Oliver Dennie (Portland)
Opposition Line
Chronology
before 1871 California
1871-1873 Portland
1873 Tacoma and Olympia WA
1874-1875 Portland
Employee Listings
Davidson, John S., assistant to Oliver Dennie 1875
McGowan, J., photographer for Dennie 1871
Directory Listings
1872 PD pg. 63 “Dennie, O., photographer, 107 Front”
1873 PD pg. 93 “Dennie, Oliver, photographer, res s s Market bet Third and Fourth”, additions supplement pg. 50k, “Dennie Oliver, photographer, resides Market between Third and Fourth”
1873 SD pg. 144 “Dennie, Oliver, photograph gallery, cor First and Taylor, res Market bet Third and Fourth”
1873 Or pg. 321 Portland “Dennie, Oliver, cor First and Taylor, photograph gallery”
1874 PD pg. 89 “Dennie, Oliver, photographer, res s e cor Third and Columbia.”, appendix pg. 44 “Dennie, Oliver photographer, s w cor Yamhill and First, res w s Fifth bet Salmon and Main”
1874 SD pg. 172 “Dennie, Oliver, photograph gallery, s w cor First and Yamhill, res w s Fifth bet Salmon and Main”
1875 PD pg. 76 “Dennie, Oliver, photographer, s w cor First and Yamhill”
1875 SD pg. 179 “Dennie, Oliver photographer, s w cor First and Yamhill, res same”
Mautz Oregon “Dennie, Oliver, 1875, Portland”
Photographer’s Imprints
“Oliver Dennie, 107 Front St., Portland Or.” (rubber stamp on CDV back)
“Oliver Dennie, portrait and landscape photographer, cor First and Yamhill” printed back of stereo card 4″ x 7″, view of Front St., (collection Paul Missal)
“Oliver Dennie, photographer, Cor. First and Taylor Streets, Portland Oregon” CDV printed back (OHS collection)
SHUSTER & DENNIE
OVERPRINT: “Excelsior Art Gallery. Shuster & Davidson, Cor. First and Yamhill Sts. Successors to Shuster and Dennie, Portland, Ogn” CDV printed back, ms date 1876, which may not be reliable. (OHS study collection of CDVs)
News Items and Advertisements
1871: “A NEW PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY ON FRONT STREET. HAVING BUILT A NEW OPERATING ROOM, and having a new outfit of Improved Cameras – the best on the Coast – and having lately arrived from California with all the latest improvements in the art, I would respectfully invite the Ladies and Gentlemen of Portland and vicinity to call and visit my new rooms. Having had fifteen years experience in the Photographic line, and having the best and largest Top Light in the city, I will guarantee a true and pleasing picture or no charge. AMBROTYPES, PLAIN PHOTOGRAPHS, ENAMELED CARDS, REMBRANDTS. PICTURES COPIED. VIEWS of residences at reduced prices. Only One flight of stairs. Remember the place: No., 107 Front St., bet Alder & Morrison. OLIVER DENNIE, Artist.” Oregonian, 13 June, 1871 pg.2 col 3 (first insertion)
1872: “OPPOSITION LINE. NOW IS THE TIME IF YOU WANT FINE PICTURES AT Dennie’s New Photograph Gallery, No. 107 Front Street. Having just received some fine fancy backgrounds and a new outfit of Photographic materials; also the best solar for enlarging life-size Pictures, in Portland — being prepared to do the best of work in all branches of the art, from Lockets up to life-size — I would respectfully invite the ladies and gentlemen of Portland and vicinity to call and examine my work. Views of Portland and vicinity for sale at my Room. Views of residences taken at Reduced Prices. Oliver Dennie.” Oregonian, June 3, 1872, pg. 3, col. 5. (probably a repeating ad that has not been traced from beginning to end)
1872: account of fire in Portland 22 December. “…O. Dennie, lose by fire $1000. no insurance…” Oregonian, 23 December 1872, pg. 3, col. 4.
1872: “ADDITIONAL LOSSES – Since our last issue the following additional losses sustained…have been ascertained…Oliver Dennie, protographer (sic); loss $3000…”, “PLACES OF BUSINESS – The following persons who were burned out by the late fire are now conducting business … Oliver Dennie, protoghrapher (sic), can be found on Market, between Third and Fourth…” Oregonian, 24 December 1872, pg. 3, col. 1.
1872: “LOSS AND INSURANCE – The following list comprises as nearly as can be ascertained a complete table of the losses sustained by our citizens by Sunday’s fire, and also the various amounts for which some of the parties were insured … O. Dennie, photographer $3000, None…” Oregonian, 25 December 1872, pg. 3, col. 3.
1873: “Mr. O. Dennie, photographer, who lost his entire stock in the fire, leaves on the steamer to-day for San Francisco to purchase a new outfit. He expects to be able to open early in March.” Oregonian, 13 February 1873, pg. 3, col. 2.
