George Fiske

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Born: 22 October 1835 Died: 21 October 1918

Country of origin: United States

Relationship Status: Married

Partner: Caroline (Carrie) Paull

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Photographers Who Committed Suicide (9 items)
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Published 14 years, 5 months ago

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Description: George Fiske (October 22nd 1835 - October 21st 1918) was a renowned photographer of the Yosemite Valley, famous for his quality images that are highly valued and greatly in demand. George Fiske was born October 22nd 1835 in Amherst, New Hampshire and raised on the family's farm. In 1858, at the age of 22, he moved west to Sacramento, California, looking for broader opportunities. In the years following his removal to California, Fiske received extensive of photographic training. It is not known, however, from who he learned and when. However, in 1864 he was working as a freelance photographer in San Francisco. He then George Fiske (October 22nd 1835 - October 21st 1918) was a renowned photographer of the Yosemite Valley, famous for his quality images that are highly valued and greatly in demand.

George Fiske was born October 22nd 1835 in Amherst, New Hampshire and raised on the family's farm. In 1858, at the age of 22, he moved west to Sacramento, California, looking for broader opportunities.

In the years following his removal to California, Fiske received extensive of photographic training. It is not known, however, from who he learned and when. However, in 1864 he was working as a freelance photographer in San Francisco.

He then relocated in 1879 to the Yosemite Valley, becoming its first year-round resident photographer, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Fiske established a long-running, though modest, photographic concession of landscape views and custom tourist portraits. He also began a routine for photographing the magnificence of the Valley, moving his equipment in a wheelbarrow, which he called, “Could Chaser.”

Fiske became the close friend of Galen Clark, the two both being native to New Hampshire, born in towns only separated by a few miles.

By 1884 Fiske had begun to receive substantial recognition for his photographic work.

After seeing Fiske's prints on exhibition at the New Orleans World's Fair, the influential Philadelphia Photographer critic Edward L Wilson commented on the Fiske work, saying they were "gems of photographic art." Wilson expressed the opinion Fiske occupied the "front rank" in photography.

1884 was also the year, Fiske sent a selection of his photographs to London for the inspection of John Ruskin, who replied, "It is impossible to choose subjects more fitly or to do better work."

In 1904 a fire destroyed Fiske's house and studio, as well as two cameras, two lenses, three quarters of his glass-plate negatives, and a large portion of his stock of prints.

After the deaths of Galen Clark in 1910 and Fiske's second wife Carrie in 1917, Fiske become very despondent. In 1918, facing dim business prospects and suffering intensely from a brain tumor resulting in severe headaches (possibly caused by the use of photographic chemicals used in developing), George Fiske committed suicide on October 21st, one day before his eighty-third birthday. He was buried next to Galen Clark and his wife Carrie in Yosemite's Pioneer Cemetery. ... (more)

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