1860-1964
Guide to the Photograph Collection
Abstract
Photographs documenting the Rotch family of New Bedford, Massachusetts.
Biographical Sketch
The Rotch family was one of the most prominent families of New Bedford, Massachusetts, involved in whaling, cordage, and other industries. A Quaker, Joseph Rotch left Nantucket for New Bedford in 1765, finding its harbor to be ideal for his whaling fleet, and successive generations of Rotches and allied families like the Bullards, Rodmans, and Morgans would make substantial contributions to the industries and political and social life of that city. William Rotch, Jr. was an ardent abolitionist and established the Friends Academy in New Bedford. His grandsons William James and Benjamin Rotch founded the New Bedford Cordage Company.
Sources
Bullard, John M. The Rotches (New Bedford, 1947).
Collection Description
The Rotch family photographs document multiple generations of the Rotch family of New Bedford, Massachusetts, as well as interrelated families including Bullard, Rodman, and Morgan. There are also several photographs of sites in New Bedford, Massachusetts, associated with the family. The collection also includes a photograph album, kept by an unidentified family member, containing commercial souvenir photographs, postcards, and snapshots from the turn of the twentieth century. The collection includes photographs by New Bedford, Massachusetts, photographers Headley & Reed, George F. Parlow, and Valentin Wolfenstein, among many others.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Mrs. John Morgan Bullard, April 1969.
Processing Information
Travel photograph album (Photo. #273.100-273.322) disbound June 2018; the album was discarded due to preservation concerns. The photographs are numbered in the order in which they appeared in the album. There was no information recorded on album pages.
Detailed Description of the Collection
Expand allI. Portraits, 1860s-1964
A. Individual portraits, 1860s-1964
Barton, Susan Ridgway Rotch (1797-1885), [1880s]
Taken by Headley & Reed, New Bedford, Mass.Cabinet photograph of a silhouette.Bullard, Emily Rotch (1860-1949), ca. 1870
Taken by Geo. F. Parlow, New Bedford, Mass.Bullard, John M. (b. 1890), Nov. 1891
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Photograph of John M. Bullard in baby carriage, outside house at 446 County St., New Bedford, with a woman identified as "Ellen."
Bullard, John T. (1864-1927), ca. 1870-1874
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Group photograph of children on the steps of the Quaker Meeting House in New Bedford. According to the inscription on the back, John T. Bullard is the young boy seated on the railing. None of the other children is identified.
Morgan, Charles W. (1791-1861), undated
Photograph of a painting.Morgan, Sarah Rodman (1793-1888), ca. 1860
Taken by Suddards & Fennemore, Philadelphia.Carte de visite.Morgan, Sarah Rodman, ca. 1880
Taken by Notman & Campbell, Boston.Cabinet photograph.Morgan, Sarah Rodman, ca. 1881
Taken by Wolfenstein, New Bedford, Mass.Cabinet photograph.Morgan, Sarah Rodman, ca. 1885-1888
Rodman, Benjamin (1794-1876), [1860s]
Taken by Allen, Boston, Mass.Carte de visite of a portrait.Rodman, Elizabeth Rotch (1757-1856), 1898
Taken by Baldwin Coolidge.Photograph of a portrait by Rembrandt Peale.Rodman, Samuel (1743-1835), 1898
Taken by Baldwin Coolidge.Photograph of a portrait by Rembrandt Peale.Rotch, Anne Smith (1795-1842), ca. 1964
Photograph of a portrait by Thomas Sully.Rotch, Anne W. Morgan, (1800-1844), undated
Photograph of a portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Benjamin (1764-1839), [1880s]
Taken by H. G. Smith, Boston.Cabinet photograph of a miniature portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Benjamin (1793-1854), undated
Photograph of a portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Benjamin Smith (1817-1882), [1880s]
Taken by Headley & Reed, New Bedford, Mass.Cabinet photograph of a silhouette by James Browne Smith.Rotch, Elizabeth Barker (1764-1857), [1880s]
Taken by H. G. Smith, Boston.Cabinet photograph of a miniature portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Emily Morgan (1821-1861), [1880s]
Taken by Parlow, New Bedford, Mass. Cabinet card reproduction of an earlier photograph.Rotch, Emily Morgan (1821-1861), [19--]
Photograph of a portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Francis (1788-1874), ca. 1870
Taken by W. Kurtz, New York.Cabinet photograph.Rotch, Francis Morgan (1822-1863), [19--]
Photograph of an 1844 portrait by Othon.Rotch, Francis Morgan, ca. 1860
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Rotch, Francis Morgan, ca. 1860
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Rotch, Garland (1888-1943), 1939
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Rotch, Helen (1846-1914), 1872
Taken by Geo. F. Parlow, New Bedford, Mass.Carte de visite.Rotch, Joanna (1826-1911), undated
Photograph of a portrait of Joanna Rotch as a child by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Joseph (1790-1839), [1880s]
Taken by H. G. Smith, Boston.Cabinet photograph of a miniature portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, Thomas (1772-1840), [1880s]
Taken by H. G. Smith, Boston.Cabinet photograph of a miniature portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, William (1734-1828), undated
Photograph of a portrait by an unidentified artist.Rotch, William (1759-1850), 1964
Photograph of a portrait by Rembrandt Peale.Rotch, William James (1819-1893), [1880s]
Taken by an unidentified photographer.Rotch, William James, [1880s]
Taken by Morse, San Francisco.Three-quarters length, standing.Rotch, William James, [1880s]
Taken by Morse, San Francisco.Cabinet photograph, head and shoulders.Rotch, William James, [1880s]
Taken by unidentified photographer.Severance, Isabel Morgan Rotch (1850-1921), ca. 1865-1870
Taken by Geo. F. Parlow, New Bedford, Mass.Carte de visite.Unidentified woman, "Aunt Angier," undated
Photograph of a portrait by an unidentified artist.B. Group portraits, 1880s-ca. 1902
Bullard children, Sep. 1895
Photograph of John M., Helen Rotch, and William Rotch Bullard seated on a porch with their aunt Helen Rotch.
