This cabinet card photograph features a handsome man posing for his portrait at the Anderson studio in New York City. A caption under the image identifies him as “W. H. Pomeroy, the Pony Man”. The caption also indicates that Pomeroy was from San Antonio, Texas. During the late 1880’s, Pomeroy owned “Pomeroy’s Western World Troupe” and “Pomeroy’s Western World Show”. Both were Wild West shows. The show was composed of more than 100 people and 125 horses, ponies, donkeys, and mules. The show also included a ten piece band. In 1891, Pomeroy partnered with Max Samuels, from San Antonio, to found a circus. The circus was called “Pomeroy & Samuel’s Great International Railroad Shows”. Pomeroy is well dressed and sports a nicely trimmed mustache. in this photograph. He is wearing a coarse wool coat and a matching waist coat. He is dressed in a crisp white shirt accentuated by a small silk bow tie. Atop his head is a flat crowned felt planter hat. There is something peeking out of his left jacket pocket. Mr. Pomeroy is posing in front of a backdrop. The photographer of this image was D. H. Anderson who operated a studio on Broadway in New York City. Anderson used the same photo studio formerly occupied by the famed photographer, Matthew Brady. Anderson had worked in various other American cities before moving to New York in 1881. He became known as a talented celebrity photographer. This photograph has an interesting aberration. If you look very closely in the sky next to the left side of his hat (slightly above the brim), you can see the words “Pony Man”. The words are very light and upside down. This developing error occurred more than one hundred years ago. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 