This photograph features a woman and her bicycle. It must have been very difficult for a woman to ride a bike in a such a long dress. Hand printed on the reverse of the photograph is the message “A Merry Xmas”. This photograph has been trimmed and as a result, the photographer is unknown.
This photograph features a woman in a bustle style dress posing for a full length portrait at the Gray studio in Omaha, Nebraska. The dress seems to play a more prominent role than the subject in this cabinet card image. In 1884 Howard E. Gray took over the Bee Hive Gallery at the address listed on this cabinet card. In about 1886 he changed the name of the studio to the H. E. Gray Studio. Omaha business directories indicate that he was operating a photography studio in Omaha from 1884 through 1896. The 1896 directory announces that Gray had moved to Houston, Texas. Research was able to pick up Gray’s trail in Houston. Business directories state that he was a photo retoucher in in 1897 and from 1899 through 1911 operated a photography studio. Research yielded no definitive information about his family. He may be listed in the 1900 US census but there is no confirmation that Howard E. Gray listed is the same Howard E. Gray who worked as a photographer. The 1900 census Mr. Gray was 36 years-old and married to Maggie Gray (age 38). The couple was married in 1885 and had a son named Elmont (age 12). Interestingly, the census Mr Gray was listed as working as a stenographer. To view other photographs by Gray, click on the category “Photographer: Gray (NE)”.
According to an inscription on the reverse of this cabinet card, the pretty woman featured in this cabinet card photograph is “Aunt Martha’. She is wearing a ring on her right index finger and is also wearing a hair bow. Aunt Martha poses for this photograph while standing at the proverbial garden wall. Note the giant leaves atop the post of the wall. The Taylor & Martin studio produced this photograph. The studio was located in Chicago, Illinois.
An inscription on the reverse of this photograph identifies this pretty young woman in the image as Louella Pauline Bishop. Research was unsuccessful in mining any biographical information about her. The photograph was produced by the Davis studio in Presque Isle, Maine. Apparently, Davis wanted to be known as a fotografist rather than photographer. Researching the meaning of the word “Fotographist”, I learned its actually an English word that is simply another way of saying photographer. Prescott Davis was born in 1863. He married his wife Annie in 1889. He appears in the 1900 U.S. census as being a photographer and living in Presque Isle. One wonders if his out of town friends referred to him as “Prescott from Presque”. Presque Isle is located in northeast Maine. It was settled in 1828 and was originally named Fairbanks. The town was located in no man’s land. The territory was claimed by both British Canada and the United States. It was called Presque Isle because the French meaning of Presque is peninsula and the town is located on a peninsula between the Aroostock River and the Presque Isle Stream. In earlier times the town was known for its involvement in agriculture and the lumber business.
A pretty young woman is featured in this portrait by the Lenhart studio in Allentown, Pennsylvania. This bright eyed woman is wearing earrings and a collar pin.To learn more about Lenhart and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Lenhart”.
A young girl in a fancy dress poses for her graduation portrait. She is holding a rolled diploma which is pressed against the keyboard of a piano. There are scattered books atop the piano. A ribbon hangs over the books and the ribbon has lettering on it. Magnification indicates that part of the wording says “Class of 1887” and has a drawing of a building on it (is the building a school?). The photographer of the image is B. F. Freeman whose studio was located At 42 Broadway in East Somerville, Massachusetts. Freeman was listed as a photograher in the Somerville City Directory (1883) and the New England Business Directory (1889).
A pretty young woman poses for her portrait at the Falk studio in Sydney, Australia. She is beautifully dressed, and has an attractive figure (give an assist to her corset). The photographer of this image was quite well known in his time. Henry Walter Barnett (1862-1934) was born in St. Kilda, Victoria. His parents were London-born Jews. Barnett began his career as an assistant to photographer Robert Stewart in 1875. When he was 21 years old he set up a studio in Hobart. He sold it to his partner in 1884 and went to London where he joined society photographers W. & D. Downey (click on cabinet card gallery category “Photographer: W & D Downey” to see some of their photographs). He returned to Australia and opened the Falk Studios in Sydney in 1887. He quickly became of the leading portrait photographers in the country. The Australian Dictionary of Biography states that “he was distinguished for his ability to bring out bone-structure and texture of the skin.” He was known as a perfectionist and he employed the most skilled craftsmen to work in his studio. He was said to have a flair for conducting business, paying little attention to cost. However, he asked “unheard-of-fees” for his services. Among his sitters were many celebrities, including Sarah Bernhardt and many other theatrical stars. In 1889 he married 20 year-old Hilda (Ella) Frances Clement Forbes”. The couple became known for their lavish entertaining. In 1896 Barnett became involved in early Australian Cinematography when he filmed scenes of the Melbourne Cup. In 1897 Barnett relocated to London where he operated a studio at Hyde Park Corner and later at Knightsbridge. His subjects included many royals and high society individuals. In 1920 Barnett sold his studio and retired in Southern France. He could not rest long and soon was involved in the collection and sale of contemporary French art.
A pretty light haired woman wearing a nice smile and a corsage, poses for her portrait at the Newman studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The leaves on the wall post create an autumn scene. Research found little information about photographer Newman. A photographer directory lists A. Newman as a gallery operator between the 1890’s and 1900. To view other photographs by this photographer, click on the category “Photographer: Newman”.
A pretty dark haired young woman in a lovely dress poses for her portrait at the Bender studio in Corning, Iowa. She is holding flowers on her lap and has additional flowers lying at her feet. She is sitting in front of a poorly painted backdrop. It looks like it was painted by a Corning elementary school class rather than professionally done. The history of Corning is quite interesting. The first Europeans that came to the Corning area were a group of French Icarians who arrived from Illinois in 1854. A town was formed and named Icaria. The small and french-speaking community was dedicated to the utopian principles of Etienne Cabet (French philosopher and Utopian Socialist). combined with the democratic principles of the American and French Revolutions. In the 1860’s the community became divided between “traditionalists” and “progressives”. The progressives left town to form their own community, which was close to Corning (surveyed for development in the 1850’s).
A young woman poses for the camera at the studio of Arthur & Philbric in Detroit, Michigan. She is wearing an unusually loud patterned blouse. Note the subjects fingerless gloves and collar pin. The Arthur & Philbric Studio had galleries in Detroit and Grand Rapids, Michigan, as well as in Toledo, Ohio. Research revealed some information about James Arthur (1855-1912). He was a native of Montreal, Canada and first began work as a photographer with the well known J. and J. W. Notman studio. He came to Detroit in 1881 and went to work with photographer J. E. Watson. In 1883 he became senior partner in the firm of Arthur & Philbric and they remained in business together for eight years. He then became sole proprietor of a firm called Arthur Studios. Research also yielded information about Philbric. Most notable is that Philbric was a woman. Her name was Helen M. Philbric and her name appears in Michigan business directories as Arthur’s partner between 1884 and 1893. No other information about Philbric was discovered. To view the work of other female photographers, click on the category “Female Photographers”.
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 