This is a brief history of the four (4) versions of Ligon's Portraiture.

      The first version appeared in 1899 and featured 196 preachers. Ligon issued and copyrighted the Portriture. The following printing information appears on the 1899 version: "Chicago Photo--Engraving Co., 79 and 81 Fifth Ave. Engravers & Publishers." The copyright information is: "Entered According to the Act of Congress in the year 1899 by D. S. Ligon in the office of Librarian of Congress at Washington, D. C."

      Alfred Ellmore, one of the well-known men featured on Ligon's had this comment about the 1st Edition of the Portraiture:

      When I gaze upon Brother Ligon's portraiture of gospel preachers I am struck with the amount, and the diversified talents, which those one hundred and ninety-six men possess; and the question forces itself upon me: How many of these talents lie buried in the earth? What a power if each one would rise up and use all the talents he has! Alfred Ellmore, Gospel Advocate, Vol. XLIII, No. 26 (June 27, 1901), 410.

      The Christian Leader carried this notice of Ligon's work:

      We have received from Bro. D. S. Ligon, of Krum, Tex., one of his charts, size 24 by 30 inches, containing the portraits of 196 gospel preachers. It is a beautiful work of art, each portrait having the name of the preacher printed beneath it. Next to seeing a preacher or writer who has labored faithfully in cause of Christ, we like to have a good portrait of him. The early reformers are also given, and others who have crossed over, but most of the likenesses are of those among the living. The price of the chart is $2, and can be obtained by addressing D. S. Ligon, Krum, Texas. The Condenser, Christian Leader, Vol. XIII, No. 35 (August 25, 1899), 5.

      While the 1899 version originally sold for two dollars ($2), by 1901 Ligon was pushing the 1899 version for as little as 75 cents. They were still not all sold by 1907.

      Despite still having a supply of the 1899 version, Ligon upgraded his in work in 1901 by adding the photos of sixty-four preachers. Ligon modified the 1899 version by adding two columns at each side and one row to the bottom. He did nothing else by way of improvement. For example, names misspelled on the 1899 version are misspelled on the 1901 version as well. There is no information about the engraver on the 1901 version, but I think it safe to assume the work was in Chicago by the same engraver. The copyright line is also reduced to "Copyright 1899, D. S. Ligon."

      Thomas R. Burnett had the following notice of Ligon's second edition:

      We have received from Bro. D. S. Ligon a copy of his map of preachers' pictures. He has added sixty-four new portraits, which makes two hundred and sixty-four (actually 260 - TJG) pictures on the map. It is an entertaining study, to any person who can read character from faces, to sit down and spend an hour looking over this group of preachers. In a nice frame, it makes an elegant ornament for the parlor. The price is $2. T. R. Burnett, Burnett's Budget, Vol. I, No. VII (July 15, 1901), 1.

      For sixty-five (65) years no more editions of Ligon's appeared until 1966. Cecil Willis, then editor of Truth Magazine, brought forth a new edition of Ligon's 1901 version. The new Ligon's was 15" tall by 21" wide, much smaller than the original dimensions and Willis had it printed. These were sold for about ten years and I purchased one of the last ones in the mid 1970s. This notice appeared in Truth Magazine, "SEND US TWO NEW SUBSCRIPTIONS AND LET US SEND YOU FREE A 17" x 22" PHOTOGRAPH OF 260 GOSPEL PREACHERS, MADE IN 1899. A RARE REPRINT. SEPARATE PICTURES OF EACH PREACHER." Truth Magazine, Vol. X, No. 10 (July, 1966), 234. The subscription price of Truth Magazine was $3 per year in 1966.

      Cecil Willis did not correct the flaws of the 1901 edition; he simply reproduced it, as it was just smaller and with a little less definition. Names misspelled from the earlier editions remained misspelled. Still for what he was doing it was a good, low cost reproduction.

      In 2002, I issued a full size reproduction of the 1901 Ligon's and which was based on an excellent 1901 original. The spelling was corrected on some of the names. The names corrected include: Was "Elmore" it is now "Ellmore" on both Alfred and Will. Was "Alen" and is now "Allen" on Thos. M. Allen. Was "Huston" it is now "Houston" for Z. T. and C. C. Houston. Was "H. D. Tomson" now "J. H. D. Tomson." Was "Scoby" it is now "Scobey" for Jas. E. Scobey.

      The 2002 edition was done on excellent photographic paper and is a full size copy of the 1901 version. Except for the names, which were corrected, all else was is identical to the 1901 version. Only fifty (50) copies were made and they sold for fifty dollars ($50) each. I did not copyright my version of the Ligon's and I consider this work in the public domain.

Created 12 January 2003.