This handsome 1890s cabinet card portrait captures a young boy dressed in a refined double-breasted suit with brass buttons, short trousers, and dark stockings. A large white collar and a ribbon-style bow tie accent his formal ensemble. His neatly parted hair and composed facial expression give him the appearance of a thoughtful, well-mannered child, likely from an affluent San Francisco family. He stands confidently with one hand tucked into his jacket in a pose that evokes dignity and early Victorian formality, leaning gently on a faux balustrade surrounded by foliage in an elaborately staged studio setting. This photograph was produced by Cobb’s Doré Gallery, located at 1144 Market Street, San Francisco, as indicated on both the front and reverse of the mount. The studio succeeded the earlier firm Edouart & Cobb, one of the better-known names in late 19th-century California photography. Doré Gallery was active in the 1880s and 1890s, during the heyday of elaborately posed cabinet portraits. The backdrop features what appears to be a painted garden scene with a Mediterranean-style colonnade, adding a romantic flair to the image. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 