Richard Bartholdt (1855-1932) was born in Schleiz, Germany where he attended college and then immigrated to the United States in 1872. He initially settled in Brooklyn, New York where he learned the printing trade and became a newspaper writer and publisher. He then moved to St. Louis, Missori in 1877 and continued in the newspaper trade. In 1893, while editor in chief of the St. Louis Tribune and member of the St. Louis Board of Education, he was elected as a Republican to the U.S. Congress where he served until 1915. While in Congress he served as chairman of the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization and other committees. In 1911, President Taft appointed him special envoy to the German Emperor to present a statue of Baron Steuben as a gift from Congress and the American people. After serving his time in congress, Bartholdt devoted himself to literary and further political pursuits. He was an esperantist, ind in 1914 he proposed a resolution to have Esperanto taught in American schools. During World War I, he was president of the American Independence Union, which was committed to establishing an embargo on munitions sales by the United States companies to belligerent nations. He died in St. Louis, Mo. This Cabinet card was photographed by C M (Charles) Bell of Washington D.C. The reverse of the card is inscribed by Barholdt. He writes “With the compliments of the season. Yours very truly, Richard Bartholdt M.C.” It is very likely that M.C. signifies “Member of Congress”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 