SPARTAN FAMILY DRINKS TOO MUCH RED BULL IN ILLINOIS

J. Granger’s studio, located in Sparta, Illinois,  produced this cabinet card portrait of the Brown family. The wide-eyed Brown’s give the appearance of a family that are  overdosing on “Red Bull” or some other mega dosed caffeine drink. The Brown’s first names are written on the reverse of the photograph but only half of the names are legible. The United States Census provided assistance in learning more about the Brown clan. The 1900 census reveals that Sylvester W.  Brown (1857-?) was a 42 year-old man living in the town of Central, Illinois. He was a farmer and married to Lydia Brown, three years before the census (1897). The census reports that Sylvester Brown lived with his wife Lydia (age 37), his daughter Hazel (age 12) and son Olin (age 4). It is not likely that Lydia is the mother of  Hazel and Olin. That would only be possible if she was not married to Sylvester at the time of the children’s births and only married him later. A more likely scenario is that the mother of these children had died and Sylvester was a single father when he married Lydia. This theory is supported by the fact that   Sylvester and the children’s names written on the reverse of the image are very legible  but the older woman’s name is illegible and the name is clearly not “Lydia”. My best guess is that the woman standing next to Sylvester is either his first wife or an elder daughter. More research is required to clarify the family structure and history. The 1920 census indicates that little Olin became a soldier and pilot. The census states that he was sergeant/radio operator stationed in Pasadena, California. The 1930 census reveals that Olin became an “Air Pilot” in the US Army. Olin was then living in Belleville, Illinois with his wife, Fern. Olin was mentioned in an article appearing in Aerial Age Weekly (1922). The story is about the Army testing the Airship T-C-1 and Olin’s role as a “Motor Specialist”. The T-C-1 was a hydrogen inflated blimp. In 1923 the T-C-1 caught fire and was destroyed. No biographical information could be located about photographer J. Granger.

FATHER AND YOUNG CHILD IN PIPESTONE, MINNESOTA

A father and his child pose in their winter clothing for photographer J. P. Benjamin in Pipestone, Minnesota. Both are wearing outer coats and snow hats. No biographical information could be found concerning the photographer of this cabinet card. Pipestone is located in southwest Minnesota. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow mentioned the beautiful stone area around Pipestone in one of his poems (Hiawatha). The town was established by two settlers who wanted to visit the site mentioned in the poem. A pipestone quarry is located about a mile north of the town and it was named a National Monument in 1937.

ATTRACTIVE FAMILY IN PRAGUE, CZECHOSLOVAKIA (PORTRAIT BY LANGHANS)

This cabinet card features an attractive family posing for their portrait at the studio of J. F. Langhans in Prague, Czechlosvakia. Mother, father, and their two sons are all beautifully dressed. Father appears to be small of stature and looks quite austere with his hands folded across his chest and his stern facial expression. The children in this photograph seem significantly more relaxed than their parents. Take note of the style of father’s eye glasses Jan Langhans (1851-1926) is the best known figure in Czech photography and his gallery is still in existence. There is a wealth of information about Langhans online at the  ”Langhans Archive”. The site provides biographical and historical information as well as the “Gallery of Personalities”. The gallery has photographs of many prominent Czech citizens as well as well known visitors to Czechoslovakia.. These portraits date from 1890 through 1948. The studio was founded by Jan Langhans, who was a food chemist by training but developed a passion for photography. He opened his first studio in 1876 and was the preeminent portrait photographer of the region. He opened a number of branch studios throughout Czechoslovakia. He photographed many celebrities and aristocrats. After World War I the gallery possessed over a million negatives. He gave the studio to his daughter Marie and her husband Viktor Meisner.  After World War II, his grandson Viktor Meisner took over the studio. In 1948, soon after the Communist take-over, the studio was nationalized and most of the negatives were destroyed. Fortunately, more negatives were discovered and they comprise the Gallery’s current collection.

STYLISH MOTHER AND HER TWO CHILDREN IN BERLIN, GERMANY

A beautifully dressed young woman and two children pose for a family portrait at the studio of C. Gunteritz, in Berlin, Germany. The young woman is likely the mother of the two children, although it is possible that she could be their older sister. The little girl is holding a basket of flowers and her younger brother has a toy rabbit on his lap. The young woman’s dress is made of material that is not commonly seen in cabinet card  photographs. Hopefully, a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery will be able to identify the dress’s material.

A JOYFUL MOM AND HER BABY IN CLEVELAND, OHIO

Film reviewers speak of a category of movies called “feel good” movies. It has been my observation that there is a category of cabinet cards that should be called “feel good” cabinet cards. This cabinet card, featuring a mother and her baby, falls into the “feel good” genre. This image exudes joy. Mom is smiling. It is important to note that smiling subjects are a rare occurrence in cabinet card photography. Mom’s eyes are smiling too; she just can’t contain her joy. Mom is beautiful, and of course, all babies are adorable. Does anyone wonder how mom was able to hold her baby in this pose for as long as it took to have the photograph taken? Mom likely had some invisible assistance. The child is likely sitting on a platform of some type that has been blocked out by the photographers “tricks” during the development process. This image was photographed by Henrichsen who’s studio was located at 1352 Lexington, in Cleveland, Ohio. John H. Henrichsen operated his studio in Cleveland between 1891 and 1897 and was located on Lexington from 1893 until 1894. These dates were found in the book, “Ohio Photographers 1839-1900” (1998). Henrichsen was also mentioned in Wilson’s Photographic Magazine (1896), as a competitor for prizes at a major photography exhibit.

