Description

Occupational Steel Workers in Baltimore MD by The Hughes Co. 13-1/2″ x 11-3/4″

The Hughes Company was a commercial photography studio in Baltimore, Maryland which made photographs for corporations, the government, and private individuals. The company was founded by James F. Hughes (died circa 1903), who was first listed as a photographer in the Baltimore directory in 1877. In 1889, Hughes advertised his services as a “practical photographer” in the Daily News and operated from quarters at 1414 Patterson Avenue. Many of the company’s photographs were made with an 8 x 10 inch view camera.

James Hughes owned the company until the time of his death circa 1903, when company employee James W. Scott (1878-1953) bought the business from Hughes’ widow. The business eventually passed to Scott’s son, Gaither Scott. The Hughes Company existed until the late 1970s, when Gaither Scott retired. The company operated at numerous addresses over the years, including 1106 Riggs Avenue (mid 1890s-1902), 17-19 East Baltimore Street (circa 1904, hence all negatives prior to that date were destroyed in the Baltimore Fire), 108 North Liberty Street (1906-1907), 205 West Fayette Street (1908-1929), 213 West Monument Street (1930-1963), and 115 East 25th Street (after 1963).