C. S. Fly facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Camillus "Buck" Sydney Fly
|
|
|---|---|
C. S. Fly photography studio
|
|
| Born | May 2, 1849 Andrew County, Missouri, United States
|
| Died | October 12, 1901 (aged 52) Bisbee, Arizona, United States
|
| Occupation | Photographer, marshal |
| Years active | 1879–1897 |
| Spouse(s) | Mary "Mollie" E. Goodrich |
| Children | Coral "Kitty" Henry (adopted) |
Camillus "Buck" Sydney Fly (born May 2, 1849 – died October 12, 1901) was a famous photographer from the American Old West. Many people consider him one of the first photojournalists. He took the only known pictures of Native Americans while they were still fighting with the United States Army.
Buck Fly also captured many images of daily life in Tombstone, Arizona. This was a busy silver-mining town. He understood how valuable his photographs were. He would take his camera to important events and then sell his pictures to newspapers and magazines across the country.
On October 26, 1881, he was an eyewitness to the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. This event happened right outside his photography studio. He also took portraits of many important people in Tombstone. These included the town's founder, Ed Schieffelin, and a well-known doctor, George E. Goodfellow.
Later, he served as the Sheriff of Cochise County from 1895 to 1897. Sadly, most of his original photo negatives were lost in two fires that destroyed his studio. His wife, Mary E. "Mollie" Fly, was also a photographer. Before she passed away in 1925, she gave his remaining photos to the Smithsonian Museum. Today, his photographs are very rare and highly valued.
Contents
Early Life and Moving West
Camillus Fly was born in Andrew County, Missouri. Soon after he was born, his family moved to California. They eventually settled in Napa County. He worked as a farmer for a while.
On September 29, 1879, he married Mary ("Mollie") Goodrich in San Francisco. Both Buck and Mollie were very skilled photographers. They decided to leave California and moved to Tombstone, Arizona Territory. They arrived in December 1879, just as the mining town was growing quickly.
Life in Tombstone
When they first arrived in Tombstone, Buck and Mollie set up a temporary photography studio in a tent. By July 1880, they had built a large 12-room boarding house at 312 Fremont Street. Their photography studio and gallery, called the "Fly Gallery," was located in the back.
Mollie Fly was very active in managing the gallery, especially when Buck was away. She was one of the few female photographers of her time. She took pictures of anyone who could pay the 35-cent studio fee. Even though she took many photos, most known pictures are credited to Buck.
Buck also had a brother named Webster who was a photographer. Webster lived with Buck and Mollie for at least two years.
In June 1880, Buck Fly worked with another photographer, C. A. Halstead. They had a studio in a mining camp near the Mexican border. Thomas Gardiner, who published The Arizona Quarterly Illustrated, was happy to use Fly's photographs. The very first issue of his magazine in July 1880 featured two of Fly's pictures as engravings.
On October 26, 1881, the famous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral happened. It took place in an alley right next to Fly's studio and boarding house. During the shootout, Ike Clanton ran into their studio to hide. Buck Fly was there and witnessed the event.
Later, on November 6, 1894, Buck Fly was elected as the Cochise County Sheriff. He served in this role until January 1897.
Buck and Mollie also cared for a young girl named Kitty for a while. It's not known if she was adopted or from another family. Mollie often ran the boarding house and studio by herself. This allowed Buck to travel around the region taking photographs.
Pictures of Geronimo
In March 1886, General George Crook of the Department of Arizona learned that the Apache leader Geronimo wanted to meet him. The meeting was planned for Cañon de los Embudos, in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico. Buck Fly heard about this important meeting. On March 20, 1886, he packed his camera equipment and joined the military group.
During the three days of talks, Fly took about 15 photos using large glass negatives. One picture of Geronimo with two of his sons was taken because Geronimo asked for it. Fly's images are the only existing photographs of Geronimo's surrender. He carefully arranged his subjects, asking them to move or turn their heads to get the best picture.
Geronimo and his followers were camped on the Mexican side of the border. They agreed to the surrender terms. However, a soldier sold them whiskey and told them they would be killed if they crossed the border. Because of this, Geronimo and 25 of his followers slipped away during the night. This event caused General Crook to lose his command.
Earthquake Study
On May 3, 1887, a large earthquake hit Bavispe in Sonora, Mexico. It destroyed most of the mud-brick houses and killed 42 people. Dr. George E. Goodfellow from Tombstone was very interested in how the earth moved. He studied the earthquake's effects.
The U.S. government asked Dr. Goodfellow to travel to the earthquake area. On his second trip in July 1887, he brought C.S. Fly with him. Fly helped to study and record the damage. They traveled over 700 miles through the Sierra Madre mountains, mostly on foot. They recorded their observations. Dr. Goodfellow used Fly's images of the damaged buildings and survivors to help explain his report.
As the silver mines in Tombstone started to run out, Buck Fly traveled to other towns. He went to Fort Huachuca and Bisbee to photograph soldiers on their payday. On December 17, 1887, he toured Arizona with his camera and photographs. When Tombstone's economy got worse, Fly spent more time in Bisbee and Phoenix. He opened temporary studios there.
