About photographer John S. Johnston:

Very little is known about the life of photographer John S. Johnston of New York City. He was evidently born in England or Ireland in the late 1830s, and was active in the New York City area in the late 1880s and 1890s. He died in 1899. He was known for his cityscapes of New York City in addition to his yacht photographs.

Johnston's work now appears in the Mystic Seaport Museum, the Library of Congress, the Museum of the City of New York, as well as the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, the California Museum of Photography, the California Historical Society, Yale University Art Gallery, the National Museum of American History, the Hallmark Photographic Collection, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, the Library Company of Philadelphia, the Rainier Bank Corporation, and the Seattle Art Museum.

Johnston was also an active canoeist. Forest and Stream magazine wrote under "Canoeing News Notes" shortly after his death: "The late J. H. Johnston, the yacht photographer, of New York, was one of the old-time disciples of MacGregor; taking up canoeing as a boy in England when the sport was still a novelty."

He appears in the 1890 New York City directory: "Johnston John S. photographs, 508 W. 158th"

We reportedly worked in partnership with C. Miller at one time.

Some of his work was published in the late 1890s in Outing Magazine and in the weekly Forest & Stream magazine.

On the back of many of his stereoviews and other images of New York City was printed "J.S. Johnston, American Photographs and Marine Views, 494 W. 166th St. & 783 Broadway, New York."

His obituary appears on page ten of the December 19, 1899 edition of the New York Times:

"DIES TRYING TO HIDE IDENTITY. J. S. Johnston of New York Refuses to Reveal His Friends' Names. BUFFALO, Dec. 18 [1899]. --- J. S. Johnston, a photographer at 1263 Broadway, New York, died at Niagara Falls yesterday of heart trouble. Mr. Johnston would not give his home address or the names of any friends in New York, even when he was told that his death was near. John S. Johnston made a specialty of scenic photography. He photographed most of the United States warships during the war with Spain. He also photographed all of the international yacht races during the past ten years. It was while taking photographs of the Columbia-Shamrock races that he caught a severe cold, on account of which he left town last Tuesday for Niagara Falls, to benefit his health. Very little of his history is known. His home was at 464 West One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Street, where he lived alone. It is said that he was a native of Ireland and about sixty years old; that he was married and had a grown daughter, but had been separated from his family for some time."

Forest & Stream magazine also published on note regarding his death:

Forest & Stream magazine, Dec. 30 1899, p. 537: "Mr. J. H. Johnston, the yacht photographer, died very suddenly at Niagara Falls on Dec. 17, from heart disease. Mr. Johnston had been in business in New York for many years, accumulating a large collection of yacht portraits. He also made a specialty of views about the city. Many of his pictures have appeared in the FOREST AND STREAM."

Thanks to Claas van der Linde for providing much of this information. Do you know more about the life of John S. Johnston? Please contact us for more information.