This cabinet card features actress Maude Durbin. Isaacc Marcosson in his book Adventures in Interviewing (1919) described Durbin as “a lovely and gracious actress representing in character and purpose the highest type of her profession”. Durbin was also known as an author. She was from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and made her debut with Helen Modjeska’s theater company. She married actor Otis Skinner and and was the mother of actress Cornelia Otis Skinner. This image comes from the B. F. Devinney studio in Moberly, Missouri.
THEATER ACTRESS L. MAUDE DURBIN IN MOBERLY, MISSOURI
THEATER ACTOR H. J. MONTAGUE AND HIS CHECKERED TIE AND JACKET
One wouldn’t think that a man could wear a checkered tie with a checkered jacket and still look dashing, but theater actor H. J. Montague is able to accomplish this feat. The photographer of this cabinet card portrait is theater specialist, Jose Mora. To view more of his celebrity photographs, click on category “Photographer: Mora”. The reverse of this image has an address and a return address as if it had been mailed. However, there is no stamp or postmark. The photograph is addressed to a “Jane Mure” in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The script is written in very ornate calligraphy. Surprisingly, both the return and sending addresses have Philadelphia zip codes. Since zip codes are from the twentieth century (1963), it appears that someone may have added the ornate script to give the card more character but wasn’t aware, or not thinking about, the relative recent introduction of the zip code system. Henry James Montague (1844-1878) was the stage name of Henry James Mann. He was an American actor born in England. He appeared in T W Robertson’s comedies in London and in 1870 was a founder of London’s Vaudeville Theater. He came to the United States in 1874 and made quite a splash. He became a matinee idol. George Odell wrote that Montague was “a perfect specimen of refined English Manhood”. He was said to have “made other leading men seem boorish, ill dressed and possibly a bit vulgar”. Montague died quite young, about 34 years old. According to the New York Times (1878) while playing a role in a San Francisco production, he fell extremely ill from a “hemorrhage of the lungs”. He required medical attention from some theater goers and was taken to a hotel to recuperate. He rallied only briefly. During a visit from friends he became acutely ill and his last words as he was dying were reported to be, “It’s no use, I am going boys; God bless you”. The New York Times covered his funeral. Attendees of his funeral include the “A” list of that era’s theater world. Mourners included Lester Wallack, Kate Claxton, Rose Coghlan, and Maud Granger. The afore mentioned three actresses all have portraits that can be viewed in the Cabinet Card Gallery by utilizing the search box.
CUTE SIBLINGS IN BROWNSVILLE, OREGON
Two adorable young children pose for their photographic portrait at the Winter studio in Brownsville, Oregon. The little boy is wearing knickers and the little girl wears curls. The photographer of this image is John A. Winter (1831-?). He was born in Ohio of Ohioan parents. He was active as a photographer in a number of Oregon cities including Eugene, Albany, and Jefferson. He was in business in Brownsville during the 1890’s. Winter owned a sheep ranch near Brownsville that totaled over 900 acres of land. From 1888 until 1900, he was the official photographer of Oregon State University. To learn more about John Winter, click on the category “Photographer: Winter”.
PORTRAIT OF AN ACTRESS NAMED JENNIE (PHOTOGRAPH BY MARC GAMBIER)
This cabinet card was produced by New York City photographer Marc Gambier and features stage actress Miss Jennie Elhorn? (Elkorn?, Elborn?). Initial research revealed no information about actresses with any of these three names. It is only an assumption that the subject of this photograph is an actress. The notion that she is a theatrical performer was derived from the “look” of the image and the fact that Gambier was known for his stage actress photographs. To view other photographs by Gambier, and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Gambier”.
AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN IN ST. JOHNSBURY, VERMONT
According to the previous owner of this photograph, the military officer pictured is a member of the St. Johnsbury Guard which was part of the 1st Vermont Infantry. The medal on his chest reveals that he is a 5 year veteran. The photographer of this image is Olin W. Chase who had studios at various times during his career at 32 Main Street and 47 Main Street in St. Johnsbury. The 1896 St. Johnsbury business directory reports that he was married to Mary J. Chase. He is listed in the 1901 directory as being in business in St. Johnsbury but the 1904 directory indicates that Chase had relocated to Greenfield, Massachusetts.
UGLIEST BEARD IN AMERICA DISCOVERED IN ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILLINOIS
The gentleman pictured in this cabinet card photograph was clearly experiencing “a bad beard day”. The previous owner of this photograph stated that “this is what happens when you shave with a hangover”. This scraggly bearded man seems to have chopped the left side of his beard shorter than the right side. The beard seems to have been styled to look like a muskrat. The photographer of this image is C. H. Hanchett of Arlington Heights, Illinois. He also had studios in Richmond and Wauconda, Illinois. The Arlington Heights studio was at Dunton Avenue and Miner Street. To view other interesting beards, click on the category “Beards (Only the Best)”. If there was a category “Beards (Only the Worst)”, I would have placed it there.
PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG COUPLE IN GLOVERSVILLE, NEW YORK
A nicely dressed young couple pose for their portrait at the Girard studio in Gloversville, New York. The gentleman is wearing striped pants and his pocket watch chain is visible under his jacket. The woman in the photograph is wearing a look of strength and confidence as she rests her hand on her husband’s shoulder. Frederick Girard is the photographer of this cabinet card. An advertisement for his studio appears in the Daily Leader (1890), a Gloversville newspaper. Girard was born in Canada and appears in the 1880 US census as a photographer in Gloversville. He worked with a photographer named David Scidmore.
FAMILY OF THREE IN OTTUMWA, IOWA
A young couple poses with their baby at the studio of White and Hugus in Ottumwa, Iowa. The couple are well dressed and the family is nicely posed for their portrait. The husband is sitting on an interesting and ornate seat (prop). The woman has her hand affectionately placed on her husband’s shoulder and the husband keeps a careful hold on the couple’s extremely alert baby. No information about the photographers was found in preliminary research. The town of Ottumwa is in southeast Iowa. It was a coal mining town. The state mine inspector reported that there were 15 mine shafts in the town in 1889. From 1890 through 1892 an exhibition center was built in the town. It was called the Coal Palace. Perhaps the gentleman in this photograph was associated with the mining industry.
TWO ADORABLE CHILDREN POSE FOR CARL PIETZNER IN OLMUTZ, AUSTRIA
Carl Pietzner produced this wonderful portrait of two children posing at his Olmutz, Austria studio. The kids are adorable. Big sister is holding her sibling’s hand who has a smile wider than the Danube River. The reverse of the photograph has a printed advertisement for the studio that states “Jnhaber: Adolf Muller”. Thanks to google translation, the entry indicates that Mr. Muller was the owner of the studio. It seems to indicate that Pietzner is the photographer but not the owner of the studio. Perhaps a knowledgeable visitor to the cabinet card gallery can clarify this issue. To learn more about Pietzner and to view more of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Pietzner”.
CORNHUSKER WEDDING PORTRAIT: LOVELY YOUNG COUPLE IN NEWMAN GROVE, NEBRASKA
This photograph is a portrait of a young wedding couple taken by the Olson studio in Newman Grove, Nebraska. The wedding couple is well dressed and the bride is wearing a non white wedding dress adorned with flowers.Thorsten Olson established Newman Grove’s Olson studio in 1888. Research indicates that the studio operated until the 1950’s. Newman Grove is an agricultural community that was settled in the late 1860’s and incorporated in 1888. In 1886 the Fremont, Elkhorn, and Missouri Valley Railroad established a route through Newman Grove.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 