This is a cabinet card portrait of a very distinguished looking man photographed in Jackson, Michigan. The man is well dressed and his hair is styled. Pencilled on the back of this photograph are the words “this is your great great grandpa Meserill (sp). The photographer of this photograph is John W. Paine (1844-?). Information appears about this photographer in a book titled The History of Jackson County Michigan (1881). Paine started his studio in Jackson in 1868 on a shoestring budget. He had 3 dollars worth of supplies and no chair. For his first three years he specialized in ferreotypes. He expanded the business into larger quarters at least three times. The studio that produced this cabinet card existed sometime after 1877. He learned the skills of his profession in Adrion, Michigan in 1861. He married Beatrice (Weaver) Jenkins in 1879. He was a mason.
DISTINGUISHED LOOKING BEARDED MAN IN JACKSON, MICHIGAN
LARGE INDIAN FAMILY POSING FOR CABINET CARD PORTRAIT
This Cabinet Card is an image of an Indian family posing for their portrait in India. It is more accurate to say that this is presumably an Indian family in India since there is no family or photographic studio identification information on the reverse of the card. Nevertheless, this is an interesting portrait of what appears to be an extended family.
YOUNG GIRL WITH INTERESTING BRAIDS IN MEADVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA
This Cabinet Card is a photograph of an intense looking young girl with interesting tube like braids. The photographer is A. R. Fowler of Meadville, Pennsylvania. Meadville is in northwest Pennsylvania. A historic event occurred in Meadville when a Black man tried to register his kids into public school and was turned away. He appealed the decision and the court declared the segregation law of 1854 unconstitutional and outlawed segregation in Pennsylvania in 1881. The 1880’s also found Meadville’s economy driven by iron production, agriculture and logging. To view other photographs by A. R. Fowler, click on the category “Photographer: Fowler (A. R.)
TWO CUTE NINETEENTH CENTURY KITTENS: EVEN WITH NINE LIVES THESE CATS CAN’T POSSIBLY STILL BE ALIVE
This cabinet card image captures two very cute kittens sitting for their portrait at A. M. Powers studio in Schenectady, New York. One wonders how many photographs Mr Powers had to take before producing this very special cabinet card. The photographer, A. M. Powers is mentioned in the book, The History of County of Schenectady. It states that he resided in Schenectady beginning 1873 and opened his photographic gallery in 1879.
PRUSSIAN SOLDIER AND HIS FAMILY POSE IN FURSTENWALDE, GERMANY
A Prussian soldier, his wife, and son pose for their portrait in the Schmidt studio in Furstenwalde, Germany. The photograph is dated 1898. The photograph shows a bit more intimacy than most during this time period. The soldiers son is holding his fathers hand and the soldiers wife appears to have her arm against her husbands shoulder. Note the soldiers moustache; it curves upward rather than the regularly seen downward. Perhaps a visitor to this entry can ascertain the soldiers rank and branch of service.
ADORABLE BABY GIRL POSING BAREFOOT IN LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY
This pretty little girl is posing in the studio of Doerr, located in Louisville, Kentucky. Looks like mom dressed her in a fancy lace dress but forgot to bring the matching shoes.
YOUNG WOMAN WITH THE LONGEST HAIR IN DETROIT
This cabinet card, photographed by Holcombe and Metzen of Detroit, Michigan; is an image of a young woman with lots of hair. I have seen other cabinet card portraits of woman with hair to spare and I am not sure how to interpret the meaning of this era’s hair fashion statement. If anyone has knowledge of this phenomenon; please leave a comment. Photographers Holcombe and Metzen are given mention in the Detroit Yearbook of 1890.
BEHIND THE LACE CURTAIN: TWO BEAUTIFULLY DRESSED WOMEN IN COMANCHE, TEXAS
This unusually posed Cabinet Card was photographed by Wright, in Comanche, Texas. Two beautifully dressed woman wearing long white dresses, pose behind a frilly lace curtain. The dresses are embellished with lace, flowers, and possibly fur or feathers. The woman on the right is holding a fan and wearing a cape. Who would have thought that these Comanche, Texas women could make such a beautiful fashion statement. Comanche, Texas is located in Central Texas and is the site of the saloon where gunfighter John Wesley Hardin killed a deputy in 1874. The Comanche Chief, the local newspaper, wrote in 1880 that James L Wright was the best photographic artist in Texas outside of some photographers in Galveston and Dallas. This claim sounds like a compliment with reservations.
Sam Foss: American Poet
This Cabinet Card was found with 76 other Cabinet Card photographs in an album of members of the class of 1882 at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. It is believed that this image was taken in 1878. The subject of this photo is Sam Foss who was born in New Hampshire. After graduation from Brown he became a librarian and poet. His works include The House by the Side of the Road and The Coming American. In 1898 he became the librarian at the Somerville Public Library in Massachusetts. He wrote a poem a day for then newspapers and published five volumes of collected poetry. Until 2003, his words were on the granite wall at the Air Force Academy. He wrote “Bring me men to match my mountains, Bring me men to match my plains, Men with empires in their purpose, And new Eras in their brains” (from Coming American 1894) The photographic studio that produced this Cabinet Card is Hambly and Shoal in Providence, Rhode Island.
VIOLA ALLEN: THEATRICAL ACTRESS IN PERFORMANCE OF “IN THE PALACE OF THE KING” (1901)
Viola Allen (1869-1948) was an American theater and silent film actress who acted in roles between 1882-1919. She was born in Alabama and was the daughter of an actor. Her first stage appearance in New York City was at age 14 when she substituted for the ill Annie Russell who was playing the title role of Esmeralda at Madison Square Theater. Allen’s father was also a member of the cast. Allen appeared in many productions including Masqueraders, Twelfth Night, Under the Red Robe, The Christian, and the Winter Tale. Her most popular roles were in Shenendoah and Little Lord Fauntleroy. The reverse of this card has writing that indicates that this image is from Allen playing the role of Dolores in “In The Palace of the King” (1901). The photographer of this Cabinet Card was the studio of Sands & Brady in Providence, Rhode Island.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 