This photograph features two musicians posing for their portrait at the Jarrard Studio in Fort Wayne, Indiana. According to an inscription on the reverse of the photograph, the violinist is named “Louie Dudenhofer” and he is the “Brother to Jeanette”. The second musician is unidentified and he is holding his accordion. The photographer, Harry R. Jarrard was born in Indiana in 1852. He is known to have been a photographer from at least 1889 through 1910. He is thought to have arrived in Fort Wayne in 1886 and in 1888 married Emma Short. His photography business in Fort Wayne occupied several locations during its existence. SOLD
FROWNING BABY AND SMALL DOG IN HUNTINGBURGH, INDIANA (EARLY WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHER)
A frowning baby poses for a portrait at a photographers studio on Fourth Street in Huntingburgh, Indiana. The baby is clad in a long gown and sitting on a fur covered surface. The baby is sitting next to a small dog. Research yielded little information about the photographer. The photographer is Mrs. Jos. Sprauer, clearly an early woman photographer. Research found a pioneering photographer named Alois Sprauer of Jasper, Indiana. He founded a studio which operated for decades and was passed on to his son, Albert Sprauer. Jasper and Huntingburgh are nearby towns in southwestern Indiana. The “American Annual of Photography” mentions a W. J. Sprauer of Huntingburgh. The 1880 census includes a Joseph Sprauer, who was born in 1853 in Indiana. Hopefully, the Cabinet Card Gallery’s research department (made up entirely of the sites visitors); can shed some light on the identity of the photographer who created this image. Please leave a comment with any relevant information. SOLD
MADAM NAOMI: SIDE SHOW FAT LADY (562 POUNDS) OFFERS ESPECIALLY LARGE DOWRY TO PROCURE A HUSBAND
This cabinet card features Madam Naomi, who appears to have been a side show “fat lady”. The term “fat lady” is a despicable and derogatory way of describing someone overweight; yet the term found common use at circuses and fairs of the era of this photograph. Pencilled on the reverse of this image is the information that Madame Naomi was born in Michigan and at the time of the photograph, she was 30 years old. A further “fact” provided is that her arms had a circumference of 27 inches. Madam Naomi is not looking too comfortable in this portrait. She is wearing an interesting hat and one would guess that it would take her a long time to button all those buttons on the front of her dress. The newspaper The Weekly Statement (1890) has an article about a Madam Naomi appearance in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The article states that Naomi was advertised to appear in a museum and to “bestow her hand, heart, oleaginous sweetness, and a deed to a $5,000 farm to any young man who would marry her”. The offer was accepted by an insurance man from New York, Thomas J. Crowley; who came to Fort Bend and joined her on the museum stage to accept her hand in marriage. The photographer of this image is Baker, whose studio was located in Columbus, Ohio. There were many photographers named Baker operating out of Columbus when this photograph was taken. Many of the Bakers were relatives who operated the Baker Art Gallery. It is not clear which Baker or which studio is the source of this image. However, the initials below the photograph appear to be “LMB” which would indicate that the photographer was Lorenzo Marvin Baker (1834-1924).L. M. Baker was part of the Baker Art Gallery family. To view other photographs by the Baker Art Gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Baker Art Gallery”. (SOLD)

PROFILE PORTRAIT OF A PROPER PRETTY WOMAN IN LOGANSPORT, INDIANA
This post cabinet card era portrait features a profile view of a pretty woman. She looks quite proper in her fashionable clothing and with her hair gathered atop her head. She is wearing flowers as well as a lace-like necklace hanging down the front of her dress. I can’t decide it’s purpose but perhaps it is to hold a pocket watch. In fact, I believe I may see a timepiece peeking out from the top of her skirt. This image comes from the A. N. Donaldson studio in Logansport, Indiana. He did a terrific job with the soft backlighting seen in this photograph. Research revealed some biographical information about the photographer Albert Newton Donaldson (1841-1906). He settled in Logansport in 1867. Earlier, he had participated in the civil war. In 1861 he entered the service as a private and after some time left the service as a corporal. He served in Indiana’s 10th Infantry (Company H). One source reports that Donaldson deserted from his unit on 6/15/1862 at Corinth, Mississippi. A second source never mentions the desertion. The 1880 US census revealed that he was married in 1865 to Susan E Donaldson. The 1880 census, as well as the 1900 census, listed his occupation as being a photographer. This vintage photograph is in very good condition (see scans).

