BOY ON SLED : BY MISS CLARKE : DOYLESTOWN, PA : VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH c.1905-1912

This charming vintage photograph captures a young boy seated on a wooden sled, dressed in winter attire. The image is mounted on gray cardstock with a debossed border, a style prevalent between 1900 and 1915. The boy is dressed in a thick woolen outfit, high leather boots, and a wide-brimmed hat, typical of early 20th-century winter wear. He sits on a wooden sled, which resembles designs manufactured between 1895 and 1915, commonly used in Northern states. The photographer’s signature, “Miss Clarke,” is embossed in script on the lower right corner. The photographer is Miss Clarke, possibly the celebrated Sara Maynard Clark. The photograph was taken at Miss Clarke’s Doylestown, Pennsylvania studio. Various aspects of the photograph indicate that the photo was taken sometime between 1905 and 1912.  Sara Maynard Clark (1891–1973) was a prominent writer, editor, historian, and photographer based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After relocating to the area in 1933, she contributed extensively to local publications such as The New HopeBucks County Traveler, and New Bucks County Magazine, often incorporating her own photographs into her articles. She also collaborated with her husband, Harold (Hal) Clark, and their son, Maynard Clark, both photographers, to document the evolving character of Bucks County through photography. Her work is preserved in the Bucks County Artists Database and has been featured in exhibitions at the Michener Art Museum. If I have dated this photograph correctly, the photographer is likely a different woman than Sara Maynard Clark because she was likely living in Iowa, and not Pennsylvania, when this photo was taken. In addition, Clark is spelled Clarke on this photograph’s mount. Further research is required to confirm the identity of the female photographer who took this photo. (SOLD)

Published in: on September 16, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PREPPY LOOKING TEENAGE GIRL ON THE CHEAPSIDE

This cabinet card portrait features a sweet looking teenage girl dressed in what today we might call, a “preppy look”. Perhaps she is a student. Be sure to note her scarf and hat. The girl’s eyes are wide open and she appears to be suppressing a smile. The photographer’s camera captured the girl in an outdoor setting. The photographer was Hy. Flett who operated a studio in London. Interestingly, the studio was located at 119 Cheapside. This image is actually the second cabinet card in the “Cabinet Card Gallery” from a studio on Cheapside. Research revealed that  Cheapside  is the name of a street in the city of London. The name Cheapside is derived from the term “marketplace”. Henry Flett (1872-1948) was born in St. Leonards in Sussex. He operated two London studios. The Cheapside studio existed between 1897 and 1940. His second studio was located at 103 Newgate Street (1903-1909). He partnered with Arthur Frame Stevens in the 1930’s.  SOLD

Published in: on September 14, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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YOUNG BOY IN SUIT : DORÉ GALLERY : SAN FRANCISCO : CABINET CARD c1890s

This handsome 1890s cabinet card portrait captures a young boy dressed in a refined double-breasted suit with brass buttons, short trousers, and dark stockings. A large white collar and a ribbon-style bow tie accent his formal ensemble. His neatly parted hair and composed facial expression give him the appearance of a thoughtful, well-mannered child, likely from an affluent San Francisco family. He stands confidently with one hand tucked into his jacket in a pose that evokes dignity and early Victorian formality, leaning gently on a faux balustrade surrounded by foliage in an elaborately staged studio setting. This photograph was produced by Cobb’s Doré Gallery, located at 1144 Market Street, San Francisco, as indicated on both the front and reverse of the mount. The studio succeeded the earlier firm Edouart & Cobb, one of the better-known names in late 19th-century California photography. Doré Gallery was active in the 1880s and 1890s, during the heyday of elaborately posed cabinet portraits. The backdrop features what appears to be a painted garden scene with a Mediterranean-style colonnade, adding a romantic flair to the image.  (SOLD)

Published in: on September 11, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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TWO SWEET YOUNG SISTERS POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT : LUDLOW, VERMONT : CABINET CARD

his cabinet card captures two young girls posing for their portrait at the Moore studio in Ludlow, Vermont. These well dressed children look very sweet and are likely sisters. The Photographic Journal of America (1890) mentions photographer, C. A. Moore of Ludlow, Vermont. He is likely the same Moore that created this image.  SOLD

Published in: on September 2, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ANNIE AND MAGGIE: ADORABLE YOUNG SISTERS POSE IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

 

Annie and Maggie Fleming pose for this cabinet card portrait at the Anderson’s photographic studio, located at 85 Main Street in Houston, Texas. An inscription on the reverse of the card identifies the little girls and indicates that this photograph was given to their cousin. These cute siblings appear to be a bit dubious of the photographer and their photographic session. The photographer, Samuel Anderson, operated out of the address on this cabinet card, between 1886 and 1892. To see other photographs by Sam Anderson, click on this sites category, “Photographer: Anderson”.

