Skip to main content

Image / Portrait of Ballington Booth

Have a question about this item?

Item information. View source record on contributor's website.

Title
Portrait of Ballington Booth
Alternative Title
Security Pacific National Bank Photo Collection
Creator
F.C. Dando Lamson Studio
Date Created and/or Issued
Circa 1880
Contributing Institution
Los Angeles Public Library
Collection
Los Angeles Public Library Photo Collection
Rights Information
Images available for reproduction and use. Please see the Ordering & Use page at http://tessa.lapl.org/OrderingUse.html for additional information.
Description
Title supplied by cataloger.
Ballington Booth (1857-1940) was a Salvation Army Officer and the co-founder of Volunteers of America. His father, Willam Booth, founded the Salvation Army when Ballington was 8 years old. Ballington became a Salvation Army officer in 1874 at age of 17, and as the general's son, rose quickly in ranks, becoming a Colonel in 1880 at the age of 23. In 1883, with the rank of Marshal, Booth moved to Australia as co-commander of the Salvation Army. In 1886, he married the woman who would be his partner in all his important endeavors in the future, Maud Elizabeth Charlesworth, who would change her name to Maud Ballington Booth. In 1887 the newlyweds went to America to assume the leadership of the fledgling Salvation Army corps which had been established in the U.S. The couple became U.S. citizens in 1895 and it was also at that time that they resigned from the Salvation Army due to intense internal conflict with the elder Booth. In March 1896 Ballington and Maud founded God's American Volunteers, which was soon renamed the Volunteers of America, modeled after the Salvation Army, but more democratic in structure. Ballington Booth led the Volunteers of America for 43 years; he died on October 5, 1940 at the age of 83.
Profile portrait of Ballington Booth, wearing his Salvation Army uniform. The lapel shows a large letter "S" as well as a pin of the Salvation Army Crest with the American Eagle perched above it. The three stars on his shoulder signify his high rank, possibly that of Lieutanant or Captain. Although the Salvation Army's uniform has undergone some changes in design in its 143 year history, it is still recognized as a symbol of commitment and a sign of availability and accessibility in times of need or crisis.
Type
image
Format
1 photographic print :b&w ;15 x 10 cm. on board 17 x 11 cm.
Photographic prints
Identifier
00078293
Security Pacific National Bank Collection
Portraits-Booth, Ballington.
CARL0000079725
http://173.196.26.125/cdm/ref/collection/photos/id/111367
Subject
Booth, Ballington,--1857-1940
Volunteers of America
Salvation Army
Profile portraits--California--Los Angeles
Salvationists--California--Los Angeles
Uniforms--California--Los Angeles

About the collections in Calisphere

Learn more about the collections in Calisphere. View our statement on digital primary resources.

Copyright, permissions, and use

If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.

Share your story

Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.

Explore related content on Calisphere: