THE ENIGMATIC SISTERS OF MONTAGUE, MICHIGAN

This cabinet card presents an enigma. How can this photograph be interpreted? The image features, what are likely, three sisters, gathered around a table. Each of the young woman is holding a book, but only one of the three has their book open. So? What’s the enigma? The mystery concerns the fact that prominently displayed on the table is a picture frame without a picture. The missing picture hasn’t wandered too far away. It can be seen lying on the table, face up, in front of the frame. Hopefully, a cabinet card gallery visitor will leave a comment with their hypothesis as to why the frame and picture are separated in this image. The photographer of this portrait was Theodore A.Wirsing (1865-1938) of Montague, Michigan. Research about Wirsing yielded confusing information. He is reported to have had a studio in Annandale, Minnesota in 1902  and a studio in Maple Lakes, Minnesota in 1902 and 1914. Another source states that Wirsing ran his gallery in Montague between 1890 and 1910. He and his wife, Lillian Bovee Wirsing (1865-1930) are buried in Michigan. Wirsing can also be found in four United States census reports. In 1900, he was living in a boarding house in Corinna, Minnesota, and working as a photographer. He was unmarried. In 1910, Wirsing was living in Annandale, Minnesota and listed as a photographer. .He was also married. In 1920, he was still living in Annandale, Minnesota and he was managing a photographic gallery. In 1930, the 64 year-old, Wirsing, and his wife, were living in Bellingham, Washington. The census also states that Theodore Wirsing was working as a carpenter in Bellingham.

Published in: on February 29, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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VICTORIAN BEAUTY ASKS “DO YOU THINK I’M SEXY?” IN GREAT YARMOUTH, ENGLAND

A Victorian beauty poses for her portrait in Great Yarmouth, England. She certainly has chosen a provocative pose. The young woman may be a stage actress or dancer. She is not helping the stereotypical  image of female stage performers who were viewed by much of the public as equivalent to prostitutes.  This  risqué  (for the era) image was photographed by Tilley Brothers studio. The photographers were successors to Boughton and Sons. Great Yarmouth is a coastal town in Norfolk, England. It has been a seaside resort since 1760.

Published in: on February 27, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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FANNY DAVENPORT: AMERICAN STAGE ACTRESS (1880)


                                                                          PHOTO 1

                                                                            PHOTO 2   (SOLD)

The top Cabinet Card is an image of American stage actress, Fanny Davenport. The photograph is dated February 28, 1880. Miss Davenport (1850-1898) was thirty years of age when she sat for this photograph by Emil Scholl, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He photographed many celebrities and this site has a category that includes a number of his images.  To view these images, click on the category “Photographer: Scholl”. Davenport was born in London, England and educated in public schools in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1862 she appeared in ” Faint Heart Never Won Fair Lady” in New York. In 1869 she became a member of the Augustin Daly Theater Company. She later formed her own company. She had great success in “Fedora” (1883) and “Cleopatra” (1890). Fellow actor, Otis Skinner, in a backhanded compliment stated that “Miss Davenport was a handsome woman, her business sense keen and her industry untiring. To these qualities rather than her acting, she owed the late success in which she accumulated a fortune in her productions.” The second photograph features a portrait of Davenport by Thomas Houseworth, whose studio was located in San Francisco, California. This image was part of the “Houseworth Celebrities” series. The series included three thousand titles for different categories, including entertainment and government. Note the carving below the chairs armrest in this photograph. Also take notice of Miss Davenport’s interesting hat. Thomas Houseworth (1828-1915) was an optician, photographer, and photographic publisher. Houseworth and George S. Lawrence came to San Francisco in 1849, during the Gold Rush. They caught gold fever and worked as miners in Calavera and Trinity counties. After two years of mining, they admitted defeat, and returned to San Francisco. In 1855, they partnered in a store that sold optical supplies and other miscellaneous items; but the partners became most well known for their stereographs. In 1859 they sold stereographs from an English company, but they soon contracted with local photographers to acquire and publish a diverse collection of stereos featuring various aspects and scenery of northern California and western Nevada. Later, they began to publish and market stereographs under their own name and by the early 1860’s had built the largest collection of stereographs for sale on the west coast. Lawrence retired in 1868 and the firm became known as Thomas Houseworth and Company. Houseworth hired the most talented photographers he could find.  His photographers included Thomas Hart (Transcontinental Railroad Construction), Carleton Watkins (The Sierras’), and Eadweard Muybridge (Yosemite). By the 1870’s Houseworth’s business was failing due to increased competition. He left the field of photography in the 1880’s and went to work as an accountant and an optometrist.

Published in: on February 25, 2012 at 12:01 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY SAILOR GIRL IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK

A smiling young woman, wearing a navy sailor uniform, poses for her portrait at the Silkworth studio in Brooklyn, New York. The attractive subject in this photograph may be  an actress or a dancer. Is it a coincidence that she is being photographed in the some borough as the Brooklyn Naval Yard?   The photographer, Amos W. Silkworth, married into the photography business. In 1885, he married Mary Biffar, and took over her father ‘s photography studio. His father-in-law’s name was Henry Biffar. The address on this cabinet card is 795 Manhattan Avenue and research found that he operated a studio in 1888 and 1899 from 261 Manhattan Avenue. This address was reported to be in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn. Silkworth had a letter published in “The American Annual of Photography” (1899). At an unknown time, he retired from business and relocated to Mattituck, Long Island, New York. In 1917, “The “Bulletin of Photography” announced Silkworth’s death from Brights Disease at age fifty-five.   SOLD

Published in: on February 22, 2012 at 9:01 am  Comments (2)  

