A DANDY WITH BIG HAIR IN MIDDLETOWN, CONNECTICUT

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The handsome man in this cabinet card portrait is well dressed and well groomed. He has a terrific mustache and big hair. His striped tie is quite lovely but quite loud and he may be in danger of being ticketed by the fashion police for wearing a striped tie with a plaid jacket. Gideon H. Appelquest (1859-1902) immigrated from Sweden in 1876 and settled in Middletown. He was a photographer in the town from the 1880’s until about the time of his death. His wife Emily, took over the studio after Gideon’s death and operated it for another two years. The couple had two children; Jerome (born 1888) and Alva or Olga (born 1891). To view more photographs from this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Appelquest”.

Published in: on April 23, 2015 at 8:18 pm  Comments (2)  
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PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A FEATHERED HAT IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

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A pretty well dressed young woman poses for her portrait at the Anderson studio in San Francisco, California. She is wearing a beautiful dress with a large bow and a feathered hat sits atop her head. She is also wearing what appears to be diamond earrings and a collar pin. I would guess, and it’s only a guess,  that the woman in this photograph is an actress. The woman’s beauty, attire, and poise leads me to hypothesize her theatrical background. Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery will recognize her and be able to provide the rest of us with her identity. The photographer of this image is Hugh S. Anderson. He was born in Scotland sometime between 1820 and 1828.  Anderson was a California photographer who operated studios in Eureka (1858-1865), Hydesville (1859-1860), San Francisco (1866-c1895), and Petaluma (1875). The Valencia Street studio that produced this photograph operated between 1879 and 1884.   SOLD

Published in: on April 19, 2015 at 9:48 am  Comments (6)  
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MAGGIE MITCHELL: CELEBRATED THEATRE ACTRESS WHO PERFORMED IN FRONT OF PRESIDENT ABRAHAM LINCOLN

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Maggie Mitchell (1832-1918) was a famous American actress, born in New York. Her first regular stage appearance was in “The Soldier’s Daughter” at the Chambers Street Theatre in 1851. Her first major success was as star of  “Oliver Twist”. She has been described as small, agile and energetic, with a special talent for comedy. In 1860, she appeared in “Fanchon, The Cricket” which was adapted for her from a George Sand novel. She performed in this and other plays in front of  President Abraham Lincoln. The photographer of the top image was celebrity photographer, Mora, of New York City. To view other photographs by Mora, click on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category, “Photographer: Mora”. The second portrait of Miss Mitchell was taken by the esteemed Philadelphia photographic studio, Gilbert & Bacon. This cabinet card image shows Maggie displaying a “come hither” expression. To view more photographs by this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Gilbert & Bacon”. ADDENDUM: A knowledgeable visitor to Cabinet Card pointed out that the second photo of Miss Mitchell is actually actress Lotta Crabtree (see comment below). A bit of research confirmed his astute observation. Lotta Crabtree, a woman who led a very interesting life, will receive her own entry in the cabinet card gallery in the next few days.

Published in: on April 15, 2015 at 12:01 pm  Comments (2)  
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PORTRAIT OF AN ADORABLE YOUNG GIRL IN GATESHEAD, ENGLAND

 

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The young girl in this cabinet card photograph looks absolutely adorable in her lace dress and cute hat. She is holding a fan and wearing a paper garland of flowers. This sweet child was photographed by George Frank who’s studio was located in Gateshead, England. An image of the reverse of this cabinet card can be found below. This is an excellent example of some of the better advertising employed by photographers to symbolize their artistry.   (SOLD)

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Published in: on April 14, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER J. K. STEVENS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

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Celebrity photographer John Kimball Stevens photographed this pretty young woman in his studio located in the McVickers Theatre Building in Chicago, Illinois. The woman is wearing a high collar dress with an accompanying collar pin. She has a serious but unfocused expression. To view more of Stevens images and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Stevens”. This photograph measures approximately 8 1/4″ x 3 1/4″; not a standard cabinet card sized photograph.  (SOLD)

Published in: on April 13, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL STANDING ON A CHAIR IN MACON, MISSOURI

