A young man dressed in winter clothing gently rows his boat down a river. In actuality, the boat and the river were props inside the studio of E. E. Roessler in Carthage, Missouri. Carthage was the site of two battles during the American civil war and in a third incident, most of the city was burned down. The photographer, Edward E. Roessler was born in 1850 and married Annie Befferin in 1896. He robbed the cradle as Annie, an accomplished pianist, was 21 years younger than her husband. The town of Carthage was the site of two battles during America’s civil war. During the war, in a seperate incident, it was nearly completely burned down. This carte de visite photograph was likely taken not too many years after the war. Roessler also worked as a photographer in Shelbyville, Illinois as well as San Bernadino, California. He died in 1935 in Alameda, California.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 