The young girl in this cabinet card photograph looks absolutely adorable in her lace dress and cute hat. She is holding a fan and wearing a paper garland of flowers. This sweet child was photographed by George Frank who’s studio was located in Gateshead, England. An image of the reverse of this cabinet card can be found below. This is an excellent example of some of the better advertising employed by photographers to symbolize their artistry. (SOLD)
This cabinet card features an adorable little girl wearing a little white dress with lace on the hem and sleeves. She is posed next to a big hat and is holding one of the hat’s ribbons. This little girl looks like a doll. She is looking right at the photographer but is displaying a great deal of suspicion.This portrait was taken at the studio of J. T. Hicks which was located in Liberty, Missouri. Jacob T. Hicks (1840-1924) was the first professional photographer in Clay and Ray Counties (Missouri). He retired in 1912. The reverse of this cabinet card has an inscription identifying the little girl in this image as “Bessie Dougherty” who was “Liz’s mother”. Research revealed little about the life of little Bessie. She was born in 1882 and she was listed in the school yearbook as a student at the American Mozart Academy in Liberty. The school’s yearbook was called Liberty Ladies College. Check out the portrait of J. T. Hicks and the image of his gravestone found below. (SOLD)
This cabinet card portrait features two young women and a young man posing together at the Zuver studio in Butler, Pennsylvania. The three subjects appear to be friends judging by the amount of affection seen in the photograph. One woman is leaning into the other and the young man has his arm placed behind the pretty woman in the center. The three subjects also appear to be having fun as can be ascertained from the smiles on their faces. All three subjects are wearing terrific hats. Lewis W. Zuver was active in the photography business from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. A help wanted ad for his studio appeared in the Bulletin of Photography (1921). His brother, Leonard Zuver operated a studio in Tionesta, Pennsylvania. His sister, Mary Zuver West ran a photography studio in Bradford, Pennsylvania and specialized in portraits of women and children. To view photographs by this photographer’s brother, Lewis and to learn more about his family; click on the category “Photographer: Zuver”.
This cabinet card portrait features a young girl wearing a big hat. She is very cute. She is also wearing a big bow. The portrait of this child was taken at the studio of A. Hinkel & Son in Warrensburg, Missouri. Inscribed on the verso of this photograph is the girls name and age, “Bessie Strodes Aged 9 years”. Preliminary research did not find find much information about little Miss Strodes. The 1910 US census listed a Bessie Strodes that resided in Kansas, Missouri (58 miles from Warrensburg). She was born in 1894 and at the time of the census was a sixteen year-old lodger working as a saleslady in a drug store.No information was located concerning the photographer, A. Hinkel.
ADDENDUM: A blog (http://1973whsreunion.blogspot.com/) focusing on the history of Warrensburg is using this photograph and did further research on Hinkel. The blog reports that the photographer of this cabinet card was Adam Hinkel, who was born in Germany in 1833. He immigrated to the United States in 1852 and married Christiana Schaefer (1833-1899). Hinkel died in Warrensburg in 1901.
I must admit that the woman in this cabinet card photograph may not be troubled, but she sure looks troubled. She also looks well dressed in her high collar suit, leather gloves, and monstrosity of a hat covered with feathers and ribbons. The photographer, Henry Opie opened his studio in Redruth, England in 1889. He expanded his business and eventually had studios in Truro, Falmouth, and Helston. The reverse of the image has an identifying inscription stating “Grandma Robertson”.
The woman in this cabinet card photograph is identified as “Hattie Sugle”. Her name appears in an inscription on the reverse of the photograph. Hattie has intense eyes and is wearing an interesting large hat. Research could not garner any further information about this individual. The photographer of this image is John A. Shoaff (1836-1921) who operated a photography studio in Fort Bend, Indiana. To learn more about this photographer and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Shoaff”. SOLD
Two well dressed men pose for their portrait at T. H. Webster’s studio in Rice Lake, Wisconsin. The fellow with the walking stick is wearing striped pants and a top hat. The other gentleman is wearing a rather odd hat. Perhaps one of the Cabinet Card Gallery’s visitors will be able to inform the rest of us about the unusual hat. These Wisconsin dandies appear to be enjoying themselves while having their image taken. T. H. Webster is listed by internet photographer directory Langdon Road as operating in Rice Lake during the 1880’s. However, another source reports that he sold his studio to photographer Homer C. Reed in 1893.
