Stunning Historical Photographs of a House in Clinton Street Iowa from late 19th and early 20th Century

Bertha Maude Horack Shambaugh was born in 1871 to Czech immigrants Frank and Katherine Horack. Her family moved to Iowa City in 1880, when she was nine years old. She became a very accomplished photographer at the young age of 17 after receiving her first camera. Her ability to execute large-format photography on dry plates combined with her keen appreciation of aesthetics made her a unique photographer. Taking place primarily between 1890 and 1891, her most famous photographs document life in the Amana Colonies.

Bertha married Benjamin Shambaugh in 1897, the first superintendent of the State Historical Society of Iowa (SHSI) and an early champion of local history. After she got married, she didn’t use her camera much, but that doesn’t mean she didn’t have a hand in the photos of her home taken. She played an important role at SHSI in her later life, editing manuscripts, designing book covers, and collecting manuscripts and objects for society.

Below are some stunning historical by Bertha Shambaugh photos from The State Historical Society of Iowa that show the exterior and interior of her house at 219 N Clinton Street, Iowa City, in the late 19th and early 20th Century.

#1 Bertha, who sits on the porch railing, looking at the camera.

Ferns and other potted plants line the porch rails, and vines grow along the corner of the house and on the porch colonnettes,1901-1905

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#2 A view of the Horack family’s sitting room, which contains numerous hallmarks of Victorian interior decorating.

An easel displays a print of a peasant woman and child, 1887-1889

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#3 A view of the facade of the Horack home, possibly in early spring or late fall, 1887-1889

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#4 A view of the Horack family’s parlor with wicker chair, 1887-1889

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#5 Horack house, dining area with a dining table and buffet to the right, 1887-1889

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#6 A view of the parlor with the Splendid stove to the right and the roll top desk to the left.

In the center is an upholstered rocking chair, 1888-1889

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#7 A view of the sitting room with a lounging sofa under the shelf, a crochet blanket covers the sofa.

To the left, in front of the door, is a rocking chair with cane back and seat, 1888-1889

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#8 Parlor with portrait of Bertha, 1888-1889

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#9 Horack parlor with piano violin and screen, summer 1889

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#10 Katherine Horack, pen in hand, seems to be writing at a desk in the sitting room, 1890s

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#11 Horack parlor with rocking chair and mirror, circa 1892-1900

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#12 Horack parlor with screen and wicker rocking chair, circa 1892-1900

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#13 With the camera stationed in the front room, Coover has photographed the hallway of the Shambaugh house, the focus being its built-in seat covered with pillows, 1892

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#14 Katherine Horack and her son, H. Claude Horack, sit on the back steps of their home, cleaning ducks that were presumably caught by H. Claude, 1895-1897

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#15 Katherine Horack, sitting in a rocking chair in her garden, creating a drawn work tablecloth for her daughter, Bertha, 1895-1897

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#16 Bust portrait of Bertha Shambaugh, 1897

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#17 Katherine Horack knits in the Horack family parlor, while Bertha Shambaugh, her daughter, appears to be copying or taking notes from a book on her lap, circa 1897-1905

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#18 The Shambaugh House under construction, circa 1901

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#19 An exterior view of the Shambaugh House.

According to the text written in the bottom right corner of the image, this is an "early photograph" of the home, 1901-1905

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#20 A view of the library, taken by L. G. Coover in 1904.

Bertha has made note of two in particula "Armchair--one of first pieces--survives. Oak chair with Seal (pride of campus) survives."

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#21 Shambaugh house, looking into the front room from the hallway.

Written in pencil in the bottom right corner is "Coover 1904," and at the bottom of the image, "wedding chair with spindles"

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#22 Shambaugh house. A view of the library, with a view of the dining room beyond, 1904

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#23 Bertha took this image during the warmer months, as a good portion of the Shambaugh House is partially hidden by trees, circa 1905-1910

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#24 A view of the library mantle with Greek key pattern and the fireplace.

Flanking each side are bookcases, and in front of them, are a rocking chair on the left and an armchair on the right, 1910-1920

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#25 Bertha Shambaugh wears a jacket and skirt with a floral design. Her hat has a matching decorative band, and she holds glasses, circa 1924

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