Edward and William Partridge photographs

Edward J. Partridge (1856-1891) and his brother, William H. Partridge (1860-1939), were important photographers active in Oregon, Alaska, and San Francisco.

Edward J. Partridge was one of three brothers who followed their father into the photography business. The father, Asa C. Partridge, was a daguerreotyper who owned a photo supply house in West Virginia, and later migrated to Boston.

Born in West Virginia in 1856, young Edward graduated from engineering school at M.I.T. in 1876. By the early 1880s he and brother William were working with their father in Boston at A. C. Partridge and Sons.

By 1884, Edward and William had moved to Portland, where they established their own studio.

Both Edward and William traveled to Alaska and brought back photos -- William in 1886 and Edward in 1887. When William moved back to Boston in 1887, Edward took over the Portland studio, though he then sold it near the end of 1888 to move to San Francisco, where he worked with the third brother, Sam, learning Sam's photo supply business.

Edward later returned to Portland to open "the only house north of San Francisco dealing exclusively in photographic supplies".Being in the supply business, the Partridges were on the leading edge of photographic technology.

Edward contracted Brights disease and returned to San Francisco for treatment in 1890. He died in June of 1891.

Source: "Edward J. Partridge," Old Oregon: The Art of Historic Photos. https://www.oldoregonphotos.com/photographers/ejpartridge.html# (accessed 2021 August 10)