Joseph L. Bates

Joseph L. Bates (1806 or 1807 – March 2, 1886) was an American merchant and manufacturer based in Boston specializing in musical instruments, umbrellas, stereoscopic photographs and viewers, and fancy goods.

[1] Bates began his business in 1828 as a manufacturer of musical instruments at 44 Market St., Boston.

[2] The following year he moved to 6 Court Street, by which time he had expanded into the manufacture and repair of umbrellas and parasols.

[3] He published and sold stereoscopic photographs of Boston and New England scenery, landscapes, and buildings.

Many are included in the extensive Getty Center photography collection, located in Los Angeles, California.