A pretty woman wears a feather and a hair comb in her hair , as she sits for her portrait at the studio of Hargrave in New York City. The young woman is very stylishly dressed. Hargrave Portraits was located at 68 West 23rd Street. To view other photographs by Hargrave, click on the category “Photographer: Hargrave”. SOLD
A PRETTY WOMAN WEARS A FEATHER IN NEW YORK CITY
JEWISH MAN IN NEW YORK CITY (MAYBE)
A long bearded gentleman with a black hat poses for his portrait at the studio of H. O. Eichler. It is likely that Eichler was the proprietor of Eichler Artistic Portraits, located at 3 Avenue A, in New York City. However, there is no identifying information about the man in the photograph or the location of the studio. Amazingly, this gentleman could pass for a rabbi or Orthodox Jewish man living in modern day New York City. SOLD
JUDAICA : HEBREW WRITING : CUTE LITTLE BOY : NEW YORK CITY : MAX SIMON : RPPC
This vintage divided back real photo postcard features an adorable little boy. He is wearing a sailor outfit. Note his socks. There is a bow at the top of each sock. Also note the message on the reverse of the postcard is written in Hebrew. The card is dated 1924. The photographer of this child’s portrait is Max Simon. Simon was extremely likely, a Jewish man. He operated a studio at 331 Grand Street in New York City. (SOLD)
LACROSSE : DARTMOUTH VS 7TH REGIMENT : SPORTS : ADVERTISEMENT : POSTCARD 1949
This rare vintage sports advertising postcard serves as an announcement about an upcoming Lacrosse game. Dartmouth College was playing the Seventh Regiment (Army) team. The game was played in New York City’s 7th Regiment armory on March 12th, 1949. Interestingly the postcard states that the game was televised by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC). Tickets to the game were $1.20. Buying tickets for a 2024 lacrosse game will cost you $10.00. Ticket prices don’t seem to have kept up with inflation. Dartmouth fans that attended the Dartmouth games in 1949 were likely very happy. The team had a great season. Their overall record was 10-1, and they were 3-0 in their confererence. During the season they had a seven game winning streak. The 1949 Dartmouth team beat New Hampshire, Yale, Harvard, Union College, Cornell, Tufts, Hobart and Williams. Their one loss was when they played Syracuse. Dartmouth lost 17-12. SOLD
PORTRAIT OF AN AFFLUENT WOMAN : FASHIONISTA : NEW YORK CITY : CABINET CARD
This cabinet card portrait features a very well dressed woman. She earns the title of being called a fashionista. The manner in she is dressed strongly suggests that she is affluent.This photograph was taken at the studio of James Alba Bostwick. Bostwick’s studio was located between 8th and 9th Streets in New York City. I have at least three other cabinet photos by Bostwick, and his subjects all appear to be upper crust. Print on the reverse of the cabinet card notes that the studio was established in 1867. James Alba Bostwick was born in 1846 or 1848 in Livonia, New York. At one point in his photography career he was a partner in a firm named Bostwick and Bancker. A collection of Bostwick’s work is owned by the University of New Hampshire’s library. In 1927 Bostwick died in Brooklyn, New York. He was 79 years of age at the time of his death. SOLD
CONEY ISLAND : IMMIGRANTS EXPLORE NEW YORK CITY
This vintage real photo postcard features a group of four women and two men being photographed at a Coney Island, New York photo gallery. A message on the reverse of the photograph is written in Italian. I may be going out on a limb, but it is my theory that we are looking at an immigrant family exploring New York City. They made a stop at the gallery to have their photo taken as a souvenir. Coney Island is a neighborhood and entertainment area in New York City’s borough of Brooklyn. The PMC stamp box on the reverse of this postcard indicates that it dates back to sometime between 1920 and 1935. By that time, Coney Island was well known for it’s amusement parks. In fact, between 1880 and World War II, Coney Island was the largest amusement area in the United States. Coney Island amusement parks attracted several million visitors per year. The city of New York built a boardwalk to be utilized by visitors. Where there are boardwalks and amusement parks; there are photo studios. By the time the subjects in this postcard photo visited Coney Island, the famous “Cyclone” roller coaster was already in operation. This antique postcard is in good condition (see scans). The card may have been slightly trimmed to fit a frame. SOLD
LORRAINE DREUX: PRETTY STAGE ACTRESS DIES YOUNG AND TRAGICALLY
CABINET CARD 1 (SOLD)
CABINET CARD 2 (SOLD)
CABINET CARD 2 (CLOSE-UP) (SOLD)
This cabinet card is a portrait of theatre actress, Lorraine Dreux. The image is part of the Newsboy Series (#385) and was published in New York City. The Newsboy series was used for advertising purposes by the Newsboy Tobacco Company. Celebrity photographs were given away as premiums upon the sale of tobacco products.To view other Newsboy photographs, click on the category “Newsboy”. Ms. Dreux looks like she ran through the woods in order to arrive at the photography studio in a timely fashion. She has twigs and leaves on her head and even is wearing a necklace of branches around her shoulders. It seems she is modeling “the natural” look. Her eyes are looking upward, as if to say, “Am I really wearing sticks and leaves?”