THE ADORABLE COGSWELL SISTERS AND THEIR CURLS IN STANTON, MICHIGAN

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The reverse of this cabinet card has an inscription that reveals that the names of the two girls appearing in this image are Ola and Gertie Cogswell. They are wearing lovely dresses and bows. They have terrific long hair and curls. The siblings appear in the 1900 census.  At the time of the census, Ola was nine years old and Gertie was seven years old, They were living with their family in Cato, Michigan. Their family consisted of their parents Harley and Ella, and siblings Theodocia (age 5) and Harold (age 3). At some point after 1900, the family appears to have moved to Grand Rapids. The photographer of this image is the Chapman studio which was located in Stanton, Michigan.  Ira O. Chapman (1853-1908) and E. Frank Chapman (1858-1916) were brothers who operated as photographers in Stanton, Michigan. It is unclear which brother is the creator of this cabinet card. At one point in time, the pair conducted business in Stanton as “Chapman Brothers” studio. A portrait of a group of members of the Grand Army of the Republic that was done by the photographer brothers, appears in the Flat River Museum in Greenville, Michigan.

Published in: on August 17, 2013 at 12:01 pm  Comments (1)  
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FOUR ADORABLE SIBLINGS IN BRESLAU, GERMANY

breslau kids_0007Gustav Rieke is the photographer who produced this image of a photogenic family of  siblings in Breslau, Germany. The reverse of the photograph has the notation “kinder Heuforth” written on the reverse which presumably can be interpreted as these children are from the Heuforth  family.  These kids are well dressed and appear to be happy while posing for their family portrait.

Published in: on August 16, 2013 at 12:38 pm  Comments (4)  
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US SUPREME COURT JUDGE, US SENATOR, AND CIVIL WAR COLONEL: MEET STANLEY MATTHEWS

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This cabinet card portrait features Stanley Matthews (1824-1889).  This image was produced by the Reynolds Photo Company of Chicago, Illinois, and shows Matthews wearing his judicial robe.  The photograph was part of the “Photo of Celebrities” series. Matthews served as a Supreme Court Justice from 1881 until his death. He was appointed by President James Garfield. At the time of his appointment he was a United States Senator from Ohio. Matthews was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. He attended Kenyon College and then practiced law in Ohio, and later on, in Tennessee. He was the editor of the Cincinnati Herald for two years. He served in the Ohio State senate and then became a US Attorney until 1861 when he resigned to become a Lieutenant Colonel in the 23rd Ohio Infantry. At the time that Matthews was appointed a Supreme Court Justice, his nomination passed Congress by just one vote. As a judge in the nation’s highest court, he wrote the decision in the Yick Wo vs. Hopkins case. Politicians in San Francisco had passed a law asserting that laundries could not be operated in wooden buildings without a special permit. This permit would be required in addition to the other permits already required. This new law  had much impact considering that ninety-five percent of the city’s laundries were in wooden buildings. Two thirds of these laundries were owned by Chinese businessmen. When the new permits were issued, all non Chinese owners received permits and all Chinese owners were denied the permits. Yik Wo continued to operate his laundry without the permit and was convicted, fined, and later jailed for refusing to pay the fine. His case rose up the hierarchy of courts until it reached the Supreme Court. In his decision, Matthews wrote that the permit statute was discriminatory and that the Chinese laundry owners were entitled to equal protection under the fourteenth amendment of constitution.

Published in: on August 14, 2013 at 3:56 pm  Leave a Comment  
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GINGHAM AND LACE IN NEW CASTLE, PENNSYLVANIA

GINGHAM AND LACE_0006A young girl with long curls, wearing a gingham dress and lace collar, poses while standing on a wicker chair. She offers the camera a lovely smile. The Seavy and Fowler studio of New Castle, Pennsylvania produced this lovely portrait.  To view other photographs by this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Seavy & Fowler”.

