James Henry Esson^[1]

1853 - 1933  (80 years)

• Name	James Henry Esson
  Born	10 Aug 1853	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]
  Gender	Male
  Business	113 Queen Street, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	photography studio
  		Advertizement on back of an Esson photo
  Occupation	1881	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [4]
  	Photographer
  Business	1884	105 King Street, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada
  	photography studio
  FindAGrave	https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/176186019
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	James Esson; Inducted 1995 James Esson was born on 10 Aug 1853, one of six children of noted Preston photographer George Esson and his wife Jane. The elder Esson opened a daguerre type gallery in about 1852 and continued with it until 1870 when his son James took over the business apparently first operating it from the family home on Queen Street. James Esson quickly made a name for himself as an "artist", that is, someone who "creates" a picture as opposed to someone who merely "takes" a picture. His first subjects were architectural and scenic views, subjects which later formed the basis of his famous stereoscopic views that were so popular in the late 19th century. In 1878 an advertisement in the "County of Waterloo Gazetteer and Directory" announced "James Esson Photographer, Publisher and dealer in Stereoscopic Views, C.D.V. Statuary, Monumental and Headstone Designs. Queen Street - Preston - Ontario." Within three years Mr. Esson had added "portrait artist" to his list. In 1884, at the age of 30, Mr Esson opened a studio at 105 King Street naming it the Atelier. So excellent was his work that he soon attained a reputation for excellence and attracted to his studio patrons of political and social distinction from as far away as Ottawa and Montreal. The Marquis of Lorne and Princess Louise, members of the Senate and Commons, famous stage artists and prominent ladies and gentlemen were numbered among Mr Esson's clients. His reputation brought Preston, which was elsewhere described as "not indicative of much energy or enterprise", a certain distinction and his famous "Atelier" became one of Preston's prominent commercial buildings. As such, it was featured as an individual illustration on a bird's-eye view map of Preston published c.1895. In May 1892 the Atelier was described in "The Canadian Photographic Journal" as "three storeys high, built of red brick and trimmed with Credit Valley brownstone". Visitors to the Atelier first entered the office, which is described as "a cosy cheerful looking" fairly spacious room. "The counter, desk, screen and wainscotting, all of which are quartered oak, are beautifully carved from special designs". A "massive oak stairway" led to the bright studio with ample natural light allowed to enter through a skylight of "ground glass". Mr Esson's exclusive use of natural light added a special feel to his photographs and earned him the nickname "The Lightman". In the late 1870's and the early 1880's, Mr Esson travelled across Canada and the United States taking hundreds of stereoviews of landscapes, buildings, street scenes and parks that were arranged into some 15 geographic or thematic series including cities such as Toronto, Guelph and Galt and scenes of the Muskoka District, the Northern Lakes, the Thousand Islands, Central Park in New York, and what he described as "Picturesque America", "Picturesque Canada" and "Gems of Statuary". Mr Esson used a binocular camera fitted with two lenses several inches apart to record the same scene from slightly different angles roughly corresponding to the perspective of human eyes. The resultant double image would then produce a three-dimensional result when viewed through a stereoscope, a common appliance in Victorian households. It has been noted that Mr Esson was one of only a very small number of Canadian photographers to produce the stereoviews that were common in both Britian and the United States at the time. It is estimated that Mr Esson's collection, including stereoviews, numbered in the vicinity of 5000 images, of which only a fraction now remain. Through these stereoviews Mr Esson gained a "world-wide" reputation as a landscape photographer and these photographs combined with his portrait photographs created a body of work that placed him, in the eyes of many, among the foremost photographers of his day. A fall suffered in 1916 forced Mr Esson into retirement and he asked his nephew, Elliot Law to take over his business. In 1920, Mr Esson decided to leave Preston, sold his "Atelier" and moved to Toronto. He died there on 12 Sept. 1933 and is buried in Prospect Cemetery. Cambridge Archives and Records Centre
  Occupation	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	photographer
  Residence	1891	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7]
  	Methodist
  Occupation	1901	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [2]
  	Photographer
  		Esson,James-00001-DogSterographicCard.jpg
  Occupation	1911	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Photographer
  Residence	1911	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [5]
  	Catholic
  Died	12 Sep 1933	Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [8, 9]
  	Cause: Cause: Senile Decay (4 years) - Bronchitis (2 years)
  Buried	14 Sep 1933	Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada   [8]
  Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region	Bef 2012	, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [10]
  Interesting	photography
  Eby ID Number	00023-1753.1
  Person ID	I17007	Generations
  Last Modified	1 Dec 2024

  
  

  Father	George Esson,   b. CALC 28 Mar 1816, , Scotland ,   d. 11 Mar 1893, Walkerton, Brant Twp., Bruce Co., Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 76 years)
  Mother	Jane Jordan "Jenny" Elliott,   b. CALC 30 Jun 1827, , Scotland ,   d. 19 Jun 1919, Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  (Age ~ 92 years)
  Family ID	F252089	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 1	Martha Anne Clemens,   b. 1850, Hespeler (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	6 Feb 1876	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [7, 11]
  Last Modified	3 Dec 2024
  Family ID	F4470	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family 2	Janet B. "Jennie" "Jennet" Burkland,   b. 1867, Windsor, Essex Co., Ontario, Canada ,   d. Yes, date unknown
  Married	3 Mar 1913	Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada   [12]
  Last Modified	3 Dec 2024
  Family ID	F252091	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Photos

