YOUNG EUROPEAN MAN WEARING A UNIFORM (CARTE DE VISITE)

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This Carte de Visite features a uniformed young man posing at the Cruf Studio which had galleries in Freiburg, Mannheim, and Basel. The first two cities are in Germany and Basel is located in Switzerlan. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph indicates that the subject is H. Wolff. Mr Wolff is wearing a uniform representing an unknown group. Perhaps he is a student or maybe he works for the railroad. His group affiliation remains unknown for the time being.  Looking at the reverse of the photograph also reveals that the Cruf Studio won a number of medals at photographic competitions. The latest medal listed was recieved in 1888 which means that this image dates back to 1888 or later.   (SOLD)

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Published in: on October 26, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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BEAUTIFUL COUPLE MAKING A BIRTHDAY TOAST IN LUCKENWALDE, GERMANY (VINTAGE PHOTO)

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An attractive couple make a birthday toast at a table in Luckenwalde, Germany. It is also possible that rather than a birthday, the pair may be sharing New Years Eve. Nevertheless, they are toasting with glasses of beer. Note the couple’s party hats and the streamers hanging from the ceiling. An ashtray with cigarette butts sits on the middle of the table. Perhaps the most wonderful aspect of this photograph is the young woman’s expression as she looks at the young man. Her eyes certainly speak, and they appear to be shouting words of love (or perhaps lust). An inscription on the reverse of the photograph indicates that the fellow in the photograph is named “Martin Hagen” and the picture was taken in 1958. The photo measures 4″ x 2 3/4″.

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Published in: on October 25, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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HAUNTED YOUNG WOMAN IN BARMEN, GERMANY (CARTE DE VISITE)

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A young woman poses for her portrait at the Samson & Company Studio in Barmen, Germany. She is wearing a dark dress with a dark polka dot top. The woman looks quite serious. In fact, her expression, in particular her eyes, projects a haunted appearance. One wonders what might be troubling this young lady. Barmen is a former industrial city located in the Bergisches Land region. The city merged with four other towns in 1929 to form the city of Wuppertal. It is interesting to note that the cabinet card gallery has two other images by a gallery named Samson & Company. Both of these photographs are German but they are not located in Barmen. The other two photo studios were located in Duisburg and Karlsruhe respectively. You may view all three images by searching the category “Photographer: Samson & Company”. To complicate matters further, the book “The Lives of Erich Fromm: Love’s Prophet” reports that Fromm’s mother took him regularly to Samson & Company for portraits. The author notes that the studio was located in Frankfurt and catered to Jewish families. Erich Fromm grew up to be a celebrated pioneer psychologist.

Published in: on October 8, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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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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A GENTLEMAN WITH A WONDERFUL BEARD AND A WONDERFUL EXPRESSION IN STUTTGART, GERMANY (CDV)

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The young man in this carte de visite portrait is displaying a fantastic expression He has a devilish glint in his eyes. This fun loving gentleman is well dressed and sports a terrific beard. The photographer of this cdv was Erwin Hanfstaengl (1838-1905) who operated a photography studio in Stuttgart, Germany. He was married to Marie Schroder Hanfstaengl (1848-1917) who was a noted German operatic soprano and singing teacher. Erwin was a member of the distinguished Stuttgart photography and art publishing family headed by Franz Hanfstaengl. There is an inscription on the reverse of the photo (see image below) which probably identifies the young man. Unfortunately, I am unable to translate the writing and am hopeful a Cabinet Card Gallery visitor will leave a comment that includes the translation.   (SOLD)

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Published in: on September 3, 2015 at 12:16 pm  Comments (2)  
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THE MOST ADORABLE YOUNG SIBLINGS IN BERLIN, GERMANY (CDV)

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This cartes de visite features a portrait of two very adorable young siblings. Big sister is wearing a sailor dress and she proudly poses next to her younger sibling. The baby is holding a ball and is wearing what looks more like a blanket that a gown. There is an open children’s book on the floor in front of the kids. The children are dark complected and have dark hair. They both look incredibly sweet. This photograph was taken at the Wertheim studio located on Leipziger Street in Berlin, Germany. It is possible that the name Wertheim actually represents a photo studio in a department store. Wertheim was a large German department store chain which had four stores in Berlin. The chain’s most famous store, Leipziger Platz, was constructed in 1896. The store featured 83 elevators and an atrium with a glass roof.   (SOLD)

Published in: on August 23, 2015 at 12:02 pm  Comments (2)  
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DAPPER GENTLEMAN WITH A HANDLEBAR MUSTACHE IN BARMEN, GERMANY (CDV)

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This cartes de visite features a dapper gentleman wearing a three piece suit and a wonderful handlebar mustache. He displays an air of confidence. This cdv portrait was taken by Zeppenfeld & Company which was located in Barmen, Germany. Barmen was pioneering center of the early European industrial revolution as well as the development of socialist theory and the socialist movement. Barmen was the birthplace of socialist Friedrich Engels. This cdv measures 4 5/8″ x 2 1/4″. It is longer and narrower than the typical cdv. The reverse of the image has information about the photographer and it can be seen below.

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Published in: on August 21, 2015 at 11:53 am  Leave a Comment  
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A PRETTY WOMAN WITH A FAR-AWAY LOOK, A FAN, AND A RAISED GLASS

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This carefully posed vintage real photo postcard begs the viewer to hypothesize about what’s happening in this photograph. A pretty young woman displaying a far-away look holds an open fan in one hand and a glass of champagne in the other. Her dress and appearance could be described as risque. The top part of her dress is sheer and beaded in places. She has a beautiful hat and wearing a fancy hair ornament. The woman is well dressed and stylish. What is this lovely lady thinking about? Any guesses? The preprinted message on the bottom of the postcard, “prosit neujahr” is German for “Happy New Year”. This postcard was published by Neue Photographische Gesellschaft (NPG) in Berlin, Germany. The postcard was part of a series and was mass produced for sale. It was likely published in the 1910’s.

Published in: on June 24, 2015 at 11:45 am  Comments (9)  
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HANDSOME GERMAN OFFICER WEARING DRESS UNIFORM IN ULM, GERMANY (CDV)

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This vintage photograph is a cartes de visite (pre cabinet card era). The image captures a German officer looking quite handsome in his fine uniform. Note his long coat and cap. He is holding his dress gloves in is left hand. The photographer of this cdv is Emil Burger and his studio was located in Ulm, Germany. Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg and is situated on the Danube River.

SOLD

Published in: on May 7, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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THREE YOUNG MEN RAISE THEIR BEER STEINS IN AMBERG, GERMANY WHILE THEIR DOG MAINTAINS HIS SOBRIETY

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Three well dressed young men raise their beer steins in a toast while their teetotaling dog joins them in a group portrait. These guys definitely exude an air of self-confidence. This cabinet card portrait was taken by the Franz Tausch studio in Amberg, Germany. The city of Amberg is located in the Bavaria region. SOLD

Published in: on May 6, 2015 at 9:37 am  Leave a Comment  
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