Burns (Pendleton, Central & Eastern Or)

Burns (Pendleton, Central Oregon and Idaho)

General Discussion
Many fine portraits of Indians were signed by photographers named Burns. Caution must be used when attributing photographs to a photographer named Burns. The problem is the number of different photographers named Burns in Pendleton, north-eastern Oregon, south-eastern Washington and Idaho. There is a great deal of similarity in their work and careers. Three of them were simultaneously members of the Photographer’s Association of the Pacific Northwest. By coincidence, many of them had studio operations at one time or another in Idaho. Before making a positive identification of a “Burns” imprint (one which does not specifically identify which Burns), compare the studio furnishings and backdrops with other known work by the photographers. If you do make an attribution of a Burns print, please take the time to add the information about how you conclusively determined which Burns it is, and add your name and the date, so that future researchers who challenge the identification will have useful information.
Presently the author is unable to positively identify the “Burns, Pendleton” blind stamp, and the “Burns Photo Co., Lewiston Idaho” blind stamp.
It is unlikely that Owen S. Burns did photography anywhere outside of Portland.
Burns, Robert
Burns, M. Bruce (1880- )
Burns, Ida A.
Burns, W. J.
Burns Brothers
Burns & Raymond
Chronology
1903 Kendrick and Lewiston ID (Robert)
1905-1907 Pendleton (Robert)
1907 Wardner Idaho (William)
1910-1911 Coeur d’Alene (William)
1900 Moscow ID
1903 Colfax WA
1903-1910 Pullman WA
Pendleton
1907 Lewiston
Directory Listings
1903 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
1903 POW pg. 520 Colfax WA “Burns Bros. (Bruce, Robert and Wm), photogrs”
1903 POW pg. 679 Pullman WA “Burns Bros. (Bruce, Robert and Walter), photogrs”
1905 POW pg. 663 Colfax WA “Burns Bros. (Bruce, Robert and Wm), photogrs”
1905 POW pg. 851 Pullman WA “Burns Bros. (W J, Robert, Bruce, and Ida), photogrs”
1905 Pendleton City Directory pg. 331 “Burns Bros (Robert and Bruce) photogrs 916 Main”; “Burns, Bruce (Burns Bros) rms 916 Main”; “Burns, Robert (Burns Bros) rms 916 Main
1905 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
1908 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
1917 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
Official Records
1900 Federal census of Idaho, Latah county, South Moscow Precinct, pg. 203, line 100
Burns, Bruce M, white male, born June 1880, age 19, single, born Idaho, father born Canada, mother born Canada, occupation: photographer. rents home.
1900 Federal census of Idaho, Nez Perce county, East Lewiston precinct, v5, ed 86 sht 1. (soundex B652)
Burns, Ida A.
1900 Federal census of Idaho, Nez Perce county, East Lewiston precinct, v5, ed 86 sht 1 line 53.
Burns, Walter J.
Photographer’s Imprints – M. B. Burns
“Elizabeth Penny
copyright photo by M. B. Burns 1910” caption in negative.
Photographer’s Imprints – Burns Bros.
“Burns Bros. Pendleton, Ore.” blind stamp on cabinet card.
Photographer’s Imprints- Robert Burns
“R. Burns, Kendrick, Idaho” cabinet card, printed front.
“Copyright ’05 by Robert Burns” signed in negative, portrait of female Indian.
“Robert Burns, Photographer, Pullman, Wash.” real photo postcard portrait (OHS file 796 NE)
News Items and Advertisements
1910: (classified ad) “For Sale Good photo business in town of 5,000 population, home of Washington State College. Will sell complete or any part. Address Robert Burns, Pullman, Wash.” Camera Craft, Vol. XVII, No. 5, May 1910.
1937: classified ad for sale of equipment from The Burns Studio, 1303 State St., Boise, Idaho. Camera Craft, April 1937.
Bibliography
Photographer’s Association of the Pacific Northwest, Programme of Seventh Annual Convention, September 3rd – 6th, 1907, Seattle; n.p. 1907. (unpaginated) “Members Photographic Association of the Pacific Northwest 1907… Burns, Robt.—Pendleton, Ore… …Burns, Bruce—Lewiston, Ida… …Burns, W. J.—Wardner, Ida…”
Hart, Arthur A., Camera Eye on Idaho, (Caldwell; Caxton 1990) pg. 158. M. Bruce Burns was born in Idaho in June 1880. He is listed in the 1900 Federal census in Moscow. He listed active in Moscow and Lewiston in 1903. The Burns Brothers were active in Lewiston 1905-1913, if I am interpreting the information correctly.
Robert Burns was active in Kendrick and Lewiston in 1903.
Burns, James Grover
Chronology
1912 Caldwell ID
1913 Boise
Directory Listings
1903 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
1908 Pendleton City Directory – not listed
Bibliography
Hart, Arthur A., Camera Eye on Idaho, (Caldwell; Caxton 1990) pg. 158. James Grover Burns (born 1886, died 1943) was active in Caldwell in 1912 and Boise in 1913.