Joseph Daniel Bagley
Joseph Daniel Bagley (born Joseph Daniel Flannigan; December 17, 1874 – June 16, 1936) was an American beekeeper, businessman, and photographer. He operated an apiary and a photography studio in Springville, Utah. Bagley traveled around Utah, taking photos and setting up galleries.
Early life
Bagley was born on December 17, 1874, to Thomas Emmett Flannigan and Margaret Melissa Bagley in Toquerville, Utah. At a young age, Bagley began to live with his maternal grandparents and took their last name.[1][2]: 202 His grandfather was a beekeeper and taught Bagley the trade.[1]
Career
Bagley operated the Western Bee and Honey Company, which was one of the largest apiaries in the area at the time.[1][2]: 202
Bagley began working as an apprentice for photographer George Edward Anderson in Springville, Utah. There, Bagley met another apprentice, Elife Caroline Huntington. In 1903, Bagley and Huntington left Anderson's studio and started their own photography studio across the street.[2][3][4]: 199–200 When Anderson left to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England, Bagley and Huntington expanded their photography business. Their studio was in business for more than 33 years.[3] At the studio, Bagley took portraits, made picture frames, and developed pictures.[1] Bagley and Huntington traveled across Utah on their motorcycle, taking photos of multiple towns and people and setting up galleries.[5][3][2]: 204 Bagley and Huntington advertised their studio as being willing to "go anywhere, to "photograph everything."[2]: 203
Bagley often worked at the apiary during the summer and at the photography studio during the winter.[1]
Photography style
One author says that Bagley and Huntington's legacy remains due to their "willingness to confront, starkly at times, the pains and complexities of life."[2]: 205 Another author refers to their work as "unusual" for their time.[6] Besides portraits, Bagley and Huntington photographed subjects such as disability, alcohol use, gambling, and loneliness.[2]: 205 [7]
Personal life
Bagley married Emma Spafford on June 19, 1907. They had four children, two of which survived to adulthood. Spafford died in 1926 and Bagley began to experience financial and family troubles. He trained his only son, Daniel, in beekeeping and photography. Bagley's daughters often lived with relatives while Daniel lived with his father and helped with the family businesses.[1]
In May 1936, Bagley married Huntington in a simple ceremony in their studio. However, Bagley died six weeks after their marriage on June 16, 1936.[1]
Collections
Bagley's work is held in the permanent collections of the Huntington Bagley Collection[8] and the Rell G. Francis Collection, both housed at Brigham Young University;[9] the Springville Museum of Art, the Mapleton, Utah Historical Photographs collection,[10] and the Domestic Life Photograph Collection of the Utah State Historical Society.[11]
Selected works from the Huntington- Bagley Collection
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Biography of Joseph Daniel Bagley". Huntington Bagley Collection. Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ ISBN 978-1-4696-7258-8.
- ^ a b c "The Collection and its History". Huntington Bagley Collection. Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on May 21, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ISBN 1560850248.
- ^ "Huntington-Bagley Collection". JSTOR. Archived from the original on May 22, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ "THE ALLURING ENIGMA OF PHOTOGRAPHER ELFIE HUNTINGTON". Deseret News. March 10, 1989. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Springville photographer Elfie Huntington captured ordinary people and things | Historic and Prehistoric Publications". collections.lib.utah.edu. University of Utah. Retrieved May 19, 2023.
- ^ "Biography of Elfie Huntington". Huntington Bagley Collection. Brigham Young University. Archived from the original on May 6, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "Rell G. Francis collection on Elfie Huntington". BYU Special Collections. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.
- ^ "Bagley, Elfie Huntington". Utah Valley University. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved June 4, 2023.
- ^ "The Domestic Life Photograph Collection". Utah Department of Cultural & Community Engagement. Archived from the original on May 24, 2023. Retrieved May 23, 2023.