This cabinet card features the portrait of a gray haired older man with an appearance problem. He apparently had a great deal of ambivalence about whether he should grow a beard. In a flash of brilliance, he decided to grow a half a beard, the bottom half. He is a distinguished looking man and no one could look as good as he does, with half a beard. This photograph is a fine example of creative facial hair styles; therefore it earns its place in Cabinet Card Gallery’s category of “Beards (Only the Best)”. This image was photographed by Chamberlain of Boston, Massachusetts.
DISTINGUISHED OLDER MAN WITH HALF A BEARD IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS
EIGHT ATHLETIC LOOKING BLOKES IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
This cabinet card is a portrait of eight very athletic looking men. The men are dressed very similarly. Their pants appear to be identical and they each are wearing a wide white belt around their waists. The image presents a number of questions. Are these Aussie blokes wearing a uniform? Are they members of a sports team? Are they wearing work clothing and all share the same occupation? Hopefully some Cabinet Card Gallery visitors will leave a comment that gives their opinion as to the answers to the aforementioned questions. The photographer of this image is Herbst of Sydney, Australia. He is mentioned in a number of Sydney newspapers published in the 1890’s. Advertisements for his studio appear in the newspapers, and there is mention of some of the notables he photographed.
MISS JANE COOMBS: EARLY AMERICAN THEATRE ACTRESS
Jane Coombs (1842-?) was an American actress who made a sensational debut during the 1855-1856 theatre season. She starred opposite Edwin Forrest at New York’s Broadway Theatre. In 1861 she starred in a production at the Haymarket Theatre in London, England. The New York Times (1864) describes a graceful tribute to “the charming actress”. The Nebraska State Journal (1894) published a very insulting article about the actress. The article reports that a man stole large packages with Miss Coombs name printed on them, from a hotel baggage room. Apparently, he was hoping to find diamonds in the packages. Upon opening the packages he found two thousand billboard portraits of Miss Coombs. The journal concludes that “Anybody who has had the doubtful pleasure of beholding Miss Coombs, will sympathize with the thief, and decide that in this case, his punishment was greater than his crime”. The author of this article, may be gifted with a sense of humor, but his description of Jane Coombs, at age 52, is certainly quite cruel. She certainly does not look unattractive in this cabinet card portrait by Napoleon Sarony. Sarony was a famed celebrity photographer in New York. Other images by Sarony can be viewed by clicking on the category “Photographers: Sarony”.
FIVE PRETTY LITTLE GIRLS IN ARLINGTON, SOUTH DAKOTA
This cabinet card is a portrait of five pretty little girls in Arlington, South Dakota. The photographer, Glendenning, demonstrated talent, in the way he posed the children in this photograph. The girls are dressed in similar dark dresses and two are wearing necklaces with crosses. South Dakota became a state in 1889; therefore this cabinet card was photographed after 1889.
ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN WAUBEEK, IOWA
This cabinet card features a very adorable young girl. She is standing on a fur draped chair and wearing a fancy dress. A hair ribbon decorates her hair and adds to her “cutie pie” appearance. Handwriting on the reverse of the photograph identifies the child as “Elva Hemenway”. The 1900 Federal Census identifies a seven year-old named Elva L.Hemenway, who resided in Linn County, Iowa. Waubeek is in Linn County. The photographer is H. L. Warner of Waubeek, Iowa.
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