Unidentified photographer
1853 (ca)
The Mammoth Daguerreian Studio of Graves & Prudden, Lockport, New York

Photograph
Archives of Modern Conflict OR National Gallery of Canada
Comment (Rob McElroy, Facebook, The Daguerreian Society page, 23 December 2014) St. Catharines Journal, April 19, 1855, p. 2
 
In April 1855, one of the two traveling "Mammoth Daguerrean [sic] Saloons" built, owned and operated by daguerreotypists E. R. Graves and Henry Prudden of Lockport, NY (a small town east of Niagara Falls, NY) was at Niagara-on-the-Lake in Canada (just north of Niagara Falls) when it was destroyed by a freak tornado that hit the region.
 
According to newspaper clippings of the day, daguerreotypist Graves and his young son were both asleep inside the 28' x 11' saloon (complete with 9' ceilings and a built-in skylight), when the saloon was suddenly "…lifted completely off the ground, and after making several revolutions, fell to the earth, a worthless heap of ruins," severely injuring both Graves and his son, "…the latter dangerously so."
 
Less than a month later, the saloon had been rebuilt and was reopened for business. Sorry, but I don't know the result of the injuries to Graves or his son.
 
LL/53396