. Who was Lorraine Dreux? The Illustrated America (1893) describes her as “young and pretty, with soft dark eyes, a tremulous little mouth, and a dazzling complexion”. She was born in Marquette, Michigan, of well to do parents. Her father did a great deal of business in the East and she spent much time on the banks of the Hudson River in New York. She was educated at home by a governess supervised by Dreux’s beautiful mother. She decided that she wanted to be an actress while in her early teens. Her parents reluctantly gave her permission and her first experience acting occurred while she was in London, England, with her mother. She was engaged by Mr Charles Wyndham to play comedy parts in London stage shows. She next joined the London Globe Theatre Stock Company playing sentimental roles. She then joined an English traveling theatre company. She soon returned to America and appeared in a number of plays, including “Ninety Days” with William Gillette. The article closes with the prediction that Dreux would be a successful actress in America because she possessed both beauty and talent. The New York Times (1894) reported on Dreaux’s appearance in “Lem Kettle” at the Bijou theatre. She also appeared in “Rush City” (1894) which was staged in Brooklyn (New York), and also in “Nance Oldfield” (1896) in New York. The latter show starred Rose Coghlan and her portrait can be seen in the Cabinet Card Gallery by placing her name in the “search box”. Dreux appeared in one Broadway production, “The Spectator” (1896). The New York Dramatic Mirror (1908) reported the tragic death of Lorraine Dreux. She was described as a well known and capable leading women of many stock companies outside of New York City. She died in New York’s Bellvue Hospital at age 35. The article reports that she “had fallen on evil days” and was “too proud to let her friends know of her plight”. She let an illness go till it turned into acute pneumonia which led to her death. Her last two engagements were in Worcester, Massachusetts and Rochester, New York. She received excellent reviews for her acting in both productions. However, her wardrobe was stolen and she was criticized for the way she dressed for her part in Rochester. She returned home “down hearted and discouraged” and sick, penniless and homeless. She met an old friend on the streets of New York who took her home to be fed and cared for but her condition worsened. A collection was made from other actors and actresses and the money was used to admit her to Bellvue Hospital where she died. Aid from the Actors Fund paid for her funeral and burial at Evergreen Cemetery. The second cabinet card portrait above, features Lorraine Dreux and her “Bette Davis eyes”. In this photograph, Miss Dreux has remarkable striking eyes. She is gazing directly at the camera. Many cabinet card portraits of actresses captures them with averted gaze. For example, the majority of cabinet card images of Sarah Bernhardt, that I have seen, has the celebrated actress staring away from the camera. Modern neuroscience has demonstrated that people find attractive faces with direct gaze are “more rewarding” than faces with averted gaze. This particular cabinet card is a bit risque as a result of Dreux’s relatively plunging neckline. This portrait was taken by Benjamin Falk, the celebrated New York celebrity photographer. (SOLD)
CABINET CARD 2
CHARLES HENRY PARKHURST: CLERGYMAN, SOCIAL REFORMER, CROOKED POLITICIAN’S AND CORRUPT POLICEMAN’S NIGHTMARE (1892)
Charles Henry Parkhurst (1842-1933) is the subject of these Cabinet Card photographs which are published by Newsboy. Photographer Napoleon Sarony has the 1892 copyright for the top photograph. The second photograph is marked “375” and is part of Newsboy’s tobacco premium series. Parkhurst was a clergyman and social reformer. He was a presbyterian minister and from 1874 until 1880, he was a pastor in Lenox, Massachusetts. He then became the pastor for Madison Square Presbyterian Church in New York City (1880-1919). During the year of this photograph, Parkhurst began giving tough sermons attacking the political corruption in the New York City government. This led to the exposure of the corruption in Tammany Hall and subsequent social and political reform. He had a special concern about the problem of prostitution in New York City’s tenderloin section. He hired private detectives to investigate the houses of ill repute and their police protection. Concerning the police, he said “while we fight iniquity they shield or patronize it; while we try to convert criminals, they manufacture them”. He took his concerns and investigative results to court on these matters. He was President of the New York Society for the Prevention of Crime and published numerous magazine articles and books. Parkhurst died tragically; while sleep walking he fell off the second story porch of his home.
PRETTY AND AUSTERE: A YOUNG WOMAN IN NEW YORK CITY (PHOTOGRAPHED BY PACH, 1879)
This cabinet card portrait of a pretty and fashionable young woman is the work of G. W. Pach. The woman in the photograph appears quite austere but of course sometimes appearance can be deceptive. Pach, and the Pach Brothers, were celebrated photographers of their era. G. W. Pach’s studio at the time of this photograph was located at 841 Broadway at the corner of 13th Street in New York City. Pach also had branch studios at Harvard and Yale Universities as well as in Poughkeepsie and West Point, New York. In addition, there were branch studios in Long Branch and Ocean Grove, New Jersey. The aforementioned studios are all mentioned in print on the reverse of the cabinet card. Also on the back of the image is a pencilled date indicating that this photograph was taken in 1879. To learn more about the Pach Brothers and to view additional photographs taken by them , click on the category “Photographer: Pach Bros”.
PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS IN NEW YORK CITY
This portrait features an attractive unidentified actress. This woman seems to love texture. Note the fabrics she is wearing. She has a wonderful feathered hat and a shaggy stole. At least I think its a stole but I am uncertain and welcome intervention from a cabinet card gallery visitor knowledgeable about woman’s fashion. The woman looks quite handsome in her high collar dress and lovely accessories. The photograph was taken at Fredricks Knickerbocker Family Portrait Gallery in New York City (770 Broadway). To learn more about Mr. Fredricks and to view more of his images, click on the category “Photographer: Fredricks”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 