A STYLISH AND ATTRACTIVE FAMILY POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

photo express

This cabinet card features a well dressed and attractive couple flanking their young daughter in a family portrait produced by the Photo Express gallery in Geneva, Switzerland. Dad seems to be a pro at posing for a photographer judging by the air of confidence that he exudes in this photograph. The gentleman’s daughter seems a bit apprehensive about her day at the photography studio. It is interesting to note the name of the studio that produced this image. “Photo Express” is a name we might expect to see in today’s time rather than around the time of the cabinet card era. We live in a time which has an “instant gratification” mentality. I suppose that the “Photo Express” name tells us that people have had an “on demand” type of impatience long before present times. This cabinet card joins a number of other Swiss images in the Cabinet Card Gallery. To view these photographs, click on the category “Switzerland”.

Published in: on February 12, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A WORLD WAR I ERA SOLDIER IN NANTES, FRANCE

SOLDIER

This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of a smartly dressed young World War I era soldier. He looks quite handsome in his uniform and clearly has his “game face” on. The photographer of this image is Gustave Cade. He operated a studio at 8 Rue de la Barillerie in Nantes, France. Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River.

SOLDIER 1

Published in: on February 11, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY WOMAN IN LEICESTER, ENGLAND (CARTES DE VISITE)

drinkwater

This cartes de visite  (CDV) portrait features a fashionable pretty woman with a serious expression. Note her pretty hat and lace collar. The woman’s photograph was taken by photographer William Edward Drinkwater who operated a studio in Leicester, England.

Published in: on February 6, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF MARGUERITE: FOUR YEAR-OLD POSES IN ALEDO, ILLINOIS

root 2

The reverse of this cabinet card informs us that the subject of this photographic portrait is a four year-old girl named Marguerite. She is certainly adorable. The photographer of this image is William H. Root. The Mercer County (Illinois) Historical Society Newsletter (2012) reports that the Aledo Democrat (1881) announced that Root opened a photography studio in Aledo. By 1895 there was an advertisement advising readers that the studio was under the new ownership of Leonard Hollenbaek. Research yielded little information about William H Root. There was a photographer in a close by town (Monmouth) named Emerson Root. One source states that Emerson Root was a brother of William and that there was also a third brother (Melville Root) who worked as a photographer. There was also a photographer in Chicago, Illinois who shared the Root name. His name was W. J. Root and two of his images can be seen in the Cabinet Card Gallery collection.

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Published in: on February 5, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A STRIKING YOUNG WOMAN BY B. J. FALK (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

striking

This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of a very beautiful young woman. She has long hair and is wearing a spanish style scarf. The photograph was taken by the great American celebrity photographer B. J. Falk. His name is in very small print slightly to the left and above the bottom right corner of the postcard.  The publisher was A. G. Steglitz  (NPG) in Berlin, Germany.  The postcard is used and is postmarked 1905.  (SOLD)

striking 2

Published in: on February 4, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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AN ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOLL IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA

reading

This image is a post cabinet card era portrait of a sweet adorable little girl holding her doll. The child is well dressed and flashing a wonderful smile. This photograph was taken at the Hafer studio in Reading, Pennsylvania. The photo joins one of many images from Reading that can be found in the Cabinet Card Gallery. Edward Egleman Hafer (1843-1925) was a portrait painter in addition to being a photographer. He was born in Berks County, Pennsylvania and settled in Reading in his mid teens. He began his photographic career in Reading at the studio of Captain F. M. Yeager for whom he worked between 1872 and 1874. He then bought Yeager’s business and remained at the same address (433 1/2 Penn Street) until 1900. Hafer was married to Amanda Nagle Hafer (1853-1920). The 1920 US census indicates that he was still working as a photographer at a very advanced age. He eventually retired in 1920 and died in Mount Penn, Pa in the year 1925 at the age of 82. He is buried in Reading’s Charles Evans Cemetery. This photograph measures approximately 7″ x 5″.

