This cabinet card served as a memorial to the gentleman pictured in the image. The photograph was taken by the Mosher Gallery of Chicago, Illinois. The cabinet card is dated 1891. This cabinet card is particularly interesting because the Brisbois International Memorial Portrait Company is also listed as producing the photograph. Research revealed no information about the Brisbois Company. Was Brisbois a subsidiary of Mosher’s gallery? Printed on the center bottom of the card, is an advertisement stating that the Memorial Portraits could be purchased at the cost of five dollars per dozen. It seems rather unseemly that the studio would put prices on the front of actual Memorial Cards purchased by grieving families. It is possible that this cabinet card was used as a sample to help sell Memorial Portraits to customers. Mosher was a well known and talented photographer. To learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Mosher”.
MEMORIAL CARD BY MOSHER OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
Take a look at the back of the Mosher cabinet card reproduced at http://www.flickr.com/photos/crackdog/6336307166/.
It looks to me like the “memorial” photo was what Mosher called his photos of the “top 10,000” Chicagoans. Call me cynical, but it sounds like a sales gimmick to me – and a good one, at that. You became a leading citizen of Chicago by coming in to have your picture taken. And, of course, you will want prints for yourself, family, and business associates.
curiosity I have the same man (with some years less) in a mosher memorial cabinet photo… maybe is mosher himself ?
i take “memorial” here to refer to a service that Mosher offered generally, and not to this particular card. i doubt he limited his practice to just memorials, as we now understand them. and the use of term “memorial” as the commentator above shows is not one i have seen any other cabinet card photographer use. i’m pretty sure i have at least one cabinet by Mosher. i’ll have to look, when i get the time.
Among my mother-in-law’s things, I found a family portrait (14 people). Unfortunately, there is no identification except in the lower left of the photo which reads: Brisbois Photo Chicago. I wish I could learn more about the individuals in the photo.
Yes, it is unfortunate that there is no one in the family that can identify the subjects in the photograph. I leaving you this link to provide you with a little information about the Brisbois studio.
https://cabinetcardgallery.com/?s=brisbois&submit=Search