This cabinet card offers a joy ride for the viewers imagination. The mind trip leads to a small town in the old west. Six men are gathered in the photography studio of E W. Beard. The men are members of a posse that has recently captured a notorious outlaw. They have come together for a group portrait, so that they can have a memento of their accomplishment. It would be terrific to know the real reason why these men are gathered together; but there is no explanatory evidence available. Further frustration and lack of success was encountered when trying to identify the location of the photography studio that produced this photograph.
PORTRAIT OF A POSSE
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
I don’t know if they are “wild west”. The reason for my hesitation is the fact that it appears they are not wearing cowboy boots. The shoes they are wearing appear to have laces on them. The real frustration is the fact that the man standing on the far right may be the “tell”. He reminds me of a photo I have of a minister, same era, out of New York! There are no badges. I suspect the photo is from the east. The hats are also a give-away. You don’t seen the one, second from the left, west of the Miss. The hat on man seating, left, is more of an eastern hat.
SJR
The Pink Flamingo
If this was a posse they’d be carrying guns.