This cabinet card portrait captures a well-dressed handsome little boy holding a large swing in a studio portrait by the Harper studio in Corsicana, Texas. The lad is unsuccessfully holding back a smile as he looks at the photographer. He apparently was enjoying posing for the cameraman. Using swings as props in cabinet card images is not extremely rare but this is one of the finer “swing images” that I’ve seen. To view other cabinet card photographs that employ swings, click on the cabinet card gallery category “Swings”. According to advertising on the front of this cabinet card, Harper had other branches of his studio located in Texas. Besides Corsicana, he operated in Tyler, Mexia, and Waxahachie. Further research that Harper also operated other studios in Texas (Bryan, Temple, Ennis, and Calvert). Apparently, Mr. Harper was quite an entrepreneur. (SOLD)
UNIDENTIFIED CAPED ACTRESS PHOTOGRAPHED BY OTTO SARONY IN NEW YORK CITY
New York photographer, Otto Sarony, son of Napoleon Sarony, photographed this pretty caped lady wearing a short tight dress. She is exhibiting quite a seductive pose. Her body language makes this image relatively risque for Sarony’s era. In retrospect, perhaps it is more provocative than risque. Otto Sarony photographed many actresses and the subject of this photograph is, despite being unidentified, most likely a theatrical player. To view other images by Otto Sarony, click on the category “Photographer: Sarony (Otto)”.
THIN WAISTED YOUNG WOMAN IN A CHECKERED DRESS (PORTRAIT BY FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER)
A young woman in a pretty checkered dress is the subject of this cabinet card portrait by the Kepler studio in Central City, Colorado. The woman leans on a wicker chair in an unconvincing thoughtful pose. Note the young lady’s unusual hair ornament. Something else unusual about this cabinet card is that the photograph was taken by a female photographer. The pioneer woman photographer was named Mrs. V. M. Kepler. The “Checklist of Western Photographers (1986) reports that Kepler was a photographer in Central City between 1896 and 1899.
A BEARDED GENTLEMAN IN GREENFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS
This cabinet card portrait features a bearded gentleman posing at the Dunklee and Bau studio in Greenfield, Massachusetts. The man has a long wiry beard and an intense expression. Advertising on the reverse of the cabinet card states that the Dunklee & Bau studio had won medals at a 1890 Greenfield exhibition. Charles Dunklee was born in Rockingham, Vermont in 1842. He served four years in Company I of the 4th Vermont Infantry during the civil war. He entered as a private and was mustered out as a private. He was the Vice President of his regiments veteran group according to an 1887 news article. In 1865 he married May C. Billings and they were married 54 years until her death. Dunklee’s 90th birthday was marked in the Lewiston Daily Sun (1932). The article notes that he had photographic studios in Greenfield and Northfield, Mass. as well as Brattleboro, Vermont. This cabinet card was produced by Dunklee while in partnership with Charles Bau. The Bulletin of Photography (1914) notes that Bau had sold his studio in Brattleboro, Vermont in order to return to Greenfield to open a new photographic gallery. The article points out that Bau had left Greenfield just twelve years before. The aforementioned history tells us that this photograph was taken after 1890 and before 1902.
PORTRAIT OF THE PRETTIEST YOUNG GIRL IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA
This cabinet card features a portrait of a very pretty young girl dressed in fine clothing and holding a bouquet of flowers. Her hair is styled for her day at the photographer and she is wearing a hair bow. This exceptional portrait comes from the studio of Heinrich Albrecht which was located in Vienna, Austria.
TEENAGE GIRL WEARING A PRETTY DRESS IN MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTS
In 1889, a teenage girl put on her fanciest dress and travelled to the E. L. Temple studio in Milford, Massachusetts to have her portrait taken. She looked pretty in her dress which featured a striped top with striped extensions hanging down over her solid skirt. She was also wearing an unusual bow and a straw hat. The young lady certainly knew how to dress in such an attractive manner that people would notice. The reverse of this cabinet identifies the girl’s first name as being “Addie” and provides her age as “19”. The inscription also dates the photograph as being from 1889. The photographer of this image, E. L. Temple was the successor to Gould & Sears who formerly owned the photographic studio. SOLD
AMOS RHEAUME AND FAMILY POSE FOR PORTRAIT IN KEENE, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Amos Rheaume and his family pose for their portrait at the studio of W. G. Freeman in Keene, New Hampshire. Amos and his wife and three children comprise an attractive family. W. G. Freeman was a photographer in Keene between 1901 and 1905. At some point he moved his business to Bellow Falls, Vermont where he appears in city directories from at least 1910 through 1918. (SOLD)
PRETTY STAGE ACTRESS NESTA NEILSON
This cabinet card portrait features pretty stage actress Nesta Neilson. Preliminary research yielded little information about Miss Neilson. She is cited a number of times as appearing in theatrical newspaper articles but access to these periodicals could not be gained. Perhaps a cabinet card visitor can fill the rest of us in concerning Miss Neilson’s personal and theatrical life. This cabinet card photo was produced by the Natori studio in New York City. Natori photographed a numberof theatrical stars of his era.
PRETTY YOUNG GIRL FINDS RELIGION IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
This cabinet card portrait features a young girl participating in a religious ceremony. She is dressed formally and holding a bouquet and prayer book. The photographer of this image is the Toenges Studio in Chicago, Illinois. (SOLD)
A VERY BEAUTIFUL BABY IN ELWOOD, INDIANA (MAY BE A POST MORTEM PHOTOGRAPH
This cabinet card features a very beautiful baby wearing a long gown. Her hair is styled beautifully and her eyes are wide open. This sweet baby looks like a doll. She is either wearing flowers on her gown or else someone has placed flowers on her. At first I thought this was a lovely portrait of a baby girl. However, the longer I have owned this image, the more I think that this is a post mortem portrait. The little girl’s expression and the size and placement of the flowers has led me to believe that her poor soul had departed before the photographer took this photograph. This photograph really tugs at my emotions. The image was taken by the Rodgers & Manson studio (Gem Gallery) in Elwood, Indiana.







