10/24/2025
We call him "The Forgotten Photographer". This collections of glass plate negatives was for sale at an estate auction in 1972. Hidden away for most of a century, they were forgotten. They were of little value to their owners. They were of little value to the auctioneer and the buyers, and would have been lost forever if not for a comment that "the glass is worth a couple of bucks". So thanks to a friend, that was the sale price, $2.00.
I was a photographer working at an advertising agency in Cleveland, Ohio in 1972 when the estate auction took place. When I viewed some of the negatives the night after the auction at my dining room table, I knew they were special. The dates ranged from 1897 to 1902. Many of the envelopes were in pieces after three quarters of a century of being stored away in wooden file boxes
Everything I know about Frank E. Fawcett has been learned through his work. Who his friends were , who his family was, where he traveled and with whom he traveled. All this has been gathered by examination of his photographs and the subjects of his work. He was not a professional, but a very talented photographer none the less. "View at Ringling Circus", Ernest home from Hunting", "Minnie Perkins putting on her hat and gloves", were a few of the descriptions. The glass plates were negative, I could tell that they were good images, but until I could print them I would not know how good.
I hope you enjoy his work as much as we have enjoyed providing the images to you. -- J. Greg Koss
Shop for artwork by Forgotten Photographer. Purchase canvas prints, framed prints, tapestries, posters, greeting cards, and more. Forgotten Photographer artwork and print-on-demand products are ready to ship in 3 - 4 business days. We call him 'The Forgotten Photographer'. This collections of glass....
