This cabinet card features a rare prop. The photograph captures two young girls swinging on a wooden swing set under the watchful eye of their mother. Although individual swings are not an unusual prop in cabinet card photography, this is the first cabinet card that I have seen which displays an entire swing set. In addition, most cabinet photos of swings are taken in studio, while this image appears to have been taken outside. Looking at the children’s faces under magnification shows that at least the oldest child appears to be enjoying herself as she poses for this picture. The older girl possesses a big smile. The jury is out on whether the youngest girl is having a good time. One of the girls appears to have lost her hat. Note the upside down hat on the ground below the swing. Both the name of the photographer of this image, as well as the location of photographer’s studio, is unknown.
A MOTHER AND HER TWO DAUGHTERS ENJOY A WOODEN SWING SET IN UNKNOWN LOCATION
PRETTY AND FASHIONABLE YOUNG WOMAN IN PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
A young woman poses for her portrait in the studio of Louis Blaul located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The bejeweled woman is very attractive and dressed beautifully. She has accessorized herself with a necklace, ring and earrings. To view other photographs by Blaul, and to learn more about him, click on the category “Photographer: Blaul”.
ATTRACTIVE VICTORIAN COUPLE IN NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND
Studio Karoly produced this cabinet card portrait of an attractive couple in Nottingham, England. The gentleman in the photograph has a terrific mustache, striped pants and a polka dot tie. Note his pocket watch and pocket handkerchief. He is fashionably dressed and so is his wife. She is holding flowers and is wearing a very busy hat. The photographer, Frederick Karoly is mentioned in The Law Times (1894) in regard to his entering bankruptcy. A photograph of Karoly’s appears in The Photogram (1895) in an article about artificial light portraiture.
“WHAT’S MY LINE?”: OCCUPATIONAL CABINET CARD PORTRAIT OF TWO MEN IN GORMANIA, WEST VIRGINIA
This cabinet card features two men dressed for work and holding some sort of tool or scraper. They appear to be wearing leather work aprons. This is a wonderful example of an occupational cabinet card but unfortunately, it is not clear what these men’s occupation happens to be. It has been suggested that the men may be textile workers. The photographer of this image is John Randolph Schaeffer. He seems to have forgotten that this studio photograph was supposed to depict an outside scene. That is unless it is common to see curtains hanging in the outdoors in Gormania, West Virginia. Schaeffer was born on a Gormania farm in 1858. His family was of German heritage. After finishing school at age twenty, he entered the teaching profession. He pursued his education career for seventeen years; during his last year (1909) he was a principal of a school. During his education career he earned a Masters Degree in Didactics and also did photography. He entered the business of photography after leaving teaching. His studio not only was a photographic gallery, but it also sold photo supplies, jewelry, and other commodities. He was also appointed by President Woodrow Wilson to the position of postmaster for two terms. In his spare time he supported the Democratic party and was a member of Odd Fellows. He married Susie C. Miller in 1894 and the couple had seven children. The Library of Congress lists Schaeffer as holding at least two copyrights. He also published a view book entitled From Baltimore to Charleston (1906). The book was cited by one reviewer as containing “magnificent scenery” photographs. The town of Gormania has had a number of names. Its present name honors a US Senator from Maryland , Arthur Gorman. One of the towns previous names was Schaefferville, named after early settler Jacob Schaeffer (father of photographer John Schaeffer). Jacob Schaeffer and one of his sons owned and operated the town’s first tannery. The business was sold in 1889. We know a lot about the photographer of this portrait but still don’t have any idea of the occupation of the two subjects in the photograph. Lets play “What’s My Line?”. Hopefully, some cabinet card gallery visitors will leave comments with their hypotheses about the type of work the men in this portrait did. My uninformed guess is that the subjects in this photograph are tannery workers.
ARMED SOLDIER POSES OUTDOORS IN BRISTOL, PENNSYLVANIA
A soldier, armed with a rifle, poses for his portrait in Bristol, Pennsylvania. He appears to be standing outside but it is possible that he actually is posed in front of an excellent backdrop of an outside scene. The young man is in uniform wearing a long coat, cape, and hat. He appears to have a bayonet at his side. The previous owner of this cabinet card stated that he was an Indian War era soldier but I am wondering if he may be more likely from the Spanish American War era. Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery will enlighten us about the time period that this soldier served. There are a number of knowledgeable military collectors that visit this site who always are happy to share their wealth of information. The photographer of this image has the last name of Schafer and his studio was located on Otter Street. Judging by the monogram below the photograph, his first initial appears to be “A”. No further information about the photographer was located.
