YOUNG DANDY IN WABASH, INDIANA

A young dandy sits for his portrait in the studio of Phillips, in Wabash, Indiana. The well dressed young man sits on a wicker chair with his hat strategically placed on his knee.

AMBIVALENT FOX HUNTER AND HIS PET FOX IN KENDALLVILLE, INDIANA

This cabinet card features a fox hunter, posing in his hunting clothing, and his double barreled shotgun. He is also posing with his pet fox and his bounty from his hunt, a dead fox. He is holding the pet fox by a chain. This is a very ambivalent hunter. On one hand, he hunts and kills foxes, and on the other, he keeps a fox as a pet. The hunter appears to have been a very conflicted young man. The photographer of this cabinet card is Frank D. Sullivan of Kendallville, Indiana. The Bulletin of Photography (1922) announced the purchase of Sullivan’s studio to A. D. Conkle, “formerly of Kenton, Ohio. The journal also reported that Sullivan and his wife had moved to Portland Oregon.

A GIRL AND HER DOG AND HER BIRD IN NEW CASTLE, INDIANA

irA young girl and her dog are accompanied by a bird in this cabinet card portrait by Huddleston of New Castle, Indiana. The dog appears to be a combination of a spaniel and a retriever and the bird looks like a fancy pigeon. Hopefully, a visitor to this site, may be more informed about ornithology, and can correctly identify the species of the bird in this photograph. The photographer is likely Cephas M. Huddleston (1832- ?) who was born in Indiana. The 1860 census lists him as a farmer living in Union, Indiana. By the 1870 census, he is listed as a photographer. Cephas had seven children. The 1900 census indicates that Huddleston was still a photographer and that is studio was in New Castle, Indiana.

MADAM NAOMI: SIDE SHOW FAT LADY (562 POUNDS) OFFERS ESPECIALLY LARGE DOWRY TO PROCURE A HUSBAND

This cabinet card features Madam Naomi, who appears to have been a side show “fat lady”. The term “fat lady” is a despicable and derogatory way of describing someone overweight; yet the term found common use at circuses and fairs of the era of this photograph. Pencilled on the reverse of this image  is the information that Madame Naomi was born in Michigan and at the time of the photograph, she was 30 years old. A further “fact” provided is that her arms had a circumference of 27 inches.  Madam Naomi is not looking too comfortable in this portrait. She is wearing an interesting hat and one would guess that it would take her a long time to button all those buttons on the front of her dress. The newspaper The Weekly Statement (1890) has an article about a Madam Naomi appearance in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The article states that Naomi was advertised to appear in a museum and to “bestow her hand, heart, oleaginous sweetness, and a deed to a $5,000 farm to any young man who would marry her”. The offer was accepted by an insurance man from New York, Thomas J. Crowley; who came to Fort Bend and joined her on the museum stage to accept her hand in marriage. The photographer of this image is Baker, whose studio was located in Columbus, Ohio. There were many photographers named Baker operating out of Columbus when this photograph was taken. Many of the Bakers were relatives who operated the Baker Art Gallery. It is not clear which Baker or which studio is the source of this image. However, the initials below the photograph appear to be “LMB” which would indicate that the photographer was Lorenzo Marvin Baker (1834-1924).L. M. Baker was  part of the Baker Art Gallery family. To view other photographs by the Baker Art Gallery, click on the category “Photographer: Baker Art Gallery”.

MINIATURE FAMILY AND PUG OUT FOR A STROLL

A young boy and girl pose as if they are out for a walk with a baby doll in a carriage and a  pug firmly in the girl’s arms.  The young boy is clearly a forward thinker as he has taken on the “woman’s”  role of pushing the carriage.  He is also wearing an interesting cap with a tassel.  The photograph was taken at a studio in Bourbon, Indiana. The photographer’s name is listed on the front (bottom) of the card but the name is illegible.

FROWNING BABY AND SMALL DOG IN HUNTINGBURGH, INDIANA (EARLY WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHER)

A frowning baby poses for a portrait at a photographers studio on Fourth Street in Huntingburgh, Indiana. The baby is clad in a long gown and sitting on a fur covered surface. The baby is sitting next to a small dog. Research yielded little information about the photographer. The photographer is Mrs. Jos. Sprauer, clearly an early woman photographer. Research found a pioneering photographer named Alois Sprauer of Jasper, Indiana. He founded a studio which operated for decades and was passed on to his son, Albert Sprauer. Jasper and Huntingburgh are nearby towns in southwestern Indiana. The “American Annual of Photography” mentions a W. J. Sprauer of Huntingburgh. The 1880 census includes a Joseph Sprauer, who was born in 1853 in Indiana. Hopefully, the Cabinet Card Gallery’s research department (made up entirely of the sites visitors); can shed some light on the identity of the photographer who created this image. Please leave a comment with any relevant information.

THREE BUTCHERS IN LOGANSPORT, INDIANA

This cabinet card is clearly a photograph of three men in their occupational garb. They appear to be butchers but there is no confirmation available. The men are very muscular and that may be evidence supporting the hypothesis that they are butchers. The gentleman in the middle has an air of authority and looks to be the oldest of the three. Why are their sleeves rolled up? Perhaps keeping their sleeves rolled up is what they typically do when performing their work. The photographic studio that produced this cabinet card  is Anderson’s of Logansport, Indiana.

HANDSOME MAN WITH COMPLICATED HAIR STYLE IN ANDERSON, INDIANA

A handsome and well dressed gentleman sits for his photographic portrait at the studio of McKeown in Anderson, Indiana. His hairstyle can be described as complicated and  requiring a  high degree of maintenance.

WIDE-EYED CHILD IN RENSSELAER, INDIANA

This adorable wide-eyed child displays a nice smile for the camera of Bartoo in Rensselaer, Indiana. Pencilled on the reverse of the card is the name “Gilbert Stuckee”.

MOUTHLESS MAN IN SPICELAND, INDIANA (MAN WITH FORMIDABLE BEARD)

This Cabinet Card is an image of a gentleman with a very interesting beard. I wonder what the psychological implications are of a man who keeps his mouth completely hidden by facial hair. The mans eyes however, are very communicative. The photographer is Huddleston whose studio was in Spiceland, Indiana. Cephus M. Huddleston (1832- ?) was born in Indiana but little biographacial data was uncovered in recent reseach. The town of Spiceland was settled in the 1820′s by Quaker pioneers from Virginia and the Carolinas. The town was named after the spice bush which was prevalent there. In the 1890′s there were a number of factories including those that manufactured furniture, glass and glue. The town was the location of Friends Academy (1870-1921) and the Spiceland Sanitarium and Mineral Springs (1893-1913).