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Information and Sources about this Photographer

Raw Data - E_Person

ID: 262
CATNUM: 281
IsPhotographer: True
IsArchitect: 
NameFirst: William
NameLast: Unthank
NameMiddle: S.
NameMaiden: 
NameUsed: 
NameNewFirst: William
PersonHonorificTypeID: 
PersonSuffixTypeID: 
PersonStatusTypeID: 
PersonSexTypeID: 1
PersonColorTypeID: 
BirthMonth: 
BirthDay: 
BirthYear: 1803
BirthCA: 
OriginalBirthCity: Richmond
OriginalBirthState: IN
OriginalBirthCounty: Wayne
OriginalBirthNation: USA
DeathMonth: 7
DeathDay: 22
DeathYear: 1892
DeathCA: 
DeathCause: 
OriginalDeathCity: Council Bluffs
OriginalDeathState: IA
OriginalDeathCounty: Potawatomi
OriginalDeathNation: USA
Parents: 
Children: Charles L. Unthank, Sylvia R. Unthank (m. David Whitenack) and Emma Ioane (died young)
Spouse1Name: Nancy L. Moreland
Spouse1StartMonth: 4
Spouse1StartDay: 26
Spouse1StartYear: 1837
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Output: True
CreatedDate: 10/30/2021 5:45:37 PM
CreatedBy: sa
LastModifiedDate: 10/30/2021 5:45:37 PM
ModifiedBy: sa

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Raw Data - E_CareerPhotographer

ID: 262
PersonID: 262
StartMonth: 
StartDay: 
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OriginalNotes: Pioneer Painters of Indiana, Peat, p. 239, 164: William S. Unthank was born in Richmond of Quaker parents, by 1840 he had arrived in Indianapolis and married Nancy Moreland. He painted portraits of Dr. Henry Wishard and wife Harriet Moreland [NOTE: sister of Unthank's wife] in 1840 or 1841. After residing in Indianapolis a number of years, he took his family to Centerville and then back to Richmond in 1857. Then he ventured into Ohio, living in Cincinnati where he experimented with a perpetual motion machine--a scientific and financial failure. In 1860 he was back in Indianapolis, having turned photographer, expert ambrotypist. About that time his domestic affairs went awry; his wife left him and he became lonely vagabond painter, traveling farther and farther west. In 1891 he wandered into the Christian Home Orphanage at Council Bluffs, Iowa, destitute and almost blind. He remained and died there the following year.

Find a Grave, database and images (www.findagrave.com/memorial/80957037/nancy-l-unthank : accessed 30 June 2021), memorial page for Nancy L Moreland Unthank (1815-26 Dec 1887), Find a Grave Memorial ID 80957037, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Greenwood, Johnson County, Indiana, USA ; Maintained by RosiePosie (contributor 47080622) .
"Nancy is the daughter of Rev.John Moreland. She married William S.Unthank (1813-1892) on 26 April 1837.
They had three children; Charles L., Sylvia R.(m. David Whitenack) and Emma Ioane, who died as a child of scarlet
fever. William S. Unthank was a portraitist, working both in the medium of photography as a maker of ambrotypes and in the medium of oil painting. Apparently they separated at some point, and she remained in Indiana while William wandered about the midwest trying to earn a living as a painter. He died in Council Bluffs, Iowa in severely reduced circumstances." [Submitted by Mark McCrady and Cathea Curry]

1860 IN Census, Johnson Co., Pleasant Twp., Greenwood post office, p. 479, family 657:
Wm. S. Unthank, age 57, b. KY, no occupation 0 RP and PP
Nancy L. Unthank, age 44, b. KY
Charles S. Unthank, age 21, b. IN
Sylvas R. Unthank, f, age 20, b. IN, teacher CS

1861 Dodd's Indianapolis City Directory, p. 225: Wm. Unthank, saddler, 34 W. Washington St.

Indiana Marriage Records, m. Nancy L. Moreland, Marion Co., 4-26-1837
OriginalWorkerTypes: photographer
OriginalProcesses: ambrotypes, photographs
OriginalFormats: 
OriginalOccupation: portrait painter, motion machine experimenter, saddler
OriginalCombination: 
OriginalSources: 
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SeeAlsoStudio: 
CreatedDate: 10/30/2021 5:45:37 PM
CreatedBy: sa
LastModifiedDate: 10/30/2021 5:45:37 PM
ModifiedBy: 

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Raw Data - E_Location, E_Studio

PersonID: 262
CATNUM: 281
NameFirst: William
NameLast: Unthank
LocationID: 8183
Address1: SE cor. Pearl & Main sts. over Ham's store
Address2: 
City: Richmond
State: IN
StudioID: 5840
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ID: 5840
StudioName: W. S. Unthank
SeeAlso: 
SeeAlsoPeople: 
SeeAlsoStudio: 
StudioSummary: 
Sources: 
Output: False
CreatedDate: 10/30/2021 6:06:13 PM
CreatedBy: sa
LastModifiedDate: 10/30/2021 6:07:12 PM
ModifiedBy: sa

