This cabinet card photograph of a very fit and athletic looking young man. He was obviously a turn-of-the-century gym rat. He appears to be a wrestler, or perhaps a gymnast. He is wearing a medal received for some athletic accomplishment. The photographer was Georg Brems of Bremen, Germany.
PORTRAIT OF AN ATHLETE IN BREMEN, GERMANY (CIRCA 1900)
RUGBY PLAYER IN WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
This cabinet card is a portrait of a young rugby player. He is wearing padded pants but no other equipment. The photographer is W. Frances Grubb (1864-1938). Grubb was an active photographer in the suburban Philadelphia area. He operated from his West Chester, Pennsylvania studio (25 N. High Street). He worked out of this studio between 1886 and 1898. Check out additional rugby cabinet cards under this site’s “rugby” category. To view additional cabinet card photographs by Grubb; click on this site’s “Photographer: Grubb” category.
YOUNG BOY AND BADMINTON RACQUET IN NEW YORK CITY
A young child poses with his racquet and plaid bow. The racquet appears to be a badminton racquet. The photographer is W. H. Saul of New York City, New York.
THREE FRIENDLY CRICKET PLAYERS IN WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND
This cabinet card photograph is a portrait of three uniformed cricket players posing at the studio of Henry Abbott in Wolverhampton, England. In 1835 a group of sportsmen met at a tavern in Wolverhampton to organize the playing of cricket in the borough. Records exist of the play of organized rugby in Wolverhampton beginning the year 1842.
CANADIAN RUGBY TEAM IN ST. MARYS, ONTARIO
This Cabinet Card is a portrait of a Canadian Rugby team. The photographer is Gray in St. Mary’s, Ontario, Canada. The boy’s uniform shirts reveal that the name of the team is St. Mary’s and one of the boys in the bottom row is holding the ball.
RUGBY PLAYER IN NEW YORK
This Cabinet card is a great image of a rugby player in uniform and holding the rugby ball. He looks able and ready to walk on to the pitch and join the scrum. The photographic studio is the famed Pach Bros of New York City. To view other photographs by this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Pach Bros.”.
Wounded Fencers from Jena, Germany
This Cabinet card image captures a fencing team after what must have been a tough match with another fencing club. Note the wounds and the little dog at the feet of the fencer furthest to the right of the photograph. Perhaps a reader of this blog can help identify the team and the words on the board in the center of the photo. The reverse of the card has German writing which I can not translate. It may list the two teams which competed. “Alleurarria contra Aruriscia” is the best interpretation I can make of the handwriting. Once again, I hope a fencing authority can comment and identify the competing teams. This is the second fencing Cabinet card that I have posted (look up the first under the category of sports). The photographer of both Cabinet cards is Friedr. Haack of Jena, Germany.
Three Fencers in Jena, Germany
This Cabinet card is a terrific image of three fencers photographed by Friedr. Haack of Jena, Germany. Note the color which was added after the photograph was taken. Jena is a university city in central Germany. At the end of the 18th century Jena became a center for precision machinery, optics, and glass making. The subjects of this fencing Cabinet card probably were university students, as academic fencing was very popular during the time period this photograph was taken. I hope some knowledegable fencing aficionados can provide further information about the details concerning this image.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 