THE CABINET CARD GALLERY

This vintage photograph is actually campaign literature. Horace D. Dickinson, Assistant City Attorney of Minneapolis, used this card in his quest to become the Special Judge of Municipal Court. Dickenson ran as a Republican. Mr Dickenson looks quite distinguished in his high collar shirt, bow tie, and suit jacket. This political advertisement reminds the reader that the Primary date was September 18, 1900. This card measures about 3 1/2″ x 5″ and is in very good condition (see scans).

This vintage Photograph is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $22.00 or best offer.

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236537916531

A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the studio of J. P. Neiler, located in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania. This is an unusual cabinet card. The woman in this photograph is beautifully dressed. Her dress is made from a wooly looking fabric. The dress has large coin-like buttons. The woman is holding the curtain over the bottom half of her dress. The curtain has a paisley pattern and clashes extraordinarily with her dress. Why would the photographer pose her in a manner that creates a fashion faux pas. Perhaps she made the curtains and is proudly displaying them. Despite the clash between her dress and the curtain, this is a captivating photograph.  SOLD

The pretty actress seen on this vintage real photo postcard is Irish Gaiety Girl Rosie Boote (1878-1958). Her father was a comedian and her mother was a hat maker. She was educated in a Convent school in Thurles. The school was known for turning it’s students into young well educated ladies who fit well into the highest social circles. After leaving school, she was introduced to George Edwardes, a well known English theater manager. He selected her to be one of his “Gaiety Girls”. These young ladies were chorus girls appearing in Edwardian musical comedies. They would appear on stage wearing bathing suits or in the latest London and Paris fashions. Rosie received great acclaim for her stage work. In 1901, she  became the Marchioness of Headfort after marrying Geoffrey Thomas Taylour, 4th Marquess of Headfort. Their marriage created a scandal in Edwardian society. His family and friends tried to stop the marriage and the controversy attracted international attention. Even the King of England tried to intervene and stop the marriage. Despite the scandal, the pair married. Their marriage was one of the first of many examples of Gaiety Girls marrying husbands with titles. Rosie never returned to the stage and was eventually very involved in high society life.  This vintage postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.1748A). The photograph was taken by the Bassano studio. Interestingly, the caption under Rosie’s photo states “Marchioness of Headfort”. That means that the card was issued after Rosie left the stage (1901). The postmark on the reverse of this postcard reveals that it was mailed in 1906.  SOLD

This is a terrific and historically important early view of the Patchogue Manufacturing Works, better known locally as the Patchogue Lace Mill, Patchogue, Long Island, New York. the postcard was published by the Illustrated Post Card Co., New York and this is number 4493 in the series. The image captures the massive brick mill complex along West Main Street, dominated by its tall smokestack and long rows of factory windows. Particularly wonderful is the foreground activity: a steady stream of men riding bicycles past the mill — likely workers either arriving for or leaving their shifts. It is a vivid slice of early 20th century industrial Long Island life. The postcard is postmarked 1908 and features an undivided back, placing its production firmly in the early postcard era. The crisp industrial composition combined with the human movement in the street gives this card strong visual appeal beyond its historical importance. Officially known as the Patchogue Manufacturing Company, and later the Patchogue-Plymouth Lace Mill, this was a sprawling 12-acre industrial complex that served as the economic heart of Patchogue for more than half a century. The site began as a small water-powered cotton mill in the 1700s. Over time it hosted paper, twine, and woolen operations before its transformation into a major lace producer. In 1880, Scottish manufacturers leased the site and began producing crinoline. By 1890, it was sold to the Patchogue Lace Manufacturing Company, which famously imported looms and skilled weavers from Nottingham, England — then the lace capital of the world. The mill became known for its high-quality lace curtains and tablecloths. At its height, the mill employed between 800 and nearly 3,000 workers, making it one of the largest employers in Suffolk County. So central was the mill to community life that locals nicknamed it “The College,” since many high school graduates went directly to work there. During the war years, production shifted to military needs including parachutes, mosquito netting, camouflage materials, and fabric for G.I. uniforms. Post-war labor challenges and falling demand for lace led the company to relocate operations to Georgia in 1954, leaving the Patchogue site vacant. After years of light industrial reuse, including storage of flammable materials, a devastating fire on January 17, 1972, destroyed much of the complex. The remaining charred structures — including the iconic 150-foot smokestack — were finally demolished between 1996 and 1998. Today the site is remembered as one of the most important industrial landmarks in Suffolk County history. Salvaged bricks from the mill were later incorporated into redevelopment on the property.  SOLD

This vintage real photo postcard features the legendary French actress, Sarah Bernhardt. The caption under the image states that the photograph shows her in the role of La Tisbe, in “Angelo, Tyrant of Padua”. The play was written by Victor Hugo. This image  relates to Bernhardt’s 1905 performance in the play at the Théâtre Sarah-Bernhardt. The postcard credits the esteemed photographer, Henri Manuel as having produced this portrait of Miss Bernhardt. Henri Manuel opened a Paris portrait studio with his brother Gaston in 1900 and became known for portraits of public figures, artists, performers, politicians, and fashionable society. His studio later became one of the major photographic studios in Paris. The postcard was published by Neurdein et Cie (ND), a French postcard publishing company. Sarah Bernhardt was born in Paris in 1844. She became one of the most celebrated actresses in theatrical history. Known as “The Divine Sarah,” she was admired internationally for her voice, emotional intensity, dramatic presence, and extraordinary ability to transform herself on stage. She performed throughout Europe and America, became an early international celebrity, and was famous not only for her acting but also for her carefully cultivated public image. Her best-known roles included La Dame aux Camélias, Phèdre, Fédora, Théodora, La Tosca, Hamlet, and L’Aiglon. She was also an artist and sculptor, and her personal life became part of her legend. She had one son, Maurice Bernhardt, married the Greek-born actor Jacques Damala, and was known for eccentric habits and theatrical self-presentation. When people say someone is “being Sarah Bernhardt,” they usually mean the person is being highly dramatic, theatrical, or over emotional, a reference to Bernhardt’s larger-than-life stage presence and public persona. This beautiful early 20th-century French photographic postcard shows Bernhardt in an elaborate theatrical costume, richly ornamented with embroidery, jewelry, pearls, and floral decoration in her hair. Her pose is unmistakably theatrical: she leans beside a column, gazing outward with the kind of expressive intensity that made her one of the most famous performers in the world. This postcard was published in circa 1905. The postcard presents very well, with a strong and attractive image of Bernhardt and excellent theatrical detail in the costume. There is minor corner wear and a small scrape or light mark near the lower right image area. The reverse is unused. Overall, this is a very displayable early Sarah Bernhardt theatrical postcard in good antique condition (see scans).

