Who's BoDurtha?

Charles Hall BoDurtha was a photographer in beautiful downtown Delaware, Ohio from the early 1870s until his death in 1915. He took a LOT of portrait photos for many different families over the years. Chances are if your ancestors grew up here in the Delaware, Ohio area, he probably took their photo at least once, probably on school picture day.

Before settling in Delaware, he traveled for a bit, though. He made his way from Massachusetts to Venezuela, where he was one of the first photographers to document the country.

Afterward, he traveled to British Columbia to work upon HMS Zealous as an artist. 

(HMS Zealous, upon which Charles Hall BoDurtha worked as an artist prior to moving back to Ohio.)

Eventually, he found himself living on Franklin Street in this friendly little town.

(BoDurtha's home on North Franklin St, Delaware, OH)

Anyway, a decade or so ago, I stumbled across a booth of vintage photos at an antique mall. I was nearly broke at the time but I could afford a couple of bucks for a picture or two once a week.

At some point, early on, I discovered BoDurtha's photos. The name stood out to me. I'd seen it somewhere. Then, I remembered the side of 57 N Sandusky St. There's still a ghost sign for his studio.

I became instantly obsessed. I scoured the booth every weekend. I searched the other antique shops downtown. I purchased them off eBay. 

Collecting BoDurtha photos became a bit of an obsession for no good reason other than I liked the name and it was a local interest.

Over the years, I've managed to collect over 50 BoDurtha portraits.

Charles Hall BoDurtha passed away in 1915, at which point his daughter took over the business until her death in 1954.

Upon his death, Charles BoDurtha was described in the Delaware Gazette as "a useful citizen, a jolly good fellow and a powerful influence in the advancement of things in general that seek to improve and lift the town on a higher plane. It would be a blessing if there were a few others who possess such helpful influences as Mr. BoDurtha."

While there are no BoDurthas in Delaware today, I'm thrilled to bring the name back downtown. It only feels natural to do so.