A well dressed and very handsome man poses for his photographic portrait at the studio of Schreiber Bros. in West Bend, Wisconsin. The gentleman’s hair has been styled with care and his mustache earns him a spot in the cabinet card gallery’s “Mustaches (Only the Best)” category. Click on the category to see some wonderful examples of interesting mustaches of the era. The Schreiber Bros. studio won photography awards in 1898, according to the journal, Photographic Times (1898). Research indicates the brothers are L. Schreiber and W. F. Schreiber.
GOOD LOOKING GUY IN WEST BEND, WISCONSIN
ADORABLE FARMER BOY IN MANISTEE, MICHIGAN
This Cabinet Card features an adorable little farmer boy wearing a straw hat. He is posed as to appear like he is climbing over a wooden fence between two vine covered walls. The photographer is the Miller Gallery of Manistee, Michigan.
FASHIONABLE VICTORIAN COUPLE IN DERBY, ENGLAND
A well dressed Victorian couple pose for their portrait at the studio of W. W. Winter in Derby, England. William Walter Winter (1842-1924) was the son of Cornelius Jansen Winter, a Norfolk portrait and animal painter. Winter started as an assistant to Frenchman Monsieur E. N. Charles in Derby. In 1863, Charles died and Winter ran the studio with Charles’s widow. In about a years time, he took over the studio and married Charles’s wife. Interesting turn of events; boss dies, and soon thereafter, Winter had his boss’s business and his boss’s wife. Winter continued to operate the studio until his retirement in 1909. He sold the business and the studio still operates today from the same premises.
FINNISH PHOTOGRAPHER KARL EMIL STAHLBERG’S MYSTERY PORTRAIT OF PENSIVE GENTLEMAN (HELSINKI, 1894)
The Cabinet Card Gallery needs help identifying the gentleman in this photograph. The pensive man in this image was photographed by Karl Emil Stahlberg (1862-1919) in Helsinki, Finland. The cabinet card is exceptionally large, 5 1/2″ x 8 1/2″ and was photographed in 1894. . Stahlberg was a Finnish photographer and engineer. Stahlberg was a man for all seasons. In 1904 he opened Finland’s first film theatre. He was also the nations first film producer. He initially specialized in short documentaries. He later produced Finlands’s first fictional film and hired painter Louis Sparre to direct the film. Stahlberg was the cousin of Finland’s first President, Kaarlo Juho Stahlberg. The reverse of this cabinet card may offer clues as to the identity of the gentleman pictured in the photograph. In pencil on the back of the card is the inscription “Greve (unclear word) Sparre”. There is a second inscription on the reverse of the card; and a copy of this inscription is provided above. Is the subject Louis Sparre or one of his relatives? Any help in identifying the subject of this photograph would be appreciated. UPDATE: Thanks to the cabinet card gallery’s vast research department (in other words, the sites visitors), the gentleman in this photograph appears to have been identified. Check out the comment section to see how a visitor identified the gentleman in less than 24 hours time after the photograph was posted. The gentleman is not just a gentleman; he is also a Swedish Count. Ambjorn Pehr Sparre (1828-1921) was the son of Pehr Sparre, a Colonel and author. Ambjorn Pehr Sparre was the father of artist Louis Sparre. He participated in Parliament, headed a bank note paper mill, and between 1855 and 1871, established a printing house which printed stamps for the national post office. He is associated with the first Swedish hydrogen balloon ascent. He was an inventor whose work was done in the areas of security paper, weapons, bicycles, flying machines, underwater vehicles as well as a number of other areas.
RUGBY PLAYER IN WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA
This cabinet card is a portrait of a young rugby player. He is wearing padded pants but no other equipment. The photographer is W. Frances Grubb (1864-1938). Grubb was an active photographer in the suburban Philadelphia area. He operated from his West Chester, Pennsylvania studio (25 N. High Street). He worked out of this studio between 1886 and 1898. Check out additional rugby cabinet cards under this site’s “rugby” category. To view additional cabinet card photographs by Grubb; click on this site’s “Photographer: Grubb” category.
THREE SISTERS AND THEIR TOYS IN MUNICH, BAVARIA
This cabinet card features three sisters at play. The youngest is holding a stuffed horse, while the other two sisters are holding a doll and a book. On the floor stands another doll. The photographer was Alfred Schmidt of the Apollo Studio in Munich, Bavaria. Schmidt did an excellent job of capturing the girls in a quite natural pose of play. (SOLD)
MAN AND TWO WOMEN POSE ON BOARD SHIP IN BLACKPOOL, GREAT BRITAIN
This cabinet card of a man and two women posing aboard a ship, was photographed by D. Mitchell of Blackpool, Great Britain. The photographer, whose studio was located near a pier in the seaside city of Blackpool, utilized a relevant nautical theme. The backdrop is fantastic and the hanging rope held by the gentleman, and the ropes in front of the ladies, are a “great touch”. This is one of the finest uses of background scenery and props that can be found in the entire cabinet card gallery. The South Pier was originally named the Victoria Pier. The pier opened in 1893 and served vacation travelers to Blackpool. The subjects of this cabinet card image are likely tourists on holiday.
PLAIDS, RUFFLES, AND BOWS: FOUR VERY CUTE KIDS
This photographic portrait captures four very cute kids dressed in adorable clothing. Plaids, ruffles and bows abound. The image is crystal clear. The photographer is O. E. Flaten who at the time of the photograph, had studios in Moorehead and Halstad, Minnesota; as well as in Gardner, North Dakota. Research reveals that Ole E. Flaten (1854 or 1865- 1933) was born in Vanders, Norway and emigrated to the United States. He operated studios in Northfield, Moorehead, and Halstad, Minnesota. He worked as a photographer from the 1870’s through the 1920’s, retiring in 1930. Click on the category of “Photographer: Flaten” to see another photograph from his studio.
FASHIONABLE FAMILY POSES FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS
This photograph captures a very fashionable family sitting for their portrait at the studio of William H. Schmidt in Chicago, Illinois. Note the two older children’s belts and bow ties.
LITTLE BOY FOUND IN SEASHELL IN PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLANIA
This cabinet card is a portrait of a little boy sitting quite comfortably in a sea shell chair. He appears disinterested in his surroundings at the Lies’s Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He looks cute in his polka dot bow tie and fancy clothing. The seashell chair prop in this photograph is very unusual; in fact, such a chair has not come to the attention of the Cabinet Card Gallery ever before. The photographer, George Lies, deserves credit for his creativity.
SOLD
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