A HANDSOME KNIGHT IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK (KNIGHTS TEMPLAR)

A handsome young man poses in his fraternal organization uniform at the studio of Edward Landsheft in Buffalo, New York. The previous owner of this cabinet card asserted that the uniform represents the Knights Templar, though I can not confirm his opinion as fact.  The subject of this image is holding a sword. Note the knights head on the sword pommel. Also worthy of notice are the crown and cross on his gloves and the initials “OPK” on his belt buckle. It is unknown whether “OPK” represents the man’s initials or is related to something specific in the Knights Templar culture.

Published in: on June 30, 2012 at 12:00 am  Comments (2)  
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PERPLEXED YOUNG WOMAN POSES IN A CHAIR IN GLAUCHAU OR WALDENBURG, GERMANY

A photographer named Alvin Dietrich photographed this perplexed looking young woman sitting in a chair. Dietrich had photography studios in Glauchau and Waldenburg, Germany. The woman is wearing a hair band and a bow. She is not wearing jewelry. Note the flowers pinned near the top of her dress. A newspaper sits on a table behind her.

Published in: on June 29, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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LITTLE GIRL PUSHING DOLL IN CARRIAGE POSES IN FRONT OF AMATEURISH BACKDROP

The little girl featured in this cabinet card is absolutely adorable in her pose pushing her doll in a baby carriage. The backdrop in this photograph is absolutely not adorable. The screen is so amateurish that it looks like it was painted by a group of the subject’s classmates. The photographer of this image has the last name of Mead. Unfortunately, the location of his studio is unknown. It is an unusual occurrence that the name of the photographer is listed on the cabinet card without an address of the studio. After all, photographers used cabinet cards as free advertising by listing their location and special talents. The reverse of the cabinet card has an inscription that indicates that the subject of this portrait is named “Mamie Cole (Griffis)”. There were many Mamie Coles, Mamie Griffiths, and photographers named Mead living in the United States during the cabinet card era. It is impossible, with available information, to truly identify both subject and photographer. It is interesting to note that there was a photographer in the Dakota Territories name Josiah J. Mead and a woman named Mamie Cole who was born in South Dakota in 1894.

Published in: on June 28, 2012 at 12:43 am  Comments (3)  
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A WOMAN AND HER BOOK IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

A thinnish young woman poses for her portrait at the studio of H. Huebner in Chicago, Illinois. She is dressed nicely and hopefully a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery can tell us more about her dress. The design of the dress seems unusual and I am particularly interested in what material the dress is made from. The young woman is holding an open book.The previous owner of this image hypothesized that the subject of this photograph was a school teacher.

 

Published in: on June 27, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
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VEILED WOMAN IN LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

A veiled woman poses for her portrait at the studio of Otto E. Weber’s New York Gallery. Contrary to common sense, the New York Gallery was not located in New York. Weber operated his studio out of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The veil, or head scarf, is beautifully knitted. It looks very soft. Note the white bow on top of the unidentified woman’s head. The Biographical Annals of Lancaster County (1903) reports that Weber (1857-1913) was one of the finest photographers in Pennsylvania. He was of German extraction and came to the United States with his parents in 1878. He opened his photography studio in Lancaster in about 1888. Weber served four years in the National Guard of Pennsylvania. The Annals state that Weber was a great lover of “manly sports” and expert with both shotgun and rifle. Another reference asserts that Weber operated his Lancaster studio between 1890 and 1906.

Published in: on June 26, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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A BEWILDERED COUPLE AND THEIR PUG

A disoriented couple pose for their portrait along with their pet pug. The woman is wearing a striped dress with a collar pin. The man is wearing a suit and is sitting on a fur covered chair. The couple’s dog sits on the man’s lap. The photographer and the location of his studio are unknown. The bewildered couple and their pug are unidentified. However, writing on the reverse of the image indicates that the photograph was taken in 1898.   SOLD

Published in: on June 25, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY WOMAN WITH DARK HAIR, DARK EYES, AND WHITE GLOVES

A pretty young woman with dark hair and dark eyes poses for her portrait by a photographer named E. C. Brown whose studio was located on Douglas Avenue in Ellsworth, Kansas.  The woman in this photograph is wearing a striking dress with a couple of floral displays pinned to it. She is wearing formal white gloves and is holding some papers.  Her dress looks like a wedding dress but it is not likely that she would be holding papers in a wedding portrait. Perhaps a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery will share an opinion in regard to the specific context of this image.

Published in: on June 24, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (3)  
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TEN YOUNG LADIES POSE FOR GROUP PORTRAIT IN CONNEAUT, OHIO

Ten well dressed young ladies pose for a group portrait in Conneaut, Ohio. The photographer is H. P. Pitcher. Note the women’s great hats, especially the striped hat worn by the woman near the middle of the bottom row of ladies. Two of the ladies in the photograph are holding what appears to be a spread handkerchief. Perhaps a visitor to Cabinet Card Gallery can explain why the women are holding the handkerchief in that manner for a portrait.  The previous owner of this cabinet card hypothesized that the group of young women are school friends. Photographer, Harvey P. Pitcher was born in Trumbull County, Ohio in 1847. He was the son of a farmer. His parents hailed from New York. He left his fathers farm at age twenty and quickly learned the field of photography in Conneaut. In 1872, he married Miss Jennie Press of Conneaut. He died in 1907. Most of the information cited about Pitcher comes from the “Biographical History of Northeastern, Ohio” (1893).

Published in: on June 23, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
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FRATERNAL ORGANIZATION MEMBER PORTRAIT (SALADIN SHRINE CENTER)

This photograph captures a fraternal organization member wearing an organizational hat and pin. Note the tassel on the hat and the man’s wonderful mustache.  The hat has lettering on it which appears to say “Saladin”. The Saladin Shrine Center is located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It was established in 1886 and has, like many such fraternal organization of that time, a Middle Eastern theme. Saladin was a warrior and Sultan of Egypt and Syria. He lived between 1138 and 1193. He was known for his soldiering, chivalry, courageousness, piety, acts of mercy, and kindness to the poor. The organization became very popular. By 1893, the fraternal group had 661 members. This photograph has been trimmed for framing and as a result, the name of the photographer and the location of his studio is unknown.

 

Published in: on June 22, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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TWO WOMEN AND THEIR BOOKS IN WEST SUPERIOR, WISCONSIN (WINTER SCENE)

Two women dressed in winter coats pose for their portrait at Boyer Brothers studio in West Superior, Wisconsin. They appear well prepared for the winter scene that is hanging behind them. Both women are holding books in their arms. Unlike most subjects appearing in cabinet cards, these two ladies are smiling. The Boyer Brothers include Hans R. Boyer, Henry Boyer, and Robert H. Boyer. The brothers worked in various combinations and in a number of partnerships in Superior, Wisconsin and Duluth, Minnesota. They were associated with studios from the 1880s through the 1910’s.

Published in: on June 21, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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