“BEST TEAM EVER”: TEAM PHOTO OF A WOMENS BASKETBALL TEAM (1923 VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH)

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This wonderful vintage photograph features a Womens Basketball team which apparently just completed a championship season. The image includes seven girls in uniform and their coach. Three of the girls are holding trophies. All of the girls look like their having a good time. There is an abundance of smiles as the photographer shoots his picture. Even the coach seems to be enjoying the moment. As customary, the basketball has been marked with the date. The girls are celebrating completion of the 1923 season. Their team’s name and their location are unidentified. This image is an important piece of womens basketball history. Note the girls uniforms and their sneakers. There appears to be some variety in their footwear. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription that must summarize the girl’s experiences as a member of the basketball squad. The writing happily declares “Ye Old Team….Best Ever”. This vintage photograph measures about 8″x10″.

SOLD

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Published in: on September 5, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL PUSHING DOLL IN A STROLLER WITH HER LOYAL DOG AT HER SIDE (VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH)

girl and puppy

This wonderful vintage photograph features an adorable little girl pushing her doll in a three wheel stroller. Her dog is sitting, on alert, right next to her. The child is adorably dressed, note her decorative hat. The girl and the photographer are unidentified. The young girl appears to be somewhat overwhelmed, or intimidated, by the process of having her portrait taken. This image is probably from the 1910’s and it measures about 3″ x 6″.  (SOLD)

Published in: on August 28, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WEDDING COUPLE IN SAALFELD, GERMANY

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This carte de visite is a wedding portrait that was taken by the Kratzert studio in Saalfeld, Germany. Like many wedding photographs of the time, we see the groom sitting and the bride standing. The couple appear to be relatively young. The pretty bride is wearing a wedding gown with a high collar. She is wearing a necklace and holding a bouquet of flowers. The groom is well dressed in his three piece suit and is displaying a poor version of a pensive expression. He appears to be uncomfortable, while his bride seems significantly more relaxed. The couple were photographed at a studio in the town of Saalfeld, which is the capital of the Saalfeld Rudolstadt district of Thuringia. The town is located in the valley of the Saale River.  (SOLD)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Published in: on August 27, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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THE “WILD MEN” OF PRAIRIE CITY, ILLINOIS

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Who are these guys? I suppose we will never know. This cabinet card photograph features two older men posing for their portrait at the Crane studio in Prairie City, Illinois. The men are pretty well dressed. Both are wearing long coats and hats. One imagines that this photograph was taken during the winter, judging by the men’s clothing. The gentleman on the right side of the image has an appearance of someone who likely did not live a traditional lifestyle. His appearance might have earned him a part in a movie about a wild man living a bit away from civilization. That is, if there were movies during the cabinet card era. Of course I realize that my hypothesis could be very wrong. As much as I love to conjecture about the people in these vintage photographs, I am clear that our interpretations may reveal more about ourselves than about the subjects in the images. These old photos can be similar to the projective tests (ie the Rorshach)  employed by Psychologists. Gathering information about the photographer of this image was problematic. More thorough research could reap some very interesting results. The only photographer named Crane that I could find in the Prairie City area was Maria Ann Crane who operated a studio right in Prairie City. According to the Yale University library collection of “Women in Photography”, Miss Crane operated a studio in Prairie City in 1893. The library collection includes two of her portraits. Crane may have been an independent photographer, or like many other pioneer women in photography, she may have joined or succeeded her husband in the photography business.

 

 

Published in: on August 26, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL WITH A TRIANGLE HAT IN LAFAYETTE, INDIANA (VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH)

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The little girl featured in this vintage photograph apparently is a “girly girl”. That phrase is not meant to be a slur; it just means that she enjoys the more feminine look. She is wearing a frilly dress, her hair is nicely braided and has a pretty bow, and she is wearing an elaborate hat. The front of the hat is nearly triangle shaped and it is adorned with flowers and a feather. The Himea & Elam studio of Lafayette, Indiana, is the creator of this vintage image. Chas Himea is listed in the 1910 US census. He was born in Maryland in 1872 and died in Indiana in 1944. His wife was named Estella but she was also known as Ella. At the time of the census the couple had a thirteen year old son (Leslie) and Chas was working as a photographer. His name appears in a number of Lafayette business directories between 1903 and 1915. Interestingly, the 1957 directory lists a photography store bearing the Himea name. Himea’s partner was Warren G. Elam.  Elam was born in Indiana (1874) and married Alice Elam in 1899. He is listed in the 1900 US census as a photographer but, by at least 1920,  he was out of the profession and living in California.

