This wonderful vintage photograph gives us a view of an important mode of transportation in America’s past. The Rothschild Park trolley was operated by the Wausaw Electric Railway. This photograph features a trolley car and two uniformed conductors. In 1906 the Wausau Street Railway Company was organized to bring electric transportation to Wausau. Sometime around 1915 the railway became the Wisconsin Valley Merrill Railway and Lighting Company. Note the sign stating “Rothschild Park” on the front of the trolley car. The story of Rothschild Park is quite interesting. The park was located, unsurprisingly, in Rothschild, Wisconsin which was about six miles from Wausau. Rothschild Park was owned by the Wausau Electric Railway and must have been quite a fun place to visit. The park offered 40 acres of water, islands and land. Attractions included a roller coaster, dance floor, catering hall, and more. In 1912 it cost ten cents to get to the park from Wausau. The photographer of this terrific image is unknown. (SOLD)
This cabinet card portrait is likely a family portrait, judging by a strong family resemblance among a number of the individuals in the photograph. The woman sitting on the right side of the bottom row is holding an open photograph album. She is also arm in arm with the woman sitting next to her. This image is difficult to analyze in terms of the exact family constellation represented. Are these people siblings? Like many other photographs of this era, it is impossible to confidently hypothesize about the exact relationships between the subjects. The photographer of this cabinet card is Edwin Rodney Curtiss (1836-1906) and his studio was located in Madison, Wisconsin. Curtiss was born in Southington, Connecticut and married Eva A. Lingenfetler of Fonda, New York in 1859. (SOLD)
A cute little girl with curly hair poses in a studio created field of daisies for photographer Sim Mould. The studio was located in Baraboo, Wisconsin. The girl is wearing a dress wth a lace collar and has a flower pinned to the front of her dress. An inscription on the reverse of the cabinet card indicates that the child’s name is Hattie Acot. Unfortunately, no biographical information could be found about her. The photographer, Mr. Mould is mentioned in a number of photographic journals. He placed an ad for his studio in a book about Sauk County, Wisconsin (1891). The Photographic Times (1898) reports on his appointment to a lobbying committee of the Photographers Association of Wisconsin. The Encyclopedia Dubuque (1911) reveals that Sim Mould operated a photographic studio at 107 Main Street in Dubuque, Iowa. The town of Baraboo is situated on the Baraboo river. The town was settled by Abe Wood and originally called Adams. In 1852 it was renamed Baraboo. In the town’s early history it became the home of several sawmills. In the nineteenth century the town served as the headquarters of several circuses, including Ringling Brothers. Baraboo became known as “Circus City”. This cabinet card portrait is in very good condition (see scans).
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 