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PORTRAIT OF AN ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN FERDINAND, INDIANA


The little girl that is the subject of this vintage photographic portrait is absolutely adorable. She is wearing a cute patterned dress trimmed with lace. She also is wearing a couple of hair bows. The photographer of this image is Hubert Quante who had a studio in Ferdinand, Indiana. At least I think it is Hubert Quante. The embossment below the photograph is very difficult to decipher. My research found a man named “Hubert Quante” who lived in Ferdinand. Quante (1866-1927) can be found in a number of US censuses but his occupation is never listed as a photographer. It is likely that his foray into operating a photo studio was of short duration and never coincided with a year that the census was conducted. He may not have been a photographer for a long period of time, but he did a masterful job of taking and posing this photograph. Quante was German born and arrived in the United States in 1884. In 1897 he married Ida M. Quante. The town of Ferdinand was founded in 1840 and was named after the Emperor Ferdinand 1 of Austria. Most of the town’s early settlers were German speaking and they came to the US from central Europe. SOLD


PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG WEDDING COUPLE IN ROSEDALE, INDIANA

This cabinet card portrait captures a young couple on their wedding day, or at least in their wedding clothing. They are dressed beautifully for their special day. The bride is wearing a garland of flowers. Her white gloves are draped over the wicker chair and she is holding her hat. The bride is pretty and appears somewhat happy as she poses for this photograph. Her new husband wears an expression that looks like he either ate too much at his wedding, or that he is having second thoughts about getting married. Lets hope he just overate. The photographer of this wedding portrait is W. A. Baldridge (1860-1924) who operated a photo studio in Rosedale, Indiana. He is listed in the 1880 US Census as living in Florida, Indiana and working as a clerk. The 1920 US Census finds Baldridge living in Summit, Ohio and operating a photography business. SOLD
THE PRETTIEST AND MOST INTENSE GIRL IN GOSHEN, INDIANA

This cabinet card bust portrait features a pretty young girl who looks quite intense. I believe that she appears much older than her actual age. I would hypothesize that she is no older than in her young teens. She is wearing a lace collar and earrings. She has relatively short curly hair. This photograph was taken at the Hower studio in Goshen, Indiana.

PORTRAIT OF A LOVELY COUPLE IN MARION, INDIANA

This cabinet card photograph features a lovely couple posing for their photograph at the Harnish & Marquart studio in Marion Indiana. The pair are well dressed and likely are financially well-to-do. The gentleman is wearing a three piece suit, a wide neck tie, and a shirt with a formal collar. He appears to be quite intense and probably wasn’t pleased that some of his hair when he learned that some of his hair was out of place in this photograph. The woman is wearing a ruffled top, fingerless gloves, a high collar, and a “busy” hat. She is holding a black parasol. Her clothing gives her a “bell shape”. Like many portraits of couples in the cabinet card era, the man is sitting and the woman is standing. It likely would be a project for the woman to take a seat, never mind, look attractive and comfortable. This image is crisp and clear. The photographers were evidently talented. Information about Mr. Harnish was readily available but that was not the case for Mr Marquart. Harnish was born in Pennsylvania in 1847 to a family of German descent. He left the family farm at age nineteen and learned photography in Myerstown, Pa. He moved to Bluffton with his family in 1867. In 1871 he married Miss Laura Myers (born 1850). George Adam Harnish opened his first photography studio in Bluffton, Indiana in 1872. In 1881 he became a town councilman in Bluffton. He sold his photography business to Benjamin Ashbaucher in 1889. Marion is about 35 miles west of Bluffton. It is my hypotheses that Harnish began working in Marion after selling his first studio. Clearly that is where he partnered with Marquart. There is a photograph in the American Museum of Photography that was taken by Harnish & Marquart in 1899. SOLD
ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN GOODLAND, INDIANA
This vintage photograph features a most adorable little girl wearing a cute dress. Printing on the reverse of the photograph reveals that this portrait was taken by Hunt’s Art Studio which was located in Goodland, Indiana. I want to live in a town named Goodland. A place where everyone is “good” and everything that happens in one’s life is “good”. Research reveals that Goodland, which is probably a lovely town, does not fit the bill for being the location of “all encompassing goodness”. In fact, the town, which originated in 1861, is named Goodland because the soil is good. Writing on the verso indicates that the little girls last name may be “Allen”. Investigating the photographer was unproductive. Although there were a number of photographers with the last name of “Hunt” operating in Indiana during the post cabinet card era, I could not find one who worked in Goodland.


TWO DANDIES IN BOWLER HATS…. ONE WITH ATTITUDE

This cabinet card portrait features two young men posing for their portrait at the Boggs & Jefferson studio in Marion, Indiana. This photograph of a pair of well dressed young men sitting in chairs is a study in contrast. The gent on the right sits in a stiff position and he appears a bit intimidated by the camera. Note his rigidity and the position of his hands. Compare him to his companion. The second gentleman sits back in his chair in a relaxed fashion and cooly stares at the camera. Note the lack of tension in his open left hand. Judging by his expression, this guy has attitude. Preliminary research did not uncover information about photographers Boggs and jefferson.








