This cabinet card features a very fashionable lady, posing for her portrait at the studio of Gilbert & Bacon, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The woman is identified as Mary Coley (her name is written on the reverse of the photograph). She looks great in her beautiful gown. Note the fur trim at her collar and near the bottom of her dress. She appears to be wearing pearls and she strategically placed her hat at just the right angle, in order to make some sort of fashion statement. This pretty woman may be an actress; Gilbert & Bacon were prominent theatre photographers in Philadelphia. However, research found no record of any actresses named Mary Coley. To learn more about the photographers of this cabinet card, click on the category “Photographer: Gilbert & Bacon”.
MARY COLEY, A PICTURE OF FASHION, IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
A PRETTY WOMAN IN ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA
A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the studio of R. A. Bonine, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The studio was located on 14th Street. The woman in the photograph is beautifully dressed and looks terrific in her dress; a fact not lost to the photographer who took a portrait of the woman that captures her, head to toe. This image is nicely done. The pose integrates the chair and curtain for balance and the swirl in the curtain along side the swirl in the woman’s dress enhances the image. Saying it simply, this is a beautiful portrait. The photographer, Robert Atkinson Bonine (1838-?) moved his photography business from Holidaysburg to Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1878. He came to Altoona with his wife, Matilda Hollinger (1838-?), whom he married in 1860. When Bonine wasn’t producing photographs, he was producing children. He and his wife had eleven children. A number of his children entered the field of photography. One of his sons, Robert Kates Bonine (1862-1923) was a well known film maker of travelogues. He was employed twice by Edison, and also worked for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. His work included films about the Klondike Gold Rush, the San Francisco Earthquake, Yosemite, Japan and China.
PRETTY WOMAN WITH SNOW SHOE BROOCH IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT
A pretty young woman poses for her portrait at Folsom’s gallery in Danbury, Connecticut. She is wearing a snow shoe brooch at her collar. Joseph H. Folsom (1841-?) married Sarah Elizabeth Lockwood n 1869. At the time he married, he was a veteran of the American Civil War. He had enlisted in the New York First Regiment in 1861 and had fought in several battles before being taken prisoner at Gaines Mill, in June, 1862. He was a prisoner of war in Libby Prison. After the war, he returned to his photography business in Danbury. A photography journal published in 1883 announced that his estate had sold the business. Interestingly, it seem that his wife, reestablished the photography studio. The Anthony Photographic Bulletin (1888) reported that she had opened her own photographic studio in a new location.
SHORT HAIRED BEAUTY IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT
A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the Sanford gallery. She has short dark hair and is wearing earrings and a pearl choker. The photographer of this image was E. Starr Sanford, a man with an interesting life story. To view other photographs by Sanford and to learn more about him; click on the category “Photographer: Sanford”.
PRETTY WOMAN POSES IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA
A pretty young woman poses for this cabinet card portrait at the studio of Bradley & Rulofson, in San Francisco, California. Her hair is nicely styled for her day at the photographer. To view other photographs by Bradley & Rulofson, click on the category “Photographer: Bradley & Rulofson.
FASHIONABLE WOMAN IN WINTER OUTERWEAR IN POUGHKEEPSIE, NEW YORK
This cabinet card is a portrait of a pretty young woman dressed in winter clothing. Her heavy coat is trimmed with fur and she appears to be wearing a fur hat and leather gloves. The woman can access additional warmth from her fur muff. She is clearly ready for a cold New York winter. The photographic studio that produced this image is Vail Brothers, of Poughkeepsie, New York. Vassar College library’s archive possesses two photographic albums from the photographers. The collection includes photographs of Vassar and Poughkeepsie. Vail Brothers began their studio in 1868 and it was still in existence at least until 1895. The studio is also known for their photographs of a number of the members of the Roosevelt family, including Franklin Roosevelt during his childhood years.
LADY AND A PUG
This cabinet card features a portrait of a well dressed lady and her pug. The woman is wearing a flower hat and is holding an umbrella with one hand, and petting her dog with the other hand. The photographer is unknown and would likely be known if this image wasn’t glued incorrectly on the card stock. The top of the image is glued to the bottom of the card. The viewer can see some partial printed letters showing above the top of the image. Perhaps the photographer had no card stock with his studio’s name and used old card stock from the studio’s previous owner. The photographer may have intentionally covered up the name and address of the studio so it would not get false credit for producing the image. Incidentally, there seems to be many cabinet card photographs featuring pugs. They must have been a popular breed at the turn of the century and certainly have made a resurgence during recent times.
A WOMAN POSES WITH POSIES IN WELLMAN, IOWA
A woman surrounded by flowers is the subject of this cabinet card portrait by J. V. Wahl, of Wellman, Iowa. A dark patterned curtain serves as the background in this photograph. The patterned curtains, the multitude of flowers, the patterned chair, and the young woman; make for a very busy image. In fact, the viewer’s eyes don’t know where to focus. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph indicates that the subject of this cabinet card is Miss Edith Ash of Washington, Iowa. The photograph was taken in January, 1898. Edith Ash (1878-?) is listed in the census of 1880 through 1920 as a resident of Washington County, Iowa. She is most likely the subject in this image. She was married to Howard Cooper, circa 1899.
JULIA BLAESS KLAGER: MICHIGAN BICYCLIST (PHOTOGRAPHED BY FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER)
An inscription on the reverse of this cabinet card, indicates that the young woman posed with the bicycle, is Julia Blaess Klager. Note the bell on the handlebars of the bike. Julia is beautifully dressed for her portrait at the studio of Susan T. Cook. Cook had galleries in both Ann Arbor and Dundee, Michigan. She is listed in an 1890 Ann Arbor directory. An attempt to find biographical information about Julia Klager, produced uncertain results. The 1920 US census lists a Julia Klager, residing in Washtenaw, Michigan. Her date of birth was listed as 1877, which could be a match for the woman in this cabinet card. A Julia Klager was also found to be associated with the University of Michigan. A woman with that name received a music degree (piano teacher) in 1907 and is also listed as a music patroness in the 1908 University of Michigan Yearbook. This musically inclined woman, may, or may not be, the woman in this photograph.
LADY PINNED BY A CONDUCTOR IN SIOUX CITY, IOWA
This cabinet card portrait features a young nicely dressed woman wearing a tintype pin or brooch. The jewelry holds a photograph of a train conductor; presumably the woman’s husband or suitor. The cabinet card was photographed by Rugg, whose studio was located in Sioux City, Iowa. Research reveals little to assist in gathering information about Rugg. Investigation found that there was an artist that resided in Sioux City named Elliott I. Rugg (1862-?). There is a reasonable possibility that he is the photographer that produced this image. Elliott Rugg was a relative of another photographer, Arthur Rugg, who operated out of Minneapolis, Minnesota. To view photographs by Arthur Rugg, click on category “Photographer: Arthur Rugg”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 