A very cute little girl poses for her photograph at the studio of Wilhelm Otto in Vienna, Austria. This baby has personality galore. She is sitting on a fur covered chair and wearing a large bow in her hair. Her large eyes are wide open and she seems to be intelligently taking in all that is happening in the room in front of her. This cabinet card photograph is in good condition. Note the weak bottom right corner. The corner of the card is complete but apparently was bent sometime in the past and may be fragile (see scans). The middle of the reverse of the cabinet card has residue from it’s former life in a photograph album. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features three distinguished looking and well dressed older men. One of the men is holding a pipe and a cane. Two of the gents are wearing pocket watches. This postcard was produced by Crown Studios sometime between 1913 and 1929. The postcard is in good condition (see scans).
The parents of these five siblings must have been pleased when the photographer, Robert Ophoven, gave them this portrait. The children are beautiful, well dressed, and well posed. All three girls are wearing jewelry and their hair was carefully styled for this portrait. It is also interesting to note the intimacy between the three girls. the middle girl has an arm around the shoulders of one sister while her other arm is being grasped by her other sister. This image was photographed in Duren, Germany. SOLD
This vintage postcard features a young woman with beautiful long hair. Her hair nearly reaches the floor. (SOLD)
This vintage snapshot photograph features three soldiers in their camp in Tra Vinh, Vietnam. According to the inscription on the reverse of the photograph, this photo was taken in 1948. Tra Vinh is a province in the Mekong Delta. The photograph shows French troops who were engaged in battle with the Viet Minh. The men are engaged in some sort of activity. Are they cooking? Are they purifying water? I’m stumped. Two of the men are smoking cigarettes and all three look serious and exhausted. This snapshot photo measures about 3 1/2 ” x 2 3/8″ and is in very good condition. SOLD
This cabinet card features a portrait of an attractive young lady. She is posed with her back toward the camera, a pose which offers a profile view. The photographer of this image is Samuel Sharpsteen of Grand Rapids, Michigan and the photograph was taken in 1890. The previous owner of this cabinet card stated that Sharpsteen was of the Jewish faith, but that is not factually correct. There is a tendency for owners of cabinet cards to see a name that “sounds Jewish” and assume that the bearer of that name, must be Jewish. This kind of logic results in many incorrect identifications of Jewish photographers. It so happens, that Mr. Sharpsteen was of the Methodist faith. Samuel Sharpsteen was born in 1850 near Battle Creek, Michigan. His parents were native New Yorkers who were among the early settlers of Michigan. He was educated in Battle Creek’s public schools and at age 20 left home to apprentice in photography. He then went of Owosso, Michigan, where he and his older brother opened a gallery. After six months, his brother left the partnership; and Sharpsteen stayed in Owosso until 1882. He also married his wife there. His wife’s name was Nattie Tuttle, and she was from Cleveland, Ohio. His next location was Ionia, Michigan, where he stayed 8 years. An 18 month stint in Detroit was followed by his move to Grand Rapids. His gallery was in Grand Rapids from 1888 until , at least, 1903. His studio moved around a lot. Research located nine different Grand Rapids locations over the years that he was there. In addition, he had a partner in 1890 and their studio was known as Sharpsteen & Andrews. The Bulletin of Photography (1916) announced Sharpsteen’s death. He died in Grand Rapids at age 71. This cabinet card photograph is in very good condition (see scans).
This cabinet card portrait of a young child was produced by Hartley’s Studios. Hartley operated his studio in Chicago, Illinois (309 Madison Street). The studio was the” largest and finest equipped photographic gallery in the world”, and was “alive with the best photographic talent possible to procure”. These accolades are attributable to Hartley. The self promoting statements were printed on the reverse of the photograph. The child in this photograph is not identified, nor is it clear whether the subject is a boy or girl. Most likely the subject is female, based on her clothing, necklace, and hair bow. The child is very cute and has an interesting expression. She looks pensive, possibly even suspicious or anxious. It is interesting to note that she appears to be wearing a dark belt. It is possible that the belt is part of her dress, but one wonders if the belt is actually a device to hold her in the seat. To view other photographs by Hartley, and to learn more about him, click on cabinet card gallery’s category “Photographer: Hartley”. SOLD
This vintage photograph features a mother and her son. The pair are dressed for winter. This image exudes a lot of emotion. It is easy to sense the bond between the boy and his mother. My impression is that the photograph captures the boy comforting his mother., rather than the other way around. Each has an arm around the other, but mom looks to be in a passive role. The photograph was found in Moscow, Russia. An inscription on the reverse of the photo appears to indicate that it was taken in 1954. This photograph measures about 3 1/2 ” x 2 1/4″. SOLD
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