This Cabinet Card is a portrait of a Spanish American War era soldier posing in San Antonio, Texas. San Antonio was a city where a number of troops were organized for participating in this war. Note that the soldier is well armed with both a rifle, bayonet, and knife. Check out his ammunition belt. Ironically, the cabinet card’s photographer, Lewison Brothers, headquarters their studio on South “Alamo” Street. This street is the location of the famous Alamo which was the location of a battle to the death which occurred in the war for Texas independence.
WELL ARMED SPANISH AMERICAN WAR SOLDIER IN SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS
PRETTY GIRL POSES IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND
A very pretty girl poses for the photographer at the studio of William Mills and Son in Providence, Rhode Island. This side-view pose is reminiscent of the typical pose assumed by famed actress, Sarah Bernhardt. The subject of this photograph has a very interesting and attractive profile making this particular posing position a good choice. There is no identifying information accompanying this Cabinet Card and it is not clear whether the subject is a teenager or adult woman. To view other photographs by the Mills Studio, click on the category “Photographer: Mills”.
ADORABLE BABY WITH CURLS IN DAYTON, OHIO
Photographers William Hollinger and Joseph M. Appleton (1848-?) produced this Cabinet Card photograph of a very cute baby in Dayton, Ohio. Both partners of the Appleton and Hollinger studio were photographers of note. Hollinger worked in Urbana in the mid 1870’s and in Dayton from 1883 until 1896. He partnered with Appleton in the 1880’s. In 1900 he was included in an article in Wilson’s Photographic magazine. Appleton trained in Akron, Ohio in the 1860’s and later worked in Millersburg and Columbus. In 1880 he moved to Dayton, first working with Hollinger and by 1887 he had his own studio and owned a company that manufactured photographic plates. Appleton’s work was exhibited at the Chicago Worlds Fair in 1893 and at the National Academy of Design in 1898. He was an officer in the Photographic Association of America and a founder of the Photographic Salon of Ohio. To view other photographs by Appleton & Hollinger, click on the category “Photographer: Appleton & Hollinger”.
MARCUS AINEY AND HIS TRICYLCE CAPTURED BY A TRAVELING PHOTOGRAPHER
A young lad, Marcus Ainey poses for his Cabinet Card photograph for the Hawkins Brothers who were traveling photographers. Marcus is looking quite serious as he rests his arm on the handlebars of his prized tricycle. He is dressed up for the occasion wearing an interesting cap and outfit. He has his handkerchief neatly tucked into his pocket ready for any nasal emergencies.
JEWISH COUPLE, REPORTEDLY BRODER SINGERS (YIDDISH) IN BRODY, UKRAINE
This Cabinet card featuring a well dressed couple, offers a bit of mystery. The last owner of this card states that this couple are “Brody Yiddish Singers”. So what does that mean? First of all, Brody is a city in Lviv Oblast (province) of western Ukraine. The city was a crossroads and jewish trade center in the 19th century. Brody is considered to be Shtetls, Brodersanger, Purim, Jewish theater, CzarAlexander III, Berl Margulis, Berl Broder, one of the “shtetls”. The city was famous for the Brodersanger or Broder singers who were among the first Jews to publicly perform Yiddish songs outside of Purim (a holiday) and wedding celebrations. These performers were the precursors of jewish theater. Due to anti Jewish regulation enacted in 1882 by Czar Alexander III of Russia and the resulting exodus of Russian Jews; throughout 1881 hundreds of Jewish immigrants arrived in Brody daily. The most famous Broder singer was Berl Margulis also known as Berl Broder (1815 -1868). It is not certain that this cabinet card really depicts Broder singers and no evidence is available to support the claim , but it is not unusual for families to pass down such information over generations and there is a reasonable chance that the history is correct and the story is worth telling. The photographer of this cabinet card is Buscdorf.
EMILY AND HER BABY DOLL IN SIOUX CITY, IOWA
Emily Hardy and her baby doll pose for their portrait at the Genelli Gallery in Sioux City, Iowa. Her name is inked on the reverse of the card and she is wearing a pin with her name displayed beneath the center of her collar. Young Emily is proudly posing with her doll and holding some flowers. Interestingly, the Genelli photographic studio still exists in Sioux City, Iowa. To view other photographs by Genellli and to learn more about the studio, click on the category “Photographer: Genelli”.
MAN POSING FOR PHOTOGRAPHER IN CALCUTTA, INDIA
Calcutta, India is the location at which this cabinet card photograph was taken. The studio of Johnston and Hoffmann were the photographers. The reverse of the card has the stamp of Austrian lithographer, Bernard Wachtl of Vienna. Calcutta is the current capitol of the Indian state of West Bengal located in eastern India. However, at the time of this photograph and until 1911, during the British Raj (colonial rule), Calcutta was the capitol of India. It would be interesting to know why this gentleman was in India and something about his identity, but this information has been lost over time. Research reveals some information about the photographers. Theodore Julius Hoffmann and P. A. Johnston established a commercial photography studio in Calcutta (1882) and Darjeeling (1890). Their studio is considered to be the second largest commercial photography studio in India in that period. Many of their images were of North and Northeast India as well as Sikkim and Nepal. To view other cabinet cards from India, click on the category “India”. To view other works by Bernard Wachtl, click on the category “Lithographers: Bernard Wachtl”.
FASHIONABLE BLACK WOMAN IN RENO, NEVADA
This Cabinet Card captures a pretty young Black woman posing at the studio of Rifenburg and Dowe in Reno, Nevada. The woman is beautifully dressed and the details of her elaborate dress are easily seen in the closeness and clarity of this image. Note the woman’s dark gloves and that she appears to be holding a cane, or perhaps, a parasol.
OLD MAN WITH PIPE IN BALLSTON, NEW YORK
Mr E. H. Chapman posed for this cabinet card photograph at the studio of J. S. Wooley in Ballston, New York. He inscribed the back of this card indicating that he turned 67 years old on September 17th, 1895. He gave the card to an unidentified person, to mark the occassion. Mr Chapman’s eyes show a certain wisdom that only comes with age. His pipe and straw hat add much character to the image of this older gentleman. Ballston, NY is in Saratoga County, and north of Schenectady. Research reveals that Edw H Chapman was President of the Ballston town board in 1856 and was involved in the manufacture of woolen goods and in 1867 had a business manufacturing bricks. Research also reveals that the photographer of this cabinet card is Jesse Sumner Wooley (1867-1943). At age 13 he worked for a photographer in Saratoga and in 1887 he opened his own photographic studio in Ballston Spa. He became a noted photographer as a result of his taking expeditions and chronicling them in the form of lantern slide/stereoptic lectures. In 1893 he and noted landscape photographer Seneca Ray Stoddard took a photographic expedition exploring the Adirondacks and they prepared a photographic lecture about this trip. Wooley also took similar expeditions to Florida (preparing a photographic historical presentation), the Chicago Exposition (Worlds Fair), New York City (100th anniversary of George Washington’s inaugaration), and to California (Yellowstone National Park). The Florida stereoptic lecture is one of the few professional lantern slide/stereoptic lectures that survive today.
AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN CHILLING AT TURN OF THE CENTURY PHOTOGRAPHIC STUDIO
Attractive young Black woman poses at Smith’s Photographic Studio at an unnamed location. She is very fashionably dressed. Note the wonderful details of her cape and hat. Unfortunately, there are no clues as to the identity of this woman nor the identity or location of the cabinet card photographer.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 