The inscription on the reverse of this cabinet card identifies the subject of this portrait. She is “Mama Brown, friend and neighbor of Annie S. Peters”. The photographer of this photograph is G. W. Dahi… and his studio was located at 925 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, D. C.. Dahi… had a second studio located at 821 Broad Street in Richmond, Virginia. If you are wondering why his name is spelled “Dahi…”, let me tell you the answer. The first four letters of the photographers name are “Dahi” and the rest of the letters are unknown because they were removed when the image was taken from the frame or album that used to house it. Note the subjects, ruffles, lace, flowers, and hair ornament. Research did not identify the photographer. There were a number of photographers that operated businesses from the 925 Pennsylvania Avenue address. They included Henry Whitefield Samson (1878), J. D. Merritt, G. W. Davis, and Tassert or Fassett. Research also failed to identify Mama Brown. There are a number of Mamie Browns that lived in the Washington D. C. area and it is possible that one of them is the subject of this portrait. Annie S. Peters, Mama Brown’s friend and neighbor, was easy to track down. She appears in a number of US Censuses. Annie was born around 1849 and was married to David W. Peters in 1871.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
