LOVING AFRICAN AMERICAN GRANDMOTHER AND HER TWO ADORABLE GRAND DAUGHTERS

AFR AM FAMILY_0003

This photograph is emotionally moving and it elicits a story that we tell ourselves. Most people will likely see it as a story about a grandmother and her grandchildren. Grandma has a tight loving grasp around the waist of  her youngest granddaughter while the older granddaughter clings to grandma’s shoulder for security. This is a portrait of a tight knit family. The little girls are adorable. They are wearing bows in their hair; and both girls are wearing necklaces. It is difficult to tell for sure, but grandma seems to be containing a smile. The girls however, seem a bit bewildered by their experience of being photographed. Grandma was not living in easy times. At the time of this photograph, slavery had already ended but prejudice and discrimination was prevalent. There is dearth of early photographs of African American individuals and families. This image certainly serves a role in representing African American history. Unfortunately, the photographer and subjects of this image are unidentified. 

Published in: on December 16, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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MEET THE HERSHEY FAMILY OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA

I remember the excitement that I felt shortly after purchasing this photograph. I had flipped the photograph over to the reverse side and found an inscription which identified the three subjects in the photograph. The three names were “Harry E. Hershey, Dora  E. Hershey” and “Frances Mayer Hershey”. The photograph was dated “1907”.  Seeing the “Hershey” name, and noting that the photograph was from a studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania made me think that the subjects of this  photograph could be quite interesting. The Hershey family is quite important in the history of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Think  Hershey Chocolate! I knew that the founder of  Hershey Chocolate was Milton Hershey but I thought perhaps that Harry E. Hershey may have been an integral part of the business, or in some of the family’s other enterprises. Research found no such connection between Harry or Milton. The 1880 census found Harry Elmer Hershey (1863-1911)  at age 16 living with four older siblings and his parents (Jacob and Annie Hershey) in East Hempfield, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. The 1900 census listed the 36 year old Harry as married to 30 year old Dora Elizabeth Mayer Hershey (1870-1924). They were newlyweds having been married just three months. Harry, Dora, and both sets of their parents were all born in Pennsylvania. Harry was listed as working as a treasurer of a hardware company. A  number of business directories between 1888 and 1907 reveal that he worked in this position for many years. The 1910 United States census adds 8 year old daughter Frances Mayer Hershey (1902-1994)  to the family unit. The 1920 census indicates that 17 year old Frances and her mother lived together and both were unemployed. Harry had been dead for nine years. This Hershey family portrait features a well dressed family. Harry and Dora are both smiling, and cute little five year-old Frances’s body language seems to be saying, “Hey, don’t forget about me”. The photographer is the Miesse studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. D. Walter Miesse (1878-1964) had a studio at 24 West King Street in Lancaster between 1894 and 1940.

Published in: on November 20, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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INTELLECTUAL FAMILY IN MONTLUEL, FRANCE DISCUSSES POLITICAL MATTERS

Photographer J. Marmand produced this cabinet card photograph of an intellectual family in Montluel, France. Montluel is in eastern France on the outskirts of Lyon. This appears to be an early cabinet card from the 1870’s. The father in this image is holding a newspaper or magazine with a headline that appears to say “La Decentralisation”. This refers to a system of government in which power is exercised by both the state and it’s communities or institutions. The mother in this portrait is displaying a “thinking pose”. The father has no need to pose; he naturally has the appearance of an intellectual.  The couple’s son is well dressed and well groomed and looks very serious and mature. Note the pile of books and the bust on the table. These props add to the scholarly climate portrayed in this photograph.

Published in: on November 17, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF THE SHELTON FAMILY IN BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA

The Shelton family poses for their family portrait at the studio of Poul C. Poulsen in Brisbane, Australia. The photographer appears to have provided the family with props to use in this photograph. The bespectacled Mr Shelton reads to his daughter as she sits on his lap. A second daughter sits in a miniature chair and is holding an open magazine. The eldest daughter (on the far right side of the image) holds a fan that features the image of a pretty woman. Fans such as this, frequently had images of famous actresses of the era. Mrs Shelton has a handkerchief on her lap while another daughter is holding flowers. In the back center of the photograph is the Shelton’s young adult aged son who has his arms folded across his chest and a look of disinterest on his face. Poul Christensen Poulsen (1857-1925) was born in Denmark and arrived in Sydney in 1876. In 1882 he moved to Queensland and opened a photographic studio a few years later. He was later joined by brothers and sisters from Denmark. He opened branches of his studio in other Queensland towns. In 1898 he was appointed the Danish Consul at Brisbane. Over the years, his sons and grandsons entered the photography business. There is evidence on this particular cabinet card that dates it somewhere between 1894 and 1898. The studio located in the town of Gympie that is listed in the advertising on the front of this card, existed between 1894 and 1898.

Published in: on September 4, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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ATTRACTIVE FAMILY POSES FOR PORTRAIT IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA

John D. Strunk , a photographer from Reading, Pennsylvania, produced this portrait of an attractive young family. Mother and father pose with their four young children. The children are so close in age that it is possible that two of them may be twins. The two girls in the front of the photograph are wearing similar but not identical dresses. Perhaps their mother made them with the same materials and creatively gave them some variation. This image is an excellent family portrait which manages to capture each child in a reasonably good pose. An advertisement on the reverse of the photograph boasts “Instantaneous Portraits of Children  Successful Specialty”.  The self promotion appears to be well deserved. To view other photographs by the Strunk gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Strunk”.

