THE CABINET CARD GALLERY

This vintage real photo postcard is part of a series named “Les Plus Belles Femmes de France” (The Most Beautiful Women of France). This series is about the Provinces of France, and the model for this image represents La Lorraine. More specifically, the woman represents the city of Nancy. Note that the woman in this photograph is wearing a pretty smile. This postcard is no.17 in the series. There were a number of different series published. The Province series was one of the more popular series. The models in this series represent different French Provinces and wear traditional clothing from that particular area of the country. This postcard was published by well known photographer Alfred Noyer. The celebrated photographer supervised a large photo studio in Paris. The Noyer Studio operated from 1910 until the 1940’s.  Many of the postcards he produced of women were nudes or risque images.
The photographer of this postcard portrait is Jean Agelou. He was renowned for his photographs of nude women. His work is highly collectible.  SOLD

This vintage photo features a well-dressed little boy and girl. The boy is wearing a cute cardigan sweater. The girl and boy are holding dolls. These children are absolutely adorable. They appear to be siblings, perhaps even twins. The stamp on the reverse of this photograph indicates that the image is a press photo. I wouldn’t have guessed that it is a press photo because the quality of the image and the entire photograph is so excellent. It absolutely has the look and feel (to the touch) of a studio photograph.The photographer of this photo is Herbert Hoepfner and his studio was located in Hannover, Germany. This vintage photo measures about 4 1/2″ x 3 3/8″ and is in very good condition, The photo has excellent clarity.

This Vintage Photograph is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $24.00 or best offer

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236354012817

This vintage real photo postcard advertises “R. D. Aldrich”, an office supply store in Sterling, Illinois. The advertising on the card indicates that the firm sold Monarch Typewriters, Burroughs Adding Machines, Office Furniture, and more. The postcard was aimed at a retailer and it announces that a salesman from the company would be stopping by the retail store. The photograph on the front of the card is shows a salesman on his way to make a sales call. The caption states that the salesman will drop by soon. Writing on the reverse of the postcard indicates that the automobile in the photo is a Hupmobile. Comparing the car on the card to other photos of hupmobiles confirms that it is in fact a Hupmobile. Hupmobile started selling its cars in 1909. The office supply salesman who sent this card added a personal message on the back of the card. This postcard has a 1910 postmark. SOLD

This is an original antique mounted studio photograph by Scherer Photo Studios of New York and Brooklyn, showing an unidentified female dancer or theatrical performer in a dramatic early 20th-century pose. The sitter wears a light-colored pleated dance costume with lace trim, dance shoes, and a floral or berry headpiece, while posing with one leg extended onto an ornate studio pedestal. The result is a wonderful theatrical image with strong appeal for collectors of dance, ballet, or vaudeville. The photograph has a strong show-business quality. This does not appear to be a simple family portrait; the costume, raised-leg pose, studio prop, and expressive presentation suggest a dancer, vaudeville performer, theatrical student, or stage entertainer posing for a professional studio image. The loose, flowing white costume also gives the image a Grecian or aesthetic-dance feeling, consistent with early 1900s theatrical and dance portrait styles. This photograph dates to circa 1905-1912, which fits the Scherer studio period of operation. The studio was operated by Stephen J. Scherer Jr. (1857-1923) as an American photographer. SOLD

This genuine real photo postcard (RPPC) captures a lively small-town street scene in South Bristol, Maine, postmarked 1914. The view shows Main Street, with wooden commercial buildings, early signage, townspeople, and an ice delivery wagon—all beautifully preserved in sepia tones. At the center of the image is a wooden pedestrian bridge spanning a narrow tidal inlet or wharf channel. It likely served as a footbridge and local crossing connecting the town’s waterfront businesses. The bridge is flanked by stone retaining walls and wooden railings. Two women and a young girl stand near the far end, their blurred movements suggesting the long exposure typical of early photography. The women appear to be chatting, while a man seated nearby watches the scene. Behind them, an ice wagon labeled “M.W. Thompson’s ICE” is clearly visible, drawn by a horse. “M.W. Thompson” was probably a local merchant delivering ice—an essential trade in Maine’s coastal villages before home refrigeration. Several advertising signs enliven the storefronts: A “MOXIE” sign on the left advertises the famous New England soft drink; Another building features a large “Drugs – Ice Cream and Soda” sign projecting from a bay-windowed corner shop, suggesting it was a combined druggist and soda fountain; A painted wall sign for “Portland Liquid Paint” appears below the drug store window, marking a popular brand of early house paint; A hanging sign further up the hill advertises “Ice Cream – Confectionery – Cigars – Tobacco – Soft Drinks.” Together, these elements vividly convey the look and rhythm of a working coastal village in early-20th-century Maine—complete with townsfolk, wagons, and turn-of-the-century advertising. South Bristol, Maine, located on the Pemaquid Peninsula, was (and still is) a fishing and shipbuilding community. Around 1914, it was a thriving village centered around its harbor, with small stores, icehouses, and wharves supporting the local maritime economy. The wooden buildings seen here—typical New England architecture with clapboard siding and overhanging upper windows—reflect a prosperous, tight-knit coastal town just before World War I. The card is postmarked Providence, Rhode Island, in 1914, with a green 1¢ George Washington stamp from the Washington-Franklin series (used 1908–1922). The postcard is addressed to a woman at the Hotel Griswold, New London, Conn. The message reads: “Dear Sister, I am home once more. This is the village of S. Bristol. Lucy & Grace – are you planning to take some one home with you? If so, I don’t believe I care to go. Write and let me know right away.” The note, in a neat cursive hand, is informal and familiar—a quick communication between sisters during an era when postcards were the text messages of the day.  (SOLD)

