“MISS CONSTERNATION” IN BURLINGTON, IOWA

LUPTON

This cabinet card portrait captures a curly haired young woman posing for her portrait at the Lupton studio in Burlington, Iowa. Note the woman’s lace collar. One wonders about the meaning of her clasped hands. Is she deep in prayer? Is she overwhelmed by worry. The photographer of this image is Oscal L. Lupton who was born in 1849 in Indiana. He appears in the 1880 US census and is listed as working as a photographer in Greenville, Illinois and living with his wife Nellie. The 1900 US census finds Mr Lupton living in Burlington with his wife and three sons.

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Published in: on October 14, 2014 at 11:26 am  Leave a Comment  
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THE ADORABLE COGSWELL SISTERS AND THEIR CURLS IN STANTON, MICHIGAN

COGSWELL SISTERS_0008

The reverse of this cabinet card has an inscription that reveals that the names of the two girls appearing in this image are Ola and Gertie Cogswell. They are wearing lovely dresses and bows. They have terrific long hair and curls. The siblings appear in the 1900 census.  At the time of the census, Ola was nine years old and Gertie was seven years old, They were living with their family in Cato, Michigan. Their family consisted of their parents Harley and Ella, and siblings Theodocia (age 5) and Harold (age 3). At some point after 1900, the family appears to have moved to Grand Rapids. The photographer of this image is the Chapman studio which was located in Stanton, Michigan.  Ira O. Chapman (1853-1908) and E. Frank Chapman (1858-1916) were brothers who operated as photographers in Stanton, Michigan. It is unclear which brother is the creator of this cabinet card. At one point in time, the pair conducted business in Stanton as “Chapman Brothers” studio. A portrait of a group of members of the Grand Army of the Republic that was done by the photographer brothers, appears in the Flat River Museum in Greenville, Michigan.

Published in: on August 17, 2013 at 12:01 pm  Comments (1)  
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A SERIOUS COUPLE IN KENTON, OHIO

A well dressed and intense looking couple pose for their portrait at the studio of I. N. Hays in Kenton, Ohio. They do not look like they are having fun. The woman his holding flowers, a hat, and a handkerchief. The gentleman is holding his straw hat. Magnify this photograph and you will see the gentleman has a very interesting mustache. The photographer who produced this photograph was Isaac Newton Hays. He was born in Ohio in 1835 and operated studios at various times in various towns in Ohio. He was active in Greenville from about 1865 until 1870. He left there for Kenton between 1875 and 1879. He later returned to Greenville and also did business in Wapakoneta. He returned to Kenton where he ran his studio from 1891 through at least 1898. At one time, his Kenton studio was located at the corner of Detroit and Columbus Streets. Isaac Hays left the photography studio and entered the recording studio to become a celebrated soul singer and song writer. He won two Grammy awards and wrote the “Theme from Shaft”. Just kidding! Obviously Isaac Hays, the photographer, and Isaac Hayes, the musician, are two different people from two different eras.

Published in: on October 22, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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A WOMAN AND DRAMATIC LIGHTING IN GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA

This cabinet card features a portrait of a blonde woman photographed by Smith of Greenville, Pennsylvania. A remarkable feature of this card is Smith’s use of dramatic lighting to present a crisp and clear image of the woman sitting for the portrait. The photographer is likely E. C. Smith who is noted in a number of photography magazines, from the late 1890’s, as an award winning photographer from Greenvile, Pennsylvania.

Published in: on June 12, 2010 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
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