THE CABINET CARD GALLERY

This item is a beautiful and softly romantic hand-colored French postcard (no.2236) featuring a striking portrait of a young woman in an elegant wide-brimmed hat and flowing dress, delicately enhanced with pink tinting. The subtle coloring highlights the fabric and rose. This postcard was issued by the famous Paris studio of Reutlinger, one of the most important photographic publishers of the Belle Époque era. Founded by Leopold-Émile Reutlinger, the studio became renowned for its glamorous portrait photography of actresses, models, and fashionable women. Reutlinger images were widely distributed as postcards throughout Europe. The caption at the bottom of the card reads “La cruche cassée,” which is French and translates to “The Broken Pitcher” (or “The Broken Vessel”). The phrase carries artistic and symbolic meaning, often associated with themes of innocence, fragility, or lost virtue, and was a popular motif in European art and literature. Based on the style, format, and publisher, this postcard can be confidently dated to approximately circa 1905–1910, during the height of the golden age of postcards. This is a lovely classic Belle Epoque glamour portrait. SOLD

Step back into the late 19th century with this remarkable cabinet photograph from December 15, 1898. Captured by a photographer named A. Hallberg in South McAlister, Indian Territory (modern-day Oklahoma), this image is a piece of frontier history. In the photograph, we see a strongman or performer posing confidently in an unusual athletic costume. His attire includes a fitted outfit adorned with decorative ribbons around his knee and waist, and a pair of laced-up boots, all reminiscent of a circus or vaudeville performer of the era. The man’s muscular build suggests he might be a strongman or an athlete, common in traveling shows of the time. The photographer, identified by the elegant “A. Hallberg” logo on the card mount, is a rare but authentic figure from the Indian Territory. Indian Territory at that time was a region set aside for Native American tribes and encompassed much of what is now Oklahoma. It was a place of diverse cultures and a hub of early frontier activity before statehood. On the back of this cabinet card, there is a handwritten inscription that reads: “To my old friend Georgia – Dec 15th 1898 from [illegible].” The signature on the card may be “Charles M. St. Clair”. While the sender’s name is faint, it adds a personal historical touch, making this piece even more unique. SOLD

This attractive early twentieth-century lithographic postcard depicts East Main Street, Northport, New York, capturing a quiet yet telling moment in the village’s everyday life during the pre-automobile era. The view looks along a gently curving, unpaved road lined with tall, leafless trees, suggesting late fall or early spring. A single horse-drawn carriage proceeds down the center of the street, while well-kept houses with porches and railings line the left side and a wooded rise with additional residences appears to the right. Utility poles and overhead wires mark the gradual arrival of modern infrastructure, creating a scene that neatly bridges nineteenth-century village life and the early twentieth century. The caption at the lower edge of the image reads “East Main Street, Northport, N.Y.”, and directly beneath it appears the name C. E. Robertson, which can be confidently identified as the publisher of the postcard. Robertson was active as a regional publisher of New York view cards during the early 1900s, and his name appears on a number of Long Island and greater New York area postcards of this period. Historically, East Main Street in Northport corresponds to what is today considered the eastern stretch of Main Street, running eastward from the village center toward Fort Salonga Road. While modern maps generally refer to the entire thoroughfare simply as Main Street, period postcards and local usage often distinguished the eastern section as “East Main Street,” particularly when emphasizing views beyond the immediate village green and dock area. The scene shown here aligns well with that eastern approach into the village. Northport is located on the north shore of Long Island and the village sits at the edge of Northport harbor on the Long Island Sound. The village is part of Huntington township. The reverse of the postcard bears a clearly legible handwritten message and a Northport postmark dating to 1911, firmly placing the card within the early postcard era. The message reads: “Dear Friend, I thought you would like this. Mrs. Stewart.” The card is addressed to a woman/girl in Lynn, Massachusetts.  ADDENDUM: A Cabinet Card Gallery visitor left a comment asserting that the motor vehicle seen on the postcard is actually an automobile and that the only horse in the photo is “under the hood”. She is absolutely correct on both accounts. SOLD

