William F. Sawtell (1843-1909) was a talented photographer who lived and worked in Wellington in the nineteenth century. He ran a studio in the village–in at least two separate downtown locations–from 1866 until 1888. You can read more about his life here. He also painted later in life, and you can see one of his landscape paintings here. Below are examples of Sawtell’s photographic portraits, all from my own collection. (The initial grouping of images is sorted according to the evolving decorative design elements on each verso; any future images will be added as they are acquired.) As you will see, very few of these images are identified. If you believe you recognize any of these images, or if you are related to any of the known individuals, please leave a comment and share your family story!
Note: Images are not displayed to scale.
1. Unidentified young woman
3 7/8″ L x 2 3/8″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
2. Unidentified older couple
4″ L x 2 3/16″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
3. Unidentified young man
4″ L x 2 3/16″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
4. Unidentified older man
3 7/8″ L x 2 3/8″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, WELLINGTON, O.”
5. Unidentified older woman
3 7/8″ L x 2 3/8″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, WELLINGTON, O.”
6. Unidentified young man
3 7/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
7. Unidentified young woman
3 7/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
Note: bottom edge of photo is cropped/cut diagonally
8. Unidentified older woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
9. Infant, identified in hand-written inscription as Mary Mather, 8 months old
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Dated in inscription July 17, 1877
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
10. Unidentified woman
3 3/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
11. Two unidentified females, possibly mother and daughter
4″ L x 2 3/8″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, PHOTOGRAPHER, Wellington, Ohio,”
12. Unidentified infant, probably post-mortem
3 7/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Wellington, Ohio.”
13. Woman, identified in hand-written inscription as Ellen Ackley Dunbar (1836-1922)
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: spouse of Simon T. Dunbar [#15]
14. Unidentified infant
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated, though hand-written inscription indicates child is 6 months old
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
15. Man, identified in hand-written inscription as Simon T. Dunbar (born ca. 1832)
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: spouse of Ellen Ackley Dunbar [#13]
16. Unidentified woman
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
17. Three unidentified girls, possibly sisters
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
18. Unidentified boy
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
19. Two boys, identified in hand-written ink inscription as Ron and Ray Mills
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
20. Unidentified woman
3 7/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
Note: bottom edge of photo is cropped/cut
21. Unidentified woman
3 7/8 ” L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
22. Unidentified woman
3 7/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
23. Unidentified older man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
24. Woman, identified in hand-written inscription as Addie Dudley
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
25. Unidentified young man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
26. Unidentified young man
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle.”
27. Unidentified older woman
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“SAWTELLE. WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
28. Unidentified infant
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, PHOTOGRAPHER, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
29. Unidentified woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“SAWTELLE, PHOTOGRAPHER, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
30. Unidentified female child
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle | Wellington.”
31. Unidentified Man
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle | Wellington.”
32. Two unidentified infants, possibly twins
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | Wellington, Ohio.”
33. Two unidentified children, possibly twins
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | Wellington, Ohio.”
34. Unidentified woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | Wellington, Ohio.”
35. Unidentified girl
6 1/4″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtell, | Wellington, Ohio.”
Note: top edge of photo is cropped/cut; reverse is marked in pencil “one Mrs. Brown”
36. Unidentified woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle.”
37. Unidentified woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
38. Family portrait, identified in ink on reverse as Robert Lawrence French; his wife Eliza Cook French; and their three children, Elbert, Mildred and Arthur
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | Wellington, O.”
39. Unidentified woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
40. Unidentified older man
6 1/4″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle,”
41. Unidentified man
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“SAWTELL, ARTIST, Wellington, Ohio.”
42. Girl, identified in ink inscription as Mary Ethel Sutliff
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELLE, Willington, Ohio.”
Note: Per blog reader Michael Sutliff, “According to my Sutliff Genealogy Book #42, Mary Ethel Sutliff was born in Bristolville, Ohio on February 5, 1883. Her father was Joseph J. Sutliff, who fought in the Civil War.”
43. Unidentified woman, possibly spouse of unidentified man [#44]
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtelle.”
