J. A. Pugh
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James Adolphus Pugh | |
|---|---|
_Pugh.jpg) Self portrait albumen print of Pugh in his book Leaves of a Wanderer | |
| Born | July 3, 1833 |
| Died | January 22, 1887 (aged 53) |
James Adolphus Pugh (July 3, 1833 – January 22, 1887) was an American photographer, based in Macon, Georgia, at the time of the Civil War.[1] Pugh trained with and eventually took over the studio of R. L. Wood.[2] His studio specialized in providing photographs of soldiers going to war.[3] His studio was called Pugh's Photograph and Fine Art Gallery and printed ambrotype, tintype and daguerreotype photographs.[4]
Pugh sailed to Europe in 1867 in order to attend the International Exposition and wrote a book about his European travels. In it, he spoke of how he "[held] it to be a duty every man owes to his family, to have both his and their likenesses taken at least once a year."[5] His studio featured sinks with running water to make sure his prints had as much of the salts washed off of them as possible.[5]: 58 In addition, he featured scenery backdrops painted by artists in New York City and an art gallery of photographs and paintings in his studio.[6] Later in his career Pugh took up painting himself, creating life sized portraits of people from ambrotypes he'd taken of them.[7]
In 1873, he won Best Photograph, Best Photograph in Oil, Best Photograph in Pastel, and Best Collection of Photographs at the Georgia State Fair.[8]