Central Business District in Cincinnati in Hamilton County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
"Tribute to J.P. Ball"
Ball was born a free Black man in Virginia in 1825. He studied photography under John B. Bailey, another free Black man, in what is now West Virginia, before opening a one-room studio in Cincinnati when he was 20. This first studio was not successful, but after several years building his career in other U.S. cities, Ball returned to open a new studio and gallery in Cincinnati on Fifth Street in 1849. Ball soon relocated his business to a bigger space that spanned multiple floors at 28 W. Fourth Street, less than a block from where you stand today. He called the gallery, which employed as many as nine workers, the "Great Daguerrean Gallery of the West." It quickly became one of the most well-known galleries in the U.S.
Ball photographed many famous people, including Britain's Queen Victoria, writer Charles Dickens, abolitionist Frederick Douglass, and the family of Ulysses S. Grant. Ball also used his platform to speak out against slavery.
He took thousands of photographs in his 50-year career, but only one photograph exists of J.P. Ball himself. The portrait shown here was taken when Ball was in his 70s, 30 years after he left Cincinnati to travel throughout the western United States. Ball died in Honolulu in 1904.
The mural shows the daguerreotype photograph equipment Ball would have used. First, a chemically treated silver plate was inserted into the camera. Next, the camera lens cap was removed, exposing the plate to light. This triggered a chemical reaction in which the image of the person in front of the camera was transferred onto the plate, thereby creating the photograph.
Erected 2021 by 3cdc.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Arts, Letters, Music. A significant historical year for this entry is 1825.
Location. 39° 6.001′ N, 84° 30.862′ W. Marker is in Cincinnati, Ohio, in Hamilton County. It is in the Central Business District. Marker is on Race Street near West 4th Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 400 Race Street, Cincinnati OH 45202, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Greek Revival Architecture Example (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); The First High Rise Concrete Frame Building in the United States (about 600 feet away); The Burnet House (about 700 feet away); Kennedy Speech (approx. 0.2 miles away); Cincinnati Gymnasium and Athletic Club (approx. 0.2 miles away); Votes for Women (approx. 0.2 miles away); Lincoln Speech (approx. 0.2 miles away); Margaret & Elias Longley (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Cincinnati.
Also see . . . James Presley Ball. Excerpt:
Ball was born in Frederick County, Virginia, to William and Susan Ball in 1825. He learned daguerreotype photography from John B. Bailey of Boston, who like Ball was "a freeman of color." Ball opened a one-room daguerreotype studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1845. The business did not prosper, so Ball worked as an itinerant daguerreotypist, settling briefly in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, then in Richmond, Virginia in 1846 to develop a more successful studio near the State Capitol building.(Submitted on January 11, 2024, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan.)
Credits. This page was last revised on January 18, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 11, 2024, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. This page has been viewed 63 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 11, 2024, by J.T. Lambrou of New Boston, Michigan. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.