This cabinet card portrait features a fun looking vivacious young woman. She looks pretty and fashionable in her spring like clothing. She is wearing a wonderful hat and a beautiful smile. She shows an excellent and relaxed presence in front of the camera. Perhaps she was a local or touring actress. This young woman’s photograph was taken by the Headley & Reed studio in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Headley & Reed partnership was an interracial one. Phineas Camp Headley (1858-1921) was a white man while James E. Reed (1864-1939) was an African American man. They operated a studio at 5 Purchase Street. Reed was an important figure in New Bedfords early history. He took photos of city streets, whaleships and people. His human subjects were both white and black. He had a passion for the field of photography and was prolific in his work. By 1895, he was making enough money to open his own studio, which he did with his partner, Mr. Headley. Headley, a white man, besides being a photographer, was a successful cotton broker. Headley & Reed were the premier studio in New Bedford and operated successfully from 1890 until 1896. One of Reed’s claims to fame was that he photographed Frederick Douglas. It is not known why Headly left the business. Reed continued running the business until 1914. Reed moved on to become the first Photostat (photocopier) Operator for the Massachusetts State Archives, a position he held until he retired. During Reed’s photography career, his wife, Anna Jourdain, colorized and tinted his photographs. She also worked on tiffany style lampshades. She was educated in art at the Swain School of Design (New Bedford). SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 