I picked up the above photograph of a young boy at an estate sale last year near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My immediate thought was “blog post potential!” I went to college in Ruston, the town named in the bottom right of the card, so that certainly piqued my interest. But who was the Davis? And why was there a swastika at the bottom?
The Davis is John Green Davis, a longtime photographer in Ruston. Born March 17, 1854, to Green Archie Davis and Lucinda Burt Davis in Union Parish, Louisiana (north of Ruston, which is in neighboring Lincoln Parish), J.G. Davis entered the photography business in 1877 as an apprentice to Farmerville photographer Jack Mashaw. Eventually, Mashaw turned his attention to watch repair and sold his business to Davis.[1]
Photographers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries traveled a great deal, especially in rural areas like north central Louisiana. Davis used a covered wagon to visit towns, churches, schools, and other organizations for photography sessions. His primary product was portraits in the form of cabinet cards, carte-de-visites, and tinytypes.[2] As noted in the Ruston Daily Leader, "Originally, the photographer traveled from house to house, carrying with him his screen with a beautiful landscape painted on it as a background, and the stand which fitted on the back of the head and forced one to be still and hold the head at the proper angle, whether there was a little birdie to jump out or not."[3]
Photographers in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries traveled a great deal, especially in rural areas like north central Louisiana. Davis used a covered wagon to visit towns, churches, schools, and other organizations for photography sessions. His primary product was portraits in the form of cabinet cards, carte-de-visites, and tinytypes.[2] As noted in the Ruston Daily Leader, "Originally, the photographer traveled from house to house, carrying with him his screen with a beautiful landscape painted on it as a background, and the stand which fitted on the back of the head and forced one to be still and hold the head at the proper angle, whether there was a little birdie to jump out or not."[3]
Davis moved his business to Ruston in 1899. His studio was first located over Perkins Drug Store at 116 North Trenton Street. Davis gained a lucrative contract in 1904, when he was hired to be the portrait photographer for Louisiana Tech University’s Lagniappe yearbook. (Louisiana Tech also happens to be my alma mater!) He would continue that job through 1938. Photography grew very popular during this period, primarily because it became more affordable for the middle class. The December 23, 1932 edition of the Ruston Daily Leader published select letters to Santa Claus from area children, and most of the letters requested a picture from the Davis Studio as a gift for someone in the family.[4]
In 1925 son John G. Davis, Jr. joined the family business. J.G. Davis died March 13, 1941 in Ruston, having served as a photographer in the town for over 40 years. Wife Ava and son John G. continued to operate Davis Studio until their respective deaths in 1957 and 1961. With no remaining photographers in the family, the business was sold to local photographer Edwin “Red” Woodward, who operated the studio until his retirement in 1972.[5]
So what about the swastika at the bottom of the photo card? The origins of the swastika are estimated to be during the Neolithic period, with archeological evidence of its use being found in Ukraine. By the early twentieth century, it had become a worldwide symbol synonymous with good luck. Printers commonly used swastikas as decorative elements, so it is not surprising that the photo cards Davis ordered for use in his studio featured the symbol. Considering the photograph most likely dates to the 1910s, the use of the swastika is quite harmless. It wasn’t until the Nazi Party in Germany adopted the swastika as their logo in the 1920s did the symbol became divisive.[6]
So, this answers my questions. Well, except that I don’t know who the boy in the photograph is, but that may never be answered.
The photograph is available for purchase in my Etsy shop Postcardigans. Check it out as well as all the great postcards I have listed.
In 1925 son John G. Davis, Jr. joined the family business. J.G. Davis died March 13, 1941 in Ruston, having served as a photographer in the town for over 40 years. Wife Ava and son John G. continued to operate Davis Studio until their respective deaths in 1957 and 1961. With no remaining photographers in the family, the business was sold to local photographer Edwin “Red” Woodward, who operated the studio until his retirement in 1972.[5]
So what about the swastika at the bottom of the photo card? The origins of the swastika are estimated to be during the Neolithic period, with archeological evidence of its use being found in Ukraine. By the early twentieth century, it had become a worldwide symbol synonymous with good luck. Printers commonly used swastikas as decorative elements, so it is not surprising that the photo cards Davis ordered for use in his studio featured the symbol. Considering the photograph most likely dates to the 1910s, the use of the swastika is quite harmless. It wasn’t until the Nazi Party in Germany adopted the swastika as their logo in the 1920s did the symbol became divisive.[6]
So, this answers my questions. Well, except that I don’t know who the boy in the photograph is, but that may never be answered.
The photograph is available for purchase in my Etsy shop Postcardigans. Check it out as well as all the great postcards I have listed.
Citations
[1] “John Greene Davis,” FindAGrave.com, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=112565208, accessed June 7, 2016; “John Grein Davis,” Louisiana Deaths Index, 1850-1875, 1894-1956, FamilySearch.org, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSY2-52H, accessed June 8, 2016; “Davis Studio Among Early Businesses,” Ruston Daily Leader, October 11, 1933.
[2] Barbara Pfister Dailey and Pamela J. Pfister, Ruston (Mt. Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000), 8.
[3] “Davis Studio.”
[4] “Davis Studio;” Dailey and Pfister, 8; “Winners in the Santa Claus Contest,” Ruston Daily Leader, December 23, 1932.
[5] “Davis Studio;” “John Greene Davis,” FindAGrave.com; Dailey and Pfister, 8.
[6] “Western use of the swastika in the early 20th century,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_use_of_the_swastika_in_the_early_20th_century, accessed June 15, 2016.
[1] “John Greene Davis,” FindAGrave.com, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=112565208, accessed June 7, 2016; “John Grein Davis,” Louisiana Deaths Index, 1850-1875, 1894-1956, FamilySearch.org, https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:FSY2-52H, accessed June 8, 2016; “Davis Studio Among Early Businesses,” Ruston Daily Leader, October 11, 1933.
[2] Barbara Pfister Dailey and Pamela J. Pfister, Ruston (Mt. Pleasant, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2000), 8.
[3] “Davis Studio.”
[4] “Davis Studio;” Dailey and Pfister, 8; “Winners in the Santa Claus Contest,” Ruston Daily Leader, December 23, 1932.
[5] “Davis Studio;” “John Greene Davis,” FindAGrave.com; Dailey and Pfister, 8.
[6] “Western use of the swastika in the early 20th century,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_use_of_the_swastika_in_the_early_20th_century, accessed June 15, 2016.