THE NEW YORK DAYS OF C.D. ARNOLD
"HIDING IN PLAIN VIEW" COPYRIGHT THOMAS YANUL  
FOR SEVERAL YEARS, LITERALLY, I HAVE BEEN SEARCHING FOR EXAMPLES OF THE ARCHITECTURAL WORK OF PHOTOGRAPHER CHARLES DUDLEY ARNOLD FROM HIS NEW YORK CITY OFFICE, COVERING A PERIOD ROUGHLY FROM 1884-1890.  THE SEARCH WAS ABSOLUTELY FRUITLESS UNTIL A FEW WEEKS AGO (MARCH OF 2003) WHEN AN ARCHIVE OF 33 ORIGINAL VINTAGE ARNOLD PRINTS WERE OFFERED TO ME BY
A BOOKDEALER.  THESE 33 UNMOUNTED PRINTS, ALL APPARENTLY FROM HIS FAVORITE CAMERA FORMAT 6X9", OPENED A WINDOW OF UNDERSTANDING OF WHY I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO LOCATE C.D. ARNOLD PRINTS FROM THOSE NEW YORK CITY DAYS - THE REASON, I BELIEVE, IS THAT ARNOLD ONLY USED A REAR IMPRINT, RATHER THAN A NAME IN THE NEG OR PRINT, TO SHOW AUTHORSHIP OF THESE PRINTS.
AND AS ANYONE FAMILIAR WITH 19TH CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHY CAN ATTEST TO,  ALBUMIN PRINTINGOUT PAPERS, OR POP, AS THEY WERE KNOWN, WERE VERY THIN, VERY CURLY PAPERS.
THESE WERE INVARIABLY MOUNTED ON BOARDS TO PRESERVE, EXHIBIT, OR STORE IN FOLIOS. ONCE MOUNTED, ARNOLD'S NAME WAS FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES LOST.  
IN OTHER WORDS - ARNOLD'S WORK IS PROBABLY ON VIEW IN NUMEROUS
ARCHIVES, HIDDEN IN PLAIN VIEW -  HIS NAME SANDWICHED BETWEEN
AN ARCHITECTURAL  PHOTOGRAPH AND A MOUNTING BOARD...MOST LIKELY
NEVER TO SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY.
ARNOLD, A BUFFALO, NY RESIDENT,  HAD IMMIGRATED FROM CANADA ABOUT 1864 AND
WAS, I CAN ONLY CONJECTURE, A SELF-TAUGHT PHOTOGRAPHER. I DON'T MEAN TO IMPLY
THAT SOME PHOTOGRAPHER DID NOT EXPLAIN THINGS TO HIM, OR ACTUALLY TEACH
HIM THE RUDIMENTS, BUT  WE SIMPLY HAVE NO REFERENCE TO BASE OUR CONCLUSIONS ON.  ONE YEAR HE IS A TRAVELLING SALESMAN AND A FEW YEARS LATER HE IS AN ARCHITECTURAL PHOTOGRAPHER WITH AN OFFICE IN NEW YORK CITY.  INCLUDED IN THESE YEARS IS AT LEAST ONE AND PROBABLY TWO TRIPS TO ENGLAND AND FRANCE, EACH SEVERAL MONTHS LONG
TO CREAT A PORTFOLIO FROM WHICH HE NOT ONLY SOLD TO ARCHITECTS  REFERENCE
MATERIALS OF THE OLD CLASSIC ARCHITECTURE, BUT ALSO GAINED COMMISSIONS TO
PHOTOGRAPH BUILDINGS DESIGNED BY THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS ARCHITECTS OF THE EAST
COAST OF AMERICA.
BY THE TIME ARNOLD BECAME INVOLVED IN THE PHOTOGRAPHY AT THE CHICAGO COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION  OF 1893 HE HAD ALREADY WORKED FOR MANY OF THE MOST PROMINENT
EASTERN ARCHITECTS THAT AMERICA HAD TO OFFER.
BY 1891 WHEN ARNOLD WENT TO WORK FOR DANIEL BURNHAM AS THE CONSTRUCTION PHOTOGRAPHER IN CHICAGO, HIS SKILL AND COMPETANCE WAS ALREADY A GIVEN TO
FIRMS INVOLVED IN DESIGNING THE MAJOR BUILDINGS AT THE FAIR SUCH AS
MCKIM MEAD & WHITE AND PEABODY & STEARNS.  FOR ALL WE KNOW THAT MAY EVEN
HAVE INCLUDED DANIEL BURNHAM HIMSELF.
WHAT THESE 33 VINTAGE ARNOLD PRINTS  SHOW IS THAT ARNOLD WAS NOT AN "UNKNOWN
EASTERN PHOTOGRAPHER" AS SOME CHARGED AT THE START OF THE EXPOSITON IN CHICAGO, MOST NOTABLY  F.C. BEACH - ARNOLD'S CHIEF PROTAGONIST IN THE WAR OF WORDS TO GET AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS INTO THE FAIR FOR FREE.
IN CONCLUSION, IT WOULD APPEAR THAT ARNOLD MADE WHAT MUST HAVE BEEN A DECENT LIVING FROM HIS ARCHITECTURAL WORK WHILE LOCATED IN NEW YORK CITY,  PROVIDING FOR A FAMILY AND ONE OR TWO TRIPS TO EUROPE.  IT WOULD SEEM LOGICAL THAT HIS ARCHITECTURAL  WORK  PROVIDED A SUBSTANTIAL INCOME WORTHY OF A DEDICATED AND SUCCESSFUL PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHER.  AS WAS NOTED IN A 1913 ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE PROMINENT PHOTOGRAPHIC WRITER AND PUBLISHER W. I. LINCOLN ADAMS, ARNOLD'S WORK WAS OF VERY HIGH QUALITY AND ALREADY KNOWN TO ARCHITECTS, WHICH IS WHY HE WAS CHOSEN AS OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE CHICAGO COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION.  

