This vintage photograph found it’s way into the Cabinet Card Gallery on merit. The image features a beautiful African American woman with incredibly soulful eyes. She is well dressed in her winter coat and hat. The photograph measures about 3″ x 4.75″. The photo is likely trimmed but does not appear so.
BEAUTIFUL AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WITH THE MOST SOULFUL EYES
PORTRAIT OF A LOVELY COUPLE IN LONDON (ONTARIO), CANADA
This cabinet card portrait features a well dressed and handsome couple posing at Edy Brothers studio in London (Ontario), Canada. The studio was located at 214 Dundas Street. The gentleman is holding some papers on his lap. The attractive young woman appears to appreciate jewelry. She is wearing a necklace and a ring. Edy Brothers Studio was a family run business for several decades between the 1860’s and teh early 1920’s in Brantford and London, Ontario. James Newbury Edy (1843-1890) and William Daniel Edy (1832-1911) were the original partners that started the business. William’s son Leslie Eli Edy (1864-1919) ran the business in the early 1900’s. The next proprietor was Franklin William Edy who operated the studio until it’s closure in 1922. (SOLD)
EMOTIONAL PORTRAIT OF A POOR SHARE CROPPER FAMILY IN ALABAMA
Once again I could not resist putting a non cabinet card photograph in the Cabinet Card Gallery. I will use the same excuse I always use. This photograph is truly special and I want to share it with the gallery’s visitors and followers. This vintage real photo postcard captures a young family sitting in a field. Capture is definitely the right word. The photographer did an exceptional job of capturing the emotional state of the family members. The mother and father in this image are both quite attractive despite being dressed in their work clothing. Many photographic subjects of this era dressed in their finest clothing when being photographed. There is an implication that this family is a poor family. The words “tenant farmer”and “share cropper” come to mind. Both husband and wife look intensely worried. The wife also looks quite determined. Are they worried about a failed crop? Are they worried about the bank foreclosing on their farm? The older child in this photograph is adorable despite the fact that she is eyeing the photographer with a great deal of suspicion. This postcard was produced by CYKO sometime between 1904 and the 1920’s. The postcard is in good condition (see scan). The postcard was found in Bessemer,Alabama which is about 18 miles southwest of Birmingham. If the photograph was taken in the area of Bessemer, it is interesting to note that truck farming was one of the occupations associated with that town around the time that this postcard portrait was taken.
ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL LOOKS UP AT HUGE ST. BERNARD IN AWE (STEREO CARD)
This stereo card is offers an adorable photograph of a little girl looking up in awe at a large St. Bernard. The dog looks friendly enough and the child does not seem intimidated. In fact the caption on the card indicates that the girl asks “Aren’t you big enough to talk? I am”. The little girl sits on a Persian rug holding a doll in her lap. There is also a toy block and another doll in the foreground of the photograph. Since this is the Cabinet Card Gallery and not the Stereo Card Gallery, a few words about Stereo cards may be in order. Stereo cards have a pair of photographs which give a three dimensional view when looked at through a Stereo Card viewer. This form of photography was in it’s prime between 1870 and 1920. A popular producer of these cards was Underwood & Underwood Publishers. Two brothers, Elmer Underwood (1859-1947) and Bert Elias Underwood (1862-1943), formed the company in Ottawa, Kansas in 1881. They later moved to Baltimore and later New York City (1891). At one point in time, Underwood & Underwood was the largest publisher of stereoviews in the world (10 milion views a year). This particular view was one of their publications. SOLD
PORTRAIT OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN COUPLE
This vintage photograph features an African American man and woman. The pair dressed up in their fanciest clothing to pose for this portrait. The man is wearing a plaid suit and a vest. The couple may be husband and wife though the man looks significantly older than the woman. The woman has her left hand on the man’s shoulder in a display of affection. The subjects of this photograph as well as the photographer are unidentified.This photograph measures about 4″x 5″. (SOLD)
A GRANDMOTHER AND FOUR ADORABLE GRANDCHILDREN IN A FAR OFF PLACE (BUT WHERE?)
