Shared Images at the Western Illinois Museum
If every picture tells a story, then the current exhibit, Shared Images: Recording and Collecting a Visual History at the Western Illinois Museum speaks volumes about our regional history. On view through December 30th, this exhibit uses photographs, maps and drawings to tell the story of familiar people and places.
Part of the exhibit is dedicated to portraits and includes wedding portraits, baby pictures, and people in official positions, like bankers and those serving in the armed services. Even a simple portrait can speak volumes about the person and their time.
One compelling image is a wedding portrait of Charles Vilasco (C.V.) Chandler and his wife, Clare Baker. Taken on August 28, 1866, it shows a young man, confidently looking straight at the camera as his young wife stands beside him with her hand on his shoulder. Their dress is formal and elegant but it is not like wedding portraits we know today. It was still uncommon for photographers to take portraits outside their studios where they had less control over the light. The negatives of the time required a long exposure times which made it difficult to capture a more natural posse.
This photograph has recently returned to Macomb from the state of Washington. It is on loan from Dave Dorsett who found the image on ebay. The photograph is signed and dated on the back. When comparing this image to the well known image of Chandler taken later in life with gray hair and a mustache, it is easy to see the resemblance. Curator Sue Scott commented, “This is one of the few photographs that I have seen that depict a young C.V. Chandler, and I am pleased that Mr. Dorsett has brought it back to the region and allowed us to display it in this exhibit.”
C.V. Chandler was the son of Charles and Sarah K. Chandler and was born in Macomb in 1843. At the beginning of the Civil War, 19-year-old C.V. decided not to go to college and instead enlisted in the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry. The unit was organized in Quincy and left for war on September 19, 1862. In the 78th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Chandler saw active combat. At the bloody Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863, he was wounded. He eventually had to resign from duty because of his wounds.
C.V. Chandler and his wife, Clara Baker
Charles returned to Macomb and married Clara Baker, and they had six children. After his father’s death in 1878, he took over as president of the First National Bank of Macomb. C.V. worked hard to develop Macomb in the 19th century. A business leader and entrepreneur, Chandler’s interests were in businesses and property. He chaired and funded charities and civic groups as well as being a strong supporter of the Grand Army of the Republic. He acquired land in town to
develop a park, and in 1879 he gave the city the square block that became Chandler Park. C.V. Chandler funded a monument to honor the Civil War fallen which was erected in 1899.
Sadly, in 1910, due to a number of circumstances, C. V. Chandler went bankrupt and moved to Indianapolis, Indiana, to live with his son. He died October 20, 1934. However, he always had a special place in his heart for his hometown and C.V. Chandler’s final resting place is in Macomb, in Oakwood Cemetery.
This small portrait shows a young man with his new wife at the start of his married life and career. It records not only this milestone in his life, but conveys his confidence. He would go on to become one of the town’s well known figures leaving a legacy that remains with us today.
Around the same time, that the Chandler wedding picture was taken, advancements in photography began to make it more affordable to have a portrait taken. In 1879, the invention of the dry plate negatives that could be stored for a period of time, and George Eastman’s invention in 1889 of a negative that was flexible, and could even be rolled, can account for the number of prosperous photography studios in the region.
During this time, the Cabinet Card was the popular format for affordable portraiture. These small, typically 4.5 x 6.5 inches, cards were traded and often displayed in “cabinets” on stands. The photographer would place a number of negatives on one plate to reduce the cost. They were mostly studio portraits taken with props, like rugs, furniture and painted backdrops. They remained popular until the early 1900s.
The photographs were mounted on a hard board and often printed with the photographer’s studio and location on the front or back, which is a great tool for identifying and researching the photograph trade in our area. The exhibit includes a number of these cards from various studios in the area.
Cabinet Card taken by the Mira Wheat Studio in Macomb, Illinois
One unique story of a local photographer is that of Mary Elmira “Mira” Wheat, who was brought up on the wealthy side of society. Her father was Crosby F. Wheat, a prominent attorney and later County Judge, and her mother, Mary A. Chandler, was the daughter of Macomb early settler Thomas Chandler, the brother of Colonel Charles Chandler. Mira was C.V. Chandler’s cousin.
The Wheat family had two other children, Lucy A. Wheat and Thompson F. Wheat. Mira (as she was mostly known) was born circa 1880. It is unknown if she was born in Macomb, Illinois, or Topeka, Kansas, where her family resided from 1880 to 1892.
Not much is known about the other two Wheat children. In the 1891 Macomb City Directory, Lucy is listed as working at Agnew and Vose as a stenographer and typist. The 1893 Macomb City Directory lists Thompson as a dentist. Thompson is not found in any Macomb City Directories following 1893. Lucy A. Wheat was married to Lewis H. Piper in 1896. In the 1898 Macomb City Directory, they resided at 509 E. Carroll, then in 1901 at Lucy’s family home, 406 N. McArthur. After 1901, they are no longer listed in any Macomb City Directory.
In the 1893 Macomb City Directory, Mira Wheat is listed as a photographer. Her studio, the Mira Wheat Studio, was located inside the family home at 406 N. McArthur. It was not until after marrying William R. Jenkins of Ash Grove, Illinois, on August 28, 1900, (thirty-four years to the day from her cousin C.V. Chandler’s wedding) that her studio became located on the square at 135 ½ N. Randolph and renamed The Wheat Studio. William and Mira operated the photo studio during the booming business of Cabinet Cards. The Western Illinois Museum possesses one Mira Wheat Cabinet Card. It is a black and white photograph mounted on the standard card with a side portrait of a woman. The woman’s identity is unknown. It is a good example of a later cabinet card with the image placed in an oval.
The Wheat Studio was in business until 1910, when it is no longer listed in the Macomb City Directory, and the Weber Studio took over its location. William R Jenkins is listed as a salesman and Mira as his wife, with no occupation listed. It seems that William and Mira resided in Macomb until 1942, after which their names no longer appear in the Macomb City Directory. Mary Elmira (Wheat) Jenkins was interred in Oakwood Cemetery on February 5th, 1943. It is unknown if she died in Macomb or elsewhere. To date no information has been found on the death of William R Jenkins.
The region’s history can be told in the visual records left by its residents. The current exhibit, on view through December 30th, provides an opportunity to see the museum’s collection of photographs, drawings and maps telling the stories that make up our unique history. Learning about the stories of people, their special moments, their jobs and the places they lived and worked is what makes this exhibit worth visiting.
The Western Illinois Museum is located at 201 South Lafayette Street, one block south of Macomb’s Courthouse Square. Museum hours are Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 am to 4 pm. Admission is free; donations appreciated.
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