A PROFESSIONAL LOOKING GENTLEMAN IN BINGHAMTON, NEW YORK

The man in this cabinet card photograph appears to be a professional gentleman. He is wearing an overcoat and a nicely trimmed beard. He is standing next to his derby hat and has a pocket watch. Perhaps the well dressed gentleman is an attorney. Maybe its not a coincidence that the Binghamton, New York based photographer, Singhi, was located on Court Street. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription which identifies the gentleman as “Adelbert Harroun”. Research reveals that Mr. Harroun was not a lawyer but instead, he was an accountant. The 1870 census notes that Thomas Adelbert Harroun (1851-?) was the 19 year-old son of  Thomas Harroun (1824-1907) and Salina King Harroun (1824-1903). His father’s occupation was listed as a “Presiding Elder”  and further research found that he was a Methodist clergyman. His mother was a homemaker. Adelbert lived with his parents and two siblings in Norwich, New York. Sister Flora (age 22) was a music teacher and brother Arthur (age 11) was a student. He married his wife, Mary Winton, in 1888. The couple had two children. The 1900 census finds the 47 year old Harroun living in Dunleith, Illinois. He was living with his wife, Mary, their son N. Winton (age 10), and daughter Anna Augusta (age 9). Harroun was working as a railroad yard clerk. Further investigation revealed that daughter Anna Augusta died in 1904 in Dubuque, Illinois. The 1920 census reports that the 67 year-old Harroun was widowed and living in Waukegan Lake, Illinois with his sister Flora. He was working as an accountant. The 1930 census locates Harroun in Prineville, Oregon and living as a boarder. At 79 years of his age, he was still working (bookkeeper). The photographer of this image is Will G. Singhi. He worked in Binghamton, New York between 1872 and 1886. His albumen print “A Winter Scene” is exhibited in the online “American Museum of Photography”. Singhi had taken a photograph that appeared to capture a snowball in mid flight heading toward a newsboy who was prepared to deflect it. The museum also has on display a funny cartoon self portrait caricature that Singhi used as an advertisement. The Photographic Times and American Photographer (1883) comments on Singhi’s wonderful sense of humor.

TURN OF THE CENTURY HANDSOME MAN WITH SLICKED BACK HAIR

This cabinet card features a portrait of a handsome young man with slicked back hair. He is dressed beautifully and well groomed. The photographer is named Smith but the location of his studio is not listed on the front or the reverse of the photograph. The initials on the front of the card indicate that the photographers full name is C. R. Smith. There was a photographer named C. R. Smith located in Clearwater, Minnesota. He was listed in Camera Craft (1908) and also in The Photographic Journal of America (1917). It is not confirmed that this C. R. Smith is the photographer of this cabinet card. It is interesting to note that the Cabinet card has a number of photographs by the photographer who photographed this gentleman. All of the photographs share the same logo containing the photographer’s initials. To view these photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Smith CR”

DISTINGUISHED LOOKING OLDER MAN IN BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS

A distinguished looking older man with a white eard and mustache poses for his  portrait at the Fenwick studio in Bloomington, Illinois. The man is dressed in his finest clothing for his day at the photographer but it seems he had no time to see a barber to tame his beard and longish hair. The photographer of this image is Richard Fenwick. He was born in England in 1845. He appears in the U.S. Census in 1870. He was living in a Bloomington boarding house and working as a laborer. The 1880 census finds Mr Fenwick (age 35) married to Alida Fenwick (age 30). The couple was married in 1875 and were living with their two children. Richard Fenwick had a 1 year-old daughter (Adda) and a 9 year-old step son (Rush Downey). Fenwick was working as a photographer. The 1900 census reveals that Fenwick still worked as a photographer and his step son, Rush, filled the manager role in the photography studio. Research reveals that between 1866 and 1875, Fenwick was associated with the Cook and Fenwick studio.

