PORTRAIT OF A SWEET LITTLE GIRL IN MT. PLEASANT, IOWA

schmitz

The little girl seen in this cabinet card portrait is simply adorable. Unfortunately, she seems somewhat intimidated by finding herself in front of a camera. She is wearing a simple checkered dress and a necklace. The beads on the necklace and the buttons on the chair clash and create the impression that she is chained to the chair. I wonder if the photographer did a retake? Nevertheless, the girl is a sweetheart and her expression talks for itself. This photograph was produced by the Schmitz Gallery which was located in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. The 1893 Mt. Pleasant Directory lists the gallery’s location as 133 North Jefferson. The proprietors were listed as Charles, Jno, and Mathias Schmitz.

Published in: on July 23, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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MAMIE SLOAN WEARS AN ELABORATE DRESS IN MT. PLEASANT, IOWA

MAMIE SLOAN_0002This photograph is a portrait of a pretty young lady in a fancy dress. She is wearing a dress with a high collar and has her hair up. The reverse of this photograph  indicates that the woman’s name is Mamie Sloan and penned under her name was New Boston, Illinois and the date “June 1897”.  The reverse of the photograph also has a photographer’s stamp but it is not entirely legible. The stamp reveals that the studio was located in Mount Pleasant, Iowa and that the studio was named “White & ?”.  Research was unsuccessful at uncovering more information about the photographers or about Mamie Sloan. There were too many women who shared that name who lived in the New Boston area around the time that this photograph was taken. New Boston and Mount Pleasant are 66 miles apart, and it is likely that Mamie Sloan resided in New Boston although photographed in Mount Pleasant.

Published in: on January 12, 2013 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
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