Published in: on August 19, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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FAMILY PORTRAIT IN CASSVILLE, WISCONSIN

A family of seven, wearing their Sunday best,  pose for their portrait at the Chase studio in Cassville, Wisconsin. This is a serious family. The entire family is missing the smiling gene. In reality, they were likely instructed by the photographer to avoid smiling. Father and mother pose with their five sons; or is it four sons and one daughter? All five of the children have their hair parted on the side and this consistency may indicate that the youngest child is a boy. The subjects of this photograph are unidentified but an inscription on the reverse of the image states “to Mrs. Palmer”. E. W. Chase is listed as a photographer in the LaCrosse, Wisconsin city directory (1894). No other information about him could be located.

Published in: on August 9, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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MOTHER JUGGLES BABIES IN LEWISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA

“Now, for a special treat, step right up and watch an amazing feat. A mom, from her sitting position, will juggle her twin babies.” Fortunately, the only juggling this mother likely did was what most mothers do. Moms’ tend to be amazing in the way they successfully juggle their children’s needs and other important responsibilities; and do so much, so effectively. The mother and two children in this photograph are unidentified. The children are most likely twins. The photographer of this image is Pross, whose studio was located in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.  Research revealed no biographical information about the photographer. However, a photograph dated 1894 was discovered that indicated that the successor to Pross’s business was a photographer with the last name of Hunter. Therefore, the above photograph was taken sometime before 1894.

Published in: on July 24, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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FAMILY OF THREE ON THE ROCKS IN NEW YORK CITY

This cabinet card features a terrific family portrait that may have been taken outside the photographer’s studio. Take a close look at the facial expressions of each of the family members. Dad looks very intense and displeased. Sonny boy is a chip off of the old block. His expression can best be described as sour. Mom looks like she is a lot more fun. She appears to be holding back a smile and has a twinkle in her eyes. The photographer of this image is H. Herbert Sidman. His studio was located at 147 East 116th Street in New York City, New York. Advertising printing on the reverse of the photograph boasts that the studio does “Out-door Work” in addition to the standard “Interiors and Flash-Light Pictures”. If this photograph was indeed taken outside, perhaps it was taken in Central Park. The park was certainly in existence at the time that this photograph was taken.  Central Park is a public park located in the center of Manhattan. It was opened in 1857 on 843 acres and and expansion, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux began in 1858 and was completed in 1873. Research yielded little information about H. H. Sidman. The American Amateur Photographer (1904) carried a story that announced the death of  Sidman and described him as a “well known architectural photographer”. Other references were found confirming Sidman was very involved in the field of architectural photography.

Published in: on July 5, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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MOTHER AND TWO DAUGHTERS EXPERIENCE A BAD HAIR DAY IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

A mother and her two long haired daughters pose for their portrait at the studio of E. J. Davis in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The young girls don’t just have long hair, they have long frizzy hair. Are they having a bad hair day? One can only guess what the girls thought about their hair before they sat for this photograph. What do you think about the dynamics between the family members in this portrait? It appears to me that this is one very detached family. The lack of connection between mother, older daughter, and younger daughter is striking. All three individuals appear to be very much in their own world. Little information could be found about photographer E. J. Davis. The only information uncovered concerning Davis, was an ad he placed in a photography journal, Snap Shots (1908). The ad listed some of his photography equipment for sale. The subjects of this photograph are not identified.  SOLD

Published in: on June 5, 2012 at 11:08 pm  Comments (1)  
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ATTRACTIVE FAMILY IN PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA (PORTRAIT BY LANGHANS)

This cabinet card features an attractive family posing for their portrait at the studio of J. F. Langhans in Prague, Czechlosvakia. Mother, father, and their two sons are all beautifully dressed. Father appears to be small of stature and looks quite austere with his hands folded across his chest and his stern facial expression. The children in this photograph seem significantly more relaxed than their parents. Take note of the style of father’s eye glasses Jan Langhans (1851-1926) is the best known figure in Czech photography and his gallery is still in existence. There is a wealth of information about Langhans online at the  “Langhans Archive”. The site provides biographical and historical information as well as the “Gallery of Personalities”. The gallery has photographs of many prominent Czech citizens as well as well known visitors to Czechoslovakia.. These portraits date from 1890 through 1948. The studio was founded by Jan Langhans, who was a food chemist by training but developed a passion for photography. He opened his first studio in 1876 and was the preeminent portrait photographer of the region. He opened a number of branch studios throughout Czechoslovakia. He photographed many celebrities and aristocrats. After World War I the gallery possessed over a million negatives. He gave the studio to his daughter Marie and her husband Viktor Meisner.  After World War II, his grandson Viktor Meisner took over the studio. In 1948, soon after the Communist take-over, the studio was nationalized and most of the negatives were destroyed. Fortunately, more negatives were discovered and they comprise the Gallery’s current collection. To view other photographs by Langhans, click on the category “Photographer: Langhans”.

Published in: on April 22, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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