James Fitzallen Ryder

James Fitzallen Ryder American, 1826-1904 A respected commercial photographer, James F. Ryder was also recognized for advancing the photographic profession. Born in Ithaca, New York, he grew up in nearby Tompkins County, spending his early years as a printer's apprentice. In 1847 he learned daguerreotypy with a Professor Brightly and continued his studies three years later in Cleveland with Charles E. Johnson. From there Ryder worked as an itinerant photographer in southwestern New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, settling in Elyria, Ohio, in 1851. He eventually moved to Cleveland, taking...