This Cabinet Card is an image of a teenager or young woman posing in a special dress for what is apparently a special day. She is holding a small book and flowers. She is wearing dress gloves and a corsage. Perhaps this is a portrait of her confirmation day. The props in the photograph are quite elaborate and that should not be a surprise once one learns about the photographer. The photographer is F. Schanz of Ft Wayne, Indiana. Research reveals that Felix Schanz (1861-?) was born in France and educated in Germany. He came to the United States at age 18 and worked as a photographer for three years in New York City. He arrived in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1881. “The Pictorial History of Fort Wayne, Indiana” , published in 1917; states that Schanz was a well known and popular businessman who lived in Fort Wayne nearly 40 years. He had a number of successive studios but the one that he built in 1914 allowed drivers to drive into the building to obtain photographs of their car and the car’s occupants. Schanz also expanded his studio to work in the area of motion picture photography. He was an innovator and his studios were described as quite grand. to view other photographs by Schanz, click on the category “Photographer: Schanz”.
WOMAN IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA: DRESSED FOR AN OCCASION
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
I have an album of old pictures that has been in my family for many years, my grandfather found it in a paper mill in Miamisburg, OH, most of the pictures was taken by Felix Schanz, 112 Calhoun St. Ft. Wayne, IN, they are very old. I wish I knew who the families were.