Bullard children, ca. 1902
Taken by O'Neil, New Bedford, Mass.Studio photograph of John M., Helen Rotch, William Rotch, Emily, and Lydia Bullard.
Bullard wedding party, 18 June 1889
Formal portrait photograph of bride Emily (Rotch) Bullard and her attendants, identified as May Bryant, May Rotch, Sarah Bullard, Carrie Stone, Helen Swift, and Lucy Bullard.
Riding party starting from the Hathaways, [1880s]
Young men on horseback and women in buggies. Subjects identified on back of print as: Ellen Hathaway, Miss Haggard, Tom Hathaway, John Bullard, Carrie Stone, William D. Howland, Emily Rotch, Bessie Hathaway, E. W. Atkinson, Ethel Taber, Sarah Bullard. and Anna Swift.
Morgan, Sarah Rodman, Rebecca Frothingham, and Josephine Morgan, [1880s?]
Group photograph of women seated outside a house.
Rotch family group, 27 Oct. 1883
Young people photographed aboard ship. Subjects identified on back of print as: Ned Hart, Anna Rotch, Emily Rotch, Amory Gardner, John Bullard, Alice Hussey, and Mary Thornton.
Rotch family, 27 Oct. 1883
Group portrait of young people seated on boulders. Subjects identified on back of print as: Emily Rotch, John Bullard, Harry Plummer, Alice Hussey, Mary Thornton, Anna Rotch, and Ned Hart.
Rotch family, ca. 1883
Tintype.Studio portrait of young people. Subjects identified on back of print as: Fred Stone, Ellen Hathaway, John T. Bullard, Emily M. Rotch, Robert Treat Paine 2nd, John Coolidge, Bessie Hathaway, Anna S. Rotch, Tom Plummer, and Sarah R. Swift.
Rotch family "Trip to California," 1886
Studio portrait. Subjects identified on back of print as: William J. Rotch, Joanna Rotch, Mary R. Rotch, Horatio Hathaway, Ellen R. Hathaway, Bessie Hathaway, Emily M. Rotch, Ellen R. Hathaway, Clara Morgan Rotch, Anna Hunter, Anna S. Rotch, and Mary Prescott.
Scudder wedding party, 10 Oct. 1900
Group portrait of the wedding party for Helen Swift and William Scudder. Other than the bride and groom, subjects are unidentified.
William Scudder and Helen Swift, ca. 1900
II. Views and miscellaneous photographs, ca. 1875-1964
New Bedford, Mass.: Charles W. Morgan house, County St., various dates
New Bedford, Mass.: L. Griffiths Morgan house, Sixth St., ca. 1875
New Bedford, Mass.: Andrew Robeson house, corner of 2nd and William Streets, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Samuel Rodman house, County St., ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Wharves, ca. 1890s
New Bedford, Mass.: William Rotch, Sr., house, corner of North Second and Union Street, before 1927
Two photographs of the Mansion House Hotel, formerly the home of William Rotch Sr. The hotel was destroyed by fire in 1927.
New Bedford, Mass.: William Rotch, Jr., house, corner of Water and William Sts., later the Mariners' Home, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Old Rotch house, 427 County St., ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: William J. Rotch house, 7 Orchard St., various dates
Seven black and white and one color photograph of the Gothic cottage built by William J. Rotch. Photo. #273.69 is mounted with photographs of two unidentified New Bedford houses.
New Bedford, Mass.: Unidentified house, ca. 1890
Cyanotype.New Bedford, Mass.[?]: Unidentified house, undated
Albumen photograph of a print or drawing.New Bedford, Mass.[?]: Unidentified house, undated
Photograph of a print or drawing.New Bedford, Mass.: Courthouse, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Wharves, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Old Pearl Street Depot, before 1886
New Bedford, Mass.: Unitarian Church, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Wharves and ships, ca. 1890
Two small black and white photographs.New Bedford, Mass.: Street scene, ca. 1890
Unidentified man with dog, undated
New Bedford, Mass.: Street scene in winter, ca. 1890
Cyanotype.Unidentified river scene, ca. 1890
Cyanotype.New Bedford, Mass.: Street scene in winter, ca. 1890
Cyanotype.New Bedford, Mass: William Street, from Sarah Rodman Morgan's house, ca. 1890
New Bedford, Mass.: Wharves and ships, various dates
Eight black and white photographs of unidentified ships, probably those owned by various Rotch family members.
New Bedford Fifty Years Ago, undated
Black and white photograph of a print.Morris, N.Y.: "The Grove," Francis M. Rotch house, undated
Photograph of silver cup won by Benjamin Rotch in 1805, 1964
The Governor leading her two opponents, Aug. 1, 1814, 1964
Photograph of a drawing.Travel photograph album, 1880s-1900s
Disbound album kept by an unknown compiler of commercial black and white and autochrome photographs, snapshots, and postcards. Locations documented include Corfu, Italy, Austria, Holland, England, Jamaica, Bermuda, and the American west, including Colorado, Arizona, and California.
Preferred Citation
Rotch family photographs, Massachusetts Historical Society.
Access Terms
This collection is indexed under the following headings in ABIGAIL, the online catalog of the Massachusetts Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related persons, organizations, or subjects should search the catalog using these headings.