1873: “STEAMER SAILED.- The steamer Ajax sailed last evening for San Francisco with a full freight and the following passengers… Oliver Dennie…” Oregonian, 14 February 1873, pg. 3, col. 1.
1873: “Oliver Dennie, photographer, and Dr. Glenn, dentist, are fitting up rooms in Quimby’s building, corner of Taylor and First streets. They expect to be ready to attend to customers by the 1st prox.” Oregonian, 22 March 1873, pg. 3, col. 2.
1873: “The Art Gallery of Portland. (Late ‘Opposition Line’) Corner First and Taylor streets – No. 147. Having just returned From San Francisco with a new outfit to replace the one lost in the late fire, I have fitted up a new set of rooms, the most convenient in the State of Oregon – only one flight of stairs. The top light is built on the same plan as the leading galleries of San Francisco, together with all the improvement, including Revolving Shades to produce the fine, soft shades on the picture. I will introduce the Floating Photographs, something new, and a beautiful style of pictures; also, Porcelain, Enameled Cards, and all the latest improvements of the art. I would solicit my former patrons, and ladies and gentlemen of Portland and vicinity to call and visit my new rooms and pictures; O. Dennie, Photographer, Cor First and Taylor, over Farnsworth & Co.’s Grocery. Oregonian, 31 May – 1 July 1873,
1873 “Opposition Line! Great Reduction in Prices; All who want First Class Work, equal to any, can be accommodated at Dennie’s Gallery, cor. First and Taylor Sts. First class work at low prices. Photographs $2.50 Per Dozen. All classes of Work, from Locket up to Life Size promptly attended to. Views of Residences at Reduced Prices.” Oregonian, 2 July 1873 (date of first insertion, last insertion August 2, the date the studio burned down.) (note the wording in this ad is specifically designed to compete with Buchtel’s ad also appearing at this time)
1873: “Losses (fire of Aug. 2, 1873)…O. Dennie, photographer, $600; no insurance…” Oregonian, 4 August 1873, pg. 3, col. 6,
1873: “Losses and insurance…revised list…great fire of Aug. 2, 1873…O. Dennie, photographer, stock, etc 600 (dollars loss)…” Oregonian, 8 August 1873, pg. 3, col. 3
1873: “PHOTOGRAPHING: OLIVER DENNIE, a Portland photographer, arrived in Tacoma yesterday and went on to Seattle. He will be back today and try his fortune a short time in Tacoma. He has his instruments with him, and will take views of the town and surrounding scenery as well as pictures of the good people of our town.” The Daily Pacific Tribune, (Tacoma, WA) 13 September 1873, pg. 3, col. 1 (courtesy Michael Cirelli)
1873: “Mr. Oliver Dennie has leased Woodard’s Gallery, at Olympia, for several weeks where he will be happy to produce the ‘counterfeit presentiments’ of the Sound folks. His reputation is first class and is sufficient to insure him a liberal patronage. During his absence new rooms will be prepared for him in Woodard’s new building, corner Yamhill and First streets.” Oregonian, 17 October 1873, pg. 3, col. 2.
1873: “At Olympia. Mr. OLIVER DENNIE, the Photographic Artist, has leased the Gallery at Olympia for several weeks and will furnish the citizens at that place with Pictures of a superior style” Oregonian, 17 October – 7 November 1873.
1873: “GOOD TEETH AND FINE PICTURES! A. B. WOODARD of Olympia, informs the citizens of Puget Sound and other parts of the world, too, that he is again practicing the arts of dentistry and photography at the old stand, and hopes to retain his old and secure much new patronage for the future. He has recently secured the skilled services of Mr. Oliver Dennie of Portland, in the photographic department… Main Street between Fifth and Sixth, Olympia, W. T.” The Weekly Pacific Tribune, (Tacoma WA) 24 October 1873, pg. 2, col. 5 (courtesy Michael Cirelli) (quoted fully under listing of A. B. Woodard)
1873: “PHOTOGRAPHER DENNIE took his camera up to the Seminary, and ‘took’ the photographs of the scholars in a group.” The Puget Sound Daily Courier, (Olympia, WA) 14 November 1873 pg. 3, col. 1. (courtesy Michael Cirelli)
1874: “Call at O. Dennie’s new photograph rooms and see the new invention for taking fine pictures. Only one flight of stairs, corner Yamhill and First.” Oregonian, 27 March 1874, repeated to 1 April 1874.
1874: “For a fine picture go to Dennie’s new photograph rooms, Yamhill and First streets. Employs one of the best lately from the East) photographers and retouchers in Oregon. Sure to please all who give him a trial. Only one flight of stairs.” Oregonian, 6 April – June 1874.
1875: “Photography. The very finest photographs are now taken at the new firm of Shuster and Dennie, who have just refitted their rooms, corner of First and Yamhill.” Oregonian 3 March – 29 March 1875
Bibliography
Brown, Robert O., Nineteenth Century Portland, Oregon Photographers: A Collector’s Handbook (author; Portland, 1991) pg. 60