This cabinet card portrait features an eight year-old boy named Augustus Davies. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph provides his name and age. The young boy is well dressed and well groomed and exudes an air of confidence. The photograph comes from the studio of G. W. Pach in Poughkeepsie, New York. At the time of this photograph, Pach also had studios in New York City, West Point, and in Long Branch (New Jersey) and Ocean Grove (New Jersey). Pach is a celebrated name in Cabinet Card era photography. Pach Brothers was a famous New York City photographic studio located on Broadway and many celebrities had their photographs made at that location. The founder of the studio was Gustavus Pach who died in 1904. His two brothers, who were his partners, were Oscar (predeceased Gustavus) and Gotthelf. The studio was so successful that it opened branches in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. To view other photographs by G. W. Pach and Pach Brothers studios, click on the category “Photographer: Pach Brothers”. The child in this portrait grew up to become an established painter and craftsman. He was born in Poughkeepsie in 1867 and died in 1951 in Almeda, California. The 1900 US census found Augustus living in Poughkeepsie with his 72 year-old mother, Fran Davies and two servants. His occupation was listed as “painter”. The 1910 US census revealed that Augustus still lived in Poughkeepsie with his mother but that he had added a 35 year-old wife (May Elton Morrow) and a two year-old son (Elton Davies). He had jettisoned the two servants and had hired a cook. This time his occupation was listed as “artist”. Davies studied art at the ASL (Art Students League) of New York City. In 1910 he settled in Pasadena, California and established a studio. He also worked as a school administrator. His artistic specialty was religious paintings.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 