H.H. Bennett Studio (Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin)

 museum, photographic studio, 1875_construction, 19th century construction, history museum, 1870s construction

Also known as: H.H. Bennett Studio & History Center

The Oldest Operating Business in Wisconsin Dells

Henry Hamilton Bennett opened his first studio in 1865. It has the distinction of being the oldest operating business in Wisconsin Dells. In 1875, he moved into the current studio he designed on Broadway. It has been in continuous operation ever since and is believed to be the oldest operating photography studio in the United States. Bennett’s family ran the business until 1998 when they donated the property to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Photography historians consider Bennett one of the best landscape photographers of the 19th century, considered the "Golden Age of Landscape Photography." Today the studio continues to house many of Bennett's original photographs, glass plate negatives, photography inventions, cameras and equipment.

More than a photographer, Henry Hamilton Bennett (born January 15, 1843 in Farnham, Quebec, Canada-died January 1, 1908 in Madison) was an inventive visual historian. His pioneering use of technology, combined with exquisite composition skills, created an enduring legacy for Wisconsin Dells. His stereoscopic views of the dells of the Wisconsin River attracted visitors from across the country and truly made him the man who made Wisconsin Dells famous.

H.H. Bennett embarked on his life as a photographer after an injury sustained in the Civil War permanently crippled his right hand, preventing him from becoming a carpenter. He did use carpentry skills, however, as he began a career as a photographer.

Purchasing a tintype studio in Wisconsin Dells (then Kilbourn City), he took his first stereographic landscape photographs of the rugged Wisconsin River dells in 1868. Constructing all aspects of the camera except for the lenses, he ventured out into the wooded landscape of the Dells and captured the area on film. He was one of the first photojournalists, using photographs to tell a story.

H.H. Bennett is viewed as one of the 10 best landscape photographers of the 19th century. While other photographers clung to their studios, Bennett developed a passion for landscape photography because, in his words, "It is easier to pose nature and less trouble to please." He developed the image of nature as a playground to be enjoyed, not feared.

H.H. Bennett's photography has been displayed in some of the most prestigious museums in the world and is prized by collectors.

The Wisconsin Historical Society has an extensive collection of H.H. Bennett's original records and photographs. You can also view more than 1,000 Bennett images on the Wisconsin Historical Society's website.

215 Broadway
P.O. Box 147
Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965
Phone: (608) 253-3523
Fax: (608) 253-4635
Web: hhbennettstudio.wisconsinhistory.org/
Email: hhbennett@wisconsinhistory.org

Alan Hanson, historic site coordinator

Hours
Tourist season (April 30-October 30): 10am-4pm*, 7 days a week (*extended evening hours from mid-June through mid-August)
Off season (November 1-April 29): Open Saturdays, from 11am-4pm
Group tours available year-round by appointment

Read more
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