William H. Kimball (1817 - 1892)
Born at Goffstown (NH); died at Concord (NH).
Merchant, artist, newspaper publisher, photographer, state legislator, Librarian - State Library
Portrait by e. Wyatt Kimball, n.d.
Presented to the State, date unknown.

Kimball attended the Goffstown common school, then at age nineteen (1836) went into business with one of his brothers (there were twelve children in the family) as a merchant at Goffstown. He soon moved to Boston (MA) to study the painting of miniatures, studied painting further at Sanbornton (NH), and then practiced portrait painting at Manchester (NH), Lowell (MA), and Philadelphia.

At age twenty-five (1842) Kimball and Joseph Kidder established the newspaper Manchester Democrat. Kimball sold his share in the newspaper in 1844, and learned the new photograph business. He had shops doing portrait photograph with the new daguerreotype at Manchester, and at Concord.

In 1860 Kimball was living in Franklin (NH), for the voters of Franklin elected him to the State House of Representatives. He continued with his photography business at Concord and Manchester.

In 1867 Kimball was appointed New Hampshire State Librarian. He served as State librarian for many years (1867/71, 1872/89), finally giving up the position because of poor health. He died march 10, 1892.

Reference: "New Hampshire Necrology", Granite Monthly vol. XIV no. 4 (April 1892); G. W. Browne, ed. Manchester Historical Association Collections, Volume 4 1908 - 1910 (1910; reprint 1992).