A distinguished older gentleman poses for his portrait at the Richardson studio in Leominster, Massachusetts. He is nicely dressed and wearing a wonderful necktie. He has wonderful silver mutton chops that the photographer has captured effectively in this image. Lucius Augustus Richardson was born in Leomister in 1840. After completing his education, he went to work as printer for four years. He then learned photography and began working as a travelling photographer throughout New England. He then spent three years in Boston followed by working three years in Ashland. In 1860 he married Louisa Fitch of Maine. In 1873 he opened a photography studio in Leomister. His daughter Lillian Janette Richardson worked in the studio as a retoucher and printer of photographs.
MUTTON CHOPS MAN IN LEOMINSTER, MASSACHUSETTS
SLOUCHING DAD PULLS YOUNG DAUGHTER ON A SLED IN BELLEVUE, OHIO
This studio portrait captures a slouching dad pulling his daughter on a sled. Dad is wearing a suit, hat, and gloves while the child is bundled up in a winter jacket and warm winter cap. She is holding the sleds steering rope. She won’t go far on the sled considering it is atop straw instead of snow. Dad has assumed a very awkward slouching position for this photograph. Perhaps he is disabled. It is also possible that the photographer did a poor job of posing the father. In fact, the photographer, S. P. Gaugler, shows little skill in his production of this photograph. The subject of this photograph is actually the owner of the Bellevue, Ohio studio that produced this image. According to the previous owner of this photograph, the album that this cabinet card was taken from indicated that the subject is Simon Peter Gaugler and the little girl is his oldest daughter, Edith. It is surprising that a photographer would do such a poor job of posing for this photograph. The 1880 US census lists Simon Gaugler (1840-1915) as residing in Bellevue, Washington and working as a photographer. He was forty years old and living with his 27 year-old wife Lorinda. The couple had married in 1874 and were raising a four year-old daughter (Edith) with the help of a live-in servant. The 1900 census found the couple still residing in Bellevue and living with their 15 year-old daughter (Ethel). Simon continued to work as a photographer. By the time 1910 arrived, Simon and Lorinda were living in Lyme, Ohio with their daughter Ethel and her husband John. Simon was still operating a photo gallery even though he was seventy years old. In 1914 Lorinda died in Bellevue and a year later, Simon passed away in Atlanta, Georgia. He had moved to Georgia to be with his daughter Edith, the adult version of the little girl pictured above. Edith Gaugler (1876-1960) had become Mrs. Frederick Schanck on 9/10/99. At the time of their marriage, she was a school teacher and her groom was a telegraph operator and clerk. Census data reveals that the couple lived in Lyme, Ohio (1900), and moved to Atlanta, Georgia sometime before 1920. The couple still lived in Atlanta at the time of the 1940 US census.
A MAN, HIS CIGAR, AND HIS DOG IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
A well dressed man wearing a derby hat poses with his dog at the Chicago photography studio of Wagner & Nickel. The gentleman looks quite content sitting beside his “best friend” and enjoying his cigar. His canine companion appears to be a young Golden Retriever. The subject has a thick beard without sideburns.
PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY YOUNG PARISIAN WOMAN
Franqois Emile Graffe & Solon Vathis are the photographers of this portrait of a pretty young Parisian woman. Vathis was originally from greece but held French citizenship when he received a US patent in 1906 for inventing an “improved process for producing multicolor proofs”.
PORTRAIT OF FOUR YOUNG BRIDESMAIDS AT JUNE 1891 WEDDING
This portrait captures four young bridesmaids at a wedding in June, 1891. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription that lists the girls names as well as the name of the bride. The handwriting is not clear and some of the names are not completely decipherable. Three of the four girls share a last name with the bride. The photographer and setting are unidentified. This photograph is significantly larger than a cabinet card.
STAGE ACTRESS CHRISTINE BLESSING IN COSTUME PLAYING A RISQUE CUPID
This cabinet card features a portrait of actress Christine Blessing. The cabinet card was produced by Newsboy (#124 of a series) as a tobacco product premium. For some unknown reason, a previous owner of the photograph apparently attempted to erase the Newsboy logo from the photograph. Miss Blessing is captured in this image playing the role of cupid. She is holding a bow and arrow. This cabinet card is risque for its era. The actress is wearing a dress so short that it looks like the dressmaker ran out of material just after beginning her work. Miss Blessing is known for her theater work but also for her role in an early film titled “Dope” (1914). Her theatrical performances are the subject of a number of New York Times articles. These productions include “The Merry World” (1895), “The Maid in the Moon” (1899), “The County Chairman” (1904), and “The Bachelor” (1909), The New York Times (1893) was critical of her performance at Koster & Bials Music Hall. The newspaper stated that she had performed ballads and that Christine Blessing was “undoubtedly a blessing in disguise”. She was clearly part of a vaudeville performance that night as one of the other acts was a boxing kangaroo. The reviewer bemoaned that vaudeville performances had adverse effects on legitimate theater.
ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN BERLIN, GERMANY
An adorable little girl poses with a basket of flowers in Berlin, Germany. She is wearing a fancy lace dress and has bows in her hair. The photograph was produced by A. Fandorf & Company.
TWO LADIES HOLDING HANDS IN VAIL, IOWA
J. F. Barton documents the resolution of the conflict between the Hatfields and the McCoys. Mrs. Irma Hatfield and Miss Henrietta McCoy met at the Barton studio to resolve the decades old dispute that decimated their families. Sorry! I couldn’t resist making up a story to accompany this cabinet card portrait. The image begs for explanation, but unfortunately, the reason for the pictured handshake is lost in history. The ladies are wearing plain dresses but nice hats. Both women are wearing fingerless gloves. The woman on the right is wearing a belt that may have been the prototype of the automobile seat belts of today. J. F. Barton is humorously mentioned in the Denison Review (1902) as a first class photographer who is “kept busy printing smiles” on his customers.
SWEET BEJEWELED LASS FROM AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND
The Edwards studio produced this cabinet card portrait of a pretty Victorian woman. She is wearing a beautiful dress with a lace collar and lace sleeves. She is also wearing a lot of jewelry including a lovely necklace, ring and bracelet. Frederick William Edwards was well known in Auckland for more than his photographic skills. He was also a gifted athlete. According to the Observer (1888), Edwards was one of the best and most popular athletes in and around Auckland. he was “best known in aquatic and gymnastic circles” but he also had an impressive sports career in rowing. In addition, he was a noted rugby player.
SIX YOUNG BOYS UNHAPPILY POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN COPENHAGEN, DENMARK
When does the fun start? That seems to be the question on the faces of the six young lads posing for their photograph at the studio of Julius Jacobsen, in Copenhagen, Denmark. The boys are dressed up in their finest clothing for this group photograph. Jacobsen took on the ambitious task of photographing six young boys. Jacobsen’s studio was located in Copenhagen, Denmark. It appears that the lads were not in a very cooperative mood at the time of the photograph. They appear bored, sleepy and irritated. Some of them have mischievous expressions but probably they are just boys being boys. How are these six kids related in terms of being photographed together. Perhaps they are classmates? They seem somewhat affectionate in the photograph leading one to believe that they knew each other well.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 