DISTINGUISHED GENTLEMAN IN PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND

The photographic studio of  Heald and Giles produced this portrait of a distinguished older gentleman. The man is wearing a nicely groomed graying beard and mustache. He is displaying a serious expression on his face. Research reveals that Mr. Heald had a number of partners during his photography career. Among the names he operated his business under was Wright and Heald, and Heald and Erickson. The law journal, “Open Jurist” and several other turn of the century law journals, cite Mr. Heald in an important legal case. The case was “Corlis et. al. versus E. W. Walker Company et. al. (1894). Emily Corlis sued the Walker Company for inserting a portrait (photographed by Heald) of George H. Corlis in a biographical sketch about to be published. A photograph of the late Mr. Corlis had been submitted to the company by Emily Corlis but she had withdrawn her permission for them to use it after they had not complied with some of her demands. The Walker Company returned the photograph to her but then turned to Mr. Heald and purchased a copy of an original photograph Heald had taken of George Corlis. Emily Corlis was outraged and took Walker to court. The general policy of the courts, based on precedence. was that negatives of photographs belonged to photographers but the right to print negatives belonged to the customer (subject of the photograph).   The court in this case, however, ruled that this case was an exception to precedence because the rule applies only to “private persons”, and not “public characters”. The court stated that Mr. Corlis was a “public character” because of his status as the inventor of the Corlis Engine. It seems that his portrait had already appeared in a number of magazines and other publications. Stated simply, pubic characters had no right to privacy. In addition, the court stated that Walker could not be sued because  he was not the photographer. Only the photographer had a contractual obligation not to publish the subjects photograph without consent from the subject. To view the work of another photographer involved in an interesting court case  related to the business of photography, and to learn about that case, click on the category “Photographer: Rugg”.

HANDSOME FLY FISHERMAN IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Boston was known for a lot of things at the turn of the century, but fly fishing was probably not one of those things. Fly fishing on the Thames River wasn’t  likely a destination vacation. This photograph features a handsome gentleman who appears dressed for an adventure. He is wearing a hat with fishing lures hooked into it. He is also wearing a tie, tucked into his shirt. The gentleman was photographed by McCormick, who had a studio located in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Directory (1873) lists a John L. McCormick who operated as a photographer in Boston. The 1880 United States Census finds McCormick (age 32)living in Boston and married to Elizabeth McCormick (age 26). He is listed as a photographer. The 1900 census does not list his occupation but reports that the couple were living with their five children and an eighteen year-old female servant (nanny?). The 1910 census includes McCormick, but once again, does not list his occupation.

UP, UP, AND AWAY IN COLUMBUS OHIO: TWO LARGE MEN PREPARE TO LAUNCH ONE SMALL MAN

Perhaps the photographer of this unique cabinet card faced a dilemma. After posing the short man with two canes  in in a chair between the two normal sized men, the photographer may have realized that the resulting portrait would look disproportionate and unattractive. After this realization, perhaps the photographer had a flash of creativity and imagined the “Up, Up, and Away” concept utilized in this photograph. The concept worked. The resulting image is fun,   action packed, and proportionate (all three men’s heads are at the same  level).  This terrific image shows two men hoisting a disabled man, holding two canes, into the air. Two of the men are wearing straw hats, and the man in the middle is wearing a derby. All three men seem to be in good humor. Note the “Daily Ohio” newspaper sticking out of one of the men’s pocket. The newspaper may be “The Ohio Daily Statesman”. This particular newspaper was an early Columbus publication but the date that the newspaper issued its last edition has yet to be uncovered. Therefore,  unknown whether the Statesman was still published at the time of this photograph. The photographers of this photograph are Edward B. Champion and Robert M. Davie, of Columbus, Ohio.

