This charming late-19th-century cabinet card features an exceptionally appealing young child posed in the photographic studio of James H. Reynolds of Burlington, Iowa, probably during the late 1880s to mid-1890s. The child stands beside an ornate wicker studio chair against a wonderfully elaborate painted backdrop, wearing a dark button-front outfit accented by an unusually large white lace collar. Particularly attractive details include the child’s broad-brimmed woven straw hat and high button-up leather boots, both excellent examples of children’s fashion from the Victorian period. Whether the child is a boy or girl is difficult to determine with certainty from the clothing alone, since young children of both sexes could be dressed similarly during this period. Period city directories clarify that James H. Reynolds maintained photographic studios on Jefferson Street in Burlington during the 1890s. Reynolds was already producing photographs in Burlington by the late 1880s, and surviving directory records place him at several downtown locations through at least 1896. Burlington itself was an important Mississippi River community and transportation center. By the period in which this photograph was made, river traffic and major railroad connections had transformed Burlington into an important commercial gateway between Chicago and the developing communities farther west. The cabinet card remains in very good antique condition overall. The photographic image is particularly strong, with excellent clarity, contrast and tonal detail. There is expected light wear to the mount, including minor corner and edge wear and a few small surface marks. The elaborate photographer’s imprint on the back remains clear and attractive (see scans).
This Cabinet Card photograph is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $28.00 at auction
Interested collectors may view the listing here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/237061149427
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 