This vintage Postcard is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $22.00 or best offer.

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336586794861

This is a truly charming and visually striking Edwardian-era cabinet card photograph depicting a young girl posed on an interior staircase, holding her beloved doll. The image has a wonderful warmth and depth and appears to be a silver print, giving it that rich tonal quality collectors look for in early 20th-century studio work. The child is beautifully dressed in a light-colored, likely white, dress with delicate detailing at the bodice and sleeves. Her outfit is completed with dark strap shoes (Mary Jane style) and light stockings. Particularly appealing are the two large bows in her hair, one on each side, which frame her face and give her a classic, almost storybook-like Edwardian look. She gently holds a bisque-type doll, which very well could be of German manufacture, as was common for quality dolls of this period. The doll itself wears a long gown and has a serene expression. The setting is equally attractive, with the girl standing on a carpeted staircase beside a finely turned banister, suggesting a comfortable middle-class domestic interior. The composition is thoughtful and balanced, typical of a skilled studio photographer. The mount is imprinted in elegant silver lettering: “W.E. Wright & Sons.” The reverse provides additional insight into the firm, noting that they specialized in “Portrait, Group & Architectural Photographers.” Multiple studio addresses are listed, including Forest Gate, Ilford, Seven Kings, Romford, Leyton, Walthamstow, and Westcliff, all of which place the business firmly in the London / Essex area of England. This was clearly a well-established regional studio operation with several branches serving the greater London suburban districts. On the reverse is a handwritten inscription that appears to read: “To Auntie Hilda with love from Elga Vivian” (handwriting consistent with that reading, though as always, interpretation may vary slightly). This personal touch adds provenance and emotional resonance to the piece. The photograph remains in very good antique condition overall. There is minor edge and corner wear. The image itself is clean and well-preserved, with strong contrast. See Scans. 

This Cabinet Card is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $48.00 or best offer

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236821470189

This vintage photograph features a pretty young woman fashionably dressed. She is likely a performer of some kind because the photographer who took this photo specialized in photographing French theatre and film stars. This beautiful photograph comes from the Paris studio of Pierre Apers. 
He was a talented French photographer active in the 1920’s and 1930’s. His studio was in Paris and he specialized in portraiture. Some of his work is in the collection of the Bibliotech Francais in Paris. The front of this photo has Aper’s facsimile signature at it’s bottom. The reverse of the photograph has an ink stamp providing the address of Aper’s studio.  SOLD

This original New York State Prison Department Bureau of Identification mugshot card documents inmate Marco Spiak, prisoner number C9516, photographed and examined in 1911. The card features the classic dual-view mugshot format—profile and frontal portraits—paired with extensive Bertillon-era anthropometric measurements, making it a particularly information-rich and visually compelling early criminal identification record. Spiak is shown wearing a dark suit and bow tie, lending the images a striking contrast between formal appearance and institutional context. His identification number C9516 is clearly visible on the frontal image, anchoring the photograph firmly within the New York State prison system. Recorded measurements and identifiers include: his height (5’4.5″), his weight (137.5 lbs), and race (white). Recorded measurements were relied upon because finger-printing was not in wide use at the time that this mug show created. Spiak was from Troy, New York (Rensselaer County). He was sentenced in 1911 for felony assault in the first degree (assault on a man with a gun). He was sentenced to a minimum of 2 years, 6months to a maximum of 8 years and six months. Spiak was no stranger to the criminal justice system. In 1907 he was sentenced in Rochester, New York for 17 months and in 1910 he was sentenced in Albany, New York for 4 months. Spiak was a recidivist (repeat offender). SOLD

This striking vintage sheet music for “Dream Girl” features words and music by H. Ross Cleveland and was published by the A.J. Stasny Music Company of New York, a prominent Tin Pan Alley firm known for producing visually appealing and widely distributed popular music during the early 20th century. The cover is the real standout—an exquisitely rendered portrait of a young woman with glowing skin, softly curled hair, and vivid, expressive eyes. The cover was created by Rolf Armstrong, one of the most celebrated American illustrators of the period. Armstrong was renowned for his idealized, glamorous female portraits—often referred to as “American Beauties”—and his work helped define the look of magazine covers and advertising art in the 1910s and 1920s. H. Ross Cleveland wrote the words and music for “Dream Girl”. He was one of the many composers working during the Tin Pan Alley era, contributing songs meant for home performance and popular entertainment. “Dream Girl” fits squarely into the sentimental popular song / ballad genre, centered on themes of romance and idealized love. This sheet music captures the spirit of its time beautifully. Between the evocative title, the romantic theme, and the Armstrong artwork, it is highly displayable. In regard to condition, this sheet music is in very good condition. I scanned every page so you can judge for yourself (see scans).

This Sheet Music is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $18.00 or best offer. 

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336588722936