Benjamin Franklin Upton

19th century American photographer

Benjamin Franklin Upton
Born	August 3, 1818 Dixmont, Maine
Died	December 3, 1910^[1]
Occupation	Photographer
Known for	Stereoscopic views of natural features and architectural sights

Benjamin Franklin Upton (August 3, 1818 – December 3, 1910) was a photographer who produced stereoscopic views in the United States, especially of natural features, architectural sights, pineries (logging operations) and recreational endeavors around the Minneapolis, St. Anthony, and Saint Paul area and its surroundings. Some of the images were labelled "Upton's Views".

Upton was born in Dixmont, Maine.^[2] He began his photographic career working with daguerreotypes in Brunswick, and patented both a mercury bath technique and a device for polishing plates for use in the daguerreotype process.^[3]

The Minnesota Historical Society and the Library of Congress have collections of albumen prints of his work.^[4]^[5] A carte de visite of his photo of Wa-kan-o-zhan-zhan (Medicine Bottle), one of the leaders of the Dakota War of 1862, is in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery in London.^[6]

Gallery

Dells of the St. Croix
Falls of St. Anthony
Board sluice at the Falls of St. Anthony
Park Place Hotel

References

^ State of Connecticut Death Record Index
^ Palmquist, Peter E.; Kailbourn, Thomas R. (2005). Pioneer Photographers from the Mississippi to the Continental Divide: A Biographical Dictionary, 1839-1865. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press. ISBN 9780804740579.
^ "Benjamin Franklin Upton daguerreotype, ca. 1855". Maine Memory Network. Maine Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2018-12-22.
^ "B. F. (Benjamin Franklin) Upton: An Inventory of His Reserve Album at the Minnesota Historical Society" (Finding aid). Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on 2020-08-06. Retrieved 2018-11-19.
^ "Stereographs of Minnesota photographed by B. F. Upton". Library of Congress. LCCN 2005684383.
^ "Wa-kan-o-zhan-zhan ('Medicine Bottle')". National Portrait Gallery. NPG Ax68180.