Cornish Photography Studio

125 West Fifth Avenue

When Arkansas City-based photographer George Bancroft Cornish built what was to be his final photography studio, he chose a location at 125 W. Fifth Ave.

Cornish was a well-known “Natural as Life”’ photographer, studying under William Prettyman.

He worked with Prettyman photographing Native American tribes, cowboys and the Cherokee Strip Land Rush, eventually buying out Prettyman’s studio in 1905.

Cornish operated his studio in multiple locations with the help of his sister, Alice, until her death in 1916, and his assistant Edith Berroth.

He and his sister had dreamed of having “the most beautiful photography gallery in the Southwest.”

While Alice didn’t live to see it come to fruition, her brother ensured their lifelong dream was realized in 1924.

Cornish hailed from a family of photographers, including his grandfather and his brothers, Arthur and Harry — both of whom worked for the Eastman Kodak Co.

The family moved to Ark City in 1898 from Illinois and George Cornish lived here until his death in 1946.

Upon his passing, he bequeathed the studio to Berroth, who operated it until her retirement at the age of 74 in 1969.

She sold the studio and building to Michael M. Marotta, a World War II Army veteran, who upon his honorable discharge in 1945 moved to Ark City and became Berroth’s partner in the business.

Marotta then sold the building to Otis Morrow and Jean Lough in 1979.

Morrow converted it into law offices and operated his practice there for years, eventually selling the building to Tamara Niles in 2005. The offices continued to operate until 2020, when Niles moved away and put the building on the market.

The Cornish Photography Studio was designed by W.L. McAtee, an architect who moved to Arkansas City in 1917.

He was the designer of several prominent buildings in the area, including First Christian Church.

While it was built in the Spanish Eclectic and Colonial Revival style, its red tile roof is unusual because it features straight-barrel Mission tiles as opposed to the traditional Spanish tiles.

The building also features a hand-tiled parapet, wrought-iron railing, plastered stucco exterior walls, an asymmetrical west façade, arched windows and window grills, and the use of stained glass. Batchelder Mayan tiles grace the front-entry walkway.