(1819-1882) Born in England, the son of Michael Fitzgibbon, he arrived in the United States in 1825 as a ship's chandler. He was apprenticed to John Kelch of Philadelphia, to learn the trade of a saddler.
In 1841, he learned daguerreotyping in Lynchburg, Virginia, and from 1841 to 1846 operated in Lynchburg as a daguerreian and hotel keeper. In 1846 he opened his first daguerreian gallery in St. Louis, Mo., on Fourth Street, between Market and Chestnut Streets.
In 1847 he trained Peter Britt as photographer; Britt later became a noted Oregon photographer.
In 1848, Fitzgibbon was listed as a daguerreotypist on the southeast corner of Fourth and Market Streets, over Nicholson's Grocery Store. He advertised aparatus for sale, and offered instruction. This was apparently a new location for the gallery, and he maintained a 16-room studio there until 1858. There is some discrepancy as to the geography; the location is often noted in directories as the northeast corner of the intersection. Sometime prior to 1849, Fitzgibbon employed R.H. Wellington as a daguerreian. Unknown to this researcher until recently, Fitzgibbon had a brother, William, who was also a daguerreian. The brother may have worked with J.H. Fitzgibbon in St. Louis c. 1849 to 1852, before leaving to establish a gallery in Guatemala, Central America.
On October 15, 1850, Fitzgibbon advertised he had just returned from the East with an assortment of cases, frames and lockets. In 1851 and 1852, he traveled East twice, on both occasions visiting Levi Hill, claimant to natural color daguerreotypy.
In 1852, he advertised as #1 Fourth Street, corner of Market Street, and indicated he had been in that location for five years. In January, 1852 he announced he had an exhibit of more than 1,000 pictures in his gallery.
From 1853 to 1860, Fitzgibbon was listed as a daguerreian at the northeast corner of Fourth and Market Streets. In 1853, he exhibited daguerreotypes at the New York City Crystal Palace exhibition.
In August, 1853, Snelling's Photographic and Fine Art Journal reported Fitzgibbon's purchase of the Robert H. Vance collection of daguerreotypes from Jeremiah Gurney in New York City. From December 1853 through 1854 advertisements for Fitzgibbon's gallery mention Vance's collection being on display there.
In 1854-1855, Fitzgibbon produced large-size paper photographs with C.D. Fredericks, and in 1854 introduced paper photography to St. Louis. In the same year, he traveled the state of Missouri, taking daguerreotypes. He also advertised that during the summer of 1854, he was in Fayetteville, Ark., taking daguerreotypes.
In 1855, Fitzgibbon hired M. Penabert to work in his gallery. Penabert was formerly with Gurney and Fredericks in New York City. From 1855 to 1858, Fitzgibbon made several trips to the West, including the Kansas Indian territory.
In 1856, he was still reported as owning the Vance daguerreotypes; they were included as part of a description of the gallery. He left an operator named Hayes in charge of the gallery when he traveled. He also employed James M. Brown, formerly of New York City, as a "finisher" in the gallery in 1856. In the same year, Fitzgibbon received first premium for Daguerreotypes at the State Fair of Illinois; and first and second premiums for daguerreotypes at the Fair of St. Louis. An alternate source has reported that in 1856 the Vance daguerreotypes, along with a variety of other curiosities, were on display at the "St. Louis Museum." Virtually no record of this institution has been uncovered.
In 1857 he received first premium for daguerreotypes at the Fair of St. Louis. It was probably later in 1857 that Fitzgibbon took a photographic trip to southwestern Missouri and the Indian Territory, then extending his trip to South America. L.N. Howard was left in charge of Fitzgibbon's gallery during this trip. Fitsgibbon opened a studio in Guatemala for a short time and lived with his brother William. There was apparently no connection between the brothers' studios; William assisted his brother only as an interpreter.
In December, 1859, Fitzgibbon changed the St. Louis gallery address to the corner of Fifth and Locust Streets. There is virtually no information on the operation of the gallery during the 1857 to 1859 period, and from 1859 onward, there is no further mention of the Vance daguerreotypes.
In 1860, Fitzgibbon was listed as a photographer at 65 North Fifth Street, with his residence on the south side of Seventh Street. The gallery address was the same as the corner of Fifth and Locust Streets.
In 1861, he sold his gallery and moved to Vicksburg, Miss. In the same year, he sent negatives to photographic magazines from Guatamala. In 1862 he sent additional letters to the magazines regarding photography in the tropics. It was in this same year that Fitzgibbon's wife died, an apparent suicide.
Sometime either in 1862 or 1863 Fitzgibbon was captured when he attempted to run a military blockade, and spent some time in prison, either in Cuba or New Orleans.
In 1863 he was reported in New York City for an interview with the American Journal of Photography. Following that, he was set up in a new business there by Dan Bryant, a minstrel who had married one of Fitzgibbon's daughters.
In 1866, he returned to St. Louis and opened a new gallery. From 1866 to 1876 the gallery was listed at 116 North Fourth Street.
On September 4, 1869, he married Maria L. Dennis, who was also a skilled photographer. In 1876 Fitzgibbon retired from active photography to devoter his time to editing the St. Louis Practical Photographer. In January, 1877, the first issue of the magazine appeared.
Fitzgibbon died August 12, 1882, en route to Xenia, Ohio. In 1886 his gallery was sold to Gibson and Clifford.