  James Esson from Waterloo Region Hall of Fame

  
  

• Notes

  James like his father was a photographer, he taking over from his father in 1874. He was known as an artist photographer and took many stereoscopic pictures that were very popular in the 19th century. He portraits were reknown and many of Canada's elite chose him to make their formal photographs. He left Preston in 1920 after a fall in 1916 forced his retirement. Cambridge Mosaic , Jim Quantrell, 1998, City of Cambridge [abbreviated snippet from original text in book] _________________ James Esson of Preston was one of Canada's best known and most accomplished portrait photographers. His father, George Esson, was one of the first photographers in Canada in the 1840s. His first studio was in the old family homestead, 113 Queen Street. In 1884 he built at 105 King Street one of the finest portrait studios in Canada at that time. He travelled to many parts of Ontario taking architectural and scenic views for stereopticons. Before the days of the automobile, distinguished people of many professions came to have their portraits taken by him. He also did miniatures on ivory for lockets and brooches after the style of the seventeenth century. He photographed the Marquis of Lorne and the Princess Louise while the Marquis was Governor-General of Canada and while they were visiting at Cruikston Park. Esson retired in 1916. Waterloo Region Hall of Fame _________________ Eason, James, portrait and stereoscopic artist, dealer in stereoscopic views, &c. Is a Canadian by birth, and has resided here since 1855. Illustrated Atlas of the County of Waterloo, H. Parsel & Co., Toronto - 1881 (Village of Preston entries) _________________________ ESSON'S ATELIER, Preston, Ontario It is fact beyond dispute that this is one of the best equipped galleries in the Dominion, and for fine work is unsurpassed in America. It is patronized by the best people from all parts of the Dominion. Mr. Esson enjoys the distinction of being photo artist to royalty, hence for fine work, there is no reason why we should go elsewhere. He has the high reputation for producing the finest steroscopic views of natural scenery, and his comic slides are in great variety, so with his rare novelties in the photographic art line, and like his Atelier, enjoy a wide popularity in Canada and Great Britain. Call and see his work. You are welcome. Private engagements if required. Telephone and electric car convienence. 1897 Jubilee Souvenir of Galt

  
  

• Sources

  [S3] Book - Vol I A Biographical History of Waterloo Township and other townships of the county : being a history of the early settlers and their descendants, mostly all of Pennsylvania Dutch origin..., 417. [S204] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1901, Preston (Village) F-2 Page 14. [S105] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1871, Pg. 51. [S297] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1881, Page 10. [S1669] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1911, Div. 24 Pg. 16. [S1473] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1861, Div. 1 Page 9. [S2441] Census - ON, Waterloo, Preston - 1891, Section 1 Page 60. [S2910] Ontario, Toronto Trust Cemeteries, 1826-1989. Name: James Esson Event Type: Burial Event Date: 14 Sep 1933 Event Place: Toronto, Ontario, Canada Event Place (Original): Toronto, Ontario, Canada Age: 91 Birth Year (Estimated): 1842 Birthplace: Preston Springs Ontario Death Date: 12 Sep 1933 Death Place: Toronto Cemetery: Prospect Cemetery Relative's Name: J E Esson Relative's Address: 96 Keewatin Avenue Plot Owner's Name: Jennet E Esson Page: 126 Volume Date Range: Volume 04, 1930-1937 [S116] Vit - ON - Death Registration. Name:James Esson Gender:Male Birth Year:abt 1842 Birth Place:England Age at Death:91 Death Date:12 Sep 1933 Death Place:York, Ontario, Canada [S220] Waterloo Region Hall of Fame Waterloo Region Hall of Fame. [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. Name:James Esson Age:23 Birth Date:abt 1853 Birth Place:Preston Marriage Date: 8 Feb 1876 Marriage County or District:Waterloo Father:George Esson Mother:Jane J Esson Spouse:Martha Anne Clemens Spouse's Age:25 Spouse Birth Date:abt 1851 Spouse Birth Place:Hespeler Spouse Father:John Clemens Spouse Mother:Mary Ann Clemens [S4] Vit - ON - Marriage Registration. Name:James Esson Age:56 Birth Date:abt 1857 Birth Place:Preston Marriage Date:3 Mar 1913 Marriage County or District:Waterloo Father:George Esson Mother:Jane Sadan Elliott Spouse:Jennie Forbes Spouse's Age:45 Spouse Birth Date:abt 1868 Spouse Birth Place:Windsor, Ontario Spouse Father:Richard Burkland Spouse Mother:Annie Doane

  
  

• Event Map

  Born - 10 Aug 1853 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Business - photography studio - - 113 Queen Street, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 6 Feb 1876 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Photographer - 1881 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Business - photography studio - 1884 - 105 King Street, Cambridge, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - photographer - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Methodist - 1891 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Photographer - 1901 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Occupation - Photographer - 1911 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Residence - Catholic - 1911 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Married - 3 Mar 1913 - Preston (Cambridge), Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada Died - Cause: Cause: Senile Decay (4 years) - Bronchitis (2 years) - 12 Sep 1933 - Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Buried - 14 Sep 1933 - Prospect Cemetery, Toronto, York Co., Ontario, Canada Hall of Fame - Waterloo Region - Bef 2012 - , Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada  = Link to Google Earth