William Booker Ingersoll (1834 – 1904) was a pioneer photographer of California who became a fixture in the Oakland photographic trade. Ingersoll was born in Boston, Massachusetts January 31, 1834, emigrated to California on September 26, 1860, and arrived in San Francisco on February 23, 1861. By November 1865 he moved to Oakland and opened a gallery on Broadway between Third and Fourth Streets, then to Sixth Street between Franklin and Broadway in August 1866. In 1869, Ingersoll situated his business at what was then 1069 Broadway on the southwest corner of Broadway and 12th Street in the Broadway Block. 1
Ingersoll died November 30, 1904 in Oakland at 70 years old. 2
1882 Oakland Tribune Advertisement3
Ingersoll produced a series of stereoviews titled "Views of Oakland and Vicinity".
In 1875, Ingersoll took some photos of the then-late Mayor Henry Durant. 4
Mayor Henry Durant by W.B. Ingersoll Calisphere
In 1882, Ingersoll took some of the last photos of Rev. Laurentine Hamilton of the First Unitarian Church of Oakland before his death. 5
Laurentine Hamilton by W.B. Ingersoll
Oakland History Center
Links and References
- William B. Ingersoll "History of Alameda County, California Biographical Sketches of Early and Prominent Citizens and Representative Men" pg 913
- Ingersoll Obit The San Francisco Examiner December 1, 1904
- Ingersoll Advertisement Oakland Tribune November 24, 1882
- Our Late Mayor Oakland Tribune February 11, 1875
- Dr. Hamilton's Photographs Oakland Tribune April 15, 1882
