8 6 6 , ▁he ▁won ▁a ▁gold ▁medal ▁for ▁landscape ▁phot ography ▁at ▁the ▁convention ▁for ▁the ▁Phot ograph ers ▁Association ▁of ▁America , ▁held ▁in ▁Saint ▁Louis . ▁ ▁B ark er ' s ▁Ni ag ara ▁studio ▁was ▁destroyed ▁by ▁fire ▁on ▁February ▁ 7 , ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁but ▁his ▁neg atives ▁surv ived . ▁ ▁Florida ▁B ark er ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁earliest ▁photograph ers ▁to ▁visit ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁Florida . ▁At ▁the ▁time , ▁phot ography ▁in ▁Florida ▁was ▁challeng ing , ▁as ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁remained ▁und e velop ed , ▁which ▁meant ▁photograph ers ▁needed ▁to ▁carry ▁their ▁bul ky ▁equipment ▁through ▁the ▁state ' s ▁wet lands ▁and ▁subt rop ical ▁j ung les , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁deal ▁with ▁del icate ▁film ▁in ▁hot ▁and ▁hum id ▁conditions . ▁B ark er ▁spent ▁nearly ▁four ▁years ▁( on ▁and ▁off ), ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 6 ▁to ▁ 1 8 9 0 , ▁document ing ▁much ▁of ▁northern ▁and ▁central ▁Florida . ▁ ▁Dis aster s ▁In ▁addition ▁to ▁his ▁well - known ▁landscape ▁photograph s , ▁B ark er ▁tra ve led ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁document ing ▁natural ▁dis aster s ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Louis ville ▁T orn ado ▁of ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁and ▁the ▁ 1 8 8 9 ▁John st own ▁flo od . ▁ ▁Death ▁When ▁he ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁of ▁Bright ' s ▁disease