FIVE MEN, DERBIES AND DOGS IN KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA

The boys gather together at Snyder’s Studio in Kutztown, Pennsylvania for a group portrait. Suits and derby hats seem to be the order of the day. Someone brought their two large hounds to the gathering. The dogs appear to be hunting dogs. Examination of this cabinet card image brings up the question, “How are these men connected to each other?”.  Are they good friends?  Are they co-workers? The answer to these questions are unobtainable and we are left with only hypotheses.What do we know about the photographer? The 1880 U. S. census reveals that Charles Wanner Snyder (1852-1927) was married to Sallie A. Jackson (1858-1900) and the pair had a daughter named Lydia (born 1879). Charles Snyder was born, and later died, in Kutztown. At the time of the census, Snyder was employed as a boot and shoe maker, but he appears to have had a tendency to switch careers over time. After tiring of boots and shoes,  he worked two years as a harness maker. He learned photographic and freehand crayon work and then, became a photographer. Research reveals that he had a reputation for being an excellent scenic artist and sign painter. He also was a very civic minded man. He was credited as saving a grove from woodsmen, and establishing the Kutztown Park with the rescued property. He served six years on the Kutztown council and five years as President of the council. In 1880 he entered the bicycle business. He added a Sphinx automobile dealership to his bicycle shop in 1915. What in the world is a Sphinx automobile? The Sphinx was produced by the Sphinx Motor Car Company which was located in York, Pennsylvania. The company produced cars in 1915 and 1916. The Sphinx was a light touring car. Automobile Industries (1914) reported that the car was expected to  have an initial selling price of six hundred and ninety-five dollars.

TWO FRIENDLY GUYS IN ALBANY, NEW YORK

    Two men pose together  at the Clark studio in Albany. It is not clear which state Albany is located in, but the most likely answer is New York.  L. Wilson Clark was a photographer in Albany, New York. He may be the photographer that produced this cabinet card. The two fellows in this image seem to be well acquainted. The man on the right has a big smile, while the gentleman on the left, seems rather uncomfortable with his friend’s intimacy.  The men are wearing suits with neckties and wonderful hats. Their clothing does not seem to be of the finest quality.

RUFFIAN LOOKING MAN POSES FOR RUFFIAN PHOTOGRAPHER WITH A NEW IDEA IN PICTURE HANGING (NEW JERSEY)

An intense looking gentleman poses for his portrait at the studio of Albert Vetter. Vetter operated two photographic galleries in New Jersey; one was in Jersey City, while the other was located in Hoboken.  The man in this photograph is dressed formally, like a gentleman;  but he has the look of a ruffian. Could be an interesting story about the discrepancy, but no identifying information is available about the man in this photograph. On the subject of ruffians, wait until you hear about the photographer of this image. The magazine, The Camera and the Darkroom ( 1904) reported that Vetter was at odds with the family that lived in the house that was also the home of his studio. Vetter got a picture of the  head of the family, who recently died. He enlarged the picture and fastened a rope  around it at the neck, and hung it out the window. The daughter of the late man, got a step ladder and removed the photograph. A “war of words” followed and Vetter was arrested. He was arraigned in front of a judge for disorderly conduct and he was put up for bond to maintain the peace. The magazine used a humorous headline to describe this incident;  ”New Idea in Picture Hanging”.

HANDSOME MAN WITH THICK MUSTACHE IN ALBANY, NEW YORK

This cabinet card portrait captures a handsome man with a terrific thick mustache.  He is dressed impeccably. The photographer is Sterry and his studio was located at 520 & 522 Broadway, in Albany, New York. To view other interesting mustaches, click on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Mustaches (Only the Best). Edwin S. Sterry (1842-1900) was the successor to Mcdonald & Sterry, also located in Albany. Sterry was considered the principal photographer in Albany for 27 years, according to the journal “The Photogram (1894)”. The journal describes Sterry as the equivalent of a European court photographer. It is reported that he was patronized by all levels of politicians from both parties. It is also asserted that his photograph of the judges of the Court of Appeals generated fifteen thousand dollars in sales.