My great grandfather Ernest Enos Noble of Holton, MI graduated from this school in 1902. I have his diploma. The story of a japanese admiral attending the school has been passed down in my family as well. EE Noble had a studio in Fremont, MI. A sizeable archive of his works are housed in the Clarke Memorial Library of Central Michigan University. Thanks for sharing this book.

It was with great surprise and enjoyment that I read the digitized copy of the book regarding the Illinois College of Photography in Effingham in 1905-6. It was interesting to see how such schools were advertized 100 years ago. I found it interesting that the college was the major user of the post office in Effingham. They suggested that you talk to the postmaster or the local banker or church leader for references for the school. They also dwell on the high morality of a rural community of 5,000 as opposed to the big cities. The students were always housed and fed by local citizens, there was no dorms per se.

I was truly amazing to see how such an specialized effort could and did become internationally famous,yet established in a somewhat remote location. I can vouch for the international nature of the students from pictures I have from my grandfather's collection.

My grandfather, Frank Joseph Loeher attended the Illinois College of Photography in about 1912. He was from the rural german village of Westphalia, Michigan. Subsequent to his training at the school, he set up a studio in his office in Westphalia, where he was both the postmaster and manager of the local telephone office. I have many of his materials and pictures from the college. According to one of the stories he told, was that one of the students in those years was that the future Admiral Yamomoto Isoroko from Japan who later became the head of the Japanese navy during World War II. I determined that Yamamoto did study in United States colleges, but not to the detail as to whether the Illinois College of Photography was visited. However, now understanding how the college provided skills in what was then a new discipline, I would not be surprised if this may have been true.

I visited the only remaining building from the campus several years ago. The owner was converting the large home into a Bed & Breakfast. He said that indeed they did find some pictures of class groups which seemed to validate the above story of the possible attendance of Admiral Yamamoto. Also, my grandfather's pictures include Asian students.

This was a fabulous coincidence to find this Internet Archive listing on the Illinois College of Photography via the Libary of University of Illinois Collection. My grandfather, Ralph Earl Wemple attended this school
in the early 20th century. But my family knew nothing of its significance or the significance of his attending this school. He died in the mid 1930's and my teenage mother did not know much about his career and my grandmother who survived into the 1960's never talked about him. Based on family legend, the most notable aspect of his career was working for the Bell Telephone Company in Cleveland, Ohio where he was involved with the wireless transmission of photographs. I would be very curious to see a roster of students. And I am delighted to find out about his highly professional accomplishments at this seemingly obscure time and place for a photgraphy school.
World Reknown for its time, makes sense prior to the development of film when the use of glass plates was state of the art and need for retouching was so important. The grandfather, was an artist as well, hence his interest in the combination of art and photography as it existed at that time. I believe he may have studied here
in 1904 because he went to the St. Louis World's Fair and for many years, we had a small memento of this trip. How absolutely fascinating.