This cabinet card features a portrait of an attractive young woman. The side view that the photographer chose to capture, provides a view of her very well styled hair. The photographer is Taylor, of Detroit, Michigan. His gallery was called the Grand Central Gallery and was located at 41 & 43 Monroe Avenue.
PRETTY WOMAN WITH COILED HAIR IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
FASHIONABLE WOMAN IN OXFORD, MICHIGAN
This Cabinet Card is an image of a fashionable woman. She clearly decided to wear one of her finest dresses and her favorite hat for her photograph session at the Art Studio of R. S. Schuyler, in Oxford, Michigan. The woman is wearing wire rim glasses and one glove. She is holding the second glove in her gloved hand. She is also holding something else in the gloved hand. Hopefully, a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery, will be able to identify the article she is holding along with the glove. Why is she wearing just one glove? Perhaps, she wants the photograph to show the ring that she is wearing on the middle finger of her ungloved hand.
LOVELY COUPLE IN TECUMSEH, MICHIGAN
A lovely couple pose for their garden scene portrait in a studio in Tecumseh, Michigan. The photographer is Steger. The woman in this image has a devilish expression while her husband appears very serious. The woman appears to be very tall. In fact, she would need to duck, if she walked through the doorway of the fake house in this photograph.
PRETTY AND STYLISH WOMAN IN DOWAGIAC, MICHIGAN
A stylish and pretty woman poses for her portrait at a studio in Dowagiac, Michigan. This close-up portrait highlights her interesting dress (note the string lace-up style) as well as her jewelry. She is wearing a stick pin and a pendant on a chain. The photographer is Harry G. Hughson. Hughson is listed in a business digest printed for Central Michigan (1902). His location is listed as St. Josephs, Michigan.
PRETTY LADY IN COLD WATER; MORE SPECIFICALLY, COLDWATER, MICHIGAN
A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the Gowdy Brothers Art Studio. The studio was located at 22 Chicago Street in Coldwater, Michigan. The subject of this photograph looks to be quite serious. Note the woman’s neckerchief. One of the Gowdy brothers is likely Albert G. Gowdy and a 1900 publication reports that the Gowdy Brothers studio was established in Coldwater in 1888 and that the studio was known nationally for its work producing photographic buttons and medallions.
PRETTY WOMAN IN TOLEDO, OHIO PHOTOGRAPHED BY FRUGAL PHOTOGRAPHER
This cabinet card is a portrait of a pretty dark haired woman. The photographer is Hill, and the photograph was taken at his studio at 417 Summit Street, in Toledo, Ohio. The photographer formerly operated a studio in Detroit, Michigan. That studio was located at 47 & 49 Monroe Avenue. Hill clearly was a frugal man which is apparent by his using the printed card stock from his Detroit studio at his new location in Toledo. Hill simply crossed out his old address and stamped the front and the reverse of the card with his new studio address. His changes were printed in red.
OLD MAN WITH AN INTERESTING BEARD IN ALLEGAN, MICHIGAN
An old man poses for his portrait for a photographer named Porter, in Allegan, Michigan. The man is wearing a jacket and has long hair and a wonderful long (but groomed) beard. The gentleman and his beard have earned a spot in the Cabinet Card Gallery’s category, “Beards (Only the Best)”. Click on the category to view the large collection of interesting beards that comprise the category. The photographer of this image, HV M. Porter wrote a letter to The Photo Beacon (1898) proposing a plan regarding how photographers could get better prices for their photographs. Porter advises readers that “the public doesn’t know a poor photograph from a good one, because it is so seldom they see a good one”. Porter goes on to propose the establishment of a board of judges who would give ratings to all photographers based on their submission of twelve photographs. If this plan was in effect, Porter asserts that the higher rated photographers could be paid more money for their work than lower rated photographers. Although Porter’s plan seems viable in theory; what would stop untalented photographers from paying talented photographers for samples that they could submit to the ratings board?
PONTIAC WOMAN SEEN IN A GOOD LIGHT
A young woman is featured in this cabinet card photograph by J. H. Benson, in Pontiac, Michigan. The photographer did an excellent job of utilizing light in this portrait of a well dressed and well coiffed woman. John H. Benson was a native New Yorker. Directories from 1863 and 1875 indicate he conducted business in Saginaw, Michigan. Perhaps he moved to Pontiac in the later years of his career. Benson died in 1901.
MRS. TURNER POSES IN DETROIT, MICHIGAN
A nicely dressed, handsome woman poses for her portrait at the studio of Howie, in Detroit, Michigan. Penciled on the reverse of the card is the name “Mrs. Turner”. Also written are the words “Bennett Brothers Show”. Hopefully, a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery can shed some light on the identity of the “Bennett Brothers” and possibly Ms. Turner.
“KIMONO GIRL” IN DOWAGLAC, MICHIGAN
There certainly must be an interesting story related to this cabinet card photograph by Conklins Studio in Dowaglac, Michigan. A girl, who appears to be an early teenager, poses for this photograph dressed in a beautiful kimono and holding an oriental fan. Where did she get such a terrific clothing? Did her she, or her parents travel to Japan to obtain these clothes? Was Asian fashion in vogue at the time of this photograph? Comments related to these questions are welcome.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 