WEDDING GROUP PHOTOGRAPH IN CLARINDA, IOWA

This cabinet card appears to be a photograph of a wedding group. One would suspect that the bride is the woman in the white gown. She is seated and holding an umbrella. The most likely candidate for groom is the fellow standing behind the bride. The bride is certainly better dressed than the groom. For some unknown reason, the brides  purse was placed on the floor in front of her. What was the photographer thinking? He did an excellent job of posing the six individuals in the wedding group and than detracts from the image by leaving the purse on the floor in the center of the photograph. This  photographer has a history of making similar posing mistakes. To view an example of another one of his poorly posed photographs, click on the category “Photographer O. H. Park. Note the man sitting on the left of the bride. He is holding something that looks like a pin wheel or a small fan. Perhaps a Cabinet Card Gallery visitor can more confidently identify the object. This photograph was taken at Park’s studio in Clarinda, Iowa. Clarinda was founded in 1851. It is written that outlaw Jesse James passed through Clarinda a number of times. The town was named for Clarinda Buck. Legend states that Ms. Buck carried water to the first surveyors of the area. The name “Alice” is written on the reverse of the photograph. “Alice” is likely the name of the bride.

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 KID, A GOAT, AND A GOAT CART

This photograph was taken outside and features a kid, a goat, and a goat cart. The child is dressed for cold weather as he sits in the cart holding a whip. The cart is more of a wagon than a cart. Note the large thin wheels. The goat is wearing a harness. The identity of the child and photographer are unknown. The location where the photograph was taken is also unknown. To view other images of goats, click on the category “Goats”.

FOUR SIBLINGS AND THEIR TOYS IN STEINHEIM, GERMANY

A sister and three brothers pose for their portrait at the Lammersen studio in Steinheim, Westphalia, Germany. The young girl is holding a doll with bows in its hair; which is the same way that the young girl wears her hair. One of the boys is playing with blocks while another boy is holding a book. The photographer of this image, F. Lammersen,  took the photographs for an article appearing in the Strand Magazine (1898). The article was entitled “The Most Wonderful Hedge in the World” and was about  the work of a railway guard at the Steinheim station. The railroad employee used his spare time to artistically clip hedges into wonderful sculptures and Lammersen’s camera provided many illustrations of the talented gardeners creative work.

THREE YOUNG SIBLINGS (POSSIBLY SCOUTS) IN POLOTSK, BELARUS

This cabinet card features three children, likely siblings, posing for their portrait at a photographic gallery in Polotsk, Belarus. The young girl in the photograph is holding a ball held inside netting. Perhaps a visitor to the cabinet card gallery can provide more details about this toy. The previous owner of this cabinet card is from St. Petersburg, Russia. He has provided the photographers location, as well as the photographers name, Bernstein. He also contends that the way that the subjects are dressed in this image, indicates that they are scouts. In addition, the previous owner also asserts that the photographer of this image was Jewish. In fact, research reveals that the population of Polotsk in 1897 was over 20,000, and more than half of those residents were Jewish. There was a strong Orthodox Jewish community there.  The “Jewish Virtual Library” indicates that in the late nineteenth century, the city became embroiled in anti-Jewish agitation.

LITTLE GIRL IS OFF TO THE RACES IN DUBLIN, IRELAND

A cute little girl with a wonderful smile sits atop a rocking horse at Lauder Brothers studio in Dublin, Ireland. She is holding the reins of the very detailed rocking horse and her young mother poses behind the girl, in position to keep her daughter securely on the horse. The Lauder gallery had two locations,  32 Westmoreland Street and 45 Lower Sackville Street. Lauder Brothers studio began operation as a daguerreotype studio on Capel Street in Dublin in 1853. The owner of the studio was Edmund Stanley Lauder, who died in 1895. Lauder Brothers was in business on Lower Sackville Street between the 1850′s and 1904. It was operated by a number of members of the Lauder family. Business directories list the studio as Lauder Brothers between about 1880 and 1884.. Edmund Lauder’s son, James Stack Lauder (1853-1923),  founded the Lafayette Studio in 1880. He became the first Irish photographer to be granted the Royal Warrant. He earned this honor after photographing Queen Victoria in her Golden Jubilee year (1887). James Stack Lauder had three brothers who also became photographers. The brothers names were George Marsh Lauder (1858-1922), Edmund Stanley Lauder Jr. (1859-1895), and William Harding Lauder (1866-1918).

LITTLE GIRL AND HER RATTLE IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

A cherubic, curly haired little girl stands on a blanket covered chair in the photographic studio of J. W. Taylor, in Rochester, New York. The girl is wearing a long gown and a very serious expression. She firmly holds a rattle with both hands.

A BOY AND HIS WOODEN TRICYCLE IN CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS

This cabinet card features a well dressed young boy posing next to a wooden tricycle in the Jenness Studio, in Clinton, Massachusetts. The lad is wearing a suit, bow tie, and hat. Note the decorated wooden  handlebars on the tricycle and the fancy seat. The first tricycle was invented in 1680 by a disabled German man who wanted to maintain his mobility. There were many versions invented over time until Starley developed the first rotary chain drive tricycle in 1877. After the introduction of this model, tricycle riding became very popular. Tricycles and bicycles can be found in many cabinet card photographs. To view examples of such images, click on the category of  ”Bicycle”.

A YOUNG BOY AND HIS PULL-TOY DOG

A cute little boy poses with his pull-toy dog. He is very dressed up for his portrait. Note his large bow tie and his cute cap. The photographer and the location of the photographic studio are unknown. The photographer’s creativity, in regard to his choice of background and props, is very uninspiring.

 

TWO SIBLINGS AND A FAKE DOG IN VIENNA, AUSTRIA

This cabinet card features two siblings posing with a fake dog. The dog, and perhaps the ring toy held by the older child, were provided by the photographer, Wilhelm Otto Jr.  Otto’s photographic studio was located in Vienna, Austria. One can see the advantages of a fake dog versus a real dog from the perspective of the photographer. Children were difficult enough to photograph; dogs behaving like dogs were likely a photographers nightmare. Talking about nightmares, the children do not seem to be having too much fun having their portrait taken.