Dr. Frederick Detlefsen, (1862-1945) a Chicago pediatrician who immigrated to America in 1891 from Schleswig, Germany, was an active member of the Chicago Society of Amateur Photographers at the beginning of the 20th Century. The following is a brief and incomplete list of exhibitions he participated in:

Chicago Photographic Salon

1901: (Second Salon) Chairman of the Executive Salon Committee
1902 (Third Salon) Salon Committee member
1903 (Fourth Salon) Salon Committee member
exhibited 5 frames
address listed as 1072 Lincoln Avenue, Chicago

Royal Photographic Society Annual Exhibitions

1900-platinums
1901-platinums
1904-exhibited bas and “cameo-reliefs” from own method

Photographic Society of Philadelphia Salon

1900  Exhibitor
1901  Exhibitor

Camera Notes: halftones of work published:

Vol. V, No. 2, April, 1902
Vol. VI, No. 4, Dec, 1903

Paul Detlefsen, (1899-1986) a very successful commercial artist and the photographer’s son, gave this remembrance of his father as part of an autobiographical sketch of his life:

The nineteenth century had less than three months left to go when I had my beginning. I was born in Chicago on October 3, 1899. The doctor who brought me into this world was already known as one of the great pioneers of artistic photography. He was also my father – Dr. Frederick Detlefsen.  Art and photography were his chief interests all through life. The walls of our house were lined with book cases full of fine old volumes on art – histories of art – magnificent full color reproductions of the old masters, and beautiful art magazines arrived every month – even from abroad. His favorite periodicals were Photo Era and American Photography – some containing reproductions of his prize-winning studies and articles on his newest methods, processes and inventions.  (1.)

Print Details:

– age toning to print
– adhesive residue to corners of verso
– location for image may be Chicago lakefront
– FD. (Frederick Detlefsen) monogram in black ink to lower right corner of print recto
– print provenance: Detlefsen Estate
– original title of work unknown- Winter Landscape supplied by PhotoSeed Archive

1. excerpt: An Autobiographical Sketch by Paul Detlefsen: Edan Hughes: Artists in California, 1786-1940: AskArt online resource: accessed: March, 2014