A woman poses for her portrait at Gay’s studio in Fall River, Massachusetts. She likely viewed her self as foremost, a musician. She chose to pose herself, or approved the photographers instructions, to pose sitting and holding her autoharp on her lap. Gay’s Studio was operated by a talented female photographer named Emily Gay. She ran the studio for over 40 years. She established the studio in 1878. Actually, the studio was started in 1863 by her husband Edwin Gay. In 1878, Edwin “lost it” and shot his brother-in-law and abducted his daughter. He absconded to Canada, where he died from TB in 1879. The TB that killed Edwin, caused him to turn the studio over to Emily in around 1878. Somehow, she managed to run the studio despite all the personal drama in her life. When Emily retired in the 1920’s, her daughter succeeded her in running the studio. An interesting sidenote is that Emily (her maiden name was Borden) was a distant relative of Lizzie Borden, the tried and acquitted axe murderer of her father and step-mother. Lizzie lived in Fall River and was photographed at Gay’s Studio. The cabinet card image exists today. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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