MOTHER AND SON POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN PORTO, PORTUGAL (MOM IN TRADITIONAL CLOTHING)- VINTAGE PHOTO

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A mother and her son pose for their portrait at Belleza studio in Porto, Portugal. Porto is a coastal city in northwest Portugal. Mom is wearing beautiful  traditional folk clothing. She has dressed her darling little boy in fine clothing for his picture taking day. Note his incredibly large hat that he is holding in his right hand. It seems to me that if he were to wear the hat it would cover his whole head and he would be unable to see. At first, I thought the hat might belong to his mother; but she is already wearing a hat. Perhaps the boy is an aspiring magician and a family of rabbits reside inside the hat. There is an inscription on the reverse of the photograph. I believe it is written in Portuguese. The previous owner of this photograph asserted that the inscription was some sort of dedication to an uncle. Hopefully, a cabinet card gallery visitor can translate the inscription for the rest of us. The inscription was written in 1922. The photograph measures 8″ x 5 3/4″.

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Published in: on December 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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DARLING SISTERS IN MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

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This vintage photograph features two well dressed young girls posing for their portrait at the Star studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is a good bet, that the children are sisters. They certainly share a family resemblance. The older girl seems confident and is displaying a half smile. The younger girl does not seem too pleased to find herself the subject of the photographer’s lens and is holding big sister’s hand for support. Both girls are wearing bows in their hair as well as necklaces. According to the Wisconsin Photographers Index the Star Photo Company operated in Milwaukee between 1898 and 1918. William Cobourn and Joseph L Mutzbauer were two photographers associated with the studio. To view other photographs by Mutzbauer and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Mutzbauer”.

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Published in: on December 5, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  

PORTRAIT OF A FARM FAMILY (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard portrait features a farm family posing for their portrait in a field. An examination of the faces of this extended family displays the feeling of hard work and determination. The expression of the farmer holding his scythe truly captures the grit of a man facing lots of responsibility and pressure. Note that two of the girls in this family appear to be identical twins. This photo postcard is printed on AZO paper which was issued sometime between 1904 and 1918.

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Published in: on October 14, 2015 at 11:54 am  Comments (1)  
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PARENTS AND THEIR THREE SONS AND A HOOP TOY IN NEU-WEISSENSEE, GERMANY (CARTE DE VISITE)

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This family portrait carte de visite includes a set of parents and their three young sons. Each member of this clan appears very serious as they pose for this image. The family is wearing their fine clothing for their photograph which was taken by Max Schmidt of Neu-Weissensee, Germany. Mom is holding a book, most likely a bible. Each boy is wearing a hat and holding a toy. One boy is holding a horn, the second child has a ball toy, and and the third boy is holding a trundling hoop. Hoop rolling or hoop trundling is a child’s game which has been documented as far back as Ancient Greece. In the game, the hoop is rolled along the ground, usually by an object held by the player. The player tries to keep the hoop upright for an extended period of time or performs tricks with the hoop.

Published in: on September 30, 2015 at 8:53 am  Comments (1)  
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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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AN BEAUTIFUL ARMENIAN FAMILY IN CONSTANTINOPLE, TURKEY

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Somehow this photograph survived. It must have been an incredible journey through history and time. The image carries some scars. The borders of the photograph have been trimmed (probably to fit into a frame), and the photograph is a bit warped. Not terribly warped, but enough to be unable to lie completely flat on an even surface.  This great photograph would look even greater if it was framed. I suppose I have said enough about the condition of the photograph. This image is absolutely extraordinary. The Armenian family in this image may be one of the most expressive photographed families that I have seen in my many years of viewing historic photographs. This is certainly a family that does not hide emotions. The family is also beautiful and wonderfully dressed. I am having difficulty figuring out the family constellation. In my opinion, either the seven people in the photograph are all siblings, or the image captures a father, mother, and their five children. The father would obviously be the man standing in the rear of the picture. The mother, I hypothesize, is the seated woman. What is your theory about the family constellation of the subjects of this fascinating portrait? There is a note inscribed on the bottom left corner of the photograph. I do not know the translation. The previous owner of this image informed me that this family is Armenian in origin and the photograph was taken in Constantinople, Turkey in the 1920’s. It is important to remember the terrible holocaust that the Armenians experienced just before the time of this photograph. There was conflict between Armenians and Turks between 1892 and 1915. This resulted in the Armenian Genocide which occurred between 1915 and 1918. Estimates are that between .9 and 1.2 million Armenians were killed or deported because of alleged political and security considerations. By the end of the 1920’s, the only viable Armenian population left in Turkey was located in Constantinople. This photograph measures about 5 1/2″ x 7 1/2″.

