Photographs of the Bahamas

A collection of loose photographs measuring approximately 225 x 175 mm. The photographs have, for the most part, printed captions stating location and photographer's name. Photographed by J.F. Coonley.

Jacob Frank Coonley was originally a sign and ornamental artist in New York whose business fell off in the panic of 1857. Circa 1857, Coonley studied daguerreotype photography with George Barnard and with him opened a studio. By 1861 Coonley was working with Barnard for Matthew Brady. In 1864 he made a contract with the Quartermaster General to photograph railroad construction in Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. In the early 1880s Coonley worked with J. M. Mora (famous for portraits of theatrical personalities) at 707 Broadway, New York. Circa 1889 he moved to Nassau, advertising a studio at the corner of Bay and Parliament Streets. In the 1890s he moved to a studio in the Masonic Buildings.

Unless restrictions apply, the collection is open for consultation by researchers using the Manuscripts Reading Room at Cambridge University Library. For further details on conditions governing access please contact mss@lib.cam.ac.uk. Information about opening hours and obtaining a Cambridge University Library reader's ticket is available from the Library's website (www.lib.cam.ac.uk).

Presented by Sir William Robinson, Governor of the Bahamas, 1874-1880.

Includes index.

A catalogue of the collection can be found on ArchiveSearch.

This collection is available on microfiche: South America/Caribbean, fiche number 10-11.

varies considerably from good to poor condition.

See also Y307G/1-13.

This item level description was entered by NE and MJC using information from the original typescript catalogue.

Coonley, Jacob Frank, fl 1850-1909, photographer