Joseph L. Bates
Illustration — Garnet Pool near Glen House in New Hampshire • Illustration — Boston Museum • Illustration — City Hall • Illustration — Old City Hall • Illustration — Quincy Market • Illustration — Horticultural Hall • Illustration — Mount Washington (New Hampshire) cog railroad Joseph L. Bates (1806 or 1807March 2, 1886) was an American merchant and manufacturer based in Boston specializing in musical instruments, umbrellas, stereoscopic photographs and viewers, and fancy goods. Despite being a dealer of stereographic photographs, he was likely not a photographer himself.
Joseph L. Bates
Bates, Joseph L., 1806 or 7-1886- Photographer · This image is available from the New York Public Library 's Digital Library under the digital ID G90F343_016F: digitalgallery.nypl.org → digitalcollections.nypl.org · Public domain
- Born
- 1807
- Died
- 1886
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- photographer
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Illustration — Garnet Pool near Glen House in New Hampshire • Illustration — Boston Museum • Illustration — City Hall • Illustration — Old City Hall • Illustration — Quincy Market • Illustration — Horticultural Hall • Illustration — Mount Washington (New Hampshire) cog railroad Joseph L. Bates (1806 or 1807March 2, 1886) was an American merchant and manufacturer based in Boston specializing in musical instruments, umbrellas, stereoscopic photographs and viewers, and fancy goods. Despite being a dealer of stereographic photographs, he was likely not a photographer himself.
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wikidata · Q21070657 · wikipedia · Joseph L. Bates
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Career
Bates began his business in 1828 as a manufacturer of musical instruments at 44 Market St., Boston. The following year he moved to 6 Court Street, by which time he had expanded into the manufacture and repair of umbrellas and parasols. He published and sold stereoscopic photographs of Boston and New England scenery, landscapes, and buildings. Many are included in the extensive Getty Center photography collection, located in Los Angeles, California.
Holmes and Bates stereoscope
Holmes and Bates stereoscope
In 1861, Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr. invented the first handheld stereoscope. Choosing not to patent it, Bates manufactured and sold his design.
Joseph L. Bates, City hall, by Bates, Joseph L., 1806 or 7, 1886
Bates, Joseph L., 1806 or 7-1886- Photographer · This image is available from the New York Public Library 's Digital Library under the digital ID G90F343_017F: digitalgallery.nypl.org → digitalcollections.nypl.org
Joseph L. Bates, Quincy Market, by Bates, Joseph L., 1806 or 7, 1886
Bates, Joseph L., 1806 or 7-1886- Photographer · This image is available from the New York Public Library 's Digital Library under the digital ID G90F350_031F: digitalgallery.nypl.org → digitalcollections.nypl.org
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q21070657: Joseph L. Bates
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- “Joseph L. Bates”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
Bibliography printed in the source article · 5
- Getty Museum. Joseph L. Bates. J. Paul Getty Trust.
- Historic New England. Advertisement for Joseph L. Bates, musical instruments, umbrellas and parasols, No. 6 Court Street, Boston, Mass., 1829.
- Phillips, Del. Joseph L. Bates, Boston Merchant. CenturyTel. 2006.
- Stack's Bowers Galleries. 1862 Joseph L. Bates. One Cent. HB-49, EP-6a, S-26, Reed-BA01FG. FANCYGOODS. Choice Extremely Fine. Historic New England. April 2019.
- Treadwell, T. K. Photographers of the United States of America. National Stereoscopic Association. 1994.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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