This Cabinet Card features Sylvester Hoag posing for his portrait. Sylvester is looking quite cool in his overcoat and derby hat. Note the chain from his pocket watch. He has the appearance of a man waiting for something or someone. He has a nice moustache. If he lived today, I bet he would be called Sly Hoag. This photograph comes from his sister’s Hoag family album. His sister lived in Palmyra, New York. The photographer of the cabinet card is Pomeroy of Rochester, New York.
SYLVESTER HOAG LOOKS COOL IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK
DISTINGUISHED LOOKING BEARDED MAN IN JACKSON, MICHIGAN
This is a cabinet card portrait of a very distinguished looking man photographed in Jackson, Michigan. The man is well dressed and his hair is styled. Pencilled on the back of this photograph are the words “this is your great great grandpa Meserill (sp). The photographer of this photograph is John W. Paine (1844-?). Information appears about this photographer in a book titled The History of Jackson County Michigan (1881). Paine started his studio in Jackson in 1868 on a shoestring budget. He had 3 dollars worth of supplies and no chair. For his first three years he specialized in ferreotypes. He expanded the business into larger quarters at least three times. The studio that produced this cabinet card existed sometime after 1877. He learned the skills of his profession in Adrion, Michigan in 1861. He married Beatrice (Weaver) Jenkins in 1879. He was a mason.
FOUR SPANISH AMERICAN WAR SOLDIERS READING A MAGAZINE IN ILLINOIS
This Cabinet Card captures four Spanish American War era soldiers posing for their portrait in the studio of Vestine, located in Rockford, Illinois. The men are reading a magazine together and apparently find something amusing. Note the men’s military hats and overcoats. To view other photographs by Vestine, click on the category “Photographer: Vestine”.
BUSHY BEARDED MAN IN EDINBORO, PENNSYLVANIA
This bushy bearded man poses for his portrait at the photographic studio of Van Dyke, in Edinboro, Pennsylvania. This man looks quite intense and wise. Note the chain for his pocket watch hanging on his vest.
GREAT BEARD DISCOVERED IN MYSTERY TOWN, NEW YORK
This Cabinet Card is the newest addition to the “Beards (Only the Best)” category. This fine gentleman has a large beard and note his longish hair styled to cover his bald spot. Is that a mullet he’s sporting. The subject is identified as Dr Henry Hamley or Hawley. The photographer is F. M. Foster of Moila, New York. I can not find any references to a town in New York called Moila. Perhaps I am reading the town’s name incorrectly and would appreciate any help discovering the location of the studio which produced this photograph. Please help solve the mystery. (The mystery has been solved. See comments)
CIVIL WAR VETERAN BEDECKED WITH MEDALS IN MISSOURI
This Cabinet card is a terrific image of a union army Civil War Veteran. He is wearing three medals. One medal identifies him as J. W. Plummer, a member of company G in the 29th Indiana Infantry Regiment. The second medal represents his membership in the Civil War Veterans Group, the Grand Army of the Republic (G.A.R.). Further research reveals that Mr Plummer, is John W. Plummer and entered his unit as a private and left with the same rank. His regiment was organized in 1861 and fought at Shiloh, Corinth, Stones River, and the Battle of Chickamauga. The unit suffered 304 dead during the course of the war. The photographer is Tussey of Schell City, Missouri.
DAPPER SAILOR IN UNIFORM
The Sailor in this Cabinet Card is posing at an unknown photographers studio at an unknown location. Perhaps the information is classified (just kidding). It is also a mystery which nations navy this young man is serving in. Hopefully, an informed visitor can leave a comment identifying the nation this sailor represents. One can imagine that the sailor is on shore leave and wandered into a photographers studio to get a souvenir of his visit. He is looking quite dapper in his uniform.
SAILOR LANDLOCKED IN BROOKLYN
This Cabinet Card captures a sailor posing for his photograph at the studio of L Bradfisch on Fulton Street in Brooklyn, New York. The buttons on his coat are decorated with an anchor shaped design.
FANTASTIC PORTRAIT OF A CHICAGO JUDGE BY MOSHER
This terrific Cabinet Card is a portrait of a Judge in Chicago, Illinois. The clarity and detail of this image is remarkable. The photographer was C. D. Mosher of Chicago, Illinois. Mosher was an important early photographer of Chicago and made national news for an ambitious endeavor he undertook. The New York Times wrote a story in 1885 about Mosher’s project to collect 10,000 portraits of prominent residents of Chicago. His goal was to finish collecting the images by 1888. The photographs were placed in a special safe and placed in a vault provided by the city to only be opened for the nations bicentennial in 1876. Perhaps this Cabinet Card is one of the photographs that was locked away for Mosher’s effort to preserve history. To view other cabinet cards by Mosher, click on the category “Photographer: Mosher”.
THREE WESTERN GENTLEMAN IN LEADVILLE, COLORADO
Three well dressed men pose for their photograph in the mining town of Leadville, Colorado. The photographer is Luke. The men are wearing Western clothing and great hats. One man has a pocket watch and chain. Leadville is located at an altitude of 10,152 feet and in the late 1800’s was the second most populated city in Colorado. Denver was number one in population. Leadville was one of the worlds largest Silver camps and was the home of Doc Holliday shortly after the gunfight at the OK Corral.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 