J. Granger’s studio, located in Sparta, Illinois, produced this cabinet card portrait of the Brown family. The wide-eyed Brown’s give the appearance of a family that are overdosing on “Red Bull” or some other mega dosed caffeine drink. The Brown’s first names are written on the reverse of the photograph but only half of the names are legible. The United States Census provided assistance in learning more about the Brown clan. The 1900 census reveals that Sylvester W. Brown (1857-?) was a 42 year-old man living in the town of Central, Illinois. He was a farmer and married to Lydia Brown, three years before the census (1897). The census reports that Sylvester Brown lived with his wife Lydia (age 37), his daughter Hazel (age 12) and son Olin (age 4). It is not likely that Lydia is the mother of Hazel and Olin. That would only be possible if she was not married to Sylvester at the time of the children’s births and only married him later. A more likely scenario is that the mother of these children had died and Sylvester was a single father when he married Lydia. This theory is supported by the fact that Sylvester and the children’s names written on the reverse of the image are very legible but the older woman’s name is illegible and the name is clearly not “Lydia”. My best guess is that the woman standing next to Sylvester is either his first wife or an elder daughter. More research is required to clarify the family structure and history. The 1920 census indicates that little Olin became a soldier and pilot. The census states that he was sergeant/radio operator stationed in Pasadena, California. The 1930 census reveals that Olin became an “Air Pilot” in the US Army. Olin was then living in Belleville, Illinois with his wife, Fern. Olin was mentioned in an article appearing in Aerial Age Weekly (1922). The story is about the Army testing the Airship T-C-1 and Olin’s role as a “Motor Specialist”. The T-C-1 was a hydrogen inflated blimp. In 1923 the T-C-1 caught fire and was destroyed. No biographical information could be located about photographer J. Granger. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features four siblings posing for their portrait. Each child is cuter than the other. Note the boy’s neatly combed hair and bow tie. The girl sitting on the chair appears to be the only one having a good time at the photographer’s studio. She is showing a hint of a smile. This postcard’s stamp box indicates that the card was published by Crown Studios sometime between 1913 and 1929. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo features two lovely girls wearing their school uniforms. It is likely that they are sisters. The patch on their jackets probably reveals where they attended school. This photo was taken at the Van Ralty Limited Studios. The company operated photo studios in Manchester, Liverpool, Sheffield, Nottingham, Oldham, and Bolton, England. Research uncovered one article that reported that the Van Ralty enterprise was in business between 1911 and 1933, It is unclear if the writer was referring to one of the individual studios or referring to the entire operation. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features a well dressed father and presumably, his daughter. The child rests her hand on the shoulder of her father. Judging by her expression, physical contact with her father appears to have given her a sense of security and confidence. The young girl’s hat may indicate her nationality or ethnicity. The only clue that I have about that matter is that the card was purchased from a collector in Greece. This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
This vintage real photo postcard is striking. The photograph features a young Native American mother and her small child. The mother and her baby are members of Florida’s Seminole tribe. The mother appears quite young. My guess is that she is about sixteen years-old. She is pretty and her child is adorable. Who are the Seminole? They are a tribe that originally lived in Florida. In present times, the majority of the Seminoles live in Oklahoma. The EKC stamp box on the reverse of this photo postcard indicates it was published sometime between 1930 and 1950. The postcard is in good condition. There is a tiny pinhole located at the center bottom of the card. It is undetectable in the scans. It is only apparent if the postcard is held up to a bright light. (see scans).
This vintage photograph features an attractive Jewish family in 1930’s Russia. The previous owner of this photo reports that this is the Robert Edelstein family. The parents in this image are well dressed and their son is wearing a sailor style outfit. The photograph measures about 3 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ and is in fair condition.
This cabinet card captures the bond between grandfather and granddaughter. Grandfather looks rather serious as he stares at the photographer. He has an interesting wide beard. His right hand grips his chair as if he is sitting in the dentist’s chair waiting for a tooth extraction. The granddaughter has bright eyes and appears to be holding back a smile. She has her right hand gently and affectionately resting on her grandfather’s arm. The photographer and the locale of the studio are not identified. This touching cabinet card portrait is in very good condition (see scans).
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 