  PAUL
VERKIN was born in 1862 in Berlin, Germany, and immigrated to the
United States at age 10 in 1876 with his widowed mother, Mulvina
Eselnownc Verkin (1842–1910) and a brother, Maxwell Verkin. In
August 1887, Paul married LILLIAN BELLE EVANS in Denison, Texas.
Lillian was born February 6, 1869 in Aton, Madison Co., Indiana,
daughter of Issac Evans and Ellen Nellie Goldsby.
Verkin came to Texas to take a job in Austin, Texas; around 1881–1888, he was partner with S. H. Cooper in the firm of Cooper & Verkin. Haynes, citing the Texas State Gazetteer, places him in Mexia, Texas, in 1884–1885.  DENISON, TEXAS Shortly after the death of his brother Maxwell in 1885, Paul arrived in Denison, Texas, where he would remain for about
ten years. He connected easily with other German immigrants in Denison, becoming a "turnwart" (gym instructor) in a two-story German social club, the Verein Vorwaerts, led by Denison Mayor Louis Lebrecht. Denison Herald August 7, 1936 Paul "studied photography as a youth and worked as a photographer for many years in New York, accepting an offer to come to Austin, Texas. Later he worked in San Antonio and arrived in Denison in 1885, purchasing the Miller Studio in the 100 block of Main Street, which he operated until 1905. He then entered the life insurance business, working in Denison and the Indian Territory. Later Mr. Verkin went to Galveston and stayed in the insurance business until 1927, when he returned to Denison and later retired."  An 1886 advertisement in the Sunday Gazetteer Annual listed Paul Verkin at 103 West Main, upstairs. Paul, his wife, and
his mother, Mulvina, lived at the same address as the studio in 1887–1890. Denison Sunday Gazetteer November 5, 1888 Paul Verkin, the artistic photographer, hung out two new show frames in front of his studio this morning. They contained a number of the fine samples of the camera's work. February 3, 1889, the paper printed this account: "As an illustration of how bad the roads are in the Chickasaw Nation, we may mention that Paul Verkin wrote from Waupanucka Academy to Mrs. Verkin on Wednesday, 23rd inst., and the letter only reached Denison today, it being several hours behind Paul, who arrived this morning. You can't get along in that country with an empty wagon." That same day the paper said, "Swartz & Freeman, the photographers, have hung out a large new sign at the First National Bank corner." In 1891–1892, the Verkin family is living at 620 West Sears Street. That same year, the Denison City Directory listed Edwin W. Enos and wife Rose A. Enos as "crayon artists" at Paul Verkin. They were both working and living above 103 West Main. In addition to his individual photographs, Paul Verkin also worked as a partner in the photographic firm of Verkin & Enos. Several stereoviews exist that bear this imprint: "Verkin & Enos, Photo. View and Crayon Artists, 103 Main Street"; they are in the Lawrence T. Jones III Texas Photographs Collection, DeGolyer Library, SMU, Dallas, Texas. GALVESTON, TEXAS By 1896, Paul was in Galveston, Texas. According to the 1896-1897 Galveston City Directory, he was a photographer at
J. B. Willyerd and resided at 809 Winnie. By 1900, Paul Verkin was well established in Galveston. That year, he made many priceless stereoviews of Galveston shortly before and after the Great Storm of September 8, 1900. The Texas Photographers Association had been scheduled to meet in Galveston on October 3–5, but after the big hurricane hit, the meeting was transferred to Dallas. According to Crofford, "The photographers of Galveston surely suffered financially. As far as I can discern, they all survived, as did their families.... Paul Verkin retired from his photography business in Galveston and returned to Denison in 1927 to live in the home of his son, George T. Verkin. Paul was sick for seven years before his death on August 7, 1936. He and his wife are buried in Fairview Cemetery, Denison, Grayson Co., Texas. Lillian Evans Verkin died on 16 March 1939. Paul's children and grandchildren were noted Galveston photographers. Among the employees at the Verkin Studio in Galveston during World War II was Mary Clayton, daughter of architect Nicholas Clayton, who designed St. Patrick's Catholic Church in Denison and St. Mary's Catholic Church in nearby Sherman, Texas.  CHILDREN OF PAUL VERKIN & LILLIAN EVANS
 Verkin Photo Company Collection, Center for American History, University of Texas at AustinThe
Center for American History, University of Texas at Austin (CAH),
houses the Verkin Photo Company Collection (1900-1945), an extensive
collection of photographic materials. The center provides this
information about Paul Verkin’s distinguished career after he left
Denison (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/utcah/00510/cah-00510.html):
The Verkin Photo Company was located in the city of Galveston, Texas, but also conducted business in the surrounding area, including Texas City and parts of East Texas. Photographers included Paul Verkin (1862-ca.1928) and three of his sons: Paul Roland Verkin (1891-1958), Mulvin V. Verkin (1887- ca.1946), and Louis M. Verkin (1893-ca.1950). The Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin (CAH) houses the Verkin Photo Company Collection (1900-1945), an extensive collection of photographic materials. In addition, the Rosenberg Library in Galveston has a sizable collection of Paul Verkin's work. Another 3,000-image collection of maritime photographs taken by the Verkins is housed at the Peabody Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. Carl Mautz, Biographies of Western Photographers A Reference Guide to Photographers Working in the 19th Century American West (Carl Mautz Publishing, 2000), pp. 404-405.
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