This cabinet card features a uniformed bugle boy, posed holding his instrument, and wearing a satchel bag strapped over his shoulder. The boy’s cap has a badge indicating that he was in company B of the “ALC”. “ALC” likely stands for Albert Lea C……”. Perhaps a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery can leave a comment identifying the “C” word. The bugle boy, judging by his uniform, was a member of a band. Albert Lea is the name of the Minnesota town where the photographic studio that produced this cabinet card was located. Albert Lea is ninety miles south of Minneapolis, Minnesota; and was named after a topographer with the US Dragoons who surveyed the area in 1835. The photographer of this cabinet card was Joseph A. Fuller (1851-?). Fuller was born in Walworth County, Wisconsin. He worked as a photographer in Decorah, Iowa and Chatfield, Minnesota; before moving to Albert Lea in 1873. At the time of this photograph, Fuller’s studio was on the corner of Williams and Broadway Streets, “over Brown & Cos Bank”. His later studios in Albert Lea included 202 South Broadway (1914-1922) and 204 South Broadway (1924). He worked in Minnesota from the 1870’s through part of the 1920’s.
THE OTHER BOOGIE WOOGIE BUGLE BOY OF COMPANY B……… IN ALBERT LEA, MINNESOTA
TWO GIRLS AND A DOLL IN CHICAGO HEIGHTS (OR POSSIBLY FRANKFORT STATION) , ILLINOIS
Two bright-eyed young girls sit for their portrait at the studio of Fred Heising in either Chicago Heights, or Frankfort Station, Illinois. The youngest child, sitting in a wicker chair, has her arm firmly around the shoulders of her toy doll. The older girl stands behind her little sister, with a physical position and a facial expression that can best be described as “big sisterish”. An advertisement in the Bulletin of Photography (1912) lists Heising’s studio for sale at the price of eleven thousand dollars. The ad states that the studio had been in existence for twenty years. A little simple math reveals that this photograph was produced sometime after 1892.
TWO CUTE YOUNG SISTERS IN SOFIA, BULGARIA
This cabinet card features two young girls posing for their portrait at a photographer’s studio. The girls are most probably sisters, and they are very cute. Note their large dark expressive eyes. The older girl is wearing a necklace with a locket or charm, while her little sister is wearing a necklace with a cross and holding a toy that could be a spinning top. The youngest child also has a strap over her shoulder which appears to be a bag of some kind. A previous owner of this cabinet card states that the photograph was produced by a studio in Sofia, Bulgaria. The name of the photographer is difficult to decipher and hopefully a Bulgaria savvy visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery, will be able to provide the name of the producer of this image.
PRETTY WOMAN WITH COILED HAIR IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
This cabinet card features a portrait of an attractive young woman. The side view that the photographer chose to capture, provides a view of her very well styled hair. The photographer is Taylor, of Detroit, Michigan. His gallery was called the Grand Central Gallery and was located at 41 & 43 Monroe Avenue.
CUTE YOUNG GIRL IN NASHUA NEW HAMPSHIRE
A young girl poses for her portrait in the studio of Charles Henry Lindsay in Nashua, New Hampshire. Note her lace collar and her cute curls. She has a great half smile and is very focused on the photographer and camera. The photographer of this image had quite a journeyman career. The Granite State Monthly (1916) wrote a glowing article about his skills and described his career experiences. Lindsay learned his profession in the studio of Frank O. Everett, in Nashua. He began working for Everett around 1872 and stayed in his employ for about three years. He then moved to Concord, New Hampshire to become an operator for Benjamin Carr. He ultimately purchased Carr’s business and conducted it successfully until it was destroyed in a fire. He then worked with Stephen Piper in Manchester until 1879, when he moved to Nashua and opened his own studio. In 1889 he went to Boston and worked for some well known photographers. From 1894 until at least 1915, he operated a studio in Manchester, New Hampshire. At some point, his son, Ira Frank Lindsay, joined him in operating the Manchester studio. Lindsay’s career certainly was one that had many starts and stops, and forced him to make many relocations. This cabinet card was produced during Lindsay’s Nashua tenure between 1879 and 1889.
