Sitting for the Photographer: James P. Ball, Sr.
- Veronica Carr
- Aug 13
- 2 min read
#JamesPresleyBall (1825-1904)
“Concerned about how Black people were portrayed in a world of rank racist imagery, Black photographers were especially sensitive to negative depictions of Black Americans during the mid 1800s. Thus, the photographs made of Black subjects often preserved the appearance and notability of the sitters.” (Reflections in Black by Deborah Willis, 2000)
Decades before cell phones became the go to way to capture photographs (and a million selfies), people sat for a photographer to have their portraits taken. As photography expanded in the mid 1800s, thousands flocked to photographers across the country, fascinated with this new medium. Hundreds of Black photographers, like James Presley Ball, became well known across the country for their work. From famous dignitaries and orators to entertainers and everyday citizens, Ball’s camera captured them all.
James Presley Ball was a photographer, abolitionist and businessman. He was born in 1825 to free parents in Virginia. As a young man, Ball learned the process of daguerreotypy from Black Boston photographer John B. Bailey. In 1851, Ball opened his own studio in #CincinattiOhio, Ball’s Great Daguerrian Gallery of the West, which became one of the most celebrated galleries in the US. Ball’s work was featured in numerous photography exhibitions at Cincinatti’s grand industrial expositions in 1852, 1854, 1855, and 1857. Ball also used his craft to speak out against the slave trade; in 1855, Ball, and a team of Black artists, created a 2,400 yard canvas of painted scenes that depicted the horrors of slavery. He also wrote and published an accompanying pamphlet.
As his photography career flourished, Ball hired his brother-in-law Alexander Thomas, who became a full partner in November 1857. The studio of Ball & Thomas lasted until 1860, when Ball dissolved the partnership.
Ball’s reputation eventually went beyond the United States; when James traveled to Europe in 1856, he purportedly photographed Queen Victoria and author Charles Dickens. Many renowned individuals also came to Ball’s studio to be photographed, including famed abolitionist #FrederickDouglass, Swedish opera singer #JennyLind, and the mother and sister of future US President #UlyssesSGrant.
By 1900, Ball had moved to #SeattleWashington with his son, James P. Ball, Jr.,. James, Jr. had established #BallAndSon in 1893 in Seattle.
James P. Ball and other Black photographers left their indelible mark on the world of photography by capturing the rich and diverse experiences of African American life, challenging stereotypes, and using their careers as platforms to influence social justice.
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