ABOVE ADDRESS FIRST FOUND

NYC DIRECTORY 1886-87.
THIS WAS A RESIDENTIAL ADDRESS
WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN IN USE AS
EARLY AS 1882.

LOGO APPARENTLY IN USE
FROM CA.1887 THROUGH 1890

IMAGES OF ARNOLD PHOTOS

COPYRIGHT BY THOMAS YANUL
PUBLICATION WITHOUT WRITTEN
PERMISSION PROHIBITED.

PORTLAND, MAINE - 1885-86
271 WESTERN PROMENADE
DESIGNED BY JOHN CALVIN STEVENS
PHOTO BY C.D. ARNOLD, NY CITY
DEMOLISHED

LISTED AS "STEVENS & COBB"
WHICH WOULD INDICATE PHOTO MADE
IN PERIOD OF  PARTNERSHIP  1888-91
MY THANKS TO EARLE SHETTLEWORTH,
 MAINE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION
WHO IDENTIFIED THE BUILDING, AND MAINE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY WHO LED ME TO EARLE.

H.S. LEECH HOUSE -C.1885-86 - S. GIFFORD SLOCUM, ARCH
SARATOGA,(SPRINGS) N.Y.  - C.D. ARNOLD PHOTO
SOLD TO SKIDMORE COLLEGE 1930, DESTROYED BY FIRE 1937

SIMILAR TO GEO. HEYL HSE.,
"RURAL PENNSYLVANIA"  -  1888 (NOW A PHILADELPHIA SUBURB)

VINELAND - 1882-83
ESTATE OF CATHERINE LORILLARD WOLFE
NOW MCCAULEY HALL
 SALVE  REGINA UNIVERSITY
PHOTOGRAPH BY C.D. ARNOLD - UNDATED
PEABODY & STEARNS, ARCHITECTS.
NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND
IDENTIFICATION COURTESY
PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY

GRAYSTONE - WYSONG ESTATE - 1883
OCHRE POINT AVE, NEWPORT, R.I.
GEORGE CHAMPLIN MASON & SONS, ARCH'S.
PHOTO BY C.D ARNOLD
DEMOLISHED 1948.
IDENTIFICATION COURTESY
PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF NEWPORT COUNTY

MORRISTOWN, N.J.
G. E. HARNEY, ARCH - NEW YORK
PHOTO BY C.D. ARNOLD

TO CONTACT AUTHOR