Leon Van Loo
Leon Van Loo (1841–1907) was a Belgian-born American photographer and art promoter. He was born on August 12, 1841, in Ghent, Belgium, and moved to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1858, where he opened a photography gallery. After finding success in the cotton trade after the Civil War, he retired early in 1866 and spent time traveling in Europe, collecting art that he later displayed in Cincinnati.
In 1875, Van Loo introduced a new photography method he called “ideal.” These photographs were printed with zinc oxide on blackened sheet-iron, producing a pearly, translucent surface. His work included portraits such as the Workum family photo and a carte de visite of a small boy.
He helped found the Cincinnati Art Club in 1890 and served as its president from 1894 to 1896 and again from 1903 to 1904. Leon Van Loo died on January 10, 1907.
This page was last edited on 1 February 2026, at 20:26 (CET).