George Gardner Rockwood was born on April 12, 1832, in Troy, New York, to Elihu and Martha Rockwood. His father was a hotel keeper. He grew up and attended school in Troy, and he married Araminta Bouton around 1853. They had at least two children: Mary, born around 1857; and George, born around 1858. He moved to New York City around 1857, and he earned a living as a photographer. According to an early biographer, he was the “originator of the carte de visite in America,” and he “photographed all the famous men of the country.” By 1870, the family owned $1,500 of real estate and $3,000 of personal property, and they employed at least one white domestic servant. He filed for bankruptcy in the early 1900s, and he died in Lakeville, Connecticut, on July 10, 1911.

 

Image: George G. Rockwood (courtesy Wikicommons)

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