This cabinet card portrait is of European origin but I am clueless about determining it’s nationality. Hopefully, a member of the cabinet card gallery’s research department (the gallery’s visitors) will leave a comment telling us the photo’s national origin. There is evidence (an inscription) on the reverse of the photograph that will help someone with the identification (see image below). The photograph itself features what appears to be a family of five. Perhaps the adult in the photograph is the children’s grandmother but it is possible that she is their mother. The two girls sitting on the wall look incredibly adorable as they sit nearly on top of each other in a show of affection. The child wearing the fez appears to be a boy. I can not determine what he is holding in his left hand. The object looks like it could be the hilt of a sword (hopefully a toy). Perhaps a cabinet card gallery visitor can determine what exactly the lad is holding. Grandma, or is it Mom, appears quite proud of her brood of children.
HANDSOME GERMAN OFFICER WEARING DRESS UNIFORM IN ULM, GERMANY (CDV)
This vintage photograph is a cartes de visite (pre cabinet card era). The image captures a German officer looking quite handsome in his fine uniform. Note his long coat and cap. He is holding his dress gloves in is left hand. The photographer of this cdv is Emil Burger and his studio was located in Ulm, Germany. Ulm is a city in the federal German state of Baden-Württemberg and is situated on the Danube River.
SOLD
THREE YOUNG MEN RAISE THEIR BEER STEINS IN AMBERG, GERMANY WHILE THEIR DOG MAINTAINS HIS SOBRIETY
Three well dressed young men raise their beer steins in a toast while their teetotaling dog joins them in a group portrait. These guys definitely exude an air of self-confidence. This cabinet card portrait was taken by the Franz Tausch studio in Amberg, Germany. The city of Amberg is located in the Bavaria region. SOLD
WALTER Q. GRESHAM: CIVIL WAR HERO AND HOLDER OF TWO US GOVERNMENT CABINET POSITIONS (PHOTOGRAPH BY CELEBRATED PHOTOGRAPHER C. M. BELL)
Walter Q. Gresham (1832-1895) was quite an accomplished man in both his military and his political careers. He was an American statesman and jurist. He held offices that included US Postmaster General, Judge on the US Court of Appeals, Secretary of State, and the Secretary of Treasury. He was a two time candidate for the Republican nomination for President (1884 and 1888). He also served as a Union officer in the American Civil War. He entered the army as a Lieutenant Colonel of the the 38th Indiana Volunteer Infantry. He was promoted to full Colonel and led the 53rd Indiana Infantry and took part in the fight for Vicksburg as well as other battles. In 1863 he was appointed Brigadier General and commanded Federal forces in Natchez, Mississippi. In 1864 he became a division commander under General Sherman during the Atlanta campaign. He was forced to leave the army after being shot in his knee; an injury that left him lame for the remainder of his life. He was married to Matilda McGrain in 1858. Gresham is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. The photographer of this historic cabinet card is C. M. Bell. Charles Milton Bell (1848-1893) was also an accomplished man. He was the youngest member of a family of photographers that operated a studio in Washington DC from around 1860 until 1874. He established his own studio on Pennsylvania Avenue in 1873. He quickly became one of the most successful photographers in the city. He was noted for his portraits of Native Americans as well as political figures and celebrities. His subjects included President Chester Arthur, Chief Yellow Bull, and Helen Keller. His photographs can be found in many prestigious institutions including The Library of Congress, Harvard University, Dartmouth University, and the Smithsonian. Bell is also known for his photographs of President Garfield’s assassin, Charles J. Guiteau. He was the only photographer authorized by Guiteau and the Government to take photographs of Guiteau and other people playing roles in his trial. Bell also took medical photographs relating to the assassination and assassin.
CUTE LITTLE GIRL IN BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK
A cute little girl poses for her portrait at the Osborn studio in Binghamton, New York. She is wearing a collar pin as well as a bow in her blonde hair. Her eyes are wide open as she tries to cooperate with the photographer. Emerson Osborn (1843-1916) appears in the 1870 US census and is listed as a photographer. He was married to Hannah E. Osborn (1843-1928) and the couple had three children. Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin (1885) reported that Osborn bought the Singhi gallery in Binghamton and made significant improvements. To see an image from Will G. Singhi’s gallery, place his name in the cabinet card gallery search box. The 1900 US census reveals that Osborn and his son, Fred, were working as photographers but by time of the 1910 US census, Emerson was listed as retired. Emerson died in 1916 and is buried in Binghamton’s Spring Forest Cemetery along with his wife and one of his children. To view other images by this photographer, click on the category “Photographer: Osborn (Binghamton NY)”. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 