VICTORIAN GIRL WITH DOLL & MIRROR : BY WISSLER CANTON, OHIO : CABINET CARD

This endearing cabinet card captures a tender childhood moment — a small girl, dressed in a light gown, stands before a tall decorative mirror, holding her beloved doll close as she studies her own reflection. The mirror, draped with a fringed lace shawl and adorned with flowers, creates a composition that is both artistic and deeply human. The photographer of this portrait photo was Jacob S. Wissler (1850-1925) of Canton, Ohio. Wissler was a photographer listed in the Canton Business Directories beginning in 1882 and on up to 1900. The back of the mount is richly printed in red ink with Wissler’s elaborate logo and the phrase “Fine Crayons a Specialty,” dating the image to the late 1880s. The studio’s artistry and the touching innocence of the subject make this photograph a charming representation of Victorian sentimental photography. (SOLD)

Published in: on June 23, 2026 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A HANDSOME COUPLE: JOE AND ANNE SCHWEITZER IN CANTON, OHIO

couple

Jacob S. Wissler operated a “Photographic Art Studio” at 129 Walnut Street in Canton, Ohio. According to an inscription on the reverse of this image, in 1889, “Joe and Aunt Ann Schweitzer” visited the studio to obtain a portrait. The result of their photographic venture is seen above. The Schweitzer’s appear in the 1920 and 1930 US census. Joe was born in 1876 in Ohio and he and his wife (listed as Anna M. Schweitzer) were living in Canton with their twenty year-old daughter (Leona M.). Joe’s parents were both born in Germany. In the 1920 census, Joe was working as a machine operator for a Roller Bearing company. Just ten years later, in 1930, Joe was both widowed and unemployed.

Published in: on July 2, 2014 at 11:35 am  Leave a Comment  
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