PROBABLE UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS : STAGE BEAUTY : BRADLEY & RULOFSON : SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

This cabinet card photograph features a pretty young actress. At least, this is likely a stage beauty rather than a “civilian”. This photo was taken by the San Francisco gallery belonging to well respected photographers “Bradley & Rulofson. Their studio took many photographs of stage actresses when they came to San Francisco. Henry William Bradley (1813-1891) and his partner William Rulofson (1826-1876) were partners in a photographic studio that photographed many notable Californians. Bradley was born in Wilmington, North Carolina, and grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana. He opened his San Francisco studio in 1850 and took in his partner in 1860. When he retired in 1878 his studio was considered the best on the west coast and won first prize at the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia in 1876. Mr Rulofson had quite a controversial and interesting life and associated with many famous people including Ambrose Bierce.  Rulofson died in a fall from the roof of his studio and was heard to say during the descent, “I am killed”.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on November 12, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOLL : SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

This cabinet card features a pretty young girl posing for her portrait while she holds her doll. The girl has a serious expression as she looks into the distance. She is wearing a necklace and has a bow in her hair. The photographer is Oscar Victor Lange (1853-1913)  of San Francisco, California. He was a leading photographer in San Francisco and also was known as a landscape painter. He was born in Hoboken New Jersey to German immigrants. His family name was “Fahrenberg”. His father was a portrait painter and his family moved around alot. The 1860’s found them in New Orleans and in the 1870’s the family lived in Texas. During the 1870’s Oscar moved to San Francisco where he worked with Ernest W. Newth producing stereographs. At this time he changed his last name to “Lange”. In the 1880’s Oscar opened his own San Francisco studio on Market Street and during the 1890’s he relocated to Montgomery Street. Lange was known for his urban architectural photographs and also for his portraits of railroad workers. He is also noted for his astronomical photographs taken with the University of California. Lange died in 1913 from tuberculosis. This cabinet card has some extra features. Note the maroon mount and the gold trimmed edges. (SOLD)

Published in: on October 28, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PHOTO OF A TROLLEY TURNING AROUND AT POWELL AND MARKET STREETS IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

This vintage real photo postcard captures the “turning around” of a cable car in San Francisco, California. A caption on the front of the card discloses that the trolley is turning around at Powell and Market streets. Three conductors are doing the turning. Interestingly, the street sign in the photo is for Eddy Street. A sign on the trolley announces that the cable car is part of the Washington & Jackson Streets line. The car itself is numbered 518. Signage in the photograph advertises Florsheim Shoes, Paul’s Flower Stand, Hotel Powell, a cafeteria, and a liquor store. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle (1915) reveals that the flower stand still exists and has celebrated it’s 100th birthday. The stand was started because the founder of the next-door bank (Bank America) wanted a fresh flower in his lapel every day. In regard to the Powell Hotel; it was opened as the Hotel Turpin in 1908 and sold in 2014. The  was redone and renamed. It is currently named the “Axiom Hotel”. The reverse of this postcard is illuminating. The card was postmarked in 1948. The sender of the card had written a message to his parents in Middletown, Ohio. The sender is a soldier and will soon leave for Fort Worth, Texas with a Marine Sergeant and three other men. The postcard is clearly meant to be a way of keeping in touch and calming any worry experienced by his parents. This real photo postcard is in excellent condition (see scans).

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #2901

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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #2901

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Published in: on November 5, 2019 at 1:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A LOVELY COUPLE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

This cabinet card portrait features a lovely couple posing for their portrait at the Philadelphia Gallery in San Francisco, California. The gentleman is wearing a three piece suit and a pocket watch. He has a handsome mustache and is holding a walking stick. The woman is well dressed. She is wearing a collar pin and earrings. She is holding a small bouquet of flowers. This cabinet card has great clarity and is in very good condition.

Buy this original Cabinet Card photograph (includes shipping to the US) #2455

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Buy this original Cabinet Card photograph (includes international shipping outside the US) #2455

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Published in: on June 29, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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THE POWELL STREET CABLE CAR (TROLLEY): BUSY STREET SCENE (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

trolley

This vintage real photo postcard features the Powell Street Cable Car Trolley on it’s turn-table at Powell and Market Streets in San Francisco, California. This image offers a great look back at early San Francisco history. There is a lot happening in this photograph. Look carefully and you will see two conductors working to turn the trolley around. Actually one seems to be doing all the physical labor while the other checks out the action on the street. In addition to the pedestrians in the image, you can also see a woman and her child boarding the cable car as it turns around. It is also interesting to note the businesses that appear in the photograph. The Clinton Cafeteria and the Owl Drug Company are clearly seen. Preliminary research reveals that the Clinton Cafeteria was located at 18 Powell Street. The book, San Francisco Art Deco (2007) asserts that the restaurants basement dining room had marble floors and potted plants. From six to eight PM the restaurant offered self served diners live dinner music provided by a string orchestra. The second business in the photograph, The Owl Drug Company, was a drugstore chain headquartered in San Francisco. It was established in 1892 and was a subsidiary of Rexall. The photographer of this photograph is Alexander J. “Zan” Stark (1889-1967). He was born in Michigan and moved to California in his early twenties. Zan Stark was a postcard photographer. He worked out of his studio in Mill Valley.  He used the professional name of “Zan of Tamalpais” between the 1920’s and the early 1950’s. This postcard is credited to Zan (no. 316). The stamp box on this vintage postcard indicates that it was published on Eastman Kodak paper  sometime between 1939 and 1950.   (SOLD)

