A young man poses holding a bicycle at the studio of G. A. Shampang in Lake Odessa, Michigan. The good looking man is dressed in what is probably his finest clothing. Take note of where the backdrop screen reaches the floor. The photographer was a bit careless and did not take notice or action to insure the backdrop touched the floor properly to promote a more credible background. Oops! G. A. Shampang located in Lake Odessa in the late 1890’s. According to an ad in the Lake Odessa Wave, the studio was located above the Lake Odessa Savings Bank on the corner of Fourth Avenue and Second Street. In late 1898 Shampang took on Mr. Mead as a partner, forming Shampang & Mead. Something apparently went wrong with the partnership because Shampang bought back Mead’s shares in the business after just three months of joint ownership. Shampang operated the gallery until about 1910. In 1911 he moved to California and later on, moved to Saginaw, Oregon where he owned an oil station. In 1931 he succumbed to a stroke. His wife, Ada Ema Rozell, survived him. To learn more about Shampang, visit the web site for the Ionia County Genealogical Society. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 