 

Published in: on February 2, 2016 at 12:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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WOUNDED WORLD WAR I FRENCH SOLDIER TREATED BY FELLOW COMBATANT WITH A BOTTLE OF ABSINTHE

wounded

This vintage real photo postcard features a wounded French soldier being treated by his fellow combatant. The soldier doing the nursing helps his buddy by pouring some absinthe into the cup that the wounded man is holding. The injured man seems to be very pleased as he awaits his medicinal drink. What is absinthe? It is a distilled highly alcoholic beverage. Absinthe became a highly popular drink in late 19th and early 20th century France. It is a drink that was later portrayed as dangerous and seen as a hallucinogen. By 1915, it was banned in the US and much of Europe (including France). Although the ban of absinthe and the start outbreak of World War I occurred close together in time, author Doris Lanier, in her book “Absinthe–The Cocaine of the Nineteenth Century……..” (1994), notes that soldiers continued to enjoy absinthe during the war. Back to the photograph. Note the storage holders on the shelf above the injured man’s bed. It appears that they were used to hold the hospitalized patient’s clothing and belongings. My description of this interesting photograph contains some conjecture. Perhaps you have a different interpretation of this image. If so, please share your ideas in the comment section.

 

 

 

 

Published in: on January 30, 2016 at 3:54 pm  Comments (13)  
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HANDSOME SAILOR POSES FOR HIS PORTRAIT IN ENGLAND (VINTAGE POSTCARD)

sailor

This item is a vintage real photo postcard featuring a portrait of a handsome young sailor. He looks quite dashing in his naval uniform. The young man was photographed by the J. S. Bullen studio which had two locations in England. The studio had branches in Grimsby and Louth. Bullen operated his studio in the 1910′s and 1920′s. He also may have worked as a  photographer in other decades.   SOLD

Published in: on January 27, 2016 at 11:56 am  Comments (2)  
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PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A BIRD NEST HAT

bird nest

This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty woman wearing a bird nest hat. At least it looks like a bird nest. This young woman has the beauty to wear this unusual hat and look terrific rather than silly. The postcard is of French origin and was published in Paris. The Publisher’s logo “LL” can be seen on the front of the postcard. The postcard is part of a series (#123). “LL” postcards were produced for France, England, United States, and other nations. For many years postcard collecting experts believed the logo stood for Louis Levy but there was no real supporting evidence and that belief died around 1991. Later research arrived at the conclusion that the initials “LL” stand for (Moyse) Leon and his son-in-law (Isaac) Levy. Leon and Levy began their career as assistants with the Parisian photographic studio Ferrier-Souilier. The pair began their own photographic studio in 1862. Leon and Levy’s studio won a gold medal at the 1867 Universal Exhibition. Leon left the partnership in 1872 and Levy kept the business going and continued to use the “LL” logo. The company was renamed Levy Fils et Cie. Levy died in 1913 and the company was later bought by the printer Emile Crete.

 

Published in: on January 26, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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A FATHER AND HIS FIVE CHILDREN IN WILKES BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA

wildermuth

A nicely dressed family poses for their portrait at the Wildermuth Studio in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania. It is immediately noticeable that this family photograph is missing someone. We see dad, but where is mom? It is interesting to note that the children in this family, all five of them, are nicely dressed. One would expect that a mother’s influence would have something to do with the children being so fashionable. In this case, we will never know who is doing the fashion consulting. It is a nice touch that the two youngest girls are wearing identical dresses. We see a few smiles as well as a some affection in this photograph. The oldest daughter has her hand placed on her fathers arm. It certainly appears to be a happy family. The photographer of this image is Martin S. Wildermuth and his career spanned from the late nineteenth century through the early twentieth century. After a time of being a sole proprietor, he joined forces with photographer Joseph Stearns. Post retirement he did some work with the Ace Hoffman company. Wilsons Photographic Magazine (1910) credits Wildermuth & Stearns for published photographs in the journal. He is also cited in the book “Coal Men of America: A Biographical and Historical Review ……..” (1918).  He was one of the photographers that contributed images for the book.  (SOLD)

 

Published in: on January 25, 2016 at 12:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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