Group portraits from the first century of photography
According to the Fall 2008 newsletter of the Upper Pemigewasset Historical Society, in 1928 Ed and Florence Clark moved to the town of Lincoln in the White Mountains of New Hampshire to raise sled dogs and demonstrate their abilities for tourists. On April 5, 1932, Florence summited Mt. Washington with a team of dogs, becoming... Continue Reading →
These postcards were acquired by a British or American sailor during the First World War. They were probably made available to the men as keepsakes of their service. In the image above, a line of sailors is visible in the distance, probably on a brief leave to sightsee. The snowy hills on the island below... Continue Reading →
This early cabinet card was made by a photographer identified as L.D. Austin in South Haven, Michigan. The young women appear to be in their late teens, and are grouped around a swing, which could symbolize the carefree days of youth. The sitter at lower left is also holding a long stick ... another symbol... Continue Reading →
This cabinet card came from Missouri but could have originated elsewhere. The photographer isn't identified. Since everyone looks about the same age--except for the couple at the far end of the table--my guess would be that this is a college group on a field trip or celebratory outing.
On December 15, 1917, an armistice was signed between the Central Powers and the new revolutionary communist government of Soviet Russia. It went into effect two days later, on December 17. The Soviets would officially leave the war the following March, after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk, but the December armistice clearly felt like the end... Continue Reading →
This impromptu group portrait was likely taken at a medical facility not far from the front lines during the First World War. The man seated next to the colonel is wearing a tailored suit with a Red Cross pin on the lapel, suggesting he may be a visitor rather than a patient.
To continue the cooking theme of the previous post, this postcard from Germany is an unusual portrait of a young cook in her kitchen uniform. Taken in a studio against a rustic painted backdrop, her spotless white clothes glow under careful studio lighting. Like CDVs in the nineteenth century, individual postcard portraits were often exchanged... Continue Reading →
This photo postcard likely originated in northern Europe. The presence of a nun at the back of the room and a crucifix on the wall suggest the class may have been offered by a convent or other Catholic organization. The back provides no information.
This 1909 school portrait came from the same small Maine album that "Two Good Friends" did in the previous post. Both titles are written in the album. Click on the images below to enlarge them.
