Second only to rival Charles Eisenmann in popularity, the photographers Obermüller and Kern were premier portraitists on the New York dime museum scene, photographing performers, freaks, and famous folk from about 1880 until 1910. Their photographs rival the quality of Eisenmann, with less cluttered backgrounds, and starker, and typically less romantically staged portraits. Obermüller and Kern were located at 388 Bowery– just 4 blocks down the street from Eisenmann’s studio at 229 Bowery. Around 1899, retaining their developing lab on the Bowery, they moved their retail studio to “opp.. 5 Str. near 4. Ave.”– i.e. close to Washington Square Park. It may have been around this time that their photographic mounts changed to the Americanized version of the name Obermüller, to become Obermiller & Kern. At some point Kern may have left to start his own studio, as later mounts are labelled Obermüller & Son. Sadly, in 1910 August Obermüller was found dead by suicide, drowning himself in his developing tank. He was survived by his son Eugene who worked in the business, and his wife of 18 years, Anna.