NameNapoleon Sarony [19], [414, Napoleon’s page with info.], [403, 1850 on 10th Sept for Wm Young village, Kings County, NY], [276, Death & Burial, 9/10 Nov 1896, New York, USA]
Birth9 Mar 1821, Quebec, Canada
Death9 Nov 1896, 126 W. 47 St, Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States
Burial10 Nov 1896, Greenwood Cemetery, Brooklyn, New York, USA
GeneralPhotographer.
Spouses
ChildrenIda (1848-ca1878)
Notes for Napoleon Sarony
m. (a) Ellen (1850 census), (2) Louie
The only record I have found him on in FindMyPast, is the marriage register for his daughter Mary.
At the time of that marriage they were living in Sarony Square, Scarborough. I wonder if Napoleon and his famil had adopted this loaclity name as theri surname?
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On the contrary, the square might have been renamed in his honour:
from The National Portrai Gallery on his brother Oliver François Xavier Sarony (1820-1879):
Later Victorian Portraits Catalogue
Oliver François Xavier Sarony (1820-1879), Portrait photographer; brother of Napoleon Sarony
Biography and References
Portrait photographer; born February 1820 in Quebec, elder brother to renowned theatrical photographer Napoleon Sarony. Worked as a daguerreotypist in New York before settling in England in the 1850s, initially as an itinerant photographer, then at his permanent base, Sarony & Co. at Gainsborough House in Scarborough, Yorkshire from 1857; developed and sold rights to a new process for enlargement 1870s; [1] and patented and licensed a novel ‘photocrayon’ process; [2] as photographer to the Queen his studio attracted sitters from around the country; died 30 August 1879, in Scarborough.
Sarony & Co. was ‘one of the largest and handsomest establishments devoted to photographic portraiture in this country’. [3] Sarony himself was described by Helmut Gernsheim as ‘the most successful provincial photographer in England’; [4] in one year he reportedly earned £10,000 and brought so much income to Scarborough that the square in which his premises were located was renamed in his honour. [5]
Magdalene Keaney
Footnotes
1) Gernsheim 1998, p.237.
2) Linkman 1993, p.88.
3) Linkman 1993, p.87.
4) Linkman 1993, p.88.
5) Gernsheim 1998, p.198.
References
Bayliss & Bayliss c.1998
Bayliss, A., and P. Bayliss, Photographers in Mid-Nineteenth Century Scarborough, The Sarony Years: A History and Dictionary,
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This led to his own entry on The National Portrait gallery site:
Napoleon Sarony (1821-1896), Photographer
Artist associated with 57 portraits
Canadian-born Sarony moved to New York in 1836 and worked as a lithographer for Nathaniel Currier until he established his own firm in 1843. Originally self-taught, in 1858 he went to Europe for artistic training. In 1864 he apprenticed himself to his brother, Oliver Sarony, a noted photographer in Scarborough. Within a year he went to Birmingham and partnered with R. W. Thrupp and Martin Laroche. Sarony returned to New York in 1866 and opened a studio on Broadway. He became one of the most famous photographers in America, specialising in photographing actors and actresses. He was particularly noted for the unconventional poses and animated expression he elicited from his sitters.
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And this led to this info, with a portrait in an article on the Saronys in Scarborough Council’s website:
“Oliver’s brother, Napoleon Sarony was born a year later (March 9, 1821 – November 9, 1896)
Like Oliver, he became a famous lithographer and photographer but in New York.
He was a highly popular and great portrait photographer, most known for his portraits of the stars of late-19th-century American theatre.
His son, Otto Sarony, continued the family business as an accomplished theatre and film star photographer.”
I am taking these birth and death dates as factual in default of proper public information.
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1850 US Census in the Village of William Young, Kings County, New York on 10 Sept 1850:
Name Gender Age Race Birth Year Birthplace Schedule Type House Number Folder Number Record Number
Napoleon Sarony Male 28 White 1822 Canada 1850 Population 1609 004197495 14005
Ellen Sarony Female 20 White 1830 England 1850 Population 1609 004197495 14006
Ida Sarony Female 2 White 1848 New York 1850 Population 1609 004197495 14007
Otto Sarony Male 7m White 1850 New York 1850 Population 1609 004197495 14008
Margt Sarony Female 20 White 1830 Ireland 1850 Population 1609 004197495 14009
He occupation was engraver. Margaret must have been his sister.
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In 1856 he was naturalised US on 20 Dec 1856, vol 84, record No 239. Formers nationality was Gt Britain & Ireland.
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1n the 1870 census in New York, he had a new wife and one child with her:
Birth Year Page Record
Name Gender Age Race (Estimated) Birthplace Number Number
Nap Sarony Male 49 White 1821 Canada 72 8430
Louise Sarony Female 26 White 1844 Massachusetts 72 8430
Bella Sarony Female 6 White 1864 New York 72 8430
I have yet to find any marriage record or birth records for any of the three of them.
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In 1870 there were still the three of them and Napoleon was then an artist instead of a photographer.
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His death in the Yorks Gazette:
Name: Napoleon Sarony
Event Type: Obituary
Event Date: 14 Nov 1896
Event Place: York, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Event Place (Original): York, Yorkshire, England, United Kingdom
Gender: Male
Relationship to Deceased: Deceased
Death Year (Estimated): 1896
Death Place: New York, ,
Newspaper: The Yorkshire Gazett
Text: “Napoleon Sarony, the well known artist, was found dead in his bed in New York on Monday Morning” published on Saturday, 14 Sept 1896 so he died on Monday 9th Sept 1896.
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His municpal death, and burial, record:
Name: Napoleon Sarony
Event Type: Death
Event Date: 9 Nov 1896
Event Place: Manhattan, New York County, New York, United States
Address: 126 W. 47 St.
Gender: Male
Age: 76
Marital Status: Married
Race: White
Occupation: Artist
Birth Year (Estimated): 1820
Birthplace: Canada
Burial Date: 10 Nov 1896
Cemetery: Greenwood Cemety.
Father's Birthplace: Austria
Mother's Birthplace: France
Note: 126 W. 47 St.; Res US 63y, NYC abt 50y
Certificate Number: cn 37126
"Attached to: Gustave Adolphe Napoleon Sarony"
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Notes for Napoleon & Ellen (Family)
Their marriage report:
First name(s) Napoleon
Last name Sarony
Marriage year 1848
Marriage date 9 Mar 1848
Spouse's first name(s) Ellen
Spouse's last name Major
Marriage state/country New York
Minister Hardenburgh
Newspaper New York Herald
Newspaper date 11 Mar 1848
Record set United States Marriages
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