Cobb Studio
Who were the Cobbs?
If you’re looking at this history site you’re probably a person who already has seen a lot of old photos of Albuquerque, and you have surely come across images with “The Cobbs” inscribed at the bottom of many photos. The Cobbs were responsible for a lot of the oldest photos of Albuquerque. They dominated photography in the late territorial years in Albuquerque.
The Cobbs were a husband and wife team, both skilled with a camera. The husband was William Cobb who had come through Albuquerque in the early 1880s working as a surveyor and was impressed by the town’s potential. He was a Harvard graduate who suffered from tuberculosis (probably mild at the time) and who decided, for his health, to settle in Albuquerque in 1889. That same year Eddie Ross was ending her years as secretary to her father, Edmund G. Ross, who had been territorial governor from 1885 until 1889. There is some friendly family disagreement about Eddie’s given name. Some believe Edwina, but Albuquerque descendents mostly believe it was Edmundie, after her father. All agree however that Eddie was the only name she ever used.
When Eddie returned to Albuquerque in 1889 she looked for work as a photographer and was hired by Emma Albright, Albuquerque’s premier portrait photographer at the time. There are a few photos, probably from those years, following Eddie’s return to Albuquerque, inscribed with Eddie Ross’s name, pictures of Albuquerque scenes. No doubt William met Eddie through an acquaintance he had with Albright or possibly by running into one another while both were shooting town photos. It’s a bit unclear how their romance evolved but a good chance that William hired Eddie away from Emma. The Cobb studio was located in the 300 block of Gold Ave. Their wedding took place in 1891 in the home of Pitt Ross, Eddie’s brother. Pitt and Clemie Ross lived at 920 Bareles Rd, just a short distance from the front entrance of today’s Albuquerque Zoo.
William and Eddie did a wide variety of photographic jobs including portraits, the bread and butter of photographers at that time. They also continued to document the face of changing Albuquerque until 1909 when William finally succumbed to tuberculosis in March of that year. Although the studio was never quite the same without William, Eddie continued to run the business until the early 1940s. She died in 1945.
By Richard Ruddy
If you’re looking at this history site you’re probably a person who already has seen a lot of old photos of Albuquerque, and you have surely come across images with “The Cobbs” inscribed at the bottom of many photos. The Cobbs were responsible for a lot of the oldest photos of Albuquerque. They dominated photography in the late territorial years in Albuquerque.
The Cobbs were a husband and wife team, both skilled with a camera. The husband was William Cobb who had come through Albuquerque in the early 1880s working as a surveyor and was impressed by the town’s potential. He was a Harvard graduate who suffered from tuberculosis (probably mild at the time) and who decided, for his health, to settle in Albuquerque in 1889. That same year Eddie Ross was ending her years as secretary to her father, Edmund G. Ross, who had been territorial governor from 1885 until 1889. There is some friendly family disagreement about Eddie’s given name. Some believe Edwina, but Albuquerque descendents mostly believe it was Edmundie, after her father. All agree however that Eddie was the only name she ever used.
When Eddie returned to Albuquerque in 1889 she looked for work as a photographer and was hired by Emma Albright, Albuquerque’s premier portrait photographer at the time. There are a few photos, probably from those years, following Eddie’s return to Albuquerque, inscribed with Eddie Ross’s name, pictures of Albuquerque scenes. No doubt William met Eddie through an acquaintance he had with Albright or possibly by running into one another while both were shooting town photos. It’s a bit unclear how their romance evolved but a good chance that William hired Eddie away from Emma. The Cobb studio was located in the 300 block of Gold Ave. Their wedding took place in 1891 in the home of Pitt Ross, Eddie’s brother. Pitt and Clemie Ross lived at 920 Bareles Rd, just a short distance from the front entrance of today’s Albuquerque Zoo.
William and Eddie did a wide variety of photographic jobs including portraits, the bread and butter of photographers at that time. They also continued to document the face of changing Albuquerque until 1909 when William finally succumbed to tuberculosis in March of that year. Although the studio was never quite the same without William, Eddie continued to run the business until the early 1940s. She died in 1945.
By Richard Ruddy
From left to right in the photo are Pitt Ross (Eddie’s brother) with his two children, Wilson (on his right) and Edmund (on Pitt’s lap); the lady behind Pitt and the man seated to his left are unidentified, possibly William’s relatives; standing behind the seated man is Kay Ross (another of Eddie’s brothers) and to his left and partially hidden is Clemie Ross (Pitt’s wife); of course William and Eddie are standing in the middle; just behind and to the left of Eddie is an unknown man standing to his left is Arthur Ross holding a child (Arthur was another of Eddie’s brothers); to Arthur’s left is Mabel (Arthur’s wife); finally seated are Fannie Ross and the Governor (and former US Senator) Edmund G. Ross with Lillian Ross Leis, Eddie’s elder sister.