Alfred Shea Addis
Encyclopedia
Alfred Shea Addis also known as A. S. Addis, was an American
Western itinerant photographer, mostly known for photographs of Kansas
, Mexico
and the American Southwest.
in 1850. He worked as a photographer’s assistant for Thomas Short, quickly learning the art of photography and gradually securing his own clients under Short's guidance. Addis later married Short's daughter, Sarah. The Addises had two children, Yda Hillis Addis
(born 1857) and Judge Addis (born 1862). The families were Confederate sympathizers. When the situation in Lawrence became too violent, the Addises and the Shorts moved to Leavenworth, Kansas
, where they lived near the protection of the fort
.
s, Melainotypes
. Photographs framed in Superior style. Pins and Lockets filled in best style. Call and give me a trial." At night he managed the Union Theater which he later purchased. As the potential for civil war heated up, the abolitionists
increased their stronghold in Leavenworth and violence broke out there when Missouri
seceded from the Union in November 1862, prompting Brigadier General James G. Blunt
to proclaim martial law. In August 1863 the pro-slavery bushwhacker
William Quantrill
led a massacre of pro-Union citizens at Lawrence. Addis gave a benefit performance at the Union Theater, with the proceeds to go to the Lawrence victims. In January 1864, abolitionists burned down the Union Theater. The Shorts and the Addises, along with their slaves, fled to northern Mexico
.
to art dealers in New York. When he scouted for wilderness landscapes and exotic vistas to photograph, he often took along his daughter Yda to translate the Indian and Spanish languages to English. Addis moved his family further south into Mexico, looking for new views of native people and the country. By mule train the family migrated to Mazatlán
and Hermosillo
. After the Civil War ended, Addis took his family aboard the sailing ship The Orizaba for California
.
in Los Angeles
. His children attended school in the small Los Angeles School House. The women kept house and took in boarders.
When Addis heard of veins of gold and silver in New Mexico
and Nevada
, he left Los Angeles for the mines, photographing Indian tribes and buying real estate along the way. When he moved to Tucson, Arizona
, he became the territorial marshal. His son, then a young man, joined his father in Tucson. A thief who robbed Addis fled to Mexico but was tracked to , Chihuahua, Mexico by Addis and his son. Addis was shot by the thief and died the following day.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Western itinerant photographer, mostly known for photographs of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
and the American Southwest.
Early life
Born in Philadelphia, Alfred Shea Addis migrated to Lawrence, KansasLawrence, Kansas
Lawrence is the sixth largest city in the U.S. State of Kansas and the county seat of Douglas County. Located in northeastern Kansas, Lawrence is the anchor city of the Lawrence, Kansas, Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Douglas County...
in 1850. He worked as a photographer’s assistant for Thomas Short, quickly learning the art of photography and gradually securing his own clients under Short's guidance. Addis later married Short's daughter, Sarah. The Addises had two children, Yda Hillis Addis
Yda Hillis Addis
Yda Hillis Addis, was the first American writer to translate ancient Mexican oral stories and histories into English. The most widely published of her more than 100 stories are "The Romance of Ramon" and "Roger's Luck"....
(born 1857) and Judge Addis (born 1862). The families were Confederate sympathizers. When the situation in Lawrence became too violent, the Addises and the Shorts moved to Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth, Kansas
Leavenworth is the largest city and county seat of Leavenworth County, in the U.S. state of Kansas and within the Kansas City, Missouri Metropolitan Area. Located in the northeast portion of the state, it is on the west bank of the Missouri River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was...
, where they lived near the protection of the fort
Fort Leavenworth
Fort Leavenworth is a United States Army facility located in Leavenworth County, Kansas, immediately north of the city of Leavenworth in the upper northeast portion of the state. It is the oldest active United States Army post west of Washington, D.C. and has been in operation for over 180 years...
.
Fort Leavenworth
Addis started his own photography business. He advertised "Photographs, AmbrotypeAmbrotype
right|thumb|Many ambrotypes were made by unknown photographers, such as this American example of a small girl holding a flower, circa 1860. Because of their fragility ambrotypes were held in folding cases much like those used for [[daguerreotype]]s...
s, Melainotypes
Tintype
Tintype, also melainotype and ferrotype, is a photograph made by creating a direct positive on a sheet of iron metal that is blackened by painting, lacquering or enamelling and is used as a support for a collodion photographic emulsion....
