This cabinet card has really been abused. The edges are worn round, they have been cut and broken. The photo itself has suffered scratches and wear. While it could be a sign that the owner lacked care for the image, I will turn that round to postulate it a sign of much handling as the …
This is another of my favorite photos from the Dobb Long Book because it exemplifies that snooty impression that so many men tried to exude (and yet failed at miserably). This fellow has the Oriental smoking cap, mustache/whiskers, and tweedy suit with a dotted tie. Interesting, he has some sort of jewelry on the base …
My mother used to read me the story of The Old Woman and Her Pig, an English fairy tale in which a woman buys a pig at the market, but can’t get it over the stile in the fence. I can clearly remember asking what a stile was and the wonderful interplay between me and …
This gentleman, with his hat and whiskers, looks to be a dapper – if middle aged – fellow. His vest seems a bit short to really disguise the pot belly, and the cut of his coat accents it also, but the clothing appears to be well made and fashionable. The photographer was William Hirsch, who …
This is a lovely family photograph taken by H. R. Troopman of Chicago. The girls look to be 10 years old or so. I think the photo is from the 1880s, but what is tricking me is the slight purple tint it has. The collodion process was not widely used until the 1890s. I found …
Who Were They? 