PORTRAIT OF AN INTENSE MAN WITH CHARACTER IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
Here is a man with character. This older gentleman is quite an intense looking man. He has a great looking beard. The beard has a layered cut appearance. The studio that produced this photograph is Holcombe & Alvord of Detroit, Michigan. Research reveals little about the men that operated this studio. Their full names were found to be Burton J. Holcombe and Charles E. Alvord. An article appearing in “The Photographic Times” (1884) announced that the partners had opened a new gallery at 220 Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Advertising on this cabinet card reveals that the studio at some point had been located next door at number 22 Woodward Avenue.
OLD WOMAN WEARING A SHAWL AND HOLDING A BOOK IN WATKINS, NEW YORK
Photographer R. D. Crum produced this terrific portrait of an older woman whose hairstyle and fashion choices allows one to say that she is dressed for the part. Before I am accused of being an ageist, let me say that I am well aware that there were, and are many older people who are quite fashionable and contemporary. The fact is though, that if I was casting a movie and needed a character to play an elderly 1890’s woman, this lady has got the part hands down and doesn’t even need to audition. The subject of this photograph has her gray hair parted in the middle and she wears it close to her scalp. She is wearing a black dress, as well as a black shawl which is clasped by a piece of jewelry. There appears to be lace or needle work on her shawl and sleeves. She holds a book on her lap with her thumb holding a place in the volume. She has an extremely serious expression on her face. The photographer, Richard D. Crum was located in the 1860 census and he is listed as working as a “Dagarian Artist” (photographer) in Watkins, New York. The 1870 census finds Crum working as a clerk in New York City and living there with his wife and three children. The 1880 census finds Crum still married to his wife Maria and working as a photographer in Watkins. He lived in a residence with his wife and three children and a 21 year old boarder named, George Stanley, who worked as a photographer (likely “apprenticing” to Crum). Interestingly, living nearby was a Fred Crum, who was listed as a photographer (one of Richard Crum’s children?). An application that Crum made for a passport in 1897 is on record and lists his birth year as 1831. By 1900, Crum had left the field of photography and was living in Ocean, New Jersey. He died in 1913 and is buried in West Long Branch, New Jersey.
MILWAUKEE’S BEST: PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY WOMAN IN BREW TOWN
This cabinet card portrait features a pretty young woman posing at the studio of Joseph Sasse in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee’s Best isn’t just a beer brewed by the Miller Brewing Company (founded in 1855). The young woman in this photograph was likely considered one of Milwaukee’s Best eligible women by the many suitors she must have attracted. She appears to have had a fondness for jewelry evidenced by her lovely collar pin. The large buttons on her dress are interesting. In the middle of each button is a six point star. She is wearing her hair in a “Gibson Girl” type style and has a hair bow atop her head. The photographer, Joseph Sasse, according to the 1900 census, was born in Germany (1854) and married his wife Walbolia in 1888. He worked as a photographer and he is listed as working in that profession in a number of Milwaukee city directories from 1895 through 1915. He had a son, Joseph Sasse Jr. who was born in 1887. Over time his son worked as a musician and as a movie operator. The 1920 census reveals that a man named Joseph Sasse, born the same year as photographer Sasse, was divorced and an inmate in a Milwaukee jail. There is no confirmation that these are one and the same man but it certainly does seem likely.
ATTRACTIVE FAMILY POSES FOR PORTRAIT IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA
John D. Strunk , a photographer from Reading, Pennsylvania, produced this portrait of an attractive young family. Mother and father pose with their four young children. The children are so close in age that it is possible that two of them may be twins. The two girls in the front of the photograph are wearing similar but not identical dresses. Perhaps their mother made them with the same materials and creatively gave them some variation. This image is an excellent family portrait which manages to capture each child in a reasonably good pose. An advertisement on the reverse of the photograph boasts “Instantaneous Portraits of Children Successful Specialty”. The self promotion appears to be well deserved. To view other photographs by the Strunk gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Strunk”.
PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN IN LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA
A pretty young woman poses for her portrait at the Fowler studio in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The subjects hair is nicely styled and she is wearing a ring, earrings and a necklace. To learn more about the photographer of this image, Lewis C. Fowler, and to view some of his photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Fowler (Lewis)”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 