Born in New Jersey to English parents, engineer, engraver, and businessman Charles John and Harriet Holyland, John Holyland originally trained as a civil engineer. He learned photography in Baltimore under the tutelage of John H. Young. Holyland's father purchased a photographic studio in Washington, DC, in the early 1860s, at 250 Pennsylvania Avenue, and put John in charge of it. In 1865, John Holyland took over Young's studio at 231 W. Baltimore Street.

His mother also worked as a photographer after she was widowed in 1863.

According to Kelbaugh's "Directory of Maryland Photographers, 1839-1900," Holyland had establishments at 231 W. Baltimore Street, 229 W. Baltimore (3 W. Baltimore after re-numbering), and at 7 W. Lexington. Several of his cartes de visite are in the holdings of the Library of Congress.

Holyland was a very active member of the Fulton Avenue Baptist Church, for which he served as a deacon and a Sunday school teacher. The distinctive mark on the back of his card photographs was a sun-like circle emitting rays of light, with his address and initials in the center, surmounted by a Christian cross.

He and his wife, Rebekah Hart Holyland, had one child, a daughter, Nellie Holyland. Rebecca Holyland died in 1910, but John Holyland lived to age 91. He spent his latter years in a home for the aged, of which his aunt, Mary Ann Child, was for many years the matron.

John had several brothers and sisters: Fred, an engraver, who settled in New Orleans and served in the Confederate army during the Civil War (1833-1894); George, Charles, who lived in Pittsburgh, Samuel, who lived for many years in Winona Co., Minn., then went to California as a miner; Nellie, Fannie Holyland Cromwell, and Harriet Holyland.

Death Announcement from Baltimore SUN, 21 May 1931:

HOLYLAND--On May 19, 1931, JOHN, aged 89 years, brother of Harriet Holyland. Funeral from his sister's residence, 430 North Carey street, on Friday, May 22, at 10:30 A.M. Services at Fulton Avenue Baptist Church, Fulton avenue and Baltimore street, at 11 A.M. Interment in Greenmount Cemetery.

NOTE: Although his death notice clearly states that he was buried in Green Mount Cemetery, the grave marker does not display his date of death. Further research is needed to resolve this anomaly.

Born in New Jersey to English parents, engineer, engraver, and businessman Charles John and Harriet Holyland, John Holyland originally trained as a civil engineer. He learned photography in Baltimore under the tutelage of John H. Young. Holyland's father purchased a photographic studio in Washington, DC, in the early 1860s, at 250 Pennsylvania Avenue, and put John in charge of it. In 1865, John Holyland took over Young's studio at 231 W. Baltimore Street.

His mother also worked as a photographer after she was widowed in 1863.

According to Kelbaugh's "Directory of Maryland Photographers, 1839-1900," Holyland had establishments at 231 W. Baltimore Street, 229 W. Baltimore (3 W. Baltimore after re-numbering), and at 7 W. Lexington. Several of his cartes de visite are in the holdings of the Library of Congress.

Holyland was a very active member of the Fulton Avenue Baptist Church, for which he served as a deacon and a Sunday school teacher. The distinctive mark on the back of his card photographs was a sun-like circle emitting rays of light, with his address and initials in the center, surmounted by a Christian cross.

He and his wife, Rebekah Hart Holyland, had one child, a daughter, Nellie Holyland. Rebecca Holyland died in 1910, but John Holyland lived to age 91. He spent his latter years in a home for the aged, of which his aunt, Mary Ann Child, was for many years the matron.

John had several brothers and sisters: Fred, an engraver, who settled in New Orleans and served in the Confederate army during the Civil War (1833-1894); George, Charles, who lived in Pittsburgh, Samuel, who lived for many years in Winona Co., Minn., then went to California as a miner; Nellie, Fannie Holyland Cromwell, and Harriet Holyland.

Death Announcement from Baltimore SUN, 21 May 1931:

HOLYLAND--On May 19, 1931, JOHN, aged 89 years, brother of Harriet Holyland. Funeral from his sister's residence, 430 North Carey street, on Friday, May 22, at 10:30 A.M. Services at Fulton Avenue Baptist Church, Fulton avenue and Baltimore street, at 11 A.M. Interment in Greenmount Cemetery.

NOTE: Although his death notice clearly states that he was buried in Green Mount Cemetery, the grave marker does not display his date of death. Further research is needed to resolve this anomaly.