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This cabinet card features a most adorable little girl dressed in a long white gown and standing on a chair. This cutie pie is quite expressive. Is she joyful or is she fearful? I opt for joyful. The photographer, Manton M. Patterson, is cited in the St. Louis and Canadian Photographer (1900). A short biography of Mr. Patterson appears in the History of Adair County (1911). Patterson was born in Logan County, Illinois in 1868. At age 6 he moved to Macon County with his family. At age 14 his father died and in order to maintain himself he went to work for a Macon gallery where he learned the photography business. Like many photographers, his work caused him to move from place to place. He operated studios in Missouri (Macon, Memphis, St. Louis, and Kirksville). He also conducted business in Iowa (Iowa City). Patterson was married to Rebecca Ely in 1899.

Published in: on April 12, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A BEADED DRESS IN MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

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A pretty young woman wearing a dark beaded sleeveless dress and a choker poses for her portrait at the Rugg studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Arthur Rugg took a profile view of this woman and managed to capture her sweetness, evidenced in her eyes and smile. Mr. Rugg is not a stranger to the cabinet card gallery and you can view more of his images and learn more about him by clicking the category “Photographer: Rugg”. Below, you can see Mr. Rugg’s advertising which appeared on the reverse of the photograph.

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Published in: on April 11, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY DOE EYED WOMAN IN WILLIMANTIC, CONNECTICUT

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A pretty doe eyed young woman wearing a beautiful beaded dress poses for her portrait at the studio of C. H. Townsend in Willimantic, Connecticut. Note the intricate embroidered flowers on the tablecloth next to the young lady. Charles Henry Townsend was born in Athens, Ohio in 1847. He ran away from home at age 16 and enlisted in the 129th Ohio volunteer infantry and joined the fray of the civil war. He served nearly a year and then joined the 141st Ohio volunteer infantry and fought for another 100 days. Townsend was not done serving the Union army. He then joined the 65th Ohio volunteer infantry and served another year including a difficult stint in Texas. Interestingly, Townsend doesn’t appear to have ever rose above the rank of Private. After the war, Townsend took up his uncle’s offer to teach him to be a photographer. A. C. Townsend was a photographer in Springfield, Massachusetts. By 1868, Charles had opened a studio in Willimantic. In 1871 he married Rhoda Taft and the couple had one son who grew up to be an architect.   SOLD

Published in: on April 10, 2015 at 12:17 pm  Comments (2)  
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A GENTLEMAN WITH AN INTERESTING BEARD IN GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN

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This cabinet card portrait features a well dressed handsome gentleman with a stylish mustache and beard. Men were more creative with their facial hairstyles during the cabinet card era compared to today. This gentleman’s mustache is incredibly thick and he is wearing his beard in a fashion that might be called “the billy goat” look. To view other interesting beards, click on the category “Beards (Only the Best). This photograph was taken by the Hamilton studio in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Hamilton studio was located in Grand Rapids between 1886 and 1911. The studio was run by Daniel H. Hamilton (1836-1891) and his wife, Emma J. Hamilton (1852-1918). Daniel Hamilton was born in New York while his wife was born in Iowa. Their studio was at times single proprietor and at times run by a partnership. Daniel ran the studio between 1886 and 1896. Emma ran the studio between 1897 and 1907 and then again between 1909 and 1910. There were two partnerships in the studio’s history; Hamilton & Vancampen (1908) and Hamilton & Reingholtz (1911). Emma is listed in the 1900 US census as living in Grand Rapids with a housekeeper and a servant. Both Daniel and Emma are buried in Oakhill Cemetery in Grand Rapids.

Published in: on April 9, 2015 at 12:03 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A MAN WITH AN INTERESTING LONG DARK BEARD

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This cabinet card portrait features a man with a long wiry dark beard. His beard and thick mustache completely hide his mouth. This is an interesting style of beard. Most of his face and jaw line are clean shaven and his whiskers appear to be confined to his chin and upper lip. The photographer’s last name (Farley) appears on the reverse of the cabinet card but his location is not mentioned. The identity of this photographer is most likely W. H. Farley. He operated photo studios in a number of small towns in Illinois.

Published in: on April 8, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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