PORTRAIT OF BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS HELEN STANDISH (PHOTOGRAPHED BY B J FALK)

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This cabinet card portrait features pretty actress Helen Standish. Famed celebrity photographer B J Falk produced this image and Miss Standish’s choice to wear a dress showing some cleavage, makes this photograph somewhat risque for it’s era. In addition, her expression can be interpreted as being enticing. Research revealed very little about Helen Standish or her career. She appears in number of cigarette card series including one produced by Dukes Cigarettes (“Leading Actors and Actresses”) which can be seen below. Her name appears in the New York Times (1887) review of the play “The Pyramid” which appeared at the Star Theater. The reviewer states that Miss Standish and another actress in the play “were not equal to the demands of their roles”. Ouch! The reverse of the cabinet card has a stamp from “Culver Service” which was a New York City company that charged the media for the use of photographs coming from their vast image archives. The reverse of the photograph also has the stamp of photographer J. M. Russell, 126 Tremont Street, in Boston, Massachusetts. Russell was a well known music publisher in Boston and it is possible that he also was involved in the sale of celebrity cabinet  cards.   SOLD4 (1)

Published in: on February 17, 2014 at 11:35 am  Comments (1)  
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UNIFORMED BAND MEMBER AND HIS TUBA

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A uniformed band member poses for his studio portrait. He is holding his tuba and standing in front of a music stand. His plumed band hat rests on a large piece of furniture beside him. The photographer is unidentified. To view other photographs of musicians, click on the category “Musicians”.   (SOLD)

Published in: on February 16, 2014 at 11:42 am  Comments (2)  
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UNIFORMED FIREMAN IN SHEBOYGAN, WISCONSIN

steinhaus f_0010This photograph features a handsome uniformed fireman posing for his portrait at the Steinhaus studio in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. It is unknown whether this fireman was a member of the Sheboygan fire department or some other department. The badge on his hat displays the #2 which is likely his unit within his department. Note that his badge displays a fire hydrant, crossed axes, hose nozzles, and hook and ladder. The photographer of this image is Roland A. Steinhaus. Interestingly, research revealed where Mr. Steinhaus received his training. The Professional and Amateur Photographer (1900) has an article which announces the “arrival for January term” of a group of students for the purpose of attending the Illinois College of Photography. Steinhaus was listed as one of these students and his hometown was reported to be Sheboygan. The town of Sheboygan was founded in 1846 and by 1849 was noted for its German population. Steinhaus, judging by his last name, was part of this German population. To view other photographs of firemen, click on the category “Firemen and Policemen”.

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Published in: on February 15, 2014 at 11:39 am  Comments (1)  
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TWO YOUNG DANDIES WEARING DERBY HATS IN TURNER’S FALL, MASSACHUSETTS

HOWES_0006Two well dressed young men wearing derby hats are captured in this portrait by the Howes studio in Turner’s Falls, Massachusetts. The Historic Northampton Museum web site has an article about the photographer of this cabinet card as well as a collection of his studio photographs. Actually, the site focuses on the Howes brothers, Alvah (1853-1919), George (1861-1925), and Walter (1865-1945).The Howes brothers were all photographers and began their career as traveling photographers. They photographed people in front of their houses, in their schools, and in their work places. The brothers tours included trips within Massachusetts, and to Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Vermont. By 1888 Alvah had opened a portrait studio in Turner’s Falls which operated until 1904 and produced the above cabinet card.  McFarland and Newman (1981) wrote a book about the lives and works of the Howes siblings. The book is titled “New England Reflections 1882-1907: Photography by the Howes Brothers”.