. Photographs framed in Superior style. Pins and Lockets filled in best style. Call and give me a trial." At night he managed the Union Theater which he later purchased. As the potential for civil war heated up, the abolitionists
Abolitionism
Abolitionism is a movement to end slavery.In western Europe and the Americas abolitionism was a movement to end the slave trade and set slaves free. At the behest of Dominican priest Bartolomé de las Casas who was shocked at the treatment of natives in the New World, Spain enacted the first...
increased their stronghold in Leavenworth and violence broke out there when Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
seceded from the Union in November 1862, prompting Brigadier General James G. Blunt
James G. Blunt
James Gillpatrick Blunt was a physician and abolitionist who rose to Union major general during the American Civil War.-Early life & career:...
to proclaim martial law. In August 1863 the pro-slavery bushwhacker
Bushwhacker
Bushwhacking was a form of guerrilla warfare common during the American Revolutionary War, American Civil War and other conflicts in which there are large areas of contested land and few Governmental Resources to control these tracts...
William Quantrill
William Quantrill
William Clarke Quantrill was a Confederate guerrilla leader during the American Civil War. After leading a Confederate bushwhacker unit along the Missouri-Kansas border in the early 1860s, which included the infamous raid and sacking of Lawrence, Kansas in 1863, Quantrill eventually ended up in...
led a massacre of pro-Union citizens at Lawrence. Addis gave a benefit performance at the Union Theater, with the proceeds to go to the Lawrence victims. In January 1864, abolitionists burned down the Union Theater. The Shorts and the Addises, along with their slaves, fled to northern Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Mexico
The Addises and Shorts first went to Chihuahua, where they found other Confederate sympathizers. Addis took photographs of the Mexican landscapes and the indigenous people and sold his cartes de visitCarte de visite
The carte de visite was a type of small photograph which was patented in Paris, France by photographer André Adolphe Eugène Disdéri in 1854, although first used by Louis Dodero...
to art dealers in New York. When he scouted for wilderness landscapes and exotic vistas to photograph, he often took along his daughter Yda to translate the Indian and Spanish languages to English. Addis moved his family further south into Mexico, looking for new views of native people and the country. By mule train the family migrated to Mazatlán
Mazatlán
Mazatlán is a city in the Mexican state of Sinaloa; the surrounding municipio for which the city serves as the municipal seat is Mazatlán Municipality. It is located at on the Pacific coast, across from the southernmost tip of the Baja California peninsula.Mazatlán is a Nahuatl word meaning...
and Hermosillo
Hermosillo
Hermosillo is a city and municipality located centrally in the northwestern Mexican state of Sonora. It is the capital and main economic center for the state and region. It contains almost all of the state's manufacturing and has thirty percent of its population...
. After the Civil War ended, Addis took his family aboard the sailing ship The Orizaba for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Return to America
In California, the Addises and the Shorts lived in a house located on Bunker HillBunker Hill, Los Angeles, California
Bunker Hill, in the downtown area of Los Angeles, California, is a short, developed hill with its peak located roughly around 3rd Street. It is located directly east of the Harbor Freeway...
in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
. His children attended school in the small Los Angeles School House. The women kept house and took in boarders.
When Addis heard of veins of gold and silver in New Mexico
New Mexico
New Mexico is a state located in the southwest and western regions of the United States. New Mexico is also usually considered one of the Mountain States. With a population density of 16 per square mile, New Mexico is the sixth-most sparsely inhabited U.S...
and Nevada
Nevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
, he left Los Angeles for the mines, photographing Indian tribes and buying real estate along the way. When he moved to Tucson, Arizona
Tucson, Arizona
Tucson is a city in and the county seat of Pima County, Arizona, United States. The city is located 118 miles southeast of Phoenix and 60 miles north of the U.S.-Mexico border. The 2010 United States Census puts the city's population at 520,116 with a metropolitan area population at 1,020,200...
, he became the territorial marshal. His son, then a young man, joined his father in Tucson. A thief who robbed Addis fled to Mexico but was tracked to , Chihuahua, Mexico by Addis and his son. Addis was shot by the thief and died the following day.