A wonderfully composed panoramic studio photograph showing a Victorian-era family posed shoulder-to-shoulder in a tightly framed horizontal format. The image captures four members: mother seated at left in a dark high-neck dress with pleated bodice and watch chain; a young boy standing beside her wearing a suit and bow; the father centered, dressed formally with neatly combed hair and prominent mustache; and a small girl seated at right in a light-colored dress adorned with oversized bows in her hair. Be sure to note the inscription on the reverse of this photograph. The intimate cropping and elongated layout are characteristic of turn-of-the-century panoramic portrait work intended for framing.This type of mount — wide, narrow, and on heavy dark stock — was especially popular around 1898–1905 as studios experimented with nonstandard portrait sizes. The photograph is mounted on charcoal-gray card with a beveled inner window. The name of the photo studio is embossed on the lower right part of the mount. The Loar Studio was one of the principal photographic establishments in Grafton during the late cabinet card and early panoramic era. Operated by photographer William R. Loar, the studio appears in Taylor County business directories beginning in the 1880s and continuing into the early twentieth century. Loar was a topographical photographer for the United States government working primarily in the West when he retired to Grafton in 1891 to open a photography business. His business grew well and he expanded his studio to selling photography equipment such as cameras, plates, and film to both amateurs and professionals. He eventually opened a second studio in Clarksburg, West Virginia. Loar specialized in formal family portraiture and produced cabinet cards, boudoir cards, and later these wide horizontal display photographs which were fashionable at the turn of the century. Original Loar panoramic mounts are scarce today and represent an important surviving example of small-town West Virginia studio photography. Overall, this vintage photograph is in good condition. The mount shows minor edge and corner wear. The photograph itself remains strong with good contrast and no fading. There are no tears or creases (see scans).
This cabinet card is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $36.00 at auction.
Interested collectors may view the listing here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/236587118871
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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