Charles and Susan Crippen

The portrait above is an ambrotype, or photograph on glass, by an unknown photographer.  Ambrotypes were introduced in the United States in the early 1850s and remained popular for about a decade.  They were simpler and less costly to produce than daguerreotypes.  Eventually they were replaced by tintypes and albumen paper prints (such as the... Continue Reading →

“Pretty little Ruth”

Along the bottom of this carte-de-visite is a handwritten inscription: Oh!  A very shy young Quakeress am I And they call me Pretty little Ruth When I first published this post, I speculated that these lines might have come from a play, and that the young woman in the photograph might have been wearing a... Continue Reading →

Man with blanket in Cleveland by Thomas T. Sweeny

The man in this carte-de-visite portrait isn't identified.  Why does he have a blanket wrapped around him?  He seems to be pointing at it:   The photographer, Thomas T. Sweeny (1831-1891), worked in Cleveland, Ohio, throughout his life.  Although he was active for about three decades, information about him is scarce online.  Census records indicate... Continue Reading →

Man with royal charter

This cabinet card photograph is the first image I've shared from Australia.  It was printed at the Anson Brothers studio in Hobart, Tasmania, which was in operation from 1878 to 1891.  Founded by brothers Joshua, Henry Joseph and Richard Edwin Anson, the studio became known for views of Tasmanian scenery, which received medals at the... Continue Reading →

Young harpist in New Bedford

This cabinet card portrait was made at a studio in the port city of New Bedford, Massachusetts.  The studio belonged to a man named John O'Neil.  Google didn't turn up any information about Mr. O'Neil, so I looked at census records on Ancestry.  In the 1880 U.S. Census, I found a John E. O'Neil, age... Continue Reading →

The choirmaster

This undated cabinet card portrait was taken in the ancient shipping town of Gravesend, Kent, England.  Gravesend is on the south bank of the Thames Estuary, about 21 miles (35 km) from central London.  The photograph was taken at the studio of Frederick Charles Gould, who became known for images he captured of the many... Continue Reading →

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