YOUNG FAMILY IN WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS

This cabinet card is a family portrait of a nicely dressed young couple and their baby. Mom and dad are wearing flowers and mom appears to be holding a cane or umbrella. The photograph was produced by the Flodin & Thyberg Photographic Art Studio in Worcester, Massachusetts. The photograph is dated 1889. Photographer, Ferdinand Flodin was born in Stockholm, Sweden in 1863.He came to America in 1883 and studied photography in Boston with a well known photographer named Ernest Ritz. He then studied under renowned Boston photographer, William Notman. He moved to Worcester in 1887 and partnered with August Thyberg in opening a gallery. After a time, Thyberg withdrew from the business. Flodin was a very productive writer. He had several articles published in photography journals. He also wrote an illustrated book on Sweden. In addition, he wrote an article which appeared in “Photographic Mosaics: Annual Record of Photographic Progress” (1895). The article was entitled “Our Reception-Room Showcase”. The Wilson Photographic Magazine (1903) reported that Flodin returned to Sweden in 1898 and operated a studio in Stockholm. The magazine article includes some excellent photographs of the Swedish gallery. August Thyberg was born in Sweden in 1863. He immigrated to the United States in 1884. His wife, Alma, was also Swedish. The United States census provides further information about Thyberg. In 1900, he was living in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and working as a merchant. In 1910, he lived in Springfield, Massachusetts and worked as a blacksmith. In 1920, he lived in Minneapolis and owned a shoe business. The 1930 census finds Thyberg retired in Minneapolis. It  is safe to say, that unlike his one-time partner, Flodin; Thyberg had  a difficult time sticking to an occupation.

MOTHERS, DAUGHTERS AND SISTERS IN SAXTONS RIVER, VERMONT

This cabinet card, photographed by P. W. Taft, features two young adult women and two young girls. Perhaps the two older girls are sisters and the two young girls are daughters of the older woman. The family constellation in this image is impossible to determine. It is interesting to note that the two little girls are both wearing dresses styled after a sailor suit. The two dresses are similar, but not identical. Taft’s studio was located in Saxtons River, Vermont. To view other photographs by Taft, click on the category “Photographer: Taft”. Preston William Taft (1826-1901) was listed in the Windham County Business Directory 1884) as having a photography business in Saxtons River. Research reveals that he established a Daguerreotype, and later Photography business in 1856 and operated the studio until 1878. He was married in 1850 to Rose Melissa Miller and the couple had three sons and a daughter. Sons Frank (born 1851), Charles (born 1863), and Edward (born 1868), all became photographers. The daughter’s name was Nettie (born 1865). It is likely that this cabinet card was produced by one of P. W. Taft’s sons since, judging by characteristics of the cabinet card, it was likely photographed after he had left the business.

A WINTERTIME FAMILY PORTRAIT IN WINDSOR, NEW YORK

This cabinet card features a family portrait taken in Windsor, New York. The family constellation appears to be composed of a father, mother, two adult sons, and a little girl who was likely an afterthought. The four older subjects are all holding their hats and the young girl has mittens hanging from her coat. The entire family is well-dressed. The photographer is listed as Conrad and the studio is listed as being located in Windsor, New York. However, the reverse of the image has a printed advertisement for the Binghamton Art Gallery, located at 493 Court Street, in Binghamton, New York. Windsor and Binghamton are about sixteen miles apart. Perhaps Conrad had studios in both towns. The 1900 U.S. census lists a photographer living in Binghamton named Edward E. Conrad. Note the confirming monogram on the center bottom of the cabinet card indicates that  the photographer’s initials are “E. E.”.  Edward Conrad (1857- ?) lived with his wife Susie, their three school age daughters, and a boarder.  Edward and Susie were married in 1887. The 1920 U. S. census discloses that at age 63, Edward was still a photographer, and owned his own gallery. He still lived with Susie (age 52), but his children no longer lived home. However, there was still child rearing to do in the Conrad home. The couple lived with their two and a half year-old grandchild.

CONFUSING FAMILY CONSTELLATION PORTRAIT IN MADISON, WISCONSIN

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.

STYLISH MOTHER AND SON MEET SAMSON IN DUISBURG, GERMANY

A stylish mother and son pose for a portrait at the studio of Samson & Company in Duisburg, Germany. Mom has an interesting beaded dress, and a pin on her collar. The son has perfectly combed hair, and is wearing a cute short suit. He seems to be a bit intimidated by his day at the photographer, and is likely happy to be standing so close to his mother. Duisburg is a city in Germany and is located in the western part of the Ruhr area. To view other photographs that may have been produced by this photographer, click on the category, “Photographer: Samson & Co.”. The tentativeness of the previous sentence is because the other Samson & Company photograph was not produced in Duisburg. In fact, the other photograph was created at a gallery in Karlsruhe, Germany. The different locations of the Samson galleries makes one wonder if both of these photographic studios were operated by the same photographer. The two galleries were located 187 miles (300.88 kms) apart.