Henry Buehman

Henry Buehman (May 14, 1851 – December 19, 1912) was a Free Hanseatic City of Bremen-born American photographer and politician.

Periodic trips through the surrounding areas allowed Buehman to compile a large portfolio of scenic and Native American images in addition to his portrait work.

His accomplishments as a photographer led to opportunities in other fields and Buehman eventually became the mayor of Tucson from 1895 till 1899.

[1] One of eleven children, eight of whom survived to adulthood, young Buehman was educated in the city's public schools before being apprenticed to a photographer at age fourteen.

Cartes de visite were popular and his clientele would return to his studio for updated portraits as styles changed to prefer things such as full length or three-quarters poses or cabinet cards instead of smaller hand-held images.

[10] Buehman was rarely a leader of new fashions, but his technical mastery made him the preferred photographer in southern Arizona.

[9] His diversified offerings, willingness to adapt to changing tastes, and ability to effectively pose his subjects gained Buehman a loyal base of clients.

[9][15] Sometimes the subjects of Buehman's post-mortem photography were well-known outlaws, but more often a grieving family would hire him to make a lasting keepsake to remind them of a lost child.

[3] The location however proved to be more felicitous then many predicted, with the Bank of Tucson, Western Union, and Wells Fargo and Company renting the ground-floor storefronts.

[22] Later trips saw Buehman spends weeks at a time with local tribes or photographing various places of interest in southern Arizona.

As his portfolio of images grew he made deals with dime novel publishers and sold copies directly to the public.

While probably intended primarily for mothers, the back of the card had verses printed upon it claiming the children were Arizona's greatest treasure.

[2] As mayor he worked for improvements of sidewalks and streets and oversaw the City of Tucson's efforts to purchase the local waterworks.

[1] Buehman's other accomplishments as mayor include a law prohibiting cockfights and similar blood sports, the planting of shade trees, and the westward expansion of Congress street.

Landscape of Mission San Xavier del Bac by Henry Buehman
Portrait of Indian by Henry Buehman