44. Unidentified man, possibly spouse of unidentified woman [#43]
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtelle.”
45. Unidentified man
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtelle.”
46. Unidentified man
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, | Wellington, Ohio.”
47. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 3/4″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
48. Girl, identified in ink inscription as Emily E.A. Miller
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
Note: bottom edge of photo is cropped/cut
49. Unidentified woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: Per the previous owner of this image, it may depict a company member from one of the numerous circuses that passed through Wellington in the last quarter of the nineteenth century.
50. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
51. Unidentified boy
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
52. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
53. Unidentified woman
3 3/4″ L x2 1/2″W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, O.”
54. Unidentified boy
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
55. Unidentified woman
3 3/4″L x 2 12/” W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, PHOTOGRAPHER, Wellington, Ohio.”
56. Unidentified man
3 3/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, WELLINGTON, O.”
57. Two unidentified children
3 3/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, O.”
58. Unidentified woman
4″L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: same subject appears in image #83
59. Unidentified infant
3 3/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
60. Unidentified infant
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, PHOTOGRAPHER, Wellington, Ohio.”
61. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
62. Girl, identified in pencil inscription as Sadie Vischer (and her dog)
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
63. Unidentified young man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“SAWTELL, ARTIST, Wellington Ohio.”
64. Unidentified woman [possibly a member of the Vischer or Tripp family]
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
65. Unidentified man [possibly a member of the Vischer or Tripp family]
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
66. Unidentified man [possibly a member of the Vischer or Tripp family]
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
67. Unidentified man [possibly a member of the Vischer or Tripp family]
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
Note: This is the first image I have posted that does not have a printed Sawtell attribution. It was found, however, with the three previous images [nos. 64 to 66] in a Vischer/Tripp family photo album. The four images were the only loose images in the album, and the only images that pre-date the 20th century. As the other three images were all made by Sawtell, and as this image mirrors them in both dimensions and composition, I am cautiously optimistic that it was also created in the Sawtell studio.
68. Unidentified woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
69. Unidentified young man
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, Wellington, Ohio.”
70. Unidentified older woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“SAWTELL, ARTIST, Wellington Ohio.”
71. Unidentified woman
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, WELLINGTON, O.”
72. Unidentified woman
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
73. Unidentified man and woman, possibly spouses
6 1/4″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“SAWTELLE. WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
74. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, Ohio.”
75. Unidentified young man
3 3/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
76. Unidentified young man
3 1/2″ L x 2 1/2″ W (cut)
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
77. Unidentified man
3 1/2″ L x 2 1/4″ W (cut)
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
78. Unidentified man and woman, possibly spouses
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
79. Unidentified woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
80. Unidentified woman
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: upper edge of photo is cropped/cut
81. Unidentified man
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle. PHOTOGRAPHER, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
82. Unidentified infant
4 1/8″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
83. Unidentified woman
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: same subject appears in image #58
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
84. Unidentified woman
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. SAWTELL, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
85. Unidentified young man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
86. Unidentified woman
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
87. Unidentified woman
4 1/4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
88. Unidentified man
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“J. W. SOUTHARDS, Wellington. W. SAWTELL, Operator.”
Note: From the E. M. Hamilton photo album, found in Pennsylvania.
89. Unidentified woman
4″ L x 2 1/4″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Photographer, Wellington, O.”
90. Unidentified young woman
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
Though this image is unattributed, I am confident it is a Sawtell portrait. The drapery is identical to one featured in several examples above (see #18, for example) and the background banister prop can be seen in images #61 and #63.
91. Unidentified man
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, Wellington.”
92. Unidentified young woman and child
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, Wellington.”
93. Infant, identified in hand-written inscription as Eula Fisk
6 1/2″ L x 4 1/4″ W
Undated
“Sawtelle, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
94. Unidentified child with dog
4″ L x 2 1/2″ W
Undated
“W. F. Sawtell, Wellington, Ohio.”
95. Man, identified in hand-written inscription as Walter?
4 1/4″ L x 2/ 1/2″ W
Hand dated 1877
“W. F. SAWTELL, WELLINGTON, OHIO.”
19th-Century Wellington 