This cabinet card photograph features three well dressed young men wearing derby hats. They are wearing long overcoats over their suits. This photo must have been taken in winter. The young men appear to be in their teenage years. An interesting side note is worth mentioning about derby hats. Derbies are made of hard felt and have a rounded crown. They were created by two London hat makers in 1849. Their last name was Bowler and the hat was named after them. Bowlers (Derbies in the USA) were worn with semi formal and informal clothing. They were worn by working class men during the last half of the 19th century. In later years they were worn by middle and upper class men. Two of the men seen in the photograph are identified. They are Max and Carl Stenzel. Presumably, they are brothers. The photograph was taken by the G. J. Stage Art Photography studio in Rochester, N.Y.. George Stage was born in 1828, He appears in the New York Census (1905) as does his wife (Maggie) and their fourteen year old son. Interestingly, at the time of this census George was 77 years of age and Maggie was just 36 years old. George died in 1910. He is listed as a photographer in the Rochester 1909 directory, indicating he worked until he was 80 years-old. He is also listed as a photographer in the 1887 directory. Therefore he was a photographer for at least 22 years. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
Leave a Reply