A young well dressed African American man poses for his portrait at the Moore studio in Denison, Texas. The town of Denison was founded in 1872 in conjunction with the Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad. In 1875, famed western gambler, gunfighter, and dentist, John Henry Holliday (Doc Holliday), had offices in Denison. Doc Holliday is also known for his great friendship and shared exploits with lawman Wyatt Earp.
YOUNG AFRICAN AMERICAN MAN IN DENISON, TEXAS
HANDSOME COUPLE AND AN OPEN BOOK IN GLATZ, GERMANY
This photograph features a nice looking well dressed couple posing with an open book. The photographer is Joseph Meier of Glatz, Germany. The city of Glatz is located in lower Silesia. A date written on the reverse of the photograph indicates that it was taken in 1914.
MINNIE HAUK: AMERICAN OPERA STAR
This cabinet card features Amalia Mignon Hauck (1851-1929). She was best known as Minnie Hauk and she was a celebrated American opera soprano. Minnie Hauk was born in New York City and as a child also lived in Rhode Island and Kansas. She studied voice with Achille Errani and had her debut in Brooklyn at age 14. Her New York City debut occurred when she was fifteen years of age. She sang Juliette in the American premiere of “Romeo et Juliette” in 1867. She performed in London in 1868 and in Paris the following year. She was the first American “Carmen” (1878). Unfortunately her fame and success did not last throughout her life. By 1918 she was in poverty and nearly blind. To see other photographs by Alfred S. Campbell and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Campbell”.
YOUNG GIRL PRACTICES HER VIOLIN IN WARREN, ILLINOIS
This cabinet card features an unidentified young girl who appears to be deep in concentration as she practices playing her violin. Note the music stand. You may have seen similar stands at your local antique store or antique show. This image was produced at the Dobler studio in Warren, Illinois. Research yielded no information about Dobler or his studio
HENRY GOES TO WAR (PORTRAIT OF A SPANISH AMERICAN WAR ERA SOLDIER)
A Spanish American War era soldier poses for his portrait at an unknown studio in an unknown place. Note the US pin and crossed rifles pin on each side of his collar. He also has pins on the front of his hat indicating he was a member of the 5th regiment, company E. The 5th Infantry Regiment was nicknamed the ‘”Bobcats” and is the third-oldest infantry regiment of the U.S. Army. It was established in 1808. The regiment arrived in the Philippines too late to participate in the war but did perform occupation duties and later saw action in the Philippines War of 1900. The photograph has an inscription on the reverse that identifies the soldier as “Henry”. It is not clear whether “Henry” is this young man’s first or last name. Other background information about this image was likely lost when a previous owner trimmed the photograph to fit it into a frame. Hopefully, a visitor to the cabinet card gallery can confirm that this is indeed a Spanish American War era soldier and not a World War I era soldier.
GROUP PORTRAIT NINE MEN IN INDIA (ETHNIC PHOTOGRAPH)
This photograph features a portrait of a group of men, dressed in ethnic clothing (including turbans), and posing in an unidentified country. It is most likely that the location of this group photo is the nation of India. This portrait raises a number of questions on issues besides location. What is the man standing on the right side of the back row carrying in the bag hung over his shoulder? The man next to the man with the bag appears to be holding the bag man’s belt. Why is he holding the belt? There is a brick building behind the men. Is the building a business, a home, or an embassy? Are these men about to embark on a trip? Are they part of a work crew? The answer to these questions elude us but the mystery is part of what makes this photograph interesting to view.
HANDSOME MAN IN CROOKSTON, MINNESOTA
This photograph features a very handsome man posing for his portrait at the studio of Skrin Seth in Crookston, Minnesota. My spelling of the photographer’s name is questionable since his name is partially illegible as printed on the front of the photograph. The subject of this photograph has glamorous looks and is wearing a fur coat. He is identified on the reverse of the card but once again there is a legibility problem. His name is either “Mr. E. McKenzie” or “N. E. McKenzie”. Research revealed no biographical information about the image’s subject or about the photographer.
PRETTY WOMAN IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
A beautifully dressed and pretty woman poses for her portrait at the Tonkin studio. She is wearing gloves and a most interesting hat and a long necklace. She is holding a small black object in her hand. Perhaps a visitor to this site can identify this object. My guess is that its some kind of small wallet. The 1900 US census finds a Herbert Tonkin (age 32) living in San Francisco with his wife Mary (age 30) and working as a photographer. Herbert Tonkin was an immigrant to the US and was born in Wales. To view other photographs by this photographer, click on the category “Photographer: Tonkin”.
PORTRAIT OF THE SHELTON FAMILY IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
The Shelton family poses for their family portrait at the studio of Poul C. Poulsen in Brisbane, Australia. The photographer appears to have provided the family with props to use in this photograph. The bespectacled Mr Shelton reads to his daughter as she sits on his lap. A second daughter sits in a miniature chair and is holding an open magazine. The eldest daughter (on the far right side of the image) holds a fan that features the image of a pretty woman. Fans such as this, frequently had images of famous actresses of the era. Mrs Shelton has a handkerchief on her lap while another daughter is holding flowers. In the back center of the photograph is the Shelton’s young adult aged son who has his arms folded across his chest and a look of disinterest on his face. Poul Christensen Poulsen (1857-1925) was born in Denmark and arrived in Sydney in 1876. In 1882 he moved to Queensland and opened a photographic studio a few years later. He was later joined by brothers and sisters from Denmark. He opened branches of his studio in other Queensland towns. In 1898 he was appointed the Danish Consul at Brisbane. Over the years, his sons and grandsons entered the photography business. There is evidence on this particular cabinet card that dates it somewhere between 1894 and 1898. The studio located in the town of Gympie that is listed in the advertising on the front of this card, existed between 1894 and 1898.
CAVALRY OFFICER WITHOUT A HORSE AND WITHOUT A COUNTRY
A cavalry officer poses for his portrait at an unknown studio in an unknown location. This handsome military man is wearing what appears to be riding gloves and a sword in a sheath on his belt. He also has a belt buckle which may provide some additional information. However, limited magnification availability has precluded uncovering further identifying information on the buckle. It is unlikely that the subject is a member of an American cavalry unit. There is an embroidered crown on his left sleeve which may indicate he served in a Canadian or British mounted brigade. Another possibility is that the subject is actually an actor wearing a theatrical costume. Hopefully, a cabinet card visitor will leave an enlightening comment concerning this man’s identity.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 