 

 

 

Published in: on August 22, 2016 at 7:39 pm  Comments (3)  
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MISS RENEE MAYER: CHILD ACTRESS AS PUCK IN “THE SLEEPING BEAUTY RE-AWAKENED” (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features child actress, Miss Renee Mayer, posing in character for photographers Foulsham and Banfield. She is photographically captured in her role as Puck in the theatrical production of “The Sleeping Beauty Re-Awakened”. Note the cute little puppy that she is holding. Mayer was a child actress and dancer who made her stage debut in 1910 as the Pearl Fairy in “The Goldfish”. She is most noted for her performance as Puck in three revivals of “Sleeping Beauty” (1912, 1913, 1914). She acted in pantomimes throughout her teenage years and appeared in films in the early 1920’s including “A Bachelor Husband” (1920). Miss Mayer was born in 1900 which informs us that she was somewhere around thirteen years old when she posed for this photograph. The New York Times (1915) mentions Renee Mayer in an article about a play called “Masque of War and Peace”. Looking at the roster of cast members in this production, it becomes clear that the show had an all-star cast. Performers included Mme Rejane, Lily Elsie, Edna May, Viola Tree, Elsie Janie, Lily Langtry and of course Miss Mayer. The show was performed at the Drury Lane Theatre to raise money for “The American Women’s War Relief Fund”. Great Britain’s National Portrait Gallery has twenty real photo postcard portraits of Miss Mayer. Three of the images are photographs by Foulsham and Banfield and published by Rotary Photo (just like the image above). This postcard is part of the Rotary Photographic Series (no. 6924 B) and was printed in Britain.

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Published in: on August 7, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A FASHIONABLE WOMAN AND HER PARASOL IN ST. CATHARINES, ONTARIO, CANADA

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A fashionable woman holding a parasol poses for her photograph at the Poole studio in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. She is wearing a lot of jewelry; her earrings, collar pin, ring, and a chain on her jacket are quite evident. She is also wearing half gloves and holding a purse. The woman is exhibiting an “all business” expression. Printing on the reverse of the cabinet card notes that the studio was located on St. Paul Street and the studio had received an “Honorable Mention” award at the Paris exposition in 1878. Edwin Poole was born in Abington, England and educated in London. He emigrated to Canada in 1866 and moved to St. Catharines in 1876. In 1900 he opened a photography studio. His work was published in the Toronto Globe and he won many photographic awards during his career. He retired in 1921 and died in St. Catharines in 1931. I believe the image below is a portrait of Edwin Poole. To view other portraits by this photographer, click on the category “Photographer: Poole”.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on June 30, 2016 at 9:25 pm  Comments (2)  
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PORTRAIT OF A ROW OF FIVE ADORABLE CIRCUS DOGS (PHOTO BY FAMED ALBERT BERGERET OF FRANCE)

circus dogs

This vintage real photo postcard features five circus dogs posed as if they were begging. The dogs are adorable and the photographer did an excellent job of posing these “talented” canines. The caption is in French and roughly means “Doggies Right Alignment”. The photograph is by the famed Albert Bergeret (1859-1932), a leading French postcard producer. Printing on the front of the postcard lists the studio as being located in Nancy. A postmark on the card indicates that it was mailed in 1902. To view other examples of Bergeret’s work and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Bergeret”. SOLD

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Published in: on April 11, 2016 at 2:18 pm  Leave a Comment  
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THREE EXPRESSIVE WOMEN WITH HATS (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

three ladies

This vintage real photo postcard features three well dressed women wearing interesting hats and interesting expressions. The two women on the right have countenances like the “cat that ate the canary”. The ladies were photographed by an unknown studio at an unknown location. The “AZO” stamp box indicates that the postcard was published sometime between 1904 and 1918.

Published in: on March 2, 2016 at 4:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A GUITAR PLAYING WOMAN TAKEN ON A RAILROAD PHOTOGRAPHY STUDIO CAR

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A young woman plays the guitar as she poses for her portrait by a railroad photographer. The Fallman studio was actually located on a train car. Printing on the front of the cabinet card notes that the photographer utilized a Parlor Photo Car. Some photographers, like Mr. Fallman, would rent or purchase a railroad car and travel from town to town. Sometimes the car would be disconnected from the train and the photographer would operate his studio until business conditions dictated that he move on to another locale. Fallman’s parlor car obviously contained backdrops and props. The woman in this photograph is sitting on a hammock next to a box topped with a couple of books. Preliminary research failed to uncover details about Mr. Fallman. However, the Cabinet Card Gallery possesses a vintage photograph of a cute little girl by Harry Fallman (1853-1907). His studio was located in Eureka, South Dakota. During his lifetime, Harry also lived and worked as a photographer in North Newberg and Portland, Oregon. It is unknown if Harry is the same Fallman who operated the rail car studio that produced the photograph above. To view Harry Fallman’s photograph and to learn more about him (and his celebrity son), click on the category “Photographer: Fallman”.   SOLD

 

 

Published in: on January 22, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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