 

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Published in: on October 27, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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MR AND MRS SPRINGGAT POSE FOR THEIR PORTRAIT IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

elite

Being in San Francisco in the 1880’s or 1890’s was a prime time for exciting and interesting experiences. Mr and Mrs Springgat were in San Francisco during this era and decided to document their presence by having their portrait taken at the Elite Gallery. The reverse of this cabinet card reveals that the studio was operated by Mr. Jones and Mr. Lotz. To view another photograph by this pair’s gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Jones & Lotz”. The reverse of the cabinet card also informs us of the identity of the couple seen in this image. Preliminary research failed to find information about this couple.

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Published in: on May 12, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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PRETTY WOMAN WEARING A FEATHERED HAT IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

anderson

A pretty well dressed young woman poses for her portrait at the Anderson studio in San Francisco, California. She is wearing a beautiful dress with a large bow and a feathered hat sits atop her head. She is also wearing what appears to be diamond earrings and a collar pin. I would guess, and it’s only a guess,  that the woman in this photograph is an actress. The woman’s beauty, attire, and poise leads me to hypothesize her theatrical background. Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery will recognize her and be able to provide the rest of us with her identity. The photographer of this image is Hugh S. Anderson. He was born in Scotland sometime between 1820 and 1828.  Anderson was a California photographer who operated studios in Eureka (1858-1865), Hydesville (1859-1860), San Francisco (1866-c1895), and Petaluma (1875). The Valencia Street studio that produced this photograph operated between 1879 and 1884.   SOLD

Published in: on April 19, 2015 at 9:48 am  Comments (6)  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG SOLDIER AND A YOUNG WOMAN IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

officer and lady

This vintage photograph features a uniformed American soldier and a young woman who is likely either his girl friend, wife, or sister. The young man is handsome and his uniform is crisp. His expression has a military air about it. The young woman in this image does not seem very comfortable with the process of being photographed. This portrait was produced by the Johnson studio which was located in San Francisco, California. This photograph measures 3 1/2″ x 5″. A close-up of the soldier and his companion can be found below.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on April 1, 2015 at 5:20 pm  Comments (1)  
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COMPLIMENTS FROM MISS GERTRUDE FOSTER IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

worden front

A pretty young woman poses for a cabinet card portrait at the Worden studio in Boston, Massachusetts. This profile portrait provides a nice view of her lacy dress and pinned flowers. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription that states “Compliments of Miss Gertrude Foster”. Research was unable to find an actress, dancer, or singer with the name of  Gertrude Foster. It seems likely that the Gertrude Foster seen in this cabinet card was not a celebrity. Researching Miss Foster was unproductive because her name is too common in the Boston area. To view more photographs from the Worden studio, click on the category “Photographer: Worden”.         ADDENDUM: I stumbled upon some biographical data about Miss Foster. It turns out that Gertrude Foster was a stage actress during the cabinet card era. The Capital (1898) reported that she was the “leading lady actress” at the Alcazar Theater in San Francisco before accepting a place in the touring Belasco  & Thall Theater Company. Miss Foster is mentioned again in the San Francisco Call (1900). The newspaper reports her marriage to Edward W. Mansfield who was the manager of the Fisher Opera House in San Diego, California. Apparently Mansfield was smitten with her when they met professionally some years before. Mansfield reportedly waited to pursue her until she had an opportunity to garner some “fame”.

Published in: on February 16, 2015 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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LLOYD BRUNDAGE: A TWO YEAR OLD POSES IN FRONT OF A PLAYHOUSE IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA (1888)

SF CHILD 1888_0006A very young child, holding a box by the handle, poses for his portrait at the Morse Studio in San Francisco, California. The child is standing in front of a small house. The faux house is a studio prop. Note that that the number “1888” is above the open window. The number likely indicates the year that this portrait was taken. The reverse of the cabinet card has inscription with the name “Lloyd Brundage” and a note that states that Master Brundage was 21 months old at the time he was photographed. Research reveals that the subject of this image, Lloyd Jeffers Brundage was born in San Francisco on New Years day in 1887. He appears in many US censuses. In 1900 he was thirteen years old and living in Bridgeport, California with his father and mother. His father was named Marshal and was a 46 year-old laborer who was a native Canadian. Lloyd’s mother was named Nillie and she was 31 years old and a native Californian. Her maiden name was Smallwood. Lloyd had a five year-old sister named Delphine. The 1920 census found Lloyd living in Chico, California, with his wife Anna. He was employed as an “agriculturist”. Ten years later he was working as a mechanic in an industiral plant. He and his wife remained in Chico. The 1940 census discovers Lloyd working in a governmental general maintenance position. Lloyd died in 1955 in Butte, California. To learn more about the photographer, George Daniels Morse,  and to see other examples of his work, click on the category “Photographer: Morse”.

Published in: on March 27, 2014 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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