This vintage real photo postcard features an exotic looking mother posing with her baby. The child is sitting on the highest high chair that I have ever seen. Using an elevated chair is very smart. The chair puts the child at the mother’s level and makes for a better posed photograph. I have not seen this photographic strategy employed before. The mother has very short hair and a serious expression. She is wearing a stylish collar pin and necklace. Note her fashionable boots. A stamp on the reverse of the postcard reveals that the photographer was “Pornet” and his/her studio was in Roanne, France. Roanne is a town in central France and is located 90 km northwest of Lyon. This vintage photo postcard is in very good condition (see scans). (SOLD)
A “bevy” of beauties? I’ve never used that word before. What is a bevy? I looked up the word and learned that a “bevy” is a “large group of people of a particular kind”. The “particular kind” in this vintage photograph are pretty young woman in their bathing suits at the beach. The beach is located in Romania and is at the edge of the Black Sea. Some of the women are using parasols to protect themselves from the sun. The reverse of the photograph has a stamp indicating that the photo was taken in Contanta, a city on the shores of the Black Sea. It is located in southeastern Romania. I would love to know the story behind this image. Are these young ladies, friends on a beach trip, or are they models posed by a professional photographer? What’s your guess? This photograph measures about 2 1/4″ x 3 1/4″. SOLD
This vintage photograph features an adorable little girl holding a teddy bear. She is wearing a large bow in her hair. The child is looking at the photographer but clearly not feeling especially comfortable. The photo measures about 3 3/8″ x 5″ and is in excellent condition. 
A pretty young woman poses for her portrait at a photo studio in Springfield, Massachusetts. The photographer of this cabinet card photograph is H. E. Bosworth. The subject of this photograph appears to be in her teenage years or slightly older. She has beautiful eyes. Note her hair ornament. Langdon Road reports that in 1899, Bosworth’s studio was known as Bosworth & Murphy. Research reveals that Bosworth was very active in his state’s Photography Association. This cabinet card portrait is in excellent condition and has excellent clarity (see scans).
This carte de visite features a gentleman in some sort of uniform which includes a cap and sash. He appears very “official”. Is he a military veteran? Is he a train conductor or a law enforcement officer? The photographer of this image is F. Steffen. He operated a studio in Erlangen, Germany. The city is located in the Bavarian region of Germany. The Cabinet Card Gallery has another photograph by Steffen in it’s collection. You may view the image by placing the word “Steffen” in this site’s search box. (SOLD)
The identity of the gentleman pictured in this cabinet card portrait is Caleb Lysander. The previous owner of this image reported that it comes from an album that makes this positive identification. The subject has an interesting billy goat beard. To view other notable beards, click on the category “Beards (Only the Best)”. The cabinet card was produced by the Howe studio which was located in Brattleboro, Vermont. A Brattleboro history internet site includes a biography and obituary of Mr. Caleb Lysander Howe. The article states that upon his death, his daughter, Mrs Mary Howe-Lavin was informed via cable to Paris where she was performing as a singer. Howe was born in Dummerston, Vermont, in 1811. At age two, he moved with his parents to Dover, Vermont. His father worked as a farmer and had a second business providing transportation between Dover and Boston. Howe worked on the family farm until he was about sixteen when he went to learn a trade as a machinist. At age eighteen he moved to Brattleboro to work in a machine shop. While in the role of machinist, he worked as a watchmaker and producer of jewelry. He married Miss Cynthia Sherman who was from Dover. In 1838 he leased a farm in Dover. He became interested in photography in about 1846 and soon purchased a photography studio where he started out producing daguerreotypes. He then purchased a four wheel car for three hundred dollars and added traveling photographer to his job description. He did most of his work within his county. It is reported that he made a profit of between one hundred and two hundred dollars a month. He came to Brattleboro in 1856 and purchased a photography gallery. He became quite successful as a photographer. In 1880 his son, John C. Howe became associated with the business and the studio became known as C. L. Howe & Son. The senior Mr. Howe was highly regarded throughout the county as a teacher of vocal music and as a tenor singer. He died in 1895. There is a possibility that this is a self portrait. In other words, Caleb Lysander Howe may be the subject and the photographer. Research found an engraved portrait of Howe that looks similar to this cabinet card image. As a side note, research found a number of references to C. L. Howes prima donna daughter. The book “Picturesque Brattleboro: With Over Two Hundred Illustrations (1894) describes Mary Howe-Lavin as a “beautiful songstress” and states that “there is something indescribably fascinating in the singing and personal appearance of this charming woman”. References reveal that she performed in a number of major cities in Germany. Her second wedding was announced in the New York Times (1905). (SOLD)
This tintype photograph features two cigar aficionados enjoying a smoke. Both men are well dressed. The seated many is “chomping down” on his cigar. Note his pocket watch chain. Tintypes were most popular in the 1860’s and 1870’s. This image measures about 2 1/2″ x 3 1/2″. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features Hungarian actress Camilla von Hollay (1899-1967). She was born in Budapest. Her father was a factory director and as she entered young adulthood her parents tried to steer her into going to medical school. Instead, Camilla pursued acting. She was active in film during the silent film era. IMDb credits her with sixty-eight film credits between 1916 and 1930. Early in her movie career she appeared in films with Bela Lugosi. Later, he became known in the US for his portrayal of Dracula. Camilla was blonde and attractive. Many of her films in the 1920’s were filmed in Germany. Her first acclaimed role was in “The Lightship” (1922). Camilla is quoted as stating that film “offers me the opportunity to live my life, to walk in many different forms, and to see myself in a hundred mirrors of just as many human figures”. It is believed that Camilla’s acting career disappeared with the advent of sound film. It is likely her Hungarian accent was seen by film companies as unsuitable for significant roles. She was married to a journalist. Nothing is known about her post acting life. This portrait postcard was published by Iris Verlag/Amag. Iris Verlag was a popular Austrian postcard producer. Amag (Albrecht & Meister) was a publisher located in Berlin. The company took over Aristophot in 1909. Amag ceased production in 1920. This photo portrait postcard is in excellent condition (see scans).
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 