Wedding photographs are not an unusual find in the hunt for vintage photography, but this particular cabinet card is a bit special. It features a bride and groom posing for their wedding portrait at the Pulaski Photo Art Company in Chicago, Illinois, and it stands out from many wedding portraits of its era because of the vivid personalities captured by the photographer. The bride’s expression is especially memorable. She wears a playful, almost triumphant smile and appears to be a vivacious and spunky young woman with “personality galore.” Her expression might even be interpreted as one of satisfaction, as if she is thinking, “I finally snared the man I wanted to marry.” The groom presents a very different personality. He appears more reserved, and perhaps even a little scared or uncomfortable. Adding to the unusual nature of the portrait, one of his legs is lifted from the floor in an awkward, almost “flamingo-style” pose. It may be that he is using his raised knee as a platform for the bouquet of flowers his bride is holding, although the exact reason for the pose is uncertain. Despite the groom’s unusual “yoga pose,” the photographer did an excellent job composing the portrait and capturing the facial expressions of the young couple. The bride and groom are both well dressed for the occasion, and the festive nature of the wedding is emphasized by three bouquets of flowers as well as the groom’s corsage. The photograph was produced by the Pulaski Photo Art Company of Chicago, Illinois. A book entitled Certified List of Domestic and Foreign Corporations (1909) reveals that the Pulaski Photo Art Company replaced the Koscinszko Photo Art Company in Chicago. The President and Manager of Pulaski was Max Prusinski (1883-?), while John Prusinski served as Secretary. Max Prusinski was born in Poland. An advertisement appearing in The Neighbor in 1919 shows that the studio continued to operate at 957 Milwaukee Avenue in Chicago. The 1930 United States Census reports that Max Prusinski was still employed as a photographer at that time. Interestingly, the Pulaski studio produced another wedding portrait that can be found in The Cabinet Card Gallery. When that photograph was previously described, particular attention was drawn to the photographer’s ability to capture the bride’s personality: “She is exhibiting a playful smile and appears to be a vivacious young woman.” The bride in that other image also appears quite spunky. Although this observation is based on a very small sample of only two photographs, it suggests that the photographer or photographers working at the Pulaski Photo Art Company may have deliberately tried to enliven conventional wedding portraits by capturing the individual personalities of the couples they photographed. This cabinet card is therefore appealing not only as a vintage wedding photograph, but also as an unusually expressive example of early studio portraiture in which the personalities of the bride and groom seem to come through with remarkable clarity. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
The photographer does seem to have the ability to put the models at ease … no small talent. Especially where the man is taller than the woman … he seated, she standing seems to have been a favored arrangement. This interesting variation keeps the heads leveled also. He is seated (albeit awkwardly), she is standing. But for me the price is too high … that foot sticking out hurts the composition. Still, I bet both couples were more than pleased with these results. Good photography for all that.
You make an excellent point. Photographic skills are necessary to produce an outstanding photo portrait, but they certainly are not sufficient. The personality of the photographer also can facilitate better photographs. The ability to “put the models at ease” is critical. This is especially true when a photographer is posing and photographing young children. Other factors important in producing great photographic portraits involve utilizing good equipment and establishing an appropriate environment for the photographic shot. Thanks again for your always thoughtful comments.