PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A BEADED DRESS IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

rugg

A pretty young woman wearing a dark beaded sleeveless dress and a choker poses for her portrait at the Rugg studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Arthur Rugg took a profile view of this woman and managed to capture her sweetness, evidenced in her eyes and smile. Mr. Rugg is not a stranger to the cabinet card gallery and you can view more of his images and learn more about him by clicking the category “Photographer: Rugg”. Below, you can see Mr. Rugg’s advertising which appeared on the reverse of the photograph.

rugg 1

Published in: on April 11, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY DOE EYED WOMAN IN WILLIMANTIC, CONNECTICUT

doe eyes

A pretty doe eyed young woman wearing a beautiful beaded dress poses for her portrait at the studio of C. H. Townsend in Willimantic, Connecticut. Note the intricate embroidered flowers on the tablecloth next to the young lady. Charles Henry Townsend was born in Athens, Ohio in 1847. He ran away from home at age 16 and enlisted in the 129th Ohio volunteer infantry and joined the fray of the civil war. He served nearly a year and then joined the 141st Ohio volunteer infantry and fought for another 100 days. Townsend was not done serving the Union army. He then joined the 65th Ohio volunteer infantry and served another year including a difficult stint in Texas. Interestingly, Townsend doesn’t appear to have ever rose above the rank of Private. After the war, Townsend took up his uncle’s offer to teach him to be a photographer. A. C. Townsend was a photographer in Springfield, Massachusetts. By 1868, Charles had opened a studio in Willimantic. In 1871 he married Rhoda Taft and the couple had one son who grew up to be an architect.   SOLD

Published in: on April 10, 2015 at 12:17 pm  Comments (2)  
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A GENTLEMAN WITH AN INTERESTING BEARD IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

grand rapids

This cabinet card portrait features a well dressed handsome gentleman with a stylish mustache and beard. Men were more creative with their facial hairstyles during the cabinet card era compared to today. This gentleman’s mustache is incredibly thick and he is wearing his beard in a fashion that might be called “the billy goat” look. To view other interesting beards, click on the category “Beards (Only the Best). This photograph was taken by the Hamilton studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Hamilton studio was located in Grand Rapids between 1886 and 1911. The studio was run by Daniel H. Hamilton (1836-1891) and his wife, Emma J. Hamilton (1852-1918). Daniel Hamilton was born in New York while his wife was born in Iowa. Their studio was at times single proprietor and at times run by a partnership. Daniel ran the studio between 1886 and 1896. Emma ran the studio between 1897 and 1907 and then again between 1909 and 1910. There were two partnerships in the studio’s history; Hamilton & Vancampen (1908) and Hamilton & Reingholtz (1911). Emma is listed in the 1900 US census as living in Grand Rapids with a housekeeper and a servant. Both Daniel and Emma are buried in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids.

Published in: on April 9, 2015 at 12:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A MAN WITH AN INTERESTING LONG DARK BEARD

dark beard

This cabinet card portrait features a man with a long wiry dark beard. His beard and thick mustache completely hide his mouth. This is an interesting style of beard. Most of his face and jaw line are clean shaven and his whiskers appear to be confined to his chin and upper lip. The photographer’s last name (Farley) appears on the reverse of the cabinet card but his location is not mentioned. The identity of this photographer is most likely W. H. Farley. He operated photo studios in a number of small towns in Illinois.

Published in: on April 8, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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FAMILY FINDS SALVATION IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – SALVATION ARMY CABINET CARD

salvation family

This family portrait is a bit unusual because mom and dad are both wearing Salvation Army uniforms and Salvation Army pins on their collars. The two older children are wearing identical outfits that may be Salvation Army issued. This attractive family appears to be in a good mood as they pose for their photograph at the Siegel Cooper Department Store in Chicago, Illinois. To view other photographs by this gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Siegel Cooper and Company”. To peruse other Salvation Army related images, click on the category “Salvation Army”.  (SOLD)

Published in: on April 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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PORTRAIT OF AN OLDER MAN WITH BRIGHT EYES AND A LONG WHITE BEARD (PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA)

