J.P. Ball

Born: 1825. Died: Hawaii, 1905. J.P. Ball opened his first studio in Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1860, and later one in Minneapolis. By 1880 Ball arrived in Helena and solidified his reputation as one of the nation's outstanding Afro-American photographers.

Sources at Lewis & Clark Library

1. Campbell, William C. From the Quarries of Last Chance Gulch. Vol. 2. Helena, Montana: Bell-Arm Corp., 1964. 79. [Shelfmark M 978.6615 M]
2. Baumler, Ellen and Dave Shors. Lost Places, Hidden Treasures. Helena, Montana: Farcountry Press, 2002. 7. [Shelfmark M 978.6615 B]

Sources at the Montana Historical Society Research Center

1. Photographer's Index, Vertical File, Photo Archives.
2. Helena Business Letterhead Collection, Small Collection 2359, Archives.
3. Willis, Deborah, ed., J.P. Ball, Daguerrean and Studio Photographer. New York: Garland Publishing, 1993. [Shelfmark 770.92 B21J]
4. Baumler, Ellen and Dave Shors. Lost Places, Hidden Treasures. Helena, Montana: Farcountry Press, 2002. 7.

Online Resources

1. J.P. Ball, African American Photographer