A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the studio of R. A. Bonine, in Altoona, Pennsylvania. The studio was located on 14th Street. The woman in the photograph is beautifully dressed and looks terrific in her dress; a fact not lost to the photographer who took a portrait of the woman that captures her, head to toe. This image is nicely done. The pose integrates the chair and curtain for balance and the swirl in the curtain along side the swirl in the woman’s dress enhances the image. Saying it simply, this is a beautiful portrait. The photographer, Robert Atkinson Bonine (1838-?) moved his photography business from Holidaysburg to Altoona, Pennsylvania, in 1878. He came to Altoona with his wife, Matilda Hollinger (1838-?), whom he married in 1860. When Bonine wasn’t producing photographs, he was producing children. He and his wife had eleven children. A number of his children entered the field of photography. One of his sons, Robert Kates Bonine (1862-1923) was a well known film maker of travelogues. He was employed twice by Edison, and also worked for the American Mutoscope and Biograph Company. His work included films about the Klondike Gold Rush, the San Francisco Earthquake, Yosemite, Japan and China.
A PRETTY WOMAN IN ALTOONA, PENNSYLVANIA
WHO IS ACTRESS, ELLA CAMPBELL; AND WHERE IS THE REST OF HER DRESS?
Ella Campbell is a pretty woman. This cabinet card, photographed by The Sparks Photo-Publishing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; is quite risque for its era. The short outfit that Ms Campbell is wearing, exposes a lot more of her legs than one would expect. Perhaps there was a shortage of material available for her dress. That is not a likely explanation. More likely, the Sparks Company knew that a sexy photograph would increase sales of this image of a lesser known actress. Wait a second! Is this woman really an actress named Ella Campbell? The only evidence available is the writing on the reverse of the card which states “Ella Campbell”. Research yields no information about an actress with this name. Further investigation is required. To view other photographs of actresses by Sparks, click on the category “Photographer: Sparks Photo Publishing Co.”.
INTELLECTUAL YOUNG MAN IN BUDAPEST, HUNGARY
An intellectual looking young man poses for his portrait at the studio of Kozmata Ferencz in Budapest, Hungary. This man looks bright and successful. If this was a present day portrait, one might suspect he was the founder and CEO of a leading innovative high tech corporation. What are those stripes on his sleeves? They look to be insignias of military rank but perhaps they are just decorative. Some help from cabinet card gallery visitors would be appreciated in identifying the stripes. To view other photographs by Ferencz, click on the category “Photographer: Ferencz”.
PRETTY WOMAN WITH SNOW SHOE BROOCH IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT
A pretty young woman poses for her portrait at Folsom’s gallery in Danbury, Connecticut. She is wearing a snow shoe brooch at her collar. Joseph H. Folsom (1841-?) married Sarah Elizabeth Lockwood n 1869. At the time he married, he was a veteran of the American Civil War. He had enlisted in the New York First Regiment in 1861 and had fought in several battles before being taken prisoner at Gaines Mill, in June, 1862. He was a prisoner of war in Libby Prison. After the war, he returned to his photography business in Danbury. A photography journal published in 1883 announced that his estate had sold the business. Interestingly, it seem that his wife, reestablished the photography studio. The Anthony Photographic Bulletin (1888) reported that she had opened her own photographic studio in a new location.
WORK DETAIL IN IMPERIAL RUSSIA (KIDS IN A GARDEN)
Three children are photographed in a garden, in this cabinet portrait by an unknown photographer somewhere in Imperial Russia. The nicely dressed kids are adorable. One boy is holding a rake while the other is holding a shovel. The boy with the shovel is wearing a military hat while the girl is more practical, wearing a sun hat.
IMMIGRANT FAMILY OF UNKNOWN ETHNIC ORIGIN IN MADISON, MINNESOTA
This photograph captures a family in unknown ethnic clothing, at the Chalmers studio in Madison, Minnesota. Hopefully, a visitor to the cabinet card gallery will be able to identify the country of origin of this attractive family. The parents and their two sons, and daughter, are likely immigrants to the United States. An uninformed guess is that the family is from Afghanistan. The Chalmers studio was certainly a family affair. The business was started by Hugh J Chalmers (1844-1910) who was born in New Brunswick, Canada. He operated a photography studio in Lac Qui Parie (1882-1886) and in Madison (1886, 1894-?). Both businesses were located in Minnesota. He was succeeded by his son, James H. Chalmers (1874-?) who worked in Madison between 1904 and 1922. A third generation was involved with the business. James Kenneth Chalmers (1905-1966) also operated the studio.
SHORT HAIRED BEAUTY IN DANBURY, CONNECTICUT
A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the Sanford gallery. She has short dark hair and is wearing earrings and a pearl choker. The photographer of this image was E. Starr Sanford, a man with an interesting life story. To view other photographs by Sanford and to learn more about him; click on the category “Photographer: Sanford”.
YOUNG CHILD AND LITERARY DOG POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN MOUNT VERNON, OHIO
Photographer, Fred S. Crowell published this cabinet card portrait of a child and his/her pet dog. The dog appears to be an English Springer Spaniel. Writing on the reverse of the card indicates that the child’s name was Caroll Clucas and the dogs name was Peredeo. The canine’s name was not completely legible and Peredeo is a “best guess”. Peredeo is actually a name that comes from the story of Rosamund. Rosamund, the wife of King Alboin plotted to have her cruel husband killed. It was suggested to her that she employ Peredeo, “a very strong man”, to accomplish the murder. Peredeo refused to kill his King, but that night, he mistakenly slept with a disguised Rosamund. As a result of this adultery, Peredeo agreed to kill Alboin, in order to avoid retribution for sleeping with Rosamund. Now lets jump many centuries forward to the mid to late 1800’s. The photographer did an excellent job of photographing the dog; no easy task. Crowell’s studio was located in Mount Vernon, Ohio. Fred Crowell (1844-?) was born in Huron County, Ohio. He began his career as a salesman in a bookseller and stationers shop. He next worked for a jeweler. His first photography job was in Mt. Vernon but he also worked in Norwalk, Sandusky, and Cleveland, Ohio. His photography jobs included a stint in Erie, Pennsylvania. Crowell rose in his career to own photography galleries. He operated in Frederickstown, Ohio (1866-1869) and Mt. Vernon (1869-1889). To view other photographs by Crowell, click on the category “Photographer: Crowell”. Little information could be found about the identity of Caroll Clucas. It appears that his parents names were William G. Clucas and Ida Cassel Clucas. He had a sister, Fenella Viola Clucas (1887-?).
ATTRACTIVE AND FASHIONABLE COUPLE IN SALMON CITY, IDAHO
A nicely dressed couple pose for their portrait at a photographic studio in Salmon City, Idaho. The photographer is John H. Duray. In addition to his Salmon City gallery, he operated studios in Challis and Bonanza, Idaho. The woman in the image is wearing a lovely hat and earrings. The gentleman has the top button of his jacket buttoned, which was the style of his era; and is sporting a thick mustache. The two are separated by a fancy chair on wheels.
THE NELSON FAMILY GATHERS FOR SOME BEERS IN EVELETH, MINNESOTA
This cabinet card is a portrait of four men sitting around a table drinking beers. The men are wearing dress clothing as they enjoy happy hour at the studio of Axel M. Turnquist, in Eveleth, Minnesota. One of the men is drinking out of a glass, while the other three prefer to imbibe straight out of the bottle. The reverse of the card has a notation indicating that the subjects in the photograph are members of the “Nelson” family. To view other photographs by Turnquist, and learn some biographical facts about him, click on the category “Photographer: Turnquist”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 