Historical Materials

Benjamin W. Thayer (1814–75) was a lithographer operating in Boston from 1840–47 and 1851–53. According to an advertisement in the Boston Transcript, Thayer took over 204 Washington Street in 1840, the shop previously run by William S. Pendleton and Moore. Until 1845, he ran B. W. Thayer & Co. in conjunction with his brother-in-law, John H. Bufford, and John E. Moody. In 1846, Thayer left his partnership with Bufford, and opened a fancy goods store at 208 Washington Street, although he still listed himself as a lithographer. After not appearing in the Boston Directory from 1848–49, Thayer is recorded as having reentered his partnership with Bufford at 204 Washington Street and worked there until 1853, when he sold the shop to S. W. Chandler & Co. Thayer & Co. printed sheet music covers, theatrical posters, views of buildings and town views. After his lithography career, Thayer became a wealthy real estate broker and shareholder of multiple newspapers.

This information has been summarized from Boston Lithography 1825–1880 by Sally Pierce and Catharina Slautterback.