A boy dressed in jacket and tie, poses with his bicycle, in the studio of I. B. Klopfenstein, in Inman, Kansas. Note the castle in the background. The castle is an interesting choice for a backdrop, considering that the studio and the lad are located on the Great Plains of America. The pasty faced boy looks intently at the camera. His bicycle lacks the accessories often seen in images of people posing with bikes in cabinet card photography. This bike lacks a horn, basket, or repair kit. The photographer, Isaac B. Klopfenstein is listed in a number of state and federal censuses. In 1885 he lived in Lincoln, Kansas but by 1895, his residence was reported to be Inman, Kansas. He was of German heritage and was born in 1864, somewhere in Ohio. The reverse of the cabinet card has a pencilled name that identifies the boy in this photograph. The inscription reveals that he is “Master Charlie Williams”. Research efforts to gather further information about the lad were stymied because of the abundance of people in Kansas named “Charlie Williams” during that era. When was this photograph taken? It is safe to say that the image was produced 1889 or later. The town of Inman, Kansas was founded in 1887 but was originally named “Aiken”. The town was renamed in 1889. The new name was Inman, named after nearby Lake Inman. Who is Inman? Inman was the name of the Army Major who originally surveyed the area. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 