FOUR VERY COOL LOOKING YOUNG MEN IN ASHLAND, WISCONSIN

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This cabinet card portrait features four well dressed hatted young men posing for their portrait at the J. A. Jones studio in Ashland, Wisconsin. The men present themselves with an air of confidence. That is particularly true of the fellow seated on the right of the photograph. All four men are wearing vests and the two men in the front row appear to be wearing identical striped shirts. It is my theory that the men work in the same business and that is what brings them together for this group portrait. The photographer of this image is John A. Jones. He operated a photography studio in Ashland between 1893 and 1916. A man with the same name had a studio in Hurley, Wisconsin between 1919 and 1922, although I am uncertain that they are one and the same person. Apparently, Mr. Jones of Ashland was a bit of an entrepreneur. Motor Age (1909) reported that Jones bought a sixteen passenger truck to establish a sightseeing stage line between Ashland and Odanah, the seat of the big Indiana Reservation of northern Wisconsin.

Published in: on August 31, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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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 DAPPER MORRIS GASTON FACES THE CAMERA

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The reverse of this photograph is inscribed with the name “Morris Gaston”, presumably the handsome subject of this portrait. Mr Gaston is well dressed and very poised in front of the camera. He is is wearing a pocket watch and holding a magazine or newspaper. The photograph was taken at the Green & Company studio in Berlin. Unfortunately, the logo on the mat of this photograph does not indicate in what locale Berlin is located. Is this image from a studio in Germany or in the United States? There are several US states that have towns named Berlin and there is even a Berlin in Ontario, Canada. I have been unable to uncover the answer to the location riddle. Perhaps a cabinet card gallery visitor can solve the mystery. The cabinet card measures about 4 1/2″ x 6 1/4″ and has terrific clarity.

Published in: on August 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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TEN WELL DRESSED GUYS POSING FOR A GROUP PHOTOGRAPH (REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a group of well dressed youngish men posing for a group photo.The men are wearing an assortment of types of hats. Most of the guys are wearing some kind of pin on their lapel but their common bond is unclear. Perhaps they are members of a fraternal organization? The postcard was produced on “AZO” paper sometime between 1904 and 1918. The clarity of the image is excellent.

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Published in: on August 16, 2015 at 12:18 pm  Leave a Comment  
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DISTINGUISHED LOOKING GENTLEMAN IN HELENA, MONTANA

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Lowry’s Art Place was the location that the distinguished looking man in this cabinet card portrait had this picture taken. The gentleman pictured is well dressed and well groomed. Though he was likely a resident of a western town, he appears to have made his living with his brain rather than his brawn. Perhaps he is a lawyer or a physician. The photographer of this image is H. J. Lowry, who according to the advertising on the reverse of this cabinet card, had studios in both Bozeman and Helena, Montana. Howard J Lowry is listed in the Helena Business Directories of 1889 through at least 1892 as a “portrait artist” (photographer) and as a teacher of drawing and painting at Helena Business College.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on August 13, 2015 at 11:58 am  Comments (1)  
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A WELL DRESSED GENTLEMAN HOLDS HIS HAT IN HIS HAND IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

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A well dressed man with a relatively close shaved beard and mustache poses for his portrait at the studio of John Kimball Stevens in Chicago, Illinois. He stands with his hat in his hand displaying a half smile. He is wearing a pinky ring and a tuxedo collar type shirt. He looks like a city dweller, perhaps a businessman. To learn more about J. K. Stevens and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Stevens”. The image below shows the reverse of the cabinet card. Note that Steven’s gallery was located in the McVicker’s Theatre Building.   SOLD

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Published in: on July 6, 2015 at 8:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A TEENAGE BOY IN NAPPANEE, INDIANA BY A VERY INTERESTING PHOTOGRAPHER

