The gentleman in this cabinet card portrait looks amazingly like Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865), the 16th President of the United States. As much a I would like this to be an early photograph of Lincoln, it most certainly is not. This photograph was produced several years after Lincoln’s death. The photographer of this image was George Pine (1840-1906). For part of George’s photography career he operated a studio with his brother Robert G. Pine. Records indicate that Pine conducted his business at the 27 & 29 East State between 1878 and 1888. He operated out of several addresses over the course of his career and all of his galleries were located in Trenton, New Jersey. I was able to confirm that he ran the studios from at least 1872 through the early 1900’s. George was born in New Jersey. An 1867 business directory indicates that he and his brother had a gold and silver plating business before entering the field of photography. The 1880 US census reveals that George lived in Trenton with his wife Theodosia Burroughs Pine (1842-1900). The couple were living alone. The Trenton Evening Times (1906) ran George’s obituary. He died in Trenton although he did spend some years in Florida where his wife passed away. At the time of his death he was the curator of the Cadwalader Park Museum. The article states that after a successful photography career, George had become a “prominent naturalist”. Cadwalader Park is located in Trenton.The park is nearly 100 acres and is the city’s oldest park (construction began in 1887). The park was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted (creator of New York City’s Central Park). SOLD
This vintage postcard was employed as advertising for New Jersey Governor candidate, John Franklin Fort (1852-1920). Fort was a Republican and won his race to become the 33rd Governor of New Jersey. He served between 1908 and 1911. He defeated Democrat, Frank S. Katzenbach. In 1908, Fort participated in New Jersey’s first radio broadcast. In 1910 he established New Jersey’s first Department of Education. Fort was followed by Woodrow Wilson in the position of Governor. Wilson went on to become the President of the United States. Fort was a lawyer. He obtained his law degree at the Albany Law School. Governor and ex civil war General, George B. McClellan, appointed Fort to serve as a judge in a Newark district court. In 1884, 1896, and 1912 he served as a delegate to the Republican National Convention. In 1900, he was appointed to the New Jersey Supreme Court. In 1915, Wilson, now President, appointed Fort to the Federal Trade Commission. He held the position for about four years but was forced to resign due to failing health. At one point,Wilson appointed Fort to act as US Ambassador to Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Besides featuring a portrait of John Franklin Fort, the postcard also displays a drawing of the state capital building in Trenton. It is interesting to note that 
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 