George Raymond Lawrence (February 24, 1868 – December 15, 1938) was an American photographer renowned for his innovative contributions to large-format and aerial photography. Born in Ottawa, Illinois, he moved to Chicago around 1890 and began working at a buggy company, where he showed an adeptness for tinkering and technical innovations. In 1891, he opened a photography studio (Geo. R. Lawrence Company), where he experimented with new techniques with the rapidly evolving technology, including perfecting flashlight photography, which would become standard for years afterwards. He adopted the slogan: 'The Hitherto Impossible in Photography is Our Specialty.' In 1900, Lawrence constructed the world's largest camera to capture a single image of the Chicago & Alton Railway's Alton Limited train. The camera weighed 1,400 pounds and utilized a glass plate measuring 8 feet by 4.5 feet. The resulting photograph earned the 'Grand Prize of the World' at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Lawrence also pioneered aerial photography, initially using manned balloons to capture elevated views. After experiencing a near-fatal accident when a balloon malfunctioned, he transitioned to using unmanned kites to lift cameras. This technique led to his iconic 1906 series of photographs, 'San Francisco in Ruins,' taken shortly after the devastating earthquake from hundreds of feet above the city. In addition to photographs taken at ground level showing the destruction, these panoramic photographs were a financial and reputational boon for Lawrence. However, later efforts, particularly a fruitless 1909 expedition to photograph animals in British East Africa, did not see similar successes. Facing something of a professional and personal crisis around 1910 (Lawrence's first wife discovered an affair, and the two were divorced), he ventured into aviation design, securing numerous patents for aviation-related devices. However, his aircraft company failed in 1919. Lawrence passed away in 1938 at the age of 70.