The Tombstone Epitaph newspaper noted his travels. It said that Mrs. Fly, who was also a skilled photographer, would run the gallery in Tombstone. In November 1893, Buck and Mollie moved to Phoenix and opened a studio. When that business didn't do well, Fly returned to Tombstone in 1894. He then decided to run for Sheriff.
Role as a Photojournalist
Long before the term "photojournalism" was common, Buck Fly understood the power of his pictures. He provided high-quality prints to editors of journals, magazines, and newspapers. He sent 16 of his photographs of Geronimo and his Apache group to the popular Harper's Weekly magazine. Six of these were published in the April 24, 1886, issue. This gave Fly national attention.
His photos of Geronimo and the other free Apaches, taken on March 25 and 26, are the only known pictures of American Indians still at war with the United States. Unlike many photographers of his time, he didn't just stay in his studio. He took his camera to important events and tried to capture them as naturally as his equipment allowed. Fly made money from the popularity of these images. He hired helpers to fill orders for 50 cents each, or $4.00 for a dozen.
Fly gained national attention again in 1888. Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper published four more of his images. These were taken during his trip to Mexico with Dr. Goodfellow. In 1891, Charles Scribner's Sons in New York published a book called On the Border with Crook. It was written by Captain John G. Bourke, who was with General Crook on the expedition. The book included Fly's image of Geronimo's warriors lined up on a hill. This was the first time a Fly photograph was printed using the new halftone process.
Buck Fly was elected as the Cochise County Sheriff in 1894 and served for two years. He chose not to run for Sheriff again in 1896. As Tombstone's economy continued to struggle, he and Mollie moved to Bisbee. Bisbee was a more successful copper mining town. In 1898, he created pictures for the Copper King Mining Company's brochure. In 1900, a tourist brochure for Bisbee, called Souvenir of Bisbee, was printed. It included pictures by Fly. The first image was Fly's picture of miner George Warren, who discovered the Copper Queen Mine.
Famous Photographs
-
Geronimo, son, and two warriors. Originally captioned as "Geronimo's camp before surrender to General Crook, March 27, 1886: Geronimo and Natches mounted; Geronimo's son (Perico) standing at his side holding baby."
-
"Scene in Geronimo's camp...before surrender to General Crook, March 27, 1886: Geronimo, full-length portrait standing, facing left, rifle at port."
-
Geronimo, Yanozha (Geronimos's brother-in-law), Chappo (Geronimo's son by his second wife), and Fun (Yanozha's half brother) (right to left) in 1886.
-
"Scene in Geronimo's camp before surrender to General Crook, March 27, 1886: group in Natches' camp; boys with rifles."
-
"Scene in Geronimo's camp...before surrender to General Crook, March 27, 1886: group of 18 men, women and children."
-
Eleven-year-old Jimmy McKinn was abducted in early September 1885 by Geronimo. Six months later he fiercely resisted being returned to his parents.
-
Ike Clanton in Tombstone about 1881.
-
Disputed portrait of Sadie Marcus Behan (Josephine Earp) in Tombstone circa 1881.
-
Dr. George E. Goodfellow, also known as the "Gunfighter's Surgeon"
-
Dr. George E. Goodfellow on a horse given him by the Mexican governor
-
Apache May Slaughter (c. 1895–1900), orphaned by whites who killed her parents, was raised by the Slaughter family but died of burns from a fire.
-
Ed Schieffelin found the first silver in the area. The town took its name from the name of his silver mine.
-
George Parsons on January 2, 1883, after returning from Sonora, Mexico.
-
Indian Agency policemen in front of guard house in San Carlos, Arizona. They were appointed by the Reservation's Indian Agent.
-
Apache warriors. In the center is Apache Kid (Haskay-bay-nay-ntayl)
-
Apache encampment
-
Faro game at the Orient Saloon in Bisbee, Arizona Territory c. 1900.
-
Charleston, Arizona Territory in 1885.
_and_his_warriors_in_1886.jpg)
_-_NARA_-_530986.jpg)
Death
Buck Fly also managed a ranch in the Chiricahua Mountains for a time. He passed away in Bisbee on October 12, 1901. His wife, Mollie, was with him when he died. She arranged for his body to be returned to Tombstone. He was buried in the new Tombstone Cemetery. Fly's Peak, a mountain in the Chiricahua Mountains, is named in his honor.
Mollie Fly Continues the Business
Mary "Mollie" Fly continued to run the Tombstone gallery by herself after Buck's death. In 1905, she published a collection of her husband's photographs of Native Americans. It was called Scenes in Geronimo's Camp: The Apache Outlaw and Murderer. A young girl named Coral Henry, whom the Flys had cared for, described Mollie as "about five feet of pure dignity."
In 1912, the boarding house and studio burned down for the second time. A new building has since been built to look like the original. After the fire, Mollie decided to retire and moved to Los Angeles. Before she died in 1925, she gave her husband's collection of images to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
