ROMA HISTORY: PORTRAIT OF A LITTLE PRINCESS

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This post cabinet card era photograph features a “little princess” bedecked with exotic jewels and headpiece. She is holding a fan and looks bedazzled by her experience of being photographed in her costume. That brings up a question. Is she playing “dress up” and wearing a costume or is she dressed in a way that is normal for her position and culture? Hopefully, some cabinet card gallery visitors will leave their opinion about this matter. Although the identity of this adorable little girl is unknown there is an inscription on the reverse of the image. The phrase “Photo. Roma” can mean countless things. Here is my opinion. The little girl in the photograph is a member of a Roma community. The Roma (Romani) people are an ethnic group living predominately in Europe and who originate from Northern India. However, it is estimated that there are about one million Roma in the United States. They are often known by the term “Gypsies” but many consider the term prejudiced as the word gypsy has become associated with meaning illegal or irregular (ie gypsy cab). This image is pretty and thought provoking. The photograph measures about 3 1/2″ x 5 1/4″ and my estimate is that it dates back to the 1920’s.

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Published in: on November 12, 2015 at 12:34 pm  Comments (4)  
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SERIOUS LOOKING YOUNG GIRL WEARING A CROSS IN YPSILANTI, MICHIGAN

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This cabinet card portrait features a young girl intensely staring at the camera in a studio in Ypsilanti, Michigan. The child is wearing a dark dress accented by lace. She is also wearing earrings and a necklace with a cross. The photographer is J. J. Stephenson. Jerome J. Stephenson was born in 1847 in Michigan. He married Betsy Frazier in 1871 and bought Edwin P. Baker’s studio in 1872. He operated his studio in Ypsilanti until he sold it to Frank P. Ford in 1903. At one point during his operations, for a limited time he offered a free cabinet card photograph to anyone over sixty years of age. It seems like he was a man before his time by being one of the pioneers of  “senior discounts”.  SOLD

 

Published in: on November 10, 2015 at 10:08 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A CUTE BABY IN PARIS, FRANCE (VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH)

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This post cabinet card era photograph features a very cute baby photographed by the Angelidis Studio in Paris, France. The photographer did an excellent job of posing this incredibly adorable child. The photograph measure 4″ x 5 1/2″.

Published in: on October 29, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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THE WORLDS SWEETEST BABY STANDS ON A CHAIR IN PORTLAND, OREGON

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This cabinet card portrait features a thirteen month old baby who an inscriber on the reverse of the photograph describes as the “Sweetest in the world”. The child’s name is written as “Dagmar Albright Games. The child in this photograph does in fact look quite sweet and is flashing a wonderful expression. The kid was born to model. She is standing on a velvet chair and is wearing some sort of a flimsy gown. The photograph was taken at the Busby & Company Studio in Portland, Oregon. Research reveals that according to the the 1910 US Census, Dagmar A. Games was living in Portland (Ward 4), Oregon.. She was 21 years old (born in 1889), unemployed and living in a boarding house. The 1920 census indicates that she was married to Frederick Swanberg who was employed as a manager of an ice company. Dagmar was unemployed and she and her husband were living in San Francisco. Dagmar’s mother, Anna Games, was living with the couple. The 1930 US Census discloses that Dagmar and her mother still lived in San Francisco but Frederick no longer resided with them.   SOLD

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Published in: on October 27, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (4)  
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PORTRAIT OF TWO SIBLINGS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

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An adorable little boy poses alongside his little brother/sister at the Chicago Photo Company Studio. The children are looking at the photographer with apprehension. The unidentified children are nicely dressed. The Chicago Photo Company, not surprisingly, was located in Chicago, Illinois.   (SOLD)

Published in: on October 21, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE BOY AND HIS WHEELBARROW IN JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH)

wheel barrelThis vintage portrait photograph features a nicely dressed little boy posing with his wheelbarrow. The child flashes a wonderful smile as he looks into the camera. The wheelbarrow appears to be made of tin and has a painted horse on it’s side. The photograph was taken by A. N. Camp of Jamestown, New York. The book “Illustrated History of Jamestown, Chautauqua County, NY (1900)” reports that Camp’s studio was located at 207 Main Street and that he began his photography business in 1885. The article also stated that he was born in Erie County, Pennsylvania in 1852. The “Photographic Journal of America (1893)” provides further biographical information. The journal states that Camp was educated as a teacher but began his photography career in Mansfield, Ohio in 1881. He sold the Ohio studio in order to move to Jamestown. Camp must have been active in photographic societies because he is cited in several professional journals. One of his portraits was published in “The Professional and Amateur Photographer (1908).

Published in: on October 2, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG COUPLE AND THEIR TWIN INFANTS IN NEW BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA

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This cabinet card portrait features a young couple and their twin infants. These parents have their hands full, literally and figuratively. The infants look cute in their white gowns. One child looks terrified and the other appears calm. Note the width of the father’s necktie.  John C. Barnes is cited in the book, “History of Clarion County (1887)”. It is reported that he was born in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania in 1860 and began his photography business in New Bethlehem in 1880. One of his photographs appears in the book ‘Victorian Fashion in America (2002)”.   (SOLD)

Published in: on September 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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TWO LOVELY YOUNG SISTERS WEARING INTERESTING AND UNUSUAL ATTIRE (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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The two cute and gorgeously dressed girls featured in this vintage real photo postcard are presumably sisters. I am not sure how to best describe their dresses and hats so I will just label their attire as “unusual and interesting”. Hopefully, someone informed about fashion history, will leave a comment with further explanation. This photo postcard was produced in Spain.

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Published in: on September 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A YOUNG GIRL AND HER DOLL WITH MUSSED HAIR

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This cabinet card portrait features a cute little girl and her large doll. The child is well dressed and doesn’t seem to be particularly pleased to be posing for this photograph. Apparently she did not have the inclination to brush the doll’s hair to make her more presentable for the date with the photographer. The photograph has scalloped edges. The child and the name of the photography studio are unidentified. The previous owner of this cabinet card asserted that the doll is of German origin but I have no confirmation.  SOLD

Published in: on September 18, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL AND HER LOVING JACK RUSSELL TERRIER (VINTAGE RPPC)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of an adorable little girl posing with her cute dog. The dog is captured by the photographer in a loving pose with the canine’s paws atop the little girl’s shoulders. The postcard was published in France but has a Belgian stamp and postmark (La Louviere). The postmark and the message from the sender indicates that the postcard was written and sent in 1913. .

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Published in: on September 17, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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