7 Questions with Dave Wilson, Victorian Photography Studio

Dave Wilson is a Wetplate Collodion photographer residing in Geneva NY. A long time student of history, he owns and operates the Victorian Photography Studio in Gettysburg PA, and takes his tintype camera on the road all over the United States. When he’s not on traveling shooting images, he takes care of a small Victorian era farm and drives the Zamboni at the local ice rink. www.victorianphotostudio.com

 1. How and when did you get hooked on history?

 In 1st grade, growing up in Illinois, we took a field trip to the Rock Island Arsenal, which has a confederate cemetery. I had misheard them, thinking they were calling it the "Silver War," but they had a bronze cannon, and my 1st grade brain couldn't rationalize that, so I bought my first civil war book in the gift shop and I was hooked.

2. What role does history play or has it played in your personal life?

History is omnipresent in my life. Besides being an amateur historian and full time practitioner of a 19th century trade, my wife is a National Park Service superintendent at  Women's Rights National Park, and we are restoring an 1850's farm

3. How does history play a part of your professional life/career?

*see above

4. Why is studying/knowing history important?

Understanding the lives/feelings/beliefs of people in the past gives us context to the decisions they made, and how those decisions and attitudes have shaped our country and the direction of the world in general

5. What is your favorite period or aspect of history to learn about and why?

the mid 19th century in general. The American Civil War has always been my favorite, but I love just about anything in the Victorian period. I also really like the Napoleonic era, especially seafaring history.

6. What attracted you to Civil War and Victorian era photography?

I had been a reenactor and always loved having images made. When an opportunity came up to learn, I jumped on it and have been working at it ever since.

7. What do you provide for your customers in their experience? Who are your customers?

My customers vary! In the studio, 99% of our clients are tourists who are visiting and want to dress up. When I'm on the road, I shoot mainly people in modern clothes, and my clientele is widely varied. I spend a lot of time shooting at tattoo studios, horse barns, metalsmith shops, and barbershops. Its a lot of fun introducing this era of photography to people who are not familiar with it.