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B. W. Berry, E. W. Kelley and M. O. Chadwick ran their company from the late 1890s until about 1915. Berry and Kelley had also worked both independently and in other partnerships before this period. Chadwick was the business manager. He bankrolled the operation initially and functioned solely as administrator. The enterprise started in Philadelphia, with Home Offices and Studio listed as at 238 South Canac Street. Later they had branch offices in Chicago and Dallas. They were a major producer of the time, issuing nearly 5,000 views of United States and foreign scenery.
A large percentage of their images were credited to Kelley only, others were attributed to William H. Rau (who sold or leased negatives to several publishers). Near the end of its run, the company was headquartered in Augusta, Georgia where they produced views from 1911 to 1915. After that their negatives passed to the Keystone View Company.
Their Yellowstone issues are a bit complicated. The common style of views is a 24 (probably boxed) set of scenes of various park locales. Numbered 1-24, this series was credited to “Berry, Kelley & Chadwick,” and also re-released under the name “E. W. Kelley.” The two types are identical in their titles and images.
Much rarer are the unnumbered or 1200 series of views. These appear to date from about 1906. This is a series of what I believe to be 76 different, unique images of Yellowstone. The subject matter is most unusual, including hotels, caves and bridges. Most of these views were produced with no catalog number on the view and were credited to Berry, Kelley & Chadwick. Later (and much more scarce) issues of the 2nd series are credited to only Kelley & Chadwick and contain the 1200 series catalog number (numbered from 1201-1276) in the lower right corner of the view. Either of these styles are quite rare and should be highly sought after by collectors.
It appears that most if not all of the Yellowstone views offered by the Berry, Kelley & Chadwick Company were actually photographed by William H. Rau, who subsequently sold the rights to E. W. Kelley. Rau was in Yellowstone in the early part of the 1900’s and sold images to several other stereoview publishers as well, including Griffith & Griffith and Montgomery Ward & Co.
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(23) "A Wild Riot of Harmonious Colors and Profound Sculptures,"
Lower Canyon From Grand View, Yellowstone Park, U.S.A.
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Going Down Into the Devil’s Kitchen on Terrace Mountain,
Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A.
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The Golden Gate and New Concrete Viaduct costing $10,000,
Yellowstone National Park, U.S.A. 1226
Copyright 1908, by E. W. Kelley.
