PORTRAIT OF HOWARD BRISCOE : RAILROAD CARPENTER : BARABOO, WISCONSIN

The handsome young man in this photograph is named Howard Briscoe. His name is inscribed on the reverse of this cabinet card photo. Briscoe lived in Baraboo, Wisconsin. He lived there all, or most of his life. Briscoe was born in 1878. His father was a miller by trade, Briscoe’s wife was named Julia Simon Briscoe. Howard Briscoe worked as a carpenter for a railroad company. The photographer of this image, Mr. Mould, is mentioned in a number of photographic journals. He placed an ad for his studio in a book about Sauk County, Wisconsin (1891). The Photographic Times (1898) reports on his appointment to a lobbying committee of the Photographers Association of Wisconsin. The Encyclopedia Dubuque (1911) reveals that Sim Mould operated a photographic studio at 107 Main Street in Dubuque, Iowa. The cabinet card gallery has other photographs by Mould, Place his name in the search box to view these other images. The town of Baraboo is situated on the Baraboo river. The town was settled by Abe Wood and originally called Adams. In 1852 it was renamed Baraboo. In the town’s early history it became the home of several sawmills. In the nineteenth century the town served as the headquarters of several circuses, including Ringling Brothers. Baraboo became known as “Circus City”.  SOLD

PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A BROOCH : KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN : CABINET CARD (1891)

A young woman poses for this cabinet card photograph at the Wood photographic studio in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is wearing a brooch which may  hold a photograph of her daughter, or perhaps, a photo of herself at a younger age. This attractive young woman has curly hair and wonderful eyes. The photographer of this photograph is likely T. E. Wood who is mentioned in photography journals published in 1893 and 1895. This cabinet card has the year 1891 printed on the bottom of the card which is likely the year that this photograph was taken. Check out other photographs by Wood by clicking on the category  “Photographer: Wood”.  SOLD

Published in: on June 13, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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STAGE ACTRESS MARIE JANSEN IN FOUR IMAGES (1887,1888, AND 1892 PHOTOGRAPHS BY FALK)

CABINET CARD 1   SOLD

CABINETCARD2CABINET CARD 3

JANSEN4CABINET CARD 4

Marie Jansen (1857-1914) was an American actress and vocalist. She was a well known star of comic operas. She was born in Boston and her birth name was Hattie Johnson. Jansen made her theatrical debut in Boston at the Park Theatre in 1881. Her first major success occurred in 1883 with her appearance in “The Beggar Student”. In 1884 she was engaged by Charles Wyndham to create the title role in “Featherbrain” which ran in London, England. She then appeared  in the United States for several years as the leading woman in Francis Wilson’s comic opera company. In 1901, Jansen formed her own company that she took on tour. The top  image was photographed by famed celebrity photographer Falk of New York City. SOLD

Postcard 2 shows Jansen in costume for the play, “The Oolah”. “The Oolah” was a comic opera produced by the Francis Wilson Company in 1887. The music was written by Charles Le Cocq and the libretto was written by Sydney Rosenfeld.

Postcard 3 was also photographed by Falk. This cabinet card is dated 1888 and is a bit risque for that time in history. The third image of Jansen also captures her in a bit risque costume. It was photographed by  Falk in 1892 and the cabinet card was used as a premium for Newsboy tobacco products.

Postcard 4 features Jansen in costume and sitting on a wicker chair. She is holding a cane and wearing gloves. This undated photograph is also by Falk. To view other photographs by Falk, click on the Cabinet Card Gallery category “Photographer: Falk”.

PORTRAIT OF TRIPLETS OR 3 IMAGES OF SAME BABY : POMONA, CALIFORNIA : CABINET CARD

This cabinet card portrait features a photograph of adorable triplets. However, it is possible that these are three images of the same child. I see differences between the three children’s faces and hair. What are your thoughts? This photograph was taken by the Hugo Schwichtenberg studio located in Pomona, California. Schwichtenberg (1867-1938) was American born but of German heritage. After about eight years of working as a travelling photographer up and down the Pacific coast, he came to Pomona in 1893 and established his studio. He experience much success in his business there. It is interesting to note that Schwichtenberg’s interest in photography began when he was young. At age twelve, he constructed a wet plate camera. He gained his photography knowledge from self study. His father was not a photographer but was instead a member of the ministry.  SOLD

