A carte de visite of D.F. Schlotman and friend Oscar Johnson is by G.W. Shear of Morenci, Lenawee, Michigan. It is undated, but I suspect it was after D.F.’s marriage in 1875 due to his facial hair. The photo attached to a framed marriage certificate shows D.F. with a mustache but no chin hair. The Shear photo shows a goatee.
In an attempt to date the photo, I looked into G.W. Shear and here’s what I found:
His name was George Willard Shear, known as G. Willard Shear, and he was born in New York in about 1851.
He began his photography career in 1874 in Adrian, Michigan, studying under “the highest masters of the art” (Raether, 313). At some point after this, he had his studio in Morenci, about twenty miles from Adrian.
At some point after completing his photography training, Shear studied portrait painting in Detroit. He later became known for his skill in photo enlargements in india ink, crayon, and watercolor. Back then, photo enlargement didn’t result in a good-looking image suitable for display. Photographers would paint or draw over the print to enhance the image. No doubt his training in portrait painting helped him succeed in this area.
A book on Ohio photographers lists Shear as having a studio in Lima from 1879-1888. Later, he was engaged to photograph panoramic views of both banks of the Hudson River from New York City to Albany, which resulted in a book, “Panorama of the Hudson,” published in 1888. Then, Shear became the official photographer for the Florida division of the L&N railroad and, simultaneously, a professor at a photography school there.
In search of health, Shear moved through the Carolinas, Virginia, and then Wisconsin by 1902. In 1910, he was in Texas. By 1920, he was in Fulton County, Ohio.
I have been unsuccessful in finding death information for Shear. I found his name an index for probates in Ohio, but didn’t find the date or location of his death. It was likely before 1930, as I failed to find him in the census for that year.