BIG DOG SPRAWLED ACROSS THE BENCH….. SMALL MAN DECIDES TO STAND (LODZ, POLAND)
This cabinet card photograph appears to have been photographed in the studio of B. Wilkoszewski of Lodz, Poland (things aren’t always as they appear to be). At the time of this photograph, the city was likely under the rule of Russia, and Wilkoszewski no longer owned the studio. The gentleman in this image is very well dressed and is holding a cane. He is posed in a faux park scene and stands next to his very large dog, who appears to have taken ownership of the park bench. The dog’s coat could be used to give the Rorschach Ink Blot Test to psychiatric patients. The cabinet card is stamped on the front and back of the photograph with the name “J. Grodzicki” , and next to the name is the word “dawniej”. Research reveals that “dawniej” is the Polish word for “formerly”. Therefore, the actual photographer of this image is J. Grodzicki, and Wilkoszewski was the former owner of the studio.
EARLY BASEBALL PLAYER: WAS HE ON THE ROSTER OF THE MANHATTAN COLLEGE JASPERS?
A young baseball player in uniform, poses for a photographer at an unknown studio in this antique photograph. Did he play for the Manhattan College Jaspers? Lets investigate some college and baseball history! Manhattan College, a Catholic school, was established in 1853 as the Academy of the Holy Infancy. The school became a college in 1859 and the schools name became Manhattan College in 1863. The school coexisted with Manhattan College High School, which was originally founded in 1854. The high school served as a prep school and many of its graduates went on to attend Manhattan College. Manhattan College had a baseball team early in its history as well as early in baseball’s history. The college played the New York Giants annually in the late 1880’s and into the 1890’s. They played their games at the Polo Grounds. An interesting side note is that Manhattan College is credited by Baseball’s Hall of Fame, as creating the “seventh inning stretch” which was later adopted by the Major Leagues. In addition, 28 players from Manhattan College have made it to Major League Baseball. The Manhattan College team is named the “Jaspers” The name originates from an individual, Brother Jasper, who served the college in the late nineteenth century and brought baseball to the school. He also was the teams first coach. The question remains; is the player in the photograph a former member of the collegiate Jaspers? Is he a former member of the prep school team; or is he a member of some other team from a non New York town called Manhattan? Perhaps a visitor to this site will pitch hit for this writer and determine just which Manhattan team this young man played for.
BUNDLED UP FOR THE COLD: ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN FOSCANI, ROMANIA
Although this image is a studio portrait, this bundled up little girl looks seriously cold. Her long and heavy coat appears to be made out of fur or possibly wool. Her hands are kept warm in a muff and her wide brimmed hat protects her face from the falling snow. If the wind is blowing the snow toward her; she is out of luck. Are those flowers that she is wearing in her hair? Flowers, in the winter? Perhaps its because of that famous song, “If you go to Foscani, be sure to wear, flowers in your hair”. Oops! Wrong city and wrong era! The photographer of this image is Franz X. Koroschetz of the aforementioned, Foscani, Romania.
DAPPER MAN WEARING A DERBY IN LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA
A dapper man poses for his portrait at the studio of Lewis C. Fowler, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. This gentleman is nicely dressed. He is wearing a long outer coat with what appears to be a velvet collar and satin lapels. He is holding a pair of gloves and has a derby hat on his head. The subject of this photograph’s image possesses an aura of success and importance. Fowler’s photographic studio was located at 12 West King Street, in the town of Lancaster. An advertisement in the Lancaster Board of Trade directory appeared in 1887. A directory of businesses in Philadelphia, indicates that Fowler operated a studio there in 1890. It is unknown whether he conducted businesses in both cities simultaneously. To view other photographs by Fowler, click on the category “Photographer: Fowler (Lewis)”.
A STUDIOUS LOOKING MAN WEARING PINCE-NEZ SPECTACLES IN NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK
The gentleman pictured in this cabinet card has the appearance of a scholarly man. The man’s pince nez eyeglasses, and his beard contribute to his studious look. Pince-nez glasses are a style of spectacle that is supported without earpieces, by pinching the bridge of the wearer’s nose. The name has French origin and this type of eyewear reached peak popularity between 1880 and 1900. The photographer of this cabinet card is H. T. See & H. (I. or J.) Epler. The middle initial of Epler is unclear in the reference where it was found. An advertisement for the See & Epler studio appeared in the Columbia Spectator (1899). The advertisement stated the studio was the “Photographer to Columbia University” and that the firm offered special rates to students. The studio was located in New York City and Saratoga, New York.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 