Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
When I saw this carte-de-visite for sale on eBay in England, I assumed the sitter must have been a member of the Salvation Army (Leger des Heils in Dutch). The shape of her brooch resembles some of the shield pins worn by members of that organization, but the lettering doesn't look like anything I've seen... Continue Reading →
The woman in this carte-de-visite portrait isn't identified anywhere on the photo. When I bought it last year, I never expected to learn her identity. Three weeks ago, while browsing the website of Britain's Royal Collection Trust, I noticed a woman who looked very familiar. The first thing that drew my attention was her shawl,... Continue Reading →
The man above is Henry Lenthall (1819-1897), a photographer who operated a studio at 222 Regent Street, London, where the photo was printed. The studio had been established in 1856 by pioneering daguerreotypist William Edward Kilburn (1818-1891), when Kilburn moved there from his original (smaller) studio at 234 Regent Street. In 1862 Kilburn retired from... Continue Reading →
This photograph has faded and lost some of its clarity, but it's a photo I'm very glad to have. It was taken on a wintry day in Exeter, New Hampshire, outside a shop owned by my great-great-grandfather, Ivan Tilton Purinton (1843-1904). Signs on the wall say "I. T. Purinton" and "Carriage & Sign Painter." Also... Continue Reading →
This cabinet card portrait was made at the studio of Sweet & Kinloch in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute ("N.B." refers to North Britain). A genealogy of the Sweet Family in the West of Scotland identifies one of the studio owners as Charles Sweet (1864-1945). Born in Glasgow, Charles opened his studio in Rothesay in... Continue Reading →
This 19th-century photograph was printed on very thin paper and glued to a stiffer paper mount. At some point the mount was trimmed to the dimensions of a postcard, possibly so that it would fit into an album. The back is blank. I bought it from a dealer in Suffolk, England, who couldn't tell me... Continue Reading →
I wish I could tell you who this gentleman was, but I haven't the faintest idea. He looks like an intellectual, rather than a businessman or public figure, because of his plain attire and slightly disheveled hair. For some reason I want him to be involved with writing or publishing, maybe a newspaper editor or... Continue Reading →
The day of the party has arrived. She and her friends have been working on their dresses for weeks. "Let's take pictures!" "I don't know, I have a lot of things left to do. Maybe later." "It'll only take a few minutes to set up the camera. We might be too busy later." "You're right. ... Continue Reading →
The two cartes-de-visite above were made by Henry Cushing in Windsor, Vermont, in February 1865. Windsor is on the Connecticut River, which forms the boundary between Vermont and New Hampshire. The town is connected to Cornish, NH, by the Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge, which is the longest wooden bridge in the United States and the longest... Continue Reading →
The two cartes-de-visite on this page came from an antiques dealer in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in the northwest part of the state. On the back of the carte above is the name Adolphe with a question mark: The portrait was made at the studio of E.v. Eggert, which probably stood for Emmanuel von Eggert (see... Continue Reading →
The name "L.C. Pike" is written on the back of this carte-de-visite. Generally a name on the back of a portrait refers to the sitter, but not always, so it's important to try to find corroborating information. I searched on Ancestry for an L.C. Pike who was about forty years old in the early 1860s and... Continue Reading →
I've been playing tennis since I was twelve, so I always enjoy seeing rackets in portraits, even when they're just props. This photobooth portrait is wonderful. I love the combination of a child's racket with palm trees and pyramids. Re-blogged from Photobooth Journal:
Tokens of Companionship 
Recent Comments