Hamlin J. Lloyd born 1856 Photographer in Wyalusing, Pennsylvania

This authentic antique cabinet photograph appears to be of an earlier carte de visite image dating from the 1860’s. The subject is a little boy from the Civil War era in a velvet-trimmed jacket. This cabinet card is from the gallery of “H. J. Lloyd, in Wyalusing, Pa.” The albumen measures 4 1/8” x 6” and is mounted on a heavy cream colored mount with rounded corners which overall is 4 ¼” x 6 ½”. The artist’s mark is on the front under the image and the back is blank. Although the cabinet card is in only good condition, the sepia image is clear and bright and has good contrast. (Image Serial No. 1014A) Photo is sold.

Using U.S. Federal Census records, it is possible to piece some information about this turn of the century photographer.

On the 1900 Federal Pennsylvania Census, in Bradford County and Wyalusing, Hamlin J. Lloyd, Photographer, born March 1856 and his wife Emma A. Lloyd, born in May 1854, were living with Hamlin J. Lloyd’s mother, Caroline Lloyd, a 70 year-old widow, in the house she owned on Church Street in Wyalusing. Boarding in the Caroline Lloyd household were: Elizabeth Ackley, a young milliner and Charles McDonald, a salesman.

Although I am without the proper source, this appears to be an obituary for Caroline Lloyd: “Mrs. Lloyd whose age was 77 was a daughter of Benjamin Ackley, the family originally coming from Connecticut and settled on the Ackley farm in Wyalusing Township. After her marriage [before the 1850 Bradford County, PA Census] to Alphonso J. Lloyd, she and her husband lived for a time at Orwell, but later moved to this place where about a half century of her life has been spent. Her husband died about thirty years ago, since which time she had lived with her son. She has been for years a member of the Methodist church of this place.” She died in about May 1908.

In 1910, still living in the house on Church Street in Wyalusing, Bradford Co., PA was Hamlin J. Lloyd, Photographer, then aged 55 and his wife Emma A. Lloyd, aged 53. Hamlin J. Lloyd married Emma A. in about 1887 and according to census, they had no children.

Hamlin J. Lloyd may be found with his parents on the 1870 Federal Pennsylvania Census, in Bradford County and Wyalusing Township: Alphonso J. Lloyd, a dry goods merchant, who was born in about 1820 in Pennsylvania and Caroline Floyd, born in 8/9 August 1829 in Pennsylvania of Connecticut parents. Alphonso J. Lloyd had $16,000 worth of real and personal estate. Hamlin J. Lloyd was attending school. Living with the family was a young physician named Benjamin Moody.

By 1930, Hamlin J. Lloyd was retired from photography, widowed and living alone in Wyalusing.