 

Published in: on February 14, 2014 at 11:45 am  Leave a Comment  
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A WOMAN WITH INTENSE EYES AND AN INTENSE HAT IN FORT WAYNE, INDIANA

LADY HAT F_0002The woman in this cabinet card photograph is identified as “Hattie Sugle”. Her name appears in an inscription on the reverse of the photograph. Hattie has intense eyes and is wearing an interesting large hat. Research could not garner any further information about this individual. The photographer of this image is John A. Shoaff (1836-1921) who operated a photography studio in Fort Bend, Indiana. To learn more about this photographer and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Shoaff”.   SOLD

 

 

Published in: on February 13, 2014 at 11:48 am  Comments (2)  
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A LITTLE GIRL AND HER WAGON IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN

WAGONGIRLThe Huntington & Clark studio of Detroit, Michigan, produced this wonderful photograph of an adorable little girl and her toy wooden wagon. The child’s hair is well styled and she is wearing a pretty frilly dress. Historical author, Thomas Yanul included Frank Scott Clark (1865-1937) in his series “Business & the Baroque: Six Portrait Photographers of America”. Clark was born in Peru, Indiana and claimed that his family lived in America during Revolutionary War times. Clark began his work career by working many different jobs in eastern United States and Canada. Around 1880 Clark was hired by prominent background painter, Lafayette W. Seavey. Seavey was very popular during the cabinet card era. Clark was then hired by a friend of Seavy who happened to be famed New York portrait photographer, Napoleon Sarony. Clark was involved with creating, making and setting up backgrounds for Sarony. He also worked as a camera operator. He worked several years with Sarony and also studied and was employed  briefly with celebrated New York photographer, Jose Maria Mora. In the next phase of his career, he worked doing portraits, backgrounds, and theater scenery. In 1892, Clark moved to Detroit and managed the the Charles  A. Millard studio estate. In 1894, Clark partnered with George Huntington and they worked together until 1903 when Clark began operating a studio on his own. The above portrait was taken during this partnership. Clark prospered and became very involved with Detroit’s upper crust. He not only served as their photographer but he also was active in their sport, social, literary and art circles. In his narrative, Yanul states that Clark “became a larger than life character of the Detroit scene”. He describes Clark as being a “slightly bohemian figure”. Yanul adds that Clark had a charismatic personality, dressed in an artistic fashion, and was quite intellectual.

 

Published in: on February 12, 2014 at 11:50 am  Leave a Comment  
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BEAUTIFUL WOMAN IN A PRETTY DRESS PEEKING THROUGH A GLASSLESS WINDOW IN HUNGARY OR ROMANIA

PEAKING THROUGHA pretty woman wearing a fancy dress peeks through a window in a European photography studio. It is unclear whether the studio was located in Hungary or Romania. The photographer of this image is Fiverek Dunky. The reverse of the cabinet card advertises that the photographer won photography medals from exhibitions in London and Paris.

Published in: on February 11, 2014 at 11:34 am  Comments (2)  
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POLISH MILITARY OFFICER AND HIS FAMILY IN WARSAW, POLAND

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This cabinet card features a Polish military officer posing with his wife and smiling baby at the studio of S. Trzcinski in Warsaw, Poland.

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Published in: on January 31, 2014 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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YOUNG WOMAN POSES BY FRAMED PHOTOGRAPH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

lady framed photo_0001This cabinet card portrait captures a curly haired  young woman posing next to a framed photograph standing on a table. Her hand rests on the photograph’s frame and there is an open book on the table. Advertising on the reverse of the image states that Edward F. Hartley operated his studio at 309 Madison in Chicago, Illinois. To learn more about Hartley, and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Hartley”.

Published in: on January 29, 2014 at 8:07 am  Leave a Comment  

PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMAN IN NEW YORK CITY (circa 1904)

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This item features a portrait of a pretty young woman posing at Newman’s Studio of Art Photography at 1029 – 1031 Lexington Avenue in New York City. The young lady is posed in a lovely dress and is also wearing a lovely smile. In fact, even her eyes seem to be smiling. Note the rolled curls over her left shoulder. Samuel J. Newman originally had a partner, Edward Leaming, when he started his photography business. Between 1902 and 1906, Newman operated independently out of the Lexington address.  (U/A)

Published in: on January 28, 2014 at 12:01 pm  Comments (1)  
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