This is a wonderfully engaging Victorian photograph featuring six children gathered around and inside a small wooden wagon, posed against a painted pastoral studio backdrop. The scene feels almost cinematic: three boys in the wagon lean forward as if ready to set off on an adventure, while the two girls standing to the right appear to supervise the expedition with a sense of earnest importance. Each child is dressed in period-appropriate winter wear—woolen coats, charming hats, and, for one youngster, a beautifully detailed lace bonnet. The image is rich with personality: the little girl on the right side of the wagon, bundled in a textured sweater and soft cap, looks directly at the camera with gentle seriousness; the older girl in the back wears a jaunty hat adorned with a plume. The photographer also employed a textured faux-outdoor “ground” and a beautifully painted backdrop depicting trees, water, and hazy hills—classic of high-quality 1880s–1890s studio work. One of the  appealing features of this piece is its pink card mount, a style that enjoyed brief popularity in the late 19th century. These colored mounts were often used by studios looking to stand out, and today they are collected enthusiastically. (SOLD)

This is a compelling real photo postcard (RPPC) capturing a French industrial laborer hard at work, likely in the 1910s. The image shows a mustachioed workman standing in a workshop doorway, dressed in heavy, worn work clothes, holding an early electric drill or industrial boring tool. His direct gaze toward the camera gives the photograph an unusually intimate and documentary quality. The workshop interior behind him contains benches and machinery, giving insight into early 20th-century industrial life in France. This postcard offers an excellent example of occupational photography. A French 5-centimes stamp (Sower type) remains attached on the front, postmarked. The reverse of the postcard includes a brief handwritten message and a neatly addressed recipient, along with publication information printed by the maker. the handwritten message on the reverse translates to ““Friendship to all.”. The publisher of this postcard is “Societe Lumiere (Lyon, France)”. The firm was a well known photographic and film company. Based on the stamp type, the style of industrial clothing, and the Lumière company’s postcard production, this RPPC dates to circa 1905–1915.  (SOLD)

This captivating Cabinet Card portrait, produced by Fairbanks Studio in Point Arena, California, beautifully captures a tender intergenerational family moment. The photograph shows an elderly woman seated and gently holding two adorable babies who very much appear to be twins due to their matching elaborate christening gowns and similar sizes and ages. The woman, presumably their great-grandmother, has a serene and composed expression on her face, accented by round glasses and a lace-trimmed bonnet tied neatly beneath her chin. Her simple, dark-colored dress complements the intricate white lace dresses worn by the infants, highlighting the generational contrast in attire. The twin babies have bright, alert expressions, looking with curiosity toward the photographer. Both infants appear healthy and comfortable in the arms of their elderly caretaker, who embraces them securely. Their delicate gowns are long and beautifully embroidered, typical of the Victorian era. Handwritten in pencil beneath the image is the notation “about 1841,” which is clearly incorrect given that cabinet cards were not introduced until the 1870s. A more accurate dating places this portrait between approximately 1870 and 1899. Actually, it is likely that this cabinet card is from the 1890’s because that was when scalloped edge cabinet cards were popular. The reverse of the card bears a handwritten inscription describing the individuals depicted. The elderly woman is identified as the great-grandmother of the twins. The twins are identified but due fading and wear on the reverse of the cabinet card, I can not reliably decipher the names of the children, or the other information inscripted on the verso. SOLD

This vintage cabinet card photograph is extra special. The photo features a baby fashionista. The child is dressed in unusual clothing. The ensemble includes a cape and an adorable cap. The photo also includes a wonderful view of an antique baby carriage. The pram is beautifully made. Note the large wheels of the carriage. The child is standing next to a blanket (quilt) and in front of an umbrella. This photograph was taken at Lee’s Studio in York, Nebraska. SOLD