This image features a well dressed woman posing for her portrait at the Amadeo studio in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. Amadeo’s gallery was located at 19 Calle San Nicolas. The subject of this photograph is unidentified. She is wearing jewelry and a nice hat. Her arms seem to be covered by translucent lace material that resemble stockings, but worn on the arms. It is clear that I need some major assistance from the cabinet card gallery research department (comprised of the site’s visitors) in order to explain the woman’s undersleeves. It is unknown whether the woman in this photograph was a visitor or resident of Palma. Palma de Mallorca is a major city and capital of the province of the Balearic Islands in Spain.
Maude Branscombe was a very popular stage beauty and light opera singer. She was reported to be the most photographed woman of her day. Biographical information about her is sparse and more will be added at a later date. Her first appearance on the New York stage was in 1876 as Cupid in a revival of Ixion at the Eagle Theatre. The portrait at the top was photographed by renowned W & D Downey of London, England.
The second portrait was cropped so the photographer is unknown.
The third portrait (Branscombe is wearing a necklace) is by L. Levin & Son of San Francisco, California.
The fourth cabinet card image was photographed by Sarony. Sarony was a well known celebrity photographer and more of his portraits can be viewed by clicking on the category of “Photographer: Sarony”. Sarony does an excellent job of capturing Branscombe’s beauty and her alluring eyes.
The fifth and sixth, and seventh cabinet card were photographed by another celebrity photographer, Jose Mora, of New York City. Interestingly, the fifth and seventh cabinet card captures Branscombe in the same costume as the second cabinet card. It is likely that the photographer of cabinet card number two, is also Jose Mora. To view other photographs by Mora, click on the category of “Photographer: Mora”.
The eighth cabinet card portrait of Branscombe was photographed by Howell, another New York City photographer with a studio on Broadway. Howell’s close-up photograph captures the actress’s beauty and her wonderful eyes. She is wide eyed and her hair is a bit mussed. These qualities add to the allure of Miss Branscombe.William Roe Howell was born in 1846 in Goshen, New York. He had a passion for drawing and painting and he directed his creative interest into the field of photography as a young adult. He opened a photographic studio in Goshen. In 1863 he moved to New York City where he joined Robert and Henry Johnston at Johnston Brothers Studio at 867 Broadway. In 1866 the firm became Johnston & Howell. In 1867, he became the sole proprietor of the gallery. By 1870, he was gaining much recognition in the field of photography. His great location in New York City gave him access to many fashionable upper class men and women as well as many celebrities. Among his photographic subjects were P. T. Barnum, Buffalo Bill, and Robert E. Lee. He opened a branch studio in Brooklyn. In 1873 he came one of five Americans to be awarded a special grand prized at the Vienna World Fair. He frequently received mention in the photographic journals. He published a book of cabinet cards that received much praise. He became a photographer for West Point, Princeton, and other notable institutions. He won many medals at photography exhibitions. In 1878 he moved his business from 867 to 889 Broadway and opened another studio with a partner (Meyer) at 26 West 14th Street. In 1880 he retired from photography due to health reasons. In 1886 he moved with his family to Washington D.C. intent on opening a photography business there. He then disappeared. He vanished just two weeks before the grand opening of his new studio. He left his wife of 16 years (Fannie Scott) and his five children penniless. His wife stated that Howell was an eccentric man and that he must have got tired of business and family problems “and cut loose from us”. He apparently returned home after a short duration of absence and his business appeared in the 1888 Washington D. C. business directory but not in the 1889 directory. He died of tuberculosis in New York City in 1890. He had been residing at the home of a colleague who ran a photography studio in Harlem. It is believed by some biographers that he had divorced his wife and returned to New York without his family.
The ninth cabinet card is another portrait photographed by Jose Mora. The actress’s costuming detracts from the overall appeal of the photograph. She seems lost in the swirl of her head covering. However, the photographer does an excellent job of highlighting Miss Branscombe’s seductive eyes. The phrase “Maude Branscombe eyes” certainly rivals the phrase “Bette Davis eyes”.
Cabinet card number ten also comes from the studio of Jose Mora. She is well dressed in this portrait. It is not clear if she is dressed for a stage role or if she is attired for a jaunt around town.
This photograph features three well dressed men wearing bizarre hats. Why are they wearing these hats? Perhaps a cabinet card gallery visitor can leave a comment offering a plausible explanation. One wonders if the men are trying to be funny. This image is truly an unusual photograph. The photographer is Oskar Liessner who’s studio was located in Vienna, Austria.
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
