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John A. Mather

Biography

John A. Mather (1829–1915) was a pioneering photographer of Pennsylvania’s Oil Region, documenting the early growth of the oil industry with remarkable comprehensiveness. Born in England, he moved to the U.S. in 1856 and, inspired by a daguerreotypist, pursued photography using the wet collodion process to create glass plate negatives. In 1860, he relocated to Titusville, traveling the oil fields with a photographic wagon and even a flatboat, capturing landscapes, oil rigs, and industry figures. In 1864, he established a permanent studio in the Chase & Stewart Block, continued documenting the ...
John A. Mather (1829–1915) was a pioneering photographer of Pennsylvania’s Oil Region, documenting the early growth of the oil industry with remarkable comprehensiveness. Born in England, he moved to the U.S. in 1856 and, inspired by a daguerreotypist, pursued photography using the wet collodion process to create glass plate negatives. In 1860, he relocated to Titusville, traveling the oil fields with a photographic wagon and even a flatboat, capturing landscapes, oil rigs, and industry figures. In 1864, he established a permanent studio in the Chase & Stewart Block, continued documenting the oil boom, and briefly invested in oil wells. Mather amassed over 20,000 glass plate negatives, of which only 5,000 survive today at the Drake Well Museum due to fires and floods.

Artwork from 'John A. Mather' found, 2

The original 1859 Drake oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania
 
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The original 1859 Drake oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania

Mather, John A. (1829-1915)

EVB2937563

The original 1859 Drake oil well in Titusville, Pennsylvania

Mather, John A. (1829-1915)

EVB2937563

Edwin Drake, American Oil Driller, with friends before the Drake Well Museum, Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA, 1859.
 
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  • Permission required for product and merchandise licensing - Please contact us;Permission required for subscription use - Please contact us
Edwin Drake, American Oil Driller, with friends before the Drake Well Museum, Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA, 1859.

Mather, John A. (1829-1915)

SSI2169068

Edwin Drake, American Oil Driller, with friends before the Drake Well Museum, Titusville, Pennsylvania, USA, 1859.

Mather, John A. (1829-1915)

SSI2169068

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