James Presley Ball
James Presley Ball (1825-1904) was a prominent African American photographer, abolitionist, and businessman known for his significant contributions to the art of daguerreotype, the first method of photography developed in 1839. Born in Virginia, Ball learned the craft from John Bailey, an African American daguerreotypist, and opened his first studio in Cincinnati around 1845. Despite initial struggles, his Cincinnati studio eventually flourished, establishing him as a sought-after portraitist for notable figures, including Frederick Douglass and Ulysses S. Grant's family.
Ball's work extended beyond commercial photography; he was an ardent abolitionist and created an extensive panorama highlighting the horrors of slavery, collaborating with African American artists for its execution. Throughout his career, he moved across various states, adapting his business strategies in response to changing conditions, including the Civil War, where his services were in high demand. Despite facing personal challenges, including a divorce and declining revenues, Ball maintained his commitment to photography until his later years. His legacy endures through his daguerreotypes, which are preserved in museums across the United States, reflecting his dual impact as a talented artist and a passionate advocate for social justice.
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Subject Terms
James Presley Ball
Daguerreotypist, businessman, and abolitionist
- Born: 1825
- Birthplace: Frederick County, Virginia
- Died: May 4, 1904
- Place of death: Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii (now in Hawaii)
Ball was one of the most skilled and successful creators of daguerreotypes, precursors to modern film photographs.
Early Life
James Presley Ball was born in 1825 in Frederick County, Virginia, to William and Susan Ball. His parents were free people of color who had been married in 1815. William worked as a stevedore loading and unloading ships on the Ohio River. He and Susan had four children; James Presley Ball was the second oldest.
As a young man, Ball visited the well-known resort spa at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. During that visit, Ball learned the art of daguerreotype from an African American daguerreotypist, John Bailey from Boston. Daguerreotype was invented in 1839 and was the first method of photography. In daguerreotype, a reverse image is impressed on silver-coated copper plates treated by chemicals to be light-sensitive. The process was intricate and time consuming and required great skill.
Around 1845, Ball moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, and opened a daguerreotype studio. He probably chose Cincinnati because it was an artistic center of the Midwest and also a center of abolitionism, as Ball was a vocal opponent of slavery. However, because of a lack of business, the studio closed in only three months. Ball then worked as a traveling daguerreotypist in Pittsburgh and opened a photography studio in Richmond, Virginia. He returned to Cincinnati in 1849 to open another studio and hired his brother, Thomas, to run the shop. That same year, Ball married his first wife, Virginia. They would have two children, James Presley, Jr., and Victoria.
Life’s Work
Ball’s Cincinnati studio was a success. Ball exhibited his work at the Ohio State Fair and at the Ohio Mechanics Exhibition. In 1851, he moved his studio to expansive quarters at 28 West Fourth Street, one of the most exclusive streets in Cincinnati. He called his new studio Ball’s Great Daguerrian Gallery of the West. The studio occupied three floors and included a salon room measuring 20 feet by 40 feet, lavishly decorated with gold leaf, woven carpet, and two large gilt mirrors. Lining the walls were statues, six paintings by African American artist Robert Duncanson, and a sampling of Ball’s daguerreotypes. By 1854, his studio had nine employees and was doing a daily business in excess of one hundred dollars, considerable revenue at the time. His studio was reputed for its fine instruments and materials. His daguerreotypes were admired for their accuracy and finesse. Numerous celebrities came to his shop to have their daguerreotypes taken, including Frederick Douglass, the family of Ulysses S. Grant, and singer Jenny Lind. Ball opened a second studio with his brother in-law, Alexander Thomas. The studio was destroyed in a tornado in May, 1860, but was profitable enough to be rebuilt.
In addition to his commercial success, Ball used his photography to advance his abolitionist beliefs. In particular he commissioned the painting of a vast panorama titled Ball’s Splendid Mammoth Pictorial Tour of the United States Comprising Views of the African Slave Trade; of Northern and Southern Cities; of Cotton and Sugar Plantations; of the Mississippi, Ohio and Susquehanna Rivers, Niagara Falls, &c. The panorama—which has not survived—consisted of fifty-three scenes depicting the horrors of the slave trade and slavery. Ball hired a team of African American artists to execute his vision. Achilles Pugh, a Quaker, wrote an antislavery pamphlet describing each scene of the panorama. The panorama was displayed by rolling it between two widely spaced poles. Ball exhibited the panorama in several states.
In 1856, Ball toured Europe. Upon returning to the United States, he opened a studio with African American photographer Robert Harlan. Ball reached his greatest success in the Civil War, as he was in great demand to photograph soldiers and their families. However, in 1862 he divorced his wife after a violent spat. In 1864, he married Fannie Cage.
Apparently because of increasing competition and declining revenues, Ball dissolved his partnerships and decided to take his daguerreotype studios elsewhere. From 1871 to 1875, he lived in Greenville, Mississippi. In 1880, he moved to Vidalia, Louisiana, where he bought and sold real estate. In 1886, he moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he married Annie Ewing and worked as a wide-ranging photographer. In 1888, Ball moved to Helena, Montana, where he continued his work. In 1901, he moved to Seattle to open the Globe Photo Studio. The next year, he developed severe rheumatism and moved to the warmer climate of Hawaii seeking relief. He died in Honolulu two years later. Ball’s daguerreotypes are owned by the Cincinnati Museum Center and other museums throughout the country.
Significance
Ball was one of the most talented and skilled daguerreotypists of his time. He also was an ambitious entrepreneur. As a result, he owned numerous daguerreotype studios in various states. Ball’s daguerreotypes were admired for their accuracy and delicacy, and he achieved great success as a daguerreotype portraitist. Ball also was an ardent abolitionist who used his artistic skill and wealth to create a vast piece of antislavery artwork.
Bibliography
Kelbaugh, Ross. Introduction to African American Photographs, 1840-1950: Identification, Research, Care, and Collecting. Gettysburg, Pa.: Thomas, 2005. A history of the daguerreotypography and photography of African Americans. Chapter 2 includes a detailed and fascinating re-creation of a family visit to Ball’s studio to have their daguerreotype taken.
Ketner, Joseph. The Emergence of the African-American Artist: Robert S. Duncanson 1821-1872. Columbia: University of Missouri Press, 1994. Duncanson was the first major African American artist and a collaborator of Ball on such projects as the mammoth antislavery panorama.
Sullivan, Gorge. Black Artists in Photography, 1840-1940. New York: Dutton Juvenile, 1996. A young adult book containing biographies of pioneering African American photographers, including Ball.
Willis, Deborah, ed. J. P. Ball: Daguerrean and Studio Photographer. New York: Garland, 1993. Monograph on the life and work of Ball. With reproductions of 224 of his daguerreotypes and photographs, the pamphlet that accompanied the mammoth pictorial tour panorama, and an annotated bibliography.