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Name: W. S. Unthank
Alternate Studio Names: 
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KnownDay: 
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KnownCA: 
StudioLocationID: 8868
SeeAlso: 
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Sources: 
Output: False
County: Wayne
Country: USA
Longitude: 
Latitude: 
NameNewFirst: William
KnownDates: 1857, 1858
OriginalLocationNotes: 
OutputStartMonth: 
OutputStartYear: 1857
OutputEndMonth: 
OutputEndYear: 1858
OutputStartStar: 
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NameMiddle: S.
NameMaiden: 
PersonHonorificTypeID: 
OriginalSource: 1857 Directory to City of Richmond (1966 reprint): p. 43, 46
Richmond Palladium, Jan. 15, 1857, Ambrotyping--We were shown, by Mr. W. S. Unthank, an Ambrotype picture of Mr. John M. Laws, of our city, which far exceeds any picture of that kind we have ever examined. It is nobody else but John M. Laws, who is, by-the-bye,a very good-looking man; but this picture does not flatter him in the least--'tis no better looking than he is; hence, we attach more credit than ordinary to the Artist, for he has quoted the Laws perfectly. We have never given a very hearty commendation to this art of picture-making, because we didn't see anything superior to the Daguerreotypes in the specimens we had seen; in fact, they were generally very inferior--too dark and murky. Mr. U. however, appears to understand the business thoroughly, and "holds the mirror up to nature." Do not take our word for all this, but call at his rooms over Ham's store, entrance on Pearl Street, and look at his specimens. [NOTE: In March 1857 Ham's Store became Hubbard's.]

Richmond Palladium, Jan. 29, 1857, W. S. Unthank, only asks those who fancy good substantial work in Pictures to call and examine his specimens. He will convince any unprejudiced mind that the cracking process does not belong to his make of pictures--it is all in the eye of some of his brother operators, or rather, in their material. Give him a call.

Richmond Palladium, Feb. 5, 1857, Mr. Unthank's Ambrotype rooms are rapidly becoming the favorite resort of the beautiful, and the lovers of the beautiful; and now wonder, for such pictures as he is daily furnishing his well pleased customers have never before been seen in this section of country. It is the only place where the genuine and permanent Ambrotype can be had.

Richmond Palladium, Feb. 5, 1857, Ambrotypes & Melainotypes! by W. S. Unthank, Rooms over Ham's Store, SE corner of Main and Pearl Streets, Richmond, Ind. These pictures, with fair usage are warranted to remain UNCHANGED in any climate. [ad placed January 29, 1857; ran through at least April 8, 1858]
OriginalWorkerType: Studio owner
PersonSexTypeID: 1
PersonColorTypeID: 
PersonStudioLocationID: 9397




PersonID: 262
CATNUM: 281
NameFirst: William
NameLast: Unthank
LocationID: 1769
Address1: 33 W. Washington St.
Address2: 
City: Indianapolis
State: IN
StudioID: 5840
----------------------------------
ID: 5840
StudioName: W. S. Unthank
SeeAlso: 
SeeAlsoPeople: 
SeeAlsoStudio: 
StudioSummary: 
Sources: 
Output: False
CreatedDate: 10/30/2021 6:06:13 PM
CreatedBy: sa
LastModifiedDate: 10/30/2021 6:07:12 PM
ModifiedBy: sa

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Name: W. S. Unthank
Alternate Studio Names: 
StartMonth: 2
StartDay: 
StartYear: 1859
StartCA: True
EndMonth: 
EndYear: 
EndDay: 
EndCA: 
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KnownDay: 
KnownYear: 
KnownCA: 
StudioLocationID: 8867
SeeAlso: 
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Output: False
County: Marion
Country: USA
Longitude: 
Latitude: 
NameNewFirst: William
KnownDates: 1859
OriginalLocationNotes: 
OutputStartMonth: 2
OutputStartYear: 1859
OutputEndMonth: 
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OutputStartStar: *
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NameMiddle: S.
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OriginalSource: Indianapolis Daily Journal, 8 June 1859, p. 4 (ad placed 21 Feb. 1859, for one year, although it didn't run the full year): Ambrotypes Melainotypes and other Pictures of a superior quality by W. S. Unthank rooms over Pope's Drug Store, No. 33 south side of West Washington street, a few doors east of the Palmer House.  His old friends and acquaintances, citizens and visitors-everybody else-and his wife, are respectfully invited to call and examine his specimens.

1859 Hawes' Indianapolis Business Directory for 1859-60, p. 33: W. S. Unthank, 33 W. Washington, (listed under Ambrotypists)

Evansville Daily Journal (Evansville, Indiana), May 17, 1859  "The Richmond (Ind.) Battle Axe notices the melancholy fact that Wm. S. Unthank, formerly an ambrotype artist at Richmond, has become insane, and is now an inmate of the State Asylum at Indianapolis, in consequence of the conduct of his son, who is charged with robbery."
OriginalWorkerType: Studio owner
PersonSexTypeID: 1
PersonColorTypeID: 
PersonStudioLocationID: 9396




PersonID: 262
CATNUM: 281
NameFirst: William
NameLast: Unthank
LocationID: 8182
Address1: 
Address2: 
City: Newark
State: OH
StudioID: 5840
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ID: 5840
StudioName: W. S. Unthank
SeeAlso: 
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StudioSummary: 
Sources: 
Output: False
CreatedDate: 10/30/2021 6:06:13 PM
CreatedBy: sa
LastModifiedDate: 10/30/2021 6:07:12 PM
ModifiedBy: sa

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Name: W. S. Unthank
Alternate Studio Names: 
StartMonth: 
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KnownCA: 
StudioLocationID: 8866
SeeAlso: 
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Sources: 
Output: False
County: Licking
Country: USA
Longitude: 
Latitude: 
NameNewFirst: William
KnownDates: 1881
OriginalLocationNotes: 
OutputStartMonth: 
OutputStartYear: 1881
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NameMiddle: S.
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OriginalSource: Ohio Photographers, 1839-1900, p. 103: W. S. Unthank, Newark, OH 1881-82 [not sure that this is same person]
OriginalWorkerType: Studio owner
PersonSexTypeID: 1
PersonColorTypeID: 
PersonStudioLocationID: 9395