1894, 1896 and 1898 Ogdensburg city directories, the latter indicating that he was working with Customs. (Frederick’s daughter, Margaret Crane Wilhelm, was born in Smiths Falls in the spring of 1898 and, as indicated by the 1898 Ogdensburg city directory, relocated with her parents shortly thereafter). Edwin also returned to Ogdensburg that year, making his stay here less than two years.

Examples of Edwin’s and Frederick's photography in Smiths Falls have yet to be located, but the image below of Frederick’s Ogdensburg photographs shows the quality of his work.

Finally, Glenn Lockwood mentioned the photographer J.F. Bradley in his book, Montague: A Social History of an Irish Ontario Township 1783-1980. Bradley took a tintype of Susan (Plunkett) Hilliard in his Smiths Falls studio located at the corner of Beckwith and Water Streets. The date of the tintype is unknown, but her style of clothing suggests the late 19th century.