WHITE BEARD

This cabinet card portrait features a well dressed handsome older gentleman with a wonderful long white beard. The man has striking eyes. They are bright and soft and he projects a certain sweetness and friendliness.  This photograph was produced by the Dabbs gallery in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. Benjamin Lomax Horsley Dabbs was born in London in 1839. He immigrated into the United States while still in his childhood. His father was a pioneer in the American photographic supply trade. Dabbs learned the photography field from his father, George Dabbs. Benjamin came to Pittsburgh in 1861 and opened a business selling photography supplies. That same year he also bought a gallery from a Mr. Rorah. He grew the business dramatically and in 1869 he sold his supply business to concentrate on being a photographer. During his tenure as a photographer in Pennsylvania, he was considered by many to be the best photographer in the state. In 1868 Dabbs married Sadie Dickson and the couple ultimately had nine children. Dabbs was a close personal friend of Abraham Lincoln and steel magnate Andrew Carnegie. Dabbs drew some attention for his stance on free resittings for customers who were not satisfied with the portraits taken by his studio. Unlike many other photographers, he refused free resittings because “the public do not value what they can get for nothing”. In his later years, Dabbs was debilitated by rheumatism and other illness. He died at age sixty in 1899. His celebrated portrait of Andrew Carnegie can be viewed today at Pittsburgh’s Carnegie Museum of Art.

Published in: on April 6, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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EXCEPTIONALLY ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL WEARING AN UNUSUAL JACKET

cutie pie

This vintage photograph features an incredibly adorable little girl standing on a chair and charismatically looking at the photographer. Some individuals are amazingly photogenic and this curly haired little girl is one of those individuals. Take note of the little girl’s patterned jacket. The jacket has fringes on both the shoulders and the pockets. She is also wearing a cute hat. The child and the photographer are unidentified. The photographer demonstrated much talent in his production of this 5″ x 7″ photograph.

Published in: on April 5, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  

WEDDING PHOTO OF A SLOUCHING GROOM AND HIS AUSTERE BRIDE

wedding photo

This cabinet card photograph is a wedding portrait featuring a slouching groom and an austere bride. The wedding couple are both adorned with flowers. The groom in this photo is probably trying to project a relaxed appearance but instead comes off as sloppy. He is slouching while leaning on a chair and his hand is partially in his pocket. This is not a spectacular pose. His bride is wearing a pretty dark wedding dress with a long veil. She is also wearing a rather frosty expression. The photographer of this portrait is the Dawson studio which was located in New London, Wisconsin. J. C. Dawson’s studio was in business in New London from 1877  through 1914. After his death in 1914, the studio continued to operate under it’s name with a new proprietor. Dawson also had a studio is Oshkosh between 1891 and 1893. He operated a third studio in Hortonsville in at least 1893. Dawson (1856-1914) was married to Almeda Dawson in 1880. The 1900 US census found him living in New London with his wife, two daughters (ages 15 and 18),  father, and one boarder.  SOLD

 

Published in: on April 4, 2015 at 11:20 am  Comments (1)  
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ADORABLE CARTES DE VISITE: CUTE LITTLE GIRL SHOWING LOVE TO HER PRETTY MOTHER (WHAT IS A CDV DOING IN THE CABINET CARD GALLERY?)

mom and kid

The Cabinet Card Gallery was born in 2008 and at that time I decided not to include any cartes de visites in the collection. I believed that it was important I keep the scope of the gallery narrow so cabinet card aficionados had  a site that specifically catered to their interest. Every once in awhile I would come across a cdv that I wanted to include in the gallery but I always managed to control the impulse. Today the impulse won. This Cartes de Visite photograph is an incredible portrait. The photographer did an excellent job of capturing a little girl’s love for her mother. The little girl, wearing a white gown, is adorable. She is standing on a chair and leaning into her mom. The viewer can see the child’s quest for love and security from the mother that she adores. The child’s mother is a pretty woman and very well dressed. She is holding her hat in one hand and has, what looks like a scarf, draped over her other arm. The photographer of this terrific cdv is the J. E. James studio in Galena, Illinois. James Edward James (1842-1878) was born in Liverpool, England. After immigrating to the United States he served in the 96th Illinois Infantry (Company A) during the civil war. He entered the service as a Private but was discharged as a Commissary Sergeant. He died while still a young man and left his wife Kitty to raise their four children and operate his photographic studio.

Published in: on April 3, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG SOLDIER AND A YOUNG WOMAN IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

officer and lady

This vintage photograph features a uniformed American soldier and a young woman who is likely either his girl friend, wife, or sister. The young man is handsome and his uniform is crisp. His expression has a military air about it. The young woman in this image does not seem very comfortable with the process of being photographed. This portrait was produced by the Johnson studio which was located in San Francisco, California. This photograph measures 3 1/2″ x 5″. A close-up of the soldier and his companion can be found below.  (SOLD)

officer and lady 1

Published in: on April 1, 2015 at 5:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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