Published in: on August 30, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF TWO AFFECTIONATE YOUNG GIRLS AT THE BEACH

TWO GIRLS BEACH

TWO GIRLS BEACH 1 Two young girls pose for a vintage snapshot photograph as they sit on the sand at the beach. One girl has her arm affectionately around the shoulder of the second girl. The recipient of the affection is displaying a sour expression. Are the girls sisters? Could they be close friends? The answer is lost to history. The girls names are written on the reverse of the photo. I can only decipher one of the names. It is “Ingrid”. A stamp on the reverse of the snapshot indicates that the photograph was developed in Dresden, Germany. Dresden is the second largest city in Saxony. It is situated on the banks of the River Elbe. It is near the border of the Czech Republic. There are beaches along the Elbe and perhaps this image captures one of them.  SOLD

TWO GIRLS BEACH 2

Published in: on August 16, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (4)  
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FIFTEEN YEAR OLD DAGMAR WEARING PRETTY DRESS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS : CABINET CARD

This cabinet card features a teenage girl posing at the studio of photographer Anton Rohde of Chicago, Illinois. She is wearing a pretty wheat stalk print dress. Advertising on the bottom of the image indicates Rohde had wonf awards for some of his photographs. One of the displayed awards was received in 1888, and the other award was from the Photographers Association of America. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription which states “To Gini” and lists the subjects name as “Dagmar” and her age as fifteen years and eight months. Anton Rohde was once partners in a photography firm called Rohde & Schutz which was located at the same address that produced this photograph. He also was once  located at 88 West Ohio Street. He is listed in the 1892 and 1900 Chicago business directories. Research located his obituary which indicates that he died in 1917 at the age of fifty-five. He was survived by his wife, Augusta Rohde. SOLD

Published in: on July 31, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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CUTE LITTLE GIRL WITH SPARKLING EYES (1908 RPPC)

This vintage real photo features a cute little girl with sparkling eyes. Her smile is infectious. She must have been a spark plug. The postcard was published by NPG (“Neue Photographische Gesellschaft” as part of a series (no.721/3). The card has a Belgian stamp and is postmarked in the Belgian town of Petit-Fays. The postmark year is 1908.   SOLD

A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL SENDS “GOOD HEALTH” GREETINGS

This vintage real photo postcard features a beautiful young girl wearing a frilly dress and adorned with flowers. The postcard was published by Rotophot (RPH) as part of a series (S-917/2). The company was based in Berlin, Germany. In the message section, the writer wishes the reader “good health”. The hand tinted color postcard was mailed with a French stamp.  SOLD

Published in: on July 29, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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VICTORIAN GIRL WITH BOOK : LONG HAIR : WASHINGTON, IOWA : CABINET CARD

This captivating cabinet card portrait features a young Victorian girl posed in a rustic studio setting, seated gracefully beside a faux wooden fence. Dressed in a pristine white dress adorned with a broad, ornate lace collar and a tiered, ruffled skirt, she embodies the fashion of late 19th-century childhood portraiture. Her tightly curled bangs frame her youthful face, while her long, loose hair cascades over one shoulder—an uncommon and charming detail. She wears a long beaded necklace, from which a small rectangular locket or charm is suspended. A bracelet graces her left wrist, adding a delicate finishing touch to her ensemble. In her lap she holds an open album or book, featuring a cabinet card or mounted photograph of another child—possibly a sibling or friend—suggesting a theme of familial affection or memory. The girl gazes directly at the camera with a calm, slightly serious expression, her composure and gentle poise typical of studio portraits from this era. The setting evokes naturalism, yet remains artfully staged, blending domesticity with refinement. The back of the card is elaborately decorated in brown ink with Victorian embellishments including an ornate border, floral flourishes, and a small Sphinx illustration. The photographer is identified as Sam. Armstrong of Washington, Iowa. Samuel McDowell Armstrong learned photography in 1868 from Washington photographer, Austin Kracaw. In 1873 he partnered with Kracaw and within a year, Armstrong moved to Springfield Missouri. A name is handwritten in ink across the reverse: “Olive Campbell”. This is likely the name of the the girl seen in this photograph. Olive Gordan Campbell was born in 1878 and died in 1941.  (SOLD)