 

Published in: on August 29, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  

PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY IN WATTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

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This vintage photograph features a family of six dressed in their finest clothing. The family portrait includes a couple and their two teenage daughters and one teenage and one young adult son. This photograph was taken at the C. A. McDannell’s studio in Wattsburg, Pennsylvania. The photo below shows McDannell’s house. His studio was on the top floor. The picture was taken during one of the town’s multiple floods which occurred between 1892 and 1909. Charles A. McDannell (1859-1944) was born and died in Erie County, Pennsylvania. He was married to Jennie Barry. He is buried in Wattsburg Cemetery. The 1900 US census lists McDannell and his 17 year-old son Clyde as photographers. The 1910 US census also lists Charles as a photographer. However, the 1920 and 1930 US census reveals that he had become a postmaster. Wattsburg-tanner.Weebly.com provides a bit of biographical information about McDannell. In addition, the site displays some of his photographs. It is noted that Charles liked taking outdoor photographs. He had a special interest in photographing country life and children. “Photographic Times” (1888) praises a few of his photographs and the “Bulletin of Photography” (1912) reports that he was on the executive committee of the Professional Photographers Society of Pennsylvania. Inscribed on the reverse of this photograph is a family name. I have been unable to search the name due to legibility problems. Any assistance would be appreciated in deciphering the name. ADDENDUM: See comment below. Great genealogical detective work by a cabinet card gallery visitor identified all the members of the family seen in this photograph.

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Published in: on July 2, 2015 at 12:07 pm  Comments (3)  
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EMOTIONAL PORTRAIT OF A POOR SHARE CROPPER FAMILY IN ALABAMA

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Once again I could not resist putting a non cabinet card photograph in the Cabinet Card Gallery. I will use the same excuse I always use. This photograph is truly special and I want to share it with the gallery’s visitors and followers. This vintage real photo postcard captures a young family sitting in a field. Capture is definitely the right word. The photographer did an exceptional job of capturing the emotional state of the family members. The mother and father in this image are both quite attractive despite being dressed in their work clothing. Many photographic subjects of this era dressed in their finest clothing when being photographed. There is an implication that this family is a poor family. The words “tenant farmer”and “share cropper” come to mind. Both husband and wife look intensely worried. The wife also looks quite determined. Are they worried about a failed crop? Are they worried about the bank foreclosing on their farm? The older child in this photograph is adorable despite the fact that she is eyeing the photographer with a great deal of suspicion. This postcard was produced by CYKO sometime between 1904 and the 1920’s. The postcard is in good condition (see scan). The postcard was found in Bessemer,Alabama which is about 18 miles southwest of Birmingham. If the photograph was taken in the area of Bessemer, it is interesting to note that truck farming was one of the occupations associated with that town around the time that this postcard portrait was taken.

Published in: on May 11, 2015 at 9:01 am  Comments (2)  
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A GRANDMOTHER AND FOUR ADORABLE GRANDCHILDREN IN A FAR OFF PLACE (BUT WHERE?)

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This cabinet card portrait is of European origin but I am clueless about determining it’s nationality. Hopefully, a member of the cabinet card gallery’s research department (the gallery’s visitors) will leave a comment telling us the photo’s national origin. There is evidence (an inscription) on the reverse of the photograph that will help someone with the identification (see image below). The photograph itself features what appears to be a family of five. Perhaps the adult in the photograph is the children’s grandmother but it is possible that she is their mother. The two girls sitting on the wall look incredibly adorable as they sit nearly on top of each other in a show of affection. The child wearing the fez appears to be a boy. I can not determine what he is holding in his left hand. The object looks like it could be the hilt of a sword (hopefully a toy). Perhaps a cabinet card gallery visitor can determine what exactly the lad is holding. Grandma, or is it Mom, appears quite proud of her brood of children.

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Published in: on May 8, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  

EVERYONE IS TENSE IN THIS SMALL FAMILY EXCEPT THE DOG

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This cabinet card features a family portrait of what appears to be a very tense family. Dad’s facial expression indicates that he is quite angry. At the very least he seems very stern and is the type of guy you don’t want to provoke. Perhaps he is steamed about having to get dressed up and spend money for a photograph that he views as frivolous. Mom is not dealing with the situation. She is looking down toward the floor but she has closed her eyes. It is as if she wants the whole situation to go away. The couple’s son is adorable and smartly dressed in a sailor style outfit. He is displaying some of his dad’s intensity and looks as if he wishes the photographic session would come to a quick end. The only one in this portrait that seems happy is the family dog. This cute canine is bright eyed and flashing a doggy smile. The individuals in this photograph as well as the photographer are unidentified. This particular photograph is one of those images that tells an interesting story but it is up to the observer to hypothesize the details of the story. Perhaps some Cabinet Card Gallery visitors will comment about their perceptions concerning this emotionally provocative photograph.   SOLD

Published in: on April 30, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (7)  
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