THE CABINET CARD GALLERY

This exceptionally attractive late-Victorian cabinet card presents two fashionably dressed young women posed together in an elaborate studio setting. One woman is seated at the left while her companion stands beside a richly carved architectural prop. Their hands meet at the center of the composition in a deliberate and affectionate clasp, creating a feeling of closeness rarely conveyed so clearly in formal nineteenth-century studio portraiture. Whether they were sisters, relatives or especially close friends is unknown. Both women wear remarkably elaborate period clothing. The seated woman’s full-length striped dress is particularly eye-catching, with a fitted bodice, high collar, decorative neck treatment, and a generously draped skirt. Her companion wears a darker fitted dress embellished with floral-patterned trim, numerous buttons, and a prominent light-colored bow. Both women are crowned with exceptional hats lavishly decorated with flowers, feathers, and fabric ornamentation. The women also appear to be wearing gloves or decorative hand coverings. The standing woman’s covering resembles a fingerless glove or gauntlet that leaves her fingers exposed. The seated woman’s hand in her lap appears to be gloved, although the precise construction is somewhat difficult to distinguish from the extended cuff of her sleeve. The studio setting is unusually detailed. The women pose against a painted urban or architectural backdrop, surrounded by a massive carved balustrade ornamented with scrollwork and grotesque or lion-like faces. Draped fabric, simulated masonry and artificial grass complete the scene, giving the portrait a grand, almost theatrical atmosphere. This photograph was taken at the Staiger studio in Michigan City, Indiana. The Indiana Album’s Directory of Indiana Photographers confirms that Staiger was a studio owner or partner in Halladay & Staiger in 1887, and later in Jungerman & Staiger during the 1890s. Unfortunately, the historical directory has not yet established Staiger’s first name. Professionally, the available evidence places him firmly within Michigan City’s commercial photography trade from at least 1887 into the 1890s. SOLD

This antique mounted photograph, measures approximately 6 x 5 inches, and shows a posed family group outside a wooden farmhouse or homestead. The scene includes two women standing near the center, a seated man in a bowler-style hat at right, a young girl seated on a donkey at left, and another young girl seated in a chair near the center. The girl on the donkey appears to be holding a doll, while the seated girl appears to be holding a small dark dog, possibly a pug or pug-like dog, which adds great charm and personality to the image. Behind the group is a small stand or table holding what appears to be household or garden items, possibly a pail, planter, or container. The seated girl’s chair may have a textile or throw on it, but from the image it is difficult to say for certain; the bold patterned area may be part of the standing woman’s skirt or apron rather than a quilt on the chair. The photograph has a great rural domestic quality, with the clapboard house, bay window, family members, donkey, doll, and dog all contributing to a memorable turn-of-the-century homestead scene.  SOLD

This scallop edged cabinet card was photographed by the esteemed John Fletcher Ford, a Pacific Northwest photographer associated with Ilwaco, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Oregon State University’s Archives West identifies Ford as a preacher and photographer who lived in Ilwaco from 1893 until his death in 1914. He operated a Portland photography studio from 1900 to 1908. His known work includes logging, fishing, landscapes, and lower Columbia River / Oregon-Washington subjects, which fits the wooded outdoor setting of this photograph very well. This is a striking antique cabinet card photograph by Ford, showing two well-dressed young men posed outdoors in a wooded setting, likely in the Pacific Northwest. The men stand beside a rustic wooden bridge or fence, surrounded by ferns, mossy branches, evergreens, and dense forest growth. Both wear dark suits with vests, ties, and broad-brimmed hats; one holds a walking stick or cane, while each has a decorative boutonniere or lapel ornament. The image has a strong turn-of-the-century outdoorsman / fraternal / friendship portrait quality, combining formal dress with a rugged woodland setting.  SOLD

This vintage real photo postcard features American actress, singer, pianist and composer August Zuckerman (1885-1981). She was also known as Mana-Zucca. She was born in New York City to Polish immigrants. She was a child prodigy and began composing music at a young age. She gave her first recital at three and a half years of age and received a scholarship to at age four to the National Conservatory of Music (New York City). At age seven she studied with celebrated Polish pianist, Alexander Lambert. He taught at the New York College of Music. He was also her mentor and concert manager. While studying with Lambert, she also studied harmony and and composition with with Herman Spielter. Her first published work was at age seven. At eight years of age she performed a piano solo with the New York Symphony. Her stage debut came in 1914. In her early teens she played throughout Europe. In time she began singing in several musical comedies including “The Geisha” and “The Count of Luxembourg”. In 1921 she married lyricist, Irwin M. Cassel. The pair lived in New York City and Miami until 1925 when Miami became her permanent home.. She composed music and taught piano there. During the course of her career, she composed over a thousand works, including two operas, orchestral works, a ballet, three chamber works and a collection of 366 piano pieces. The postcard was published by Georg Gerlach & Co.. The firm was a real photo card publisher and printer based in Berlin, Germany. SOLD