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A young man, probably a teenager, poses for his portrait at the Keller studio in Nappanee, Indiana. The young gentleman is well dressed and well coiffed. Either he, or someone else, spent a good deal of time and work to properly arrange his hair. John M. Keller (1867-1943) opened his photography studio in Nappanee in 1897. An ad in the St. Louis and Canadian Photographer (1900) advertised the business as being for sale. The 1900 US census listed him as working as a bicycle dealer. Keller married Clara Burbach in 1891. The 1908 Elkhart (Indiana) business directory reported that he had a store selling bicycles and sundries, as well as repairing sporting goods. By the time of the 1910 US census, Keller had a new occupation. He was working as a garage manager. The Goshen Democrat Newspaper (1912) reported that while Keller was testing an automobile, the flywheel came off and struck him below the knee. The unfortunate accident broke his leg. Interestingly, the newspaper also stated that after injuring Keller, the flywheel continued it’s journey and actually went through the side of the building. The 1920 US census found Keller working as a “garage mechanic” in Frankfort City, Indiana while the 1930 US census lists him as unemployed and living in Rochester, Indiana. It turns out that Keller was a real entrepreneur. According to the Rochester Historical Society, In 1921 Keller built and operated the Keller Inn which was located near the edge of Lake Manitou. He also made lures for fishermen. Apparently Keller had a shady side. During prohibition he made and sold liquor and “locals reported he also ran prostitutes out to an island in Lake Manitou”. Keller died at age 75 from heart disease. Much of the information about J. M.Keller was found at an internet site (http://www.folkartfishingtackle.com/#!john-keller/cadr). The image below was also found there. The image is a back stamp from one of Keller’s cabinet cards. It seems likely that the young man pictured in the image is Keller himself. I can’t resist supplying an interesting fact about the town of Nappanee. It is the longest city name in the US which has each letter in it’s name appearing twice.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on June 25, 2015 at 3:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A HANDSOME YOUNG MAN IN ATHOL, MASSACHUSETTS

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A bright eyed and handsome young man poses for his portrait in the stduio of C. J. Kratt in Athol, Massachusetts. He has neatly combed hair. Besides his mustache, he is very clean shaven. He could pass for a Gillette razor model. The gentleman is dressed for winter. Note his pocket watch chain. The reverse of the photograph has two inscribed names (see below). The top name is crossed out but looks like “J. Whitney”. The second name appears to be J. W. Holton.

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Published in: on June 18, 2015 at 9:25 am  Comments (1)  
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“PITTSBURG PETE”… THE TOUGHEST TRAMP IN THE COUNTRY (1912 PHOTOGRAPH)

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According the caption in this image, this photograph is a portrait of “Pittsburg Pete”. He is noted as being “The toughest Tramp in the Country”. The caption also notes that this photograph was taken in 1912. Preliminary research found references to a “Pittsburg Pete” in some articles about “hobos” and “tramps”. In addition, the Urbana Daily Courier (Illinois) has some articles about criminal activities of a man known as “Pittsburg Pete”. A 1914 article reports the arrest and jailing of a man with that moniker. The man is described as a “familiar street character in this city” and his crime was vagrancy. The article states that the man’s actual name was John Reed. It is unknown whether the tough looking guy in this image is the same “Pittsburg Pete” as the “street character” in Urbana.  (SOLD)

Published in: on February 4, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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MISTER EQUESTRIAN IN DECORAH, IOWA

EQUESTRIAN_0005This cabinet card features a dandy gentleman holding what appears to be a riding crop in his gloved hands. Is he dressed for riding? Is that a horse shoe pin that he is wearing    near the bottom of his vest? Note his pocketwatch and chain. The reverse of the photograph is inscribed by the subject. He wrote “Ever your friend, George L. Stringer”. The reverse of the cabinet card also reveals the name of the photographer. A stamp identifies the portraitist as being A. W. Adams whose studio was located on Water Street in Decorah, Iowa. Research revealed some information about George Lincoln Stringer (1862-1932). The 1880 US census indicates that he was born in Iowa but that his parents were Canadian born. In 1880, he was living in Decorah with his parents. His occupation was hard to decipher but it looked a lot like blacksmith. The 1900 census found him still living in Decorah and married (1884) to Mary Alice Kennedy. The couple had a 15 year-old son named Vernon. Once again his occupation was nearly illegible but it seemed to read “traveling salesman”. George Stringer died in 1932 and is buried in Phelps Cemetery in Decorah.  The town of Decorah was settled in 1849 and in its early history had a large number of Norwegian settlers. The Norwegian influence remains there today. The Decorah Posten was the largest Norwegian newspaper in the United States until it shut down in 1972. The town was named after Waukon Decorah, a Winnebago tribal leader, who was a US ally in the Black Hawk War of 1832. The photographer of this cabinet card, Asa W. Adams (1842-1915) operated a photo studio in Decorah between 1863 and 1884. Before moving to Decorah, Adams ran a a studio in McGregor, Iowa (1863). Early during his operations in Decorah he had a partnership with S. R. Shear in the Adams & Shear Gallery. In 1866 he married Emma J. Fuller and the couple had four children. Adams sold his studio to O. E. Borlaug. He next conducted his photography business in Waterloo, Iowa (1884-after 1900). Adams died in 1915 and is buried in Decorah.

Published in: on June 30, 2014 at 12:12 pm  Comments (2)  
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