George Barker

Who was George Barker?

George Barker was a Canadian-American photographer best known for his photographs of Niagara Falls.

He was born in London, Ontario, and began his training with James Egan. By the age of 18, he had opened his own studio in London, but the next year, he moved to Niagara Falls, New York, where he worked for Platt D. Babbitt. In the late 1860s, he had studios in both London and Niagara Falls, and he became known nationwide for his large-format and stereographic prints of the falls. His Niagara studio was destroyed by fire on February 7, 1870, but his negatives survived.

Barker was also one of the earliest photographers to visit the state of Florida. At the time, photography in Florida was challenging, as much of the state remained undeveloped, which meant photographers needed to carry their bulky equipment through the state's wetlands and subtropical jungles, as well as deal with delicate film in hot and humid conditions. Barker spent nearly four years, from 1886 to 1890, documenting much of northern and central Florida.

When he died in 1894, he was described as "the eminent photographer of Niagara Falls". His works were acquired by Underwood & Underwood of Washington, D.C.