Published in: on August 12, 2013 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A MAN AND HIS WALRUS MUSTACHE IN CHARLESTON, WEST VIRGINIA

WALRUS_0005The Proctor studio produced this cabinet card portrait of a man with a walrus mustache. This admirable facial hair places this image in the category “Mustaches (Only the Best”). Click on the category to view an array of notable mustaches. A. T. Proctor’s studio was located on Capitol Street in Charleston, West Virginia. He was the successor to the Becker & Fell studio. Alfred Tobert Proctor was born in 1864 in Catalpa, Virginia.  Sometime about 1888 he began his photography career in Charleston. He originally partnered with Elmer B. Tully (Proctor & Tully). In 1894 they moved their business to Huntington, West Virginia leaving photographer William Erskine to run the Charleston studio. In 1897 Erskine joined the two partners in Huntington. Ultimately the partnership ended and the three photographers operated independent businesses. Proctor was very active in the photography community. He served as President of the American Photographers Association for several years beginning in 1910. He competed in many exhibitions and Eastman Kodak used his portrait in its national advertising. He died of a heart attack in 1933. Much of his work now resides in the special collections library at Marshall University.

Published in: on August 10, 2013 at 6:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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FOUR GRANDDAUGHTERS GATHER AROUND THEIR GRANDMA FOR A FAMILY PORTRAIT (1898)

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This photograph presents an unidentified family portrait from an unidentified photographer and location. A message is written on the reverse of the photograph and it states “Wishing Grandma many happy returns, May 4, 1898”  It is likely that the four girls in this attractive family are sisters and that the older adult in the image is their grandmother, although she could possibly be their mother. The grandmother/mother is seated at a table and holding an open book. One of the girls has a magazine or newspaper on her lap.   She also is wearing a change purse on her belt. The sister behind her is wearing spectacles, possibly a pince nez.

Published in: on August 10, 2013 at 11:03 am  Comments (1)  

TWO STYLISH DANDIES POSE IN DENVER, COLORADO

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This cabinet card features two dandies posing at the Bates studio in Denver, Colorado. The studio was located in the Tabor building at Sixteenth and Larimer Streets. The subjects of this photograph are well dressed and wearing hats. Both men are holding walking sticks. The reverse of the image has an inscription that states ” Nellie Sanborn’s, 1882″. Research revealed very little about the identity of Nellie Sanborn. The only lead found is that there was a Nellie Sanborn born in Colorado in 1863 who appears in the Iowa State Census of 1885. At the time of the census she was living in the town of Keokuk and was twenty-two years old. Nellie Sanborn’s connection to the gentlemen in this image is unknown. Photographer W. L. Bates appears in the 1881 Denver city directory under the occupation of photographer.  A Colorado genealogical site contends that Bates worked as a photographer in Denver between 1880 and 1890.

Published in: on August 8, 2013 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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SALVATION ARMY MEMBER WEARING “JESUS IS MIGHTY TO SAVE” RIBBON IN IPSWICH, MASSACHUSETTS

SALV ARMY MAN_0001A member of the Salvation Army poses for his portrait at the Dodge studio in Ipswich, Massachusetts. He is wearing a “S” pin identifying his affiliation with the religious/community service group. He is also wearing a ribbon which asserts that “Jesus is Mighty to Save”. The Cabinet Card Gallery has a wonderful collection of photographs of Salvation Army members and to view them, click on the category “Salvation Army”. George K. Dodge is listed as a a photographer in a number of Ipswich business directories from 1888 through 1896. He may have served in the 99th New Hampshire infantry as a musician between 1861and 1862. His military service is likely but not confirmed.

Published in: on August 7, 2013 at 7:14 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A WHISKERED OLD GENTLEMAN

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The subject of this cabinet card portrait is unidentified. The photographer and his studio’s location is also unknown. The whiskered gentleman featured in this image is wearing his sunday best for his day at the photography studio. The old gentleman appears as if he has had a lot of experiences over the course of his life. He looks quite wise.

Published in: on August 6, 2013 at 5:00 pm  Comments (1)  

THE CATATONIC DANCERS OF HARTFORD, WISCONSIN

COMATOSE DANCER_0004This cabinet card portrait seems to capture  dance partners  preparing to participate in an episode of “So You Think You Can Dance”. A quick assessment reveals that they need to work toward looking more relaxed and natural. This image comes from the studio of T. G. Zunker in Hartford, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee city directory listed Zunker as a photographer in their issues of 1897 through 1899.  Hartford and Milwaukee are 39 miles apart. According to the historical photography web site Langdon Road, Theodore Zunker operated his photographic business in Hartford from 1900 through 1915.  The reverse of the card has an inscription that states “Fond Du Lac” which is a city 37 miles from Hartford. There is also a humorous comment written on the back of the photograph. The message states “When you get your man, hang on to him”. It seems that everyone becomes a comedian when they see this image. This cabinet card definitely begs for a humorous caption.

Published in: on August 4, 2013 at 11:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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