This unusual late 19th-century advertising cabinet card photograph shows two Victorian women seated outdoors at Indian Springs (Martin County), Indiana, a once-popular summer and mineral-springs resort. The women are posed in a rustic wooded setting beside a fence and large tree, with foliage and flowers around them. The woman at right holds a dark parasol, giving the image a wonderful summer-resort feeling, while the woman at left sits more formally with gloved hands in her lap. Their high-necked dresses, puffed sleeves, fitted bodices, and layered skirts place the image very much in the 1880s to early 1890s period. What makes this card especially appealing is that it is not just a portrait cabinet card, but also an advertising cabinet card. The reverse promotes Indian Springs as “a delightful summer resort” and names Alfred Guthrie as the proprietor. The advertising also includes railroad connection information for reaching the resort. It names Weatherford & Swan as the photographers of this photograph and it is interesting to note that their studio was located in Louisville, Kentucky (80 miles from Indian Springs). Indian Springs was connected with the 19th-century mineral-springs resort culture in Martin County, Indiana. Period resort promotion emphasized the sulphur waters, rustic recreation, walking paths, and a relaxed vacation atmosphere. A local-history account notes that Trinity Springs and Indian Springs were popular enough that the area once had multiple hotels and train service bringing visitors to the resorts. The mount itself adds considerable charm. The card has decorative scalloped edges with gilt/gold edging. This ornate treatment, combined with the resort advertisement on the reverse, makes this more distinctive than a standard studio cabinet portrait. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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