UP, UP, AND AWAY IN COLUMBUS OHIO: TWO LARGE MEN PREPARE TO LAUNCH ONE SMALL MAN

Perhaps the photographer of this unique cabinet card faced a dilemma. After posing the short man with two canes  in in a chair between the two normal sized men, the photographer may have realized that the resulting portrait would look disproportionate and unattractive. After this realization, perhaps the photographer had a flash of creativity and imagined the “Up, Up, and Away” concept utilized in this photograph. The concept worked. The resulting image is fun,   action packed, and proportionate (all three men’s heads are at the same  level).  This terrific image shows two men hoisting a disabled man, holding two canes, into the air. Two of the men are wearing straw hats, and the man in the middle is wearing a derby. All three men seem to be in good humor. Note the “Daily Ohio” newspaper sticking out of one of the men’s pocket. The newspaper may be “The Ohio Daily Statesman”. This particular newspaper was an early Columbus publication but the date that the newspaper issued its last edition has yet to be uncovered. Therefore,  unknown whether the Statesman was still published at the time of this photograph. The photographers of this photograph are Edward B. Champion and Robert M. Davie, of Columbus, Ohio. This cabinet card is in good condition (see scans).

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Published in: on February 20, 2012 at 1:04 am  Comments (6)  
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FIVE BEAUTIFUL YOUNG SIBLINGS IN DUREN, GERMANY

The parents of these five siblings must have been pleased when the photographer, Robert Ophoven, gave them this portrait. The children are beautiful, well dressed, and well posed. All three girls are wearing jewelry and their hair was carefully styled for this portrait. It is also interesting to note the intimacy between the three girls. the middle girl has an arm around the shoulders of one sister while her other arm is being grasped by her other sister. This image was photographed in Duren, Germany.

Published in: on February 18, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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MILES TO NOWHERE: COUPLE DRIVING ZERO MILES PER HOUR IN PORTOBELLO, EDINBURGH, UNITED KINGDOM

“Miles from nowhere. Guess I’ll take my time. Oh yeah, ….to reach there.” The lyrics of Cat Stevens’s song, “Miles to Nowhere”, pretty much sums up the driving experience of the couple in the mock car in this photograph. They are going nowhere fast. If you are a regular visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery, then this cabinet photograph may look familiar to you. There is a portrait in the gallery of a another couple sitting in a mock automobile that is identical to the one in this photograph. That photograph was taken in a studio located in the Isle of Man. To view that photograph, click on the category “Automobile”. The image pictured here was photographed by William Lees of Portobello, Edinburg, in the United Kingdom. The studio address was 28 Bath Street. John Lees, T.Lees, and William E. Lees operated their Portobello photo studio from 1892 until 1952. William Lees kept a stuffed donkey in his studio.  SOLD

Published in: on February 16, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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STATELY COUPLE AND THEIR SAMOYED IN STUTTGART, GERMANY

A formally dressed couple pose for their portrait at the studio of Alfred Hirrlinger in Stutgart, Germany. Also appearing in the portrait is the couple’s family dog.The small long haired white pooch is possibly a young Samoyed or Spitz. Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery can give a more informed opinion in regard to the dog’s breed. Regardless of the dog’s pedigree, the canine seems to be having a lot more fun than its masters. The couple certainly seem to be quite intense. The husband has a terrific mustache which curls at its ends. He is wearing a pocket watch which can be seen behind his open jacket. The woman is wearing a necklace and collar pin. This photograph was taken after the turn of the century. The reverse of the photograph has a printed telephone number and displays four medals won by the studio between 1897 and 1902.

Published in: on February 14, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (3)  
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ELDERLY GENTLEMAN IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

An elderly gentleman poses for his portrait at the studio of Christensen and Morange, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The grey haired man, dressed in a suit,  is sitting in a chair next to an open book, which lies on a desk or table. The man’s pocket watch can be seen behind his open jacket. Note the interesting design of the chair that the gentleman is occupying. The old man’s facial expression is open to interpretation. At first glance, he looks quite serious; but upon further examination, he seems a bit amused as he stares at the photographer. The Christensen and Morange studio photographed a number of well known people in Denmark. Some of the photographer’s portraits are held by the Royal Library, in Copenhagen.  To view the Cabinet Card Gallery’s collection of photographs from Denmark, click on the category, “Denmark”.

Published in: on February 13, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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LITTLE GIRL RIDING A GIANT TRICYCLE IN MONTEVIDEO, MINNESOTA

A little girl sits high atop a giant tricycle in this cabinet card photograph by Andreas Brandmo. Brandmo’s studio was located in Montevideo, Minnesota. The little girl won’t be able to ride very far on her  monster bike. Unfortunately her feet do not seem to reach the bike’s pedals. She also doesn’t look particularly comfortable on her perch, as she poses for the photographer. The 1900 United States census reveals that Brandmo was born in Norway in 1855. He came to the United States in 1882 and married his wife Martha in 1885. Apparently, Brandmo and his wife were producing children at a rapid pace. After 15 years of marriage, the couple had eight children spanning between three and twelve years of age. The census also indicated that Brandmo’s niece, Lucy Husaby, worked as a photographer in his studio. The family lived in Appleton, Minnesota. Research found that Brandmo operated his Montevideo studio between 1886 and 1896. It was also reported that he ran a gallery in Appleton in 1898. At some point he had a partner and their studio was named Brandmo & Lodgaard. The 1910 census reveals that Andreas Brandmo changed his name to Andrew Brandmo. Perhaps when he realized he had eight children and a wife depending on him, he changed his name and entered the Federal Witness Protection Program. More likely though, he probably Americanized his name for business purposes. The 1910 census also notes that his son Alf, had joined him in the business and was working as a photographer.

Published in: on February 9, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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