PARENTS AND THEIR THREE SONS AND A HOOP TOY IN NEU-WEISSENSEE, GERMANY (CARTE DE VISITE)

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This family portrait carte de visite includes a set of parents and their three young sons. Each member of this clan appears very serious as they pose for this image. The family is wearing their fine clothing for their photograph which was taken by Max Schmidt of Neu-Weissensee, Germany. Mom is holding a book, most likely a bible. Each boy is wearing a hat and holding a toy. One boy is holding a horn, the second child has a ball toy, and and the third boy is holding a trundling hoop. Hoop rolling or hoop trundling is a child’s game which has been documented as far back as Ancient Greece. In the game, the hoop is rolled along the ground, usually by an object held by the player. The player tries to keep the hoop upright for an extended period of time or performs tricks with the hoop.

Published in: on September 30, 2015 at 8:53 am  Comments (1)  
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A YOUNG COUPLE WITH HATS IN HAND

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A young couple poses for their portrait at an unknown studio and locale. The pair are well dressed and holding their hats. The woman is wearing a ring and earrings. Their style of clothing provides a clue that they are likely being photographed somewhere in the western area of the United States sometime in the 1880’s or 1890’s. A pencilled inscription on the bottom front of the cabinet card names the couple as “Cyrus Bechtel and wife”.

Published in: on September 28, 2015 at 7:25 pm  Comments (1)  
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GORGEOUS BORDER COLLIE SITS ON A BENCH IN PARIS, FRANCE

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A beautiful border collie sits on a bench and cooperates wholeheartedly with a photographer. The bright eyed dog displays an “eager to please” expression. A basket of flowers sits beside the adorable pooch. This vintage real photo postcard was produced by Marque “Etoile” (Star Brand) of Paris, France. The postcard is marked V B C Series (N. 3746).

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Published in: on September 25, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG COUPLE AND THEIR TWIN INFANTS IN NEW BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA

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This cabinet card portrait features a young couple and their twin infants. These parents have their hands full, literally and figuratively. The infants look cute in their white gowns. One child looks terrified and the other appears calm. Note the width of the father’s necktie.  John C. Barnes is cited in the book, “History of Clarion County (1887)”. It is reported that he was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1860 and began his photography business in New Bethlehem in 1880. One of his photographs appears in the book ‘Victorian Fashion in America (2002)”.   (SOLD)

Published in: on September 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A LOVELY COUPLE IN HOMESTEAD, PENNSYLVANIA

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This cabinet card portrait features a lovely couple photographed by the McLane studio in Homestead, Pennsylvania. The couple are attractively dressed and well groomed. The woman has a lovely figure that is assisted by a corset. She is standing next to a bouquet of flowers. The gentleman has a nice mustache which curls at it’s ends. Note his shined shoes. Perhaps this is the couple’s wedding portrait. The photographer, John G. McLane (1849-?) apparently moved around a lot. He can be found in directories working as a photographer in Bradford (at least 1885-1887), Titusville (at least 1893-1895) and Pittsburg (at least 1900-1902). All of these cities are in Pennsylvania. One of McLane’s photographs can be found in the book, “Victorian Fashion in America (2013). McLane was a civil war veteran. He fought for three years as a member of the 142nd Pennsylvania Infantry. He entered the unit as a drummer. The last years of his life were spent at a home for disabled veterans. He is buried in Grove Hill Cemetery (Oil City, Pennsylvania).

Published in: on September 21, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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TWO LOVELY YOUNG SISTERS WEARING INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL ATTIRE (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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The two cute and gorgeously dressed girls featured in this vintage real photo postcard are presumably sisters. I am not sure how to best describe their dresses and hats so I will just label their attire as “unusual and interesting”. Hopefully, someone informed about fashion history, will leave a comment with further explanation. This photo postcard was produced in Spain.

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Published in: on September 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A YOUNG GIRL AND HER DOLL WITH MUSSED HAIR

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This cabinet card portrait features a cute little girl and her large doll. The child is well dressed and doesn’t seem to be particularly pleased to be posing for this photograph. Apparently she did not have the inclination to brush the doll’s hair to make her more presentable for the date with the photographer. The photograph has scalloped edges. The child and the name of the photography studio are unidentified. The previous owner of this cabinet card asserted that the doll is of German origin but I have no confirmation.  SOLD

Published in: on September 18, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL AND HER LOVING JACK RUSSELL TERRIER (VINTAGE RPPC)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of an adorable little girl posing with her cute dog. The dog is captured by the photographer in a loving pose with the canine’s paws atop the little girl’s shoulders. The postcard was published in France but has a Belgian stamp and postmark (La Louviere). The postmark and the message from the sender indicates that the postcard was written and sent in 1913. .

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Published in: on September 17, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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FRENCH AVIATION PIONEER ROGER SOMNER PILOTS HIS BIPLANE (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of French aviator Roger Somner (1877-1965) sitting in the pilot seat  of his 1910 biplane. Somner was an aviation pioneer. The Washington Herald (1909) reported that he broke a world record in a Farman Biplane by flying one hour and fifty minutes at the height of 80 feet. This was a record due to the length of time logged in the air. The Oregon News (1909) described an international aviation contest involving at least five nations competing for about 401,000 dollars worth of prizes. Somner was representing France while the American competitor was Glenn Curtiss (another celebrated aviation pioneer). The Lewiston Evening Journal (1910) reported that Somner ad established a new world record by piloting a plane with three passengers for a total of five minutes. Somner was clearly a brave man. This vintage postcard has a postmark from the French city of Bordeaux in 1951.

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Published in: on September 15, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (4)  
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PORTRAIT OF TWO YOUNG GIRLS AND A DOLL (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of two young girls and a doll. One of the girls is sitting in a wicker chair with the doll on her lap but the second girl has her hand on the doll as if she is saying “this doll is mine too”. The photograph of the girls seems to have been taken outside or else the photographer has a great backdrop and is very good at setting a scene. The girl’s names are written on the reverse of the postcard. “Dorothy and Margirie Warfield” are probably sisters. A quick genealogical search discovered that the 1910 US census lists sisters named Dorothy (age 3) and Marjory (infant) Wharfield (also spelled Warfield). The sisters and the rest of their family lived in Portland, Oregon. The girl’s parents were Arthur (age 29) and Gertrude (age 28). Arthur worked as a merchant (furniture store). It is very possible that the girls in the census are the same as the girls in the photograph. This postcard has a CYKO stamp box which indicates that it was produced sometime between 1904 and the 1920’s.

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Published in: on September 14, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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