This cabinet card is a portrait of eight very athletic looking men. The men are dressed very similarly. Their pants appear to be identical and they each are wearing a wide white belt around their waists. The image presents a number of questions. Are these Aussie blokes wearing a uniform? Are they members of a sports team? Are they wearing work clothing and all share the same occupation? Hopefully some Cabinet Card Gallery visitors will leave a comment that gives their opinion as to the answers to the aforementioned questions. The photographer of this image is Herbst of Sydney, Australia. He is mentioned in a number of Sydney newspapers published in the 1890’s. Advertisements for his studio appear in the newspapers, and there is mention of some of the notables he photographed.
EIGHT ATHLETIC LOOKING BLOKES IN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA
TWO HOTEL MAIDS IN CONCORD, NEW HAMPSHIRE
This occupational cabinet card features two women posing with supplies of their trade. The women are likely hotel maids, or house servants. One maid is holding a broom, while the other is holding a glass and what appears to be, a clean towel. The photographer of this image is F. A. Dow of Concord, New Hampshire.
WOODSMAN IN CLAUSTHAL, GERMANY
This occupational cabinet card features what appears to be a Woodsman and his axe. He is holding a metal tool in his left hand. Hopefully, a visitor to this site can identify the name and purpose of this particular tool. The mysterious object actually looks like an animal trap. Note the ladder in the background and the cut wood in front of him. He appears to be sitting on an overturned wheelbarrow. The photographer of this image is Friedrich Zirkler, of Clausthal, Germany. Clausthal is a town in Lower Saxony in the Harz Mountains. The area was known for its mining activity at the time of the photograph.
TURN OF THE CENTURY CARPENTER AND PAINTER IN WARREN, MASSACHUSETTS
This occupational cabinet card features two men dressed in work garb. The man on the left appears to be a painter and he is equipped with his paint pail and brush. His stained overalls show that he is a veteran painter. Note the large clean brush in his shirt pocket. The gentleman on the right seems to be a carpenter. He is holding a saw and rule which he is resting on a sawhorse. He is wearing an apron and both men have caps to keep their hair clean. The photographer is Penfield and the location of the studio is Warren, Massachusetts. Daniel Edward Penfield (1842-1914) was born in Meriden, Connecticut and died in Warren, Mass.
TWO SALVATION ARMY LADIES IN NEW YORK CITY
Two young women in Salvation Army uniforms, pose for their portrait at the Carter Art Studio, in New York City, New York. Note that one woman is wearing Salvation Army pins on both collars and that both women are wearing Salvation Army badges at their collar. The woman appear to be in their twenties, and one wonders what motivated them to join the Salvation Army. Did they have religious convictions that drew them to the organization? Were they hoping to help people or change the world in a positive way? Did they see joining the Salvation Army as a way to be able to live in exciting New York City. Unfortunately, the answers to these questions are lost to history. To see a collection of images of other Salvation Army workers;click on the Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Salvation Army”.
FIREMAN IN RED BUD, ILLINOIS
A uniformed fireman poses for his portrait at an unidentified photographic studio. He is a dashing young man and he appears to proudly wear the buckle which identifies him as one of Red Bud’s “bravest”. The town of Red Bud is located in Illinois. To see other images of firemen, click on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category of “Firemen and Policemen”.
STEAMSHIP STEWARD ON THE S. S. GEORGE W. CLYDE
This cabinet card photograph is a portrait of a ship’s steward. His cap has a patch that identifies him as a steward, indicates his identification number, and displays an anchor. The reverse of the card has an inscription indicating that he worked as a steward on the S. S. George W. Clyde. The photographer or the location of the photographers studio is unknown. The S. S. George W. Clyde was built in Philadelphia in 1872 by William Cramp & Sons. The ship was scrapped in 1926. The ship carried both merchandise and passengers during its existence. It was an early American steamship and records indicated that among its voyages were many that ended in the Port of New York.
MAILMAN DELIVERS BABY IN BANGOR, MAINE
This unique cabinet card features a mailman delivering a baby. Alright, he’s not delivering the baby using traditional child birth techniques. He is delivering the baby from his mail pouch. The mailman is dressed in his full uniform and he has a relatively serious expression on his face as he poses for the photographer. The baby’s facial expression can best be described as “sour”. The cameraman is Frank C. Weston, located at 2 Smith Block, of Bangor, Maine. Weston was a native of Maine who established himself as a photographer in the late 1870’s. His prices were “dictated by a spirit of moderation”, and he was the preferred photographer among the African American community of Bangor.
HANDSOME FIREMAN IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA
A handsome young fireman poses for his portrait at the photo studio of Miller, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The neatly groomed fireman is wearing his dress uniform and his badge identifies him as fireman #245 in his department. To view other cabinet card photographs of fireman; click on the Cabinet Card Gallery category, “Firemen and Policemen”.
TWO ROUGH LOOKING GUYS STANDING OUTSIDE A SHED: WHATS THE STORY BEHIND THIS IMAGE?
This cabinet card features two tough looking guys, wearing derby hats, and standing outside a ramshackled shed. Who are these men and what are they doing? This may be an occupational photograph. Note the baskets and the barrel. Is that a scale that one of the guys is leaning against? Is that a horseshoe above the shed’s door. This may be a mining scene; or perhaps an agricultural image. Hopefully, someone will leave a comment that makes an educated guess concerning what this image depicts. There is no identifying information concerning the subject, location, or photographer associated with this photograph.
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