Boston was known for a lot of things at the turn of the century, but fly fishing was probably not one of those things. Fly fishing on the Thames River wasn’t likely a destination vacation. This photograph features a handsome gentleman who appears dressed for an adventure. He is wearing a hat with fishing lures hooked into it. He is also wearing a tie, tucked into his shirt. The gentleman was photographed by McCormick, who had a studio located in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Directory (1873) lists a John L. McCormick who operated as a photographer in Boston. The 1880 United States Census finds McCormick (age 32)living in Boston and married to Elizabeth McCormick (age 26). He is listed as a photographer. The 1900 census does not list his occupation but reports that the couple were living with their five children and an eighteen year-old female servant (nanny?). The 1910 census includes McCormick, but once again, does not list his occupation.
Buy this Vintage Cabinet Card photograph (includes shipping within the US) #5183
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$88.00
Buy this Vintage Cabinet Card photograph (includes shipping outside the US) #5183
To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below
$97.00
This cabinet card portrait features a well-dressed pretty young woman. Her high collared dress includes lots of lace. She is wearing a serious expression. She appears to be in her teenage years or slightly older. This photograph was taken by the Beckford Photo, a studio located in Boston, Massachusetts. David C. Beckford received mention in the book, “Boston: Its Commerce, Finance, and Literature”. His studio is described as a leading photo studio in the country. The business was established in around 1872 as the Chickering Photo Company. The proprietor, Walter E. Chickering (not to be confused with Elmer Chickering, a well respected Boston photographer of the era) was a notorious swindler. He was especially known for his dishonesty and blatant resistance to paying his bills. Walter must have been a tough boss to tolerate. Beckford took over the business in 1888. Beckford’s establishment employed four assistants. Beckford was a native of Jamaica. He came to Boston in about 1872 and worked for Chickering for several years. According to one source, Beckford operated a Hardware business in Jamaica, at least part of the time, while he ran his photo studio in Boston. A Massachusetts directory of photographers asserts that Beckford was active as a photographer until 1909. Beckford is cited in an article appearing in the “Southern Workman” (1909). The title of the article was “Improvement in Housing Negroes in the North”. The writer states that Beckford had recently returned from a business trip to Jamaica where he directed the rebuilding of his properties; and reestablished his hardware business which had been destroyed in an earthquake. The “Southern Workman” article was the first reference that I found that indicated that David C. Beckford was a Black man. Examining the 1900 US census data provided confirmation that Beckford was indeed a Black man. Census data conflicted with other legal documents in regard to where Beckford was born. It appears he was born in either England or Jamaica. He was born in 1856 and immigrated to the United States in 1872. He married Elvira P. Gott in 1881. She was a Black woman born in Massachusetts. She was close in age to Beckford. Photographs by Black photographers are not common, making this image a great find. This cabinet card portrait is in fair condition (see scans). Note the presence of peeling along the left and bottom border of the card mount. The image itself has excellent clarity and is in good condition. (SOLD)
This cabinet card is a family portrait of a nicely dressed young couple and their baby. Mom and dad are wearing flowers and mom appears to be holding a cane or umbrella. The photograph was produced by the Flodin & Thyberg Photographic Art Studio in Worcester, Massachusetts. The photograph is dated 1889. Photographer, Ferdinand Flodin was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1863.He came to America in 1883 and studied photography in Boston with a well known photographer named Ernest Ritz. He then studied under renowned Boston photographer, William Notman. He moved to Worcester in 1887 and partnered with August Thyberg in opening a gallery. After a time, Thyberg withdrew from the business. Flodin was a very productive writer. He had several articles published in photography journals. He also wrote an illustrated book on Sweden. In addition, he wrote an article which appeared in “Photographic Mosaics: Annual Record of Photographic Progress” (1895). The article was entitled “Our Reception-Room Showcase”. The Wilson Photographic Magazine (1903) reported that Flodin returned to Sweden in 1898 and operated a studio in Stockholm. The magazine article includes some excellent photographs of the Swedish gallery. August Thyberg was born in Sweden in 1863. He immigrated to the United States in 1884. His wife, Alma, was also Swedish. The United States census provides further information about Thyberg. In 1900, he was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and working as a merchant. In 1910, he lived in Springfield, Massachusetts and worked as a blacksmith. In 1920, he lived in Minneapolis and owned a shoe business. The 1930 census finds Thyberg retired in Minneapolis. It is safe to say, that unlike his one-time partner, Flodin; Thyberg had a difficult time sticking to an occupation. To view more photographs by this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Flodin & Thyberg. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 