on the site. This Queen Anne style mansion had forty rooms. The site also included nine gardens, aviaries, the Palm House, and the 13,000-square-foot greenhouse complex. Starting in the early 1860s through the 1880s, Thompson was an avid photographer. At that time, this hobby took time, money, a knowledge of chemistry, and the ability to transport heavy and bulky equipment. Thompson used a dry process, as opposed to the dominant wet condition. He believed this provided more flexibility in processing landscape photographs. He was one of three founding member of the Amateur Photographic Exchange Club in 1861. Thompson was the club secretary, writing and printing a newsletter on his hand printing press. However, this club ended in 1863 because of the Civil War. He was the secretary of the American Photographical Society in the 1860s. This organization included both leading professional and amateur photographers of New York. He also was a judge for the Anthony Prize Pitcher awards. He also wrote articles for photographic journals, sometimes signed “The Straggling Amateur.” During the Civil War, Thompson organized and drilled members of the US Colored Troops. he hoped that they would be allowed to fight for the Union. He was also a caption in the 37th New York Artillery. However, he did not see any battlefield action. Thompson said his regiment "never saw a battle, and neither fought, bled, nor died." He belonged to the American Institute, the American Geographical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Archaeological Institute of America—New York chapter, the City of Auburn Society, the Folk-Lore Society, the Microscopical Society, and the New York Historical Society. He was also a member and board member of the New England Society of New York. He was a member of the American Fine Arts Society, the American Museum of Natural History, the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He belonged to the Barnard Club, the Groiler Club, the Red Jacket Club of Canandaigua, the St. Anthony Club of New York, and the Union League Club. In February 1888, he was one of the many vice presidents of Citizen's in Favor of High License and Restrictions of the Liquor Traffic. In 1899, Thompson died at his home in New York City. His funeral was held at his house on Madison Avenue. He was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Canandaigua, New York. See also List of Williams College people References 1836 births