This original real photo postcard (RPPC) features two men posing together in front of a studio backdrop, both wearing exceptionally heavy, full-length fur coats. The pair stand beside a Mission-style wooden chair on an Oriental-patterned rug, giving the photograph a distinctly rustic and frontier appearance. The coats appear to be made from buffalo or bear fur, both of which were popular among hunters, trappers, and outdoorsmen in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The texture and length of the fur suggest a coarse, thick pelt designed for extreme cold, possibly buffalo hide with wool lining, though some early Western coats were indeed made from bear or sheepskin. These garments were prized by ranchers, lawmen, and settlers of the northern plains and mountain regions. Both men wear wide-brimmed hats typical of early Western or frontier fashion. The man on the right holds a cigar, his expression relaxed and confident; the man on the left rests one hand on the chair, gazing directly at the camera. The neutral background and interior setting suggest this photograph was taken in a small-town studio, possibly in the northern United States or western Canada. This specific Velox stamp box style was in use between about 1907 and 1914. The postcard’s reverse bears a divided back. (SOLD)

This striking French vintage postcard features an elegant early 20th-century artistic nude study, photographed in the refined continental style popular in Paris before the First World War. The image shows a reclining young woman posed on a richly upholstered chaise longue, her body partially draped with tulle fabric. She holds a three-panel folding mirror, creating a captivating visual effect as her reflection appears from multiple angles. Her expression is relaxed and absorbed, as if admiring her reflection in a private boudoir moment. The photographer has arranged the scene with great care—soft lighting, painterly shadows, and the ornate studio backdrop all work together to evoke classic French glamour photography of the Belle Époque and early Art Deco period. The number “136” appears in the lower right corner of the card, a typical cataloging mark of French postcard studios known for producing tasteful figure studies intended for artists, collectors, and students of drawing. The sepia tone heightens the vintage aesthetic and reflects the warm printing style used in many early 1900s French photographic ateliers. This card is unposted and has a blank reverse, consistent with collectible “carte photo” nudes of this era. (SOLD)

This rare vintage French postcard features A. R. Spittler, the director of the Grand Cirque Helvetia (The Great Swiss Circus(, in a formal portrait with two of his performing dogs. Seated in a studio chair, Spittler wears a dark three-piece suit and gazes directly at the camera with a composed, confident expression. At his side sits a large, muscular dog—likely a mastiff-type—while another dog, with a wiry coat and long muzzle, reclines at his feet. The image exudes a quiet dignity, reflecting both the man’s role as circus director and the close bond between trainer and animals. The upper right of the card is printed with: “Grand Cirque Helvetia – A. R. Spittler, Directeur”. The reverse side is a standard French divided back. The card is unused and unposted. Historical records indicate that A. R. Spittler was an early 20th-century circus impresario, active around 1910. He operated under the banner “Nouveau Cirque Helvetia”, touring parts of eastern France with a two-mast big top tent of approximately 40 meters in diameter. Known for his animal acts and refined presentation style, Spittler’s productions combined traditional circus spectacle with a focus on quality performance and visual appeal. Postcards like this one served as promotional souvenirs for attendees.  (SOLD)

This cabinet card features a formal portrait of three individuals—two women and a boy—accompanied by a dog. The setting appears to be a professional photography studio, with a painted backdrop and a patterned floor covering. The young boy is dressed in a Western-style outfit, wearing a light-colored jacket, knee-length pants, tall socks, and a newsboy-style cap. His expression is neutral, and he holds his hands in front of him in a composed stance. The standing woman in the center wears a dark kimono with a traditional obi sash. Her hair is styled in an elegant updo, characteristic of the late Meiji or early Taisho period. She maintains a composed yet confident expression, resting one hand gently on the seated woman’s shoulder. The seated woman on the right wears a lighter-colored kimono with a darker obi. She has a calm expression and a poised posture, with her hands delicately resting in her lap. The dog, sitting in front of the group, is a medium-sized breed with a short coat. Its head is slightly tilted, giving it an endearing expression. The reverse side has handwritten Japanese inscriptions, adding to its historical interest. This cabinet card likely dates to the late Meiji period (circa 1895–1912) or early Taisho period (1912–1926), based on clothing style and photograph format. (SOLD)