Published in: on June 11, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A UNIFORMED SOLDIER AND TWO LAMBS – A STUDY IN CONTRAST

lamb soldier

lamb soldier 2 A uniformed soldier sits against a fence and he is holding two adorable lambs on his lap. This is a study in contrast. A military warrior represents battle and lethality, while the young lambs represent peace and calm. Before anyone gets “up in arms”, I want to state that I know that soldiers can represent peace and protection. Note the soldier’s high boots. They appear to be for weather protection rather than for long marches.  SOLD

lamb soldier 4

Published in: on June 10, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY EUROPEAN FEMALE SOLDIER (1947)

This vintage photograph features a military woman in uniform. She is from a European nation and it’s my hypotheses that she is from Russia. Her branch of service is not identified. There is an inscription on  the reverse of the photograph but I can not decipher it. The inscription indicates that the photograph was taken in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. Hopefully, a Cabinet Card Gallery visitor will be able to provide a translation.  SOLD

Published in: on June 9, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  

BEAUTIFUL GEISHA : JAPAN : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features a beautiful geisha. Geishas entertained via song, dance, or playing a musical instrument. Geishas were not necessarily prostitutes, though some were. This postcard is printed on Hinode photo paper.  SOLD

Published in: on June 8, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MADGE SAUNDERS : ENGLISH STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS : REAL PHOTO POSTCARD

This vintage real photo postcard features theater actress and singer, Madge Saunders (1894-1967). She was born in South Africa. She was married twice, both times to actors. She appeared in two film (1918, 1930). There are 47 portraits of Saunders in England’s National Portrait Gallery. This photo portrait of Miss Saunders is one of the images in the gallery’s collection. This photograph was published by J. Beagles & Co. as part of a series (no.253A). Saunders was photographed by a celebrated female photographer, Rita Martin. SOLD

RISQUE BATHING BEAUTY : FRENCH POSTCARD BY NOYER : SEASIDE GLAMOUR : VINTAGE RPPC

This vintage French real photo postcard features a charming seaside scene of a “bathing beauty,” a popular motif of early 20th-century glamour photography. The young woman poses confidently on a simulated beach with a painted backdrop of choppy waves and a distant lighthouse. She wears a form-fitting, one-piece knitted bathing outfit that clings to her figure—a risqué choice for the era—along with ballet-style laced sandals and sheer stockings. A bold, dark ribbon or turban is wrapped around her head, adding a dramatic flourish to her beach attire. She holds a racket over her shoulders, likely meant to suggest leisure and playfulness, possibly referencing beach paddle games or tennis, though this is clearly a studio creation rather than a candid beach photograph. Her smile is coy and knowing, with a relaxed, flirtatious pose and bright expression that captures the coquettish spirit of Belle Époque and Edwardian postcard art. This card was published by Noyer of Paris, a noted French postcard publisher known for glamorous and mildly provocative photographic portraits. The card bears the serial number 3119 and the “Fabrication Française” mark on the reverse. This is a classic example of a risqué seaside glamour postcard. SOLD

Published in: on June 6, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY BLONDE WOMAN ON A MOTORCYCLE BEING “HIT ON” BY HER LUSTFUL RIDING INSTRUCTOR

french officer This vintage real photo postcard captures the scene of a man sharing an intimate moment with a pretty blonde woman sitting on a motor scooter. The photographer appears to have caught the man in a lustful moment. I doubt the man is giving tips about motorcycle care and maintenance. I find it unusual that the woman would be riding a motorcycle while wearing  a long dress. Finding information to identify the manufacturer of this motorcycle was difficult. I discovered that a company named “Tomos” manufactured a bike whose name included the word “Galeb”. Note that a nameplate on the front of the bike says “Galeb”. Tomos manufactured motorcycles from their factory based in Koper, Slovenia. They still provide various products to their Eastern European market. The language printed on this postcard is from Slovenia. It appears that the photographer was Z. Mirkovic and the publisher was ZK. The postcard is part of a series (no. 2881). This photo postcard measures about 5 5/8″ x 4″ and is in very good condition (see scans).

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