This truly unique vintage real photo postcard features a pretty young woman peering out of a roof top trap door. The town/city can be seen below. It appears that the woman is at the top of a multiple floor building. There is a message on the reverse of the card. The following is a rough translation. “I want to see Portugal for once! Who do I see? It’s Graça. I think I would make such a face if I saw you once. for my Graca, von Sfrer girlfriend, 1938.  Pricajeras  SOLD

This unusual early advertising paper item promotes Social Delights, “a delicious assortment of sandwich cakes” made by the National Biscuit Company, advertised here under the familiar “Uneeda Bakers” name. The colorful front shows a box of Social Delights surrounded by several individual sandwich cakes. Visible names include Social Tea, Doris, Triton, Oreo, and Manor. The presence of Oreo is especially significant, as Oreo was introduced by the National Biscuit Company in 1912, making this a very early piece of Oreo-related advertising. The reverse is printed as a request slip for the National Biscuit Company booklet “Biscuit in Choice Recipes.” The text states that a copy would be sent free on request to the Advertising Department in New York City. This is best described as a thin paper advertising insert or recipe-booklet request slip, rather than a standard trade card. It is thin card (paper) stock. It was likely distributed as a small advertising giveaway, package insert, store counter handout, or recipe-booklet request form. This is a wonderful early food advertising item with strong appeal to collectors of Nabisco / National Biscuit Company, Uneeda Bakers, early Oreo advertising, antique grocery advertising, and American food-brand history. This advertising item is from circa 1912–1915. The style, typography, product presentation, and National Biscuit Company wording all suggest the early 1910s. The item measures approximately 4 x 2½ inches. SOLD

This striking circa-1885 cabinet card presents American stage actress Ida Lillian Olcott (1861–1888) in an elegant profile portrait. She wears an elaborate floral headpiece, dangling earrings, a multi-strand pearl necklace and an ornately decorated theatrical costume. The restrained profile pose emphasizes her classical features and is particularly appropriate for an actress best remembered for performing dramatic and tragic roles. Born in Brooklyn in 1861, Olcott was the daughter of prominent Brooklyn physician Dr. Cornelius Olcott. She first attracted attention as an amateur actress, playing Juliet with the Williamsburg Amateur League in 1882. She subsequently appeared professionally at the Brooklyn Theatre, again portraying Juliet. In 1884, she toured as the star of the melodrama Dark Days. Olcott’s most important role was the title character in Victorien Sardou’s spectacular historical drama Theodora. She traveled to Paris in 1885 and purchased the American performance rights to the play, achieving considerable artistic success with it during the following two seasons. Her ownership of the American rights led to a serious dispute when Sarah Bernhardt was permitted to perform Theodora in the United States. Olcott sued the Franco-American Dramatic Agency for $25,000, alleging that it had violated the exclusive rights she had purchased. The litigation contributed to her company being disbanded in Chicago shortly before her death. Olcott’s promising career ended tragically on April 8, 1888, when she died at New York’s Westminster Hotel at only 26 or 27 years of age. Contemporary accounts reported that she had contracted a severe cold after exposure during the great New York blizzard and subsequently developed an intestinal inflammation. She initially concealed the seriousness of her illness from her parents because she did not wish to worry them; only her maid was with her until her condition worsened. She was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery in Brooklyn. I have a few cabinet cards of actor and song writer Chauncy Olcott and I wondered if he and Lilian were related. I found no evidence that the two were related. This cabinet card comes from the studio of Charles Eisenmann (1855-1927). He was German born and a well known celebrity photographer during the 1880’s and 1890’s in New York City’s Bowery District. Not only did he photograph celebrities (ie Mark Twain and Annie Oakley) but he also was known for his portraits of “human oddities” (ie. side show acts and people with birth defects). His son in-law, Frank Wendt, took over his studio in 1898. He later became the director of photography for Dupont. His work is very collectible.  SOLD