This late 19th-century cabinet card shows two young men posed in uniform at the Werner studio in Marquette, Michigan. Both men wear dark, high-collared tunics with a visible “S” on the collar, indicating that they are members of The Salvation Army. The two men are posed formally, one standing beside a small studio table and the other seated in a wicker chair. The seated man holds a long rolled or folded document. It could be a certificate, appointment paper, program, or musical/theatrical sheet, but there is not enough visible detail to identify it with certainty. Given the Salvation Army connection, it may possibly relate to an appointment, training, service, or membership document. Their serious expressions, matching collars, and dark uniforms give the photograph a strong religious, fraternal, and social-history character. The embossed photographer’s imprint reads “Werner, Marquette, Michigan.” This photo comes from the studio of Gustav A. Werner, a known Marquette photographer. Werner cabinet cards from Marquette appear in institutional and collector records, including theAmon Carter Museum. The Cabinet Card Gallery blog also has a Werner-related entry noting that Werner was a German-born or German-descended photographer who began operating a photographic studio around 1890, and later moved into the notable Werner Building in Marquette. Marquette, Michigan was an important Upper Peninsula city on Lake Superior, closely tied to the region’s iron-ore economy. This cabinet card likely dates from the 1890s, based on the Werner studio imprint, cabinet card format, clothing, and Salvation Army-style uniforms. (SOLD)
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