M. B. Parkinson
Morris Burke Parkinson (1847–1926) was an American photographer, best known for his "Cupid Awake" and "Cupid Asleep" photos, which were supplied in frames produced by the Ohio Art Company circa 1912. Parkinson was born around Buffalo, New York, but moved with his family to Oshkosh, Wisconsin soon after.
Also recorded as Morris Burke Parkinson
M. B. Parkinson
![[Girl wearing eyeglasses, bonnet and apron, with washboard and tub]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/ae/Girl_wearing_eyeglasses.jpg/462px-Girl_wearing_eyeglasses.jpg)
J45 U.S. Copyright Office. Title devised by Library staff. Copyright by M.B. Parkinson, N.Y. Exhibited: "American ABC" at the Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University and other venues, 2006 · This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsca.08220. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attache · Public domain
- Born
- 1847 · Collins.
- Died
- 1926
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- photographer
- Education
- University of Music and Theatre Leipzig
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Morris Burke Parkinson (1847–1926) was an American photographer, best known for his "Cupid Awake" and "Cupid Asleep" photos, which were supplied in frames produced by the Ohio Art Company circa 1912. Parkinson was born around Buffalo, New York, but moved with his family to Oshkosh, Wisconsin soon after.
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M. B. Parkinson (1847–1926) was an American photographer. The photographer was born in Collins.
M. B. Parkinson studied at University of Music and Theatre Leipzig. The photographer worked in Brooklyn and Leipzig. Works by M. B. Parkinson are held at Photography Collection.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 01 October 2026
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wikidata · Q42315040 · wikipedia · M. B. Parkinson
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Cupid Awake and Cupid Asleep
Cupid Awake and Cupid Asleep
"Cupid Awake" and "Cupid Asleep" are photographs taken in 1897 of Josephine Anderson, the four-year-old daughter of a friend. Parkinson often babysat Josephine for his friend, a working single mother. The photographs were copyrighted the same year, 1897, and published/distributed by Taber Prang Art Co of Springfield, Massachusetts. At some point in the early 1900s, the Ohio Art Company began putting them in the picture frames produced for five-and-dime stores. People enjoyed the images so much, they bought the frames just for the photographs inside, and the images became very popular. This popularity led to other "Cupid" photographs being created, such as "Cupid at Rest" by M. DeWitt and "Cupid Waiting" by Hughes and Lyday Company.
Other works
Other works
Parkinson produced many other photos, some with Josephine, others with other models, some with a combination. He is referenced in multiple publications during his lifetime, including having eight of his photos and a talk he gave featured in The American Amateur Photographer, Volume 14 from 1902.
Photograph shows a young girl dressed in a fur-trimmed coat and hat, carrying her doll.
Parkison, M.B. (Morris Burke), photographer. · This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ppmsca.09654. This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attache
Woman and 2 girls seated at small table with cups, pitcher, etc. Abstract/medium: 1 photographic print.
Miscellaneous Items in High Demand, PPOC, Library of Congress · Library of Congress Catalog: https: Image download: https: Original url
Life and career
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Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1847
M. B. Parkinson was born on 1 January 1847.
1926
M. B. Parkinson died on 1 January 1926.
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- “M. B. Parkinson”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q42315040: M. B. Parkinson
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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 18 August 2026.
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