J. W. Clark, a photographer from Mendota, Illinois, produced this lovely portrait of a young couple. The pair are beautifully dressed and are wearing flowers. This photograph is likely their wedding portrait. Note the young man’s striped suit and long coat. In addition, take notice of the beautiful stitching near the hem of the woman dress. J. W. Clark was born in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania in 1852. In 1881 he began to operate a photography business, succeeding J. L. Gurrard. SOLD
PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG COUPLE IN MENDOTA, ILLINOIS
ATTRACTIVE AND EXPRESSIVE CZECH WEDDING COUPLE IN KARBITZ, CZECHOSLOVAKIA (1920)
If “cool” was a slang word used in the early 1900’s, than this is one very “cool” couple. Both subjects are very expressive as they pose for their wedding portrait at Wilhelm Richter’s studio in Karbitz, Czechoslovakia. The bride is holding a large bouquet of flowers and the the groom is wearing a flower on his lapel. A written notation on the reverse of the photograph indicates that the image was produced in 1920.
PORTRAIT OF A WEDDING COUPLE IN FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS
This photograph features a not too comfortable wedding couple. Both subjects look frozen and the bride appears doll-like. She is pretty and displays a nice figure in her interesting wedding dress. She is wearing a crown of flowers while the groom has a flower pinned to his jacket. The photographer of this image is Thibault’s Portrait Gallery in Fall River, Massachusetts. The studio was operated by Joseph Thibault. Written on the reverse of the photograph is the name “Joseph Mercier”. It is likely that the groom is Joseph Mercier. There were a number of men named Joseph Mercier living in Fall River around the time that this photograph was taken, making it impossible to garner information about the subject of this image. It does appear that the Mercier’s living in the area were of French Canadian descent.
WEDDING COUPLE IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
A. C. Paris, the proprietor of the City Gallery of San Antonio, Texas, produced this elegant wedding portrait . On the reverse of the cabinet card is an inscription stating “Alex Rossy, Josephine Fink’s father”. The cabinet card’s edges are gold embossed and scalloped. Census research reveals that the groom in this image, Alex Rossy (1862-1925) was the son of Charles and Aminda Rossy. Alex’s father was of Austrian ancestry. The 1880 US census reports that Alex was the fourth of seven children living in the Rossy’s home. San Antonio business directories assert that Alex’s occupation for many years was “Cigar Manufacturer”. Josephine Fink was actually Josephine Rossy Fink (1897-1980) and she was the daughter of Alex Rossy. She later became the wife of Lewis Fink.
SASSY BRIDE AND HER GROOM IN CENTRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND
J. C. Prince’s Photo Art Studio produced this wonderful wedding portrait. The photographer was located on Broad Street in Central Falls, Rhode Island. The couple are formally dressed and accompanied by flowers galore including a garland around the neck of the pretty bride. The groom has a happy twinkle in his eyes and his new bride appears to be quite sassy. Perhaps her sassiness is related to his happiness. In fact, both the bride and the groom seem to be very content on their wedding day. Their happiness is quite different than what is usually seen in most wedding day images from this era. More typically, photographed newly weds look like they are at their best friend’s funeral.
WEDDING COUPLE IN LINCOLN, ILLINOIS (WHO SAID “NOTHING BEARING THE NAME LINCOLN EVER AMOUNTED TO MUCH”?)
A couple pose for their wedding portrait in Lincoln, Illinois. The photographer is E. B. Core. The bride is wearing a dark wedding dress and the groom is wearing a corsage. The story behind how Lincoln, Illinois received its name is quite interesting. The town is the only town named for Lincoln before he became President of the United States. He worked as an attorney in the town between 1847 and 1859. The town was named Lincoln in 1853 and during the ceremony, Abe Lincoln christened the town by pouring watermelon juice on the ground. When it was originally proposed to name the town after Lincoln, Mr Lincoln stated that he was against the idea and that in his experience, “Nothing bearing the name of Lincoln ever amounted to much”.
CORNHUSKER WEDDING PORTRAIT: LOVELY YOUNG COUPLE IN NEWMAN GROVE, NEBRASKA
This photograph is a portrait of a young wedding couple taken by the Olson studio in Newman Grove, Nebraska. The wedding couple is well dressed and the bride is wearing a non white wedding dress adorned with flowers.Thorsten Olson established Newman Grove’s Olson studio in 1888. Research indicates that the studio operated until the 1950’s. Newman Grove is an agricultural community that was settled in the late 1860’s and incorporated in 1888. In 1886 the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad established a route through Newman Grove.
GROOM AND THIN WAISTED BRIDE IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA
This cabinet card appears to feature a Reading wedding couple. The couple is well dressed and the bride is wearing a feathered hat instead of a veil which lends some doubt to the wedding theory. The woman is wearing and holding flowers. Note her thin waist and his large hands. The photographer is John D. Strunk who operated in Reading, Pennsylvania. To view other photographs by Strunk, click on the category “Photographer: Strunk”.
A BRIDE WHO SAID “YES TO THE DRESS” POSING WITH HER GROOM IN EAU CLAIRE, WISCONSIN
A handsome groom and his pretty bride pose for their wedding photograph at the Bonell studio in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The bride is wearing a long veil and is adorned by many flowers and a necklace. The groom is wearing a corsage on his jacket and appears unhappy and angry on his wedding day. He looks as if he thinks his new wife spent too much money on the dress and the photographer. To view other photographs by Bonell and to learn more about him, click on category “Photographer: Bonell”.
PORTRAIT OF A BRIDE AND GROOM BY A FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER IN ELROY, WISCONSIN
This cabinet card is a wedding portrait of a young unidentified couple. The bride is wearing a dark wedding dress and a long sheer veil. The groom is standing in the background behind the bench his bride is sitting on. The distance between the two removes the intimacy that we tend to see in modern day wedding portraits. The photographer of this image is Miss Carrie B. Clizbe whose studio was located in Elroy, Wisconsin. She is one of a small group of female photographers operating during the cabinet card era. Research revealed very little information about Carrie Clizbe’s career as a photographer. The 1880 US census found Carrie (age 21) living with her parents and four siblings in Reedsburg, Wisconsin. Carrie was working as a “tailoress”. Her father had an interesting occupation. He sold patents. The 1900 and 1910 census does not list her as having an occupation. While investigating, I was able to locate a cabinet card produced by the Clizbe Sisters studio in Reedsburg. It is apparent that Carrie was once partners with her sister Martha. A directory of Early Western Photographers reports that Carrie’s studio operated in Elroy circa 1895. The web site for Reedsburg provides a short biography of the man that Carrie Clizbe married on 7/4/1900. Herbert H. Webb and two partners established a department store in Reedsburg called Webb and Schweke. It was known as ‘The Big Store”. Carrie died in 1921 in the city of Chicago. She is buried in Reedsburg.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 