James Presley Ball
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James Presley Ball (1825–1904) was a prominent African-American daguerreotypist, abolitionist, and businessman of the 19th century.
Originally from Virginia, James Presley Ball opened a one-room daguerrotype studio in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1845. The business did not prosper, and Ball returned to Richmond, Virginia the following year to develop a more successful studio near the State Capitol building. In 1847, Ball again departed for Ohio, this time as a traveling daguerrotypist, and spent some time in Cincinnati, where he took on his brother Alexander Thomas as a studio operator and later business partner. The studio was rechristened the Ball and Thomas Gallery. In 1855, Ball published an abolitionist pamphlet, and also hosted several daguerrotype exhibitions on the subject of slavery. During the 1850’s Ball’s daguerreotypes were shown at the Ohio State Fair and at the Ohio Mechanics Annual Exhibition. In May 1860, Ball's gallery was destroyed by a tornado, but later rebuilt with assistance from the community. During the 1870s Ball ended his partnership with his brother and moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota to start a new studio. In Minneapolis in 1887, Ball became the official photographer of the 25th anniversary celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation. In October 1887, Ball again moved, this time to Helena, Montana where from 1887 to 1894 he produced hundreds of portrait daguerrotypes. In 1900, he moved to Seattle, Washington and opened the Globe Photo Studio. He died in Honolulu on May 3, 1904.
