Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
If you encountered three enchanting ladies in a wood at dusk, and they offered to tell your fortune, would you accept? In the land of Hans Christian Andersen, anything is possible.... I have yet to find any information about the photographer, P. Christensen. Sonderburg is the German name for the town of Sønderborg, 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 →
In the previous post we were in Glasgow, the most populous city in Scotland. Today we're 280 miles (450 km) to the south, in north Wales, near the seaside resort town of Llandudno. The cabinet card photograph above was taken by William Laroche & Sons. William Sylvester Laroche opened his first studio in Llandudno around 1872. ... 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 →
Exactly 91 years ago today, a group of marvelous children appeared in Kladno, Czechoslovakia. Witnesses told of fairies, a knight, a princess, and even a jester! A few locals managed to get their picture taken with the fantastic troupe. Then the magical visitors went back to the world they had come from, and the day... Continue Reading →
This carte-de-visite was made by Jacob Lundbergh (1828-1904) in Stockholm. According to his Swedish Wikipedia page, he worked as a professional photographer for eleven years (1861-1872), becoming famous for his portraits of actors, singers and other cultural figures. His brother, Bernhard Lundbergh, was an opera singer with the Royal Theater.
Here's another fun cabinet card from the UK. The words "Photo Co-op" are printed below the photo in the lower left corner. I didn't find any reference online to a studio by that name, and the card has no other information on it. The photographer added tiny spots of ink to the eyes of the... Continue Reading →
The closest English equivalent of the German word Elfenreigen would be "fairy round dance," although Elfenreigen is also sometimes translated as "dance of the elves." "Carlsberg" may have been the location where this photo was taken. A very kind visitor to the blog (bradwardine42) left a comment under the post with the following information: I... Continue Reading →
I had assumed the clothing in this photo was Scottish, but someone said the design of the bottom of the dress looks more Irish. Any insights from visitors would be appreciated! This bonnie lass was photographed by O. Frank Stafford in Minneapolis. According to the Minnesota Historical Society's "Directory of Minnesota Photographers," his studio was... Continue Reading →
This photograph was taken in Watertown, New York, a few miles from Lake Ontario and only 31 miles from the Canadian border. The name of the studio at the bottom of the cabinet card looks like "Gray," but I have yet to find a record of a photographer there by that name. I don't know... Continue Reading →
An oar appears for the second time on this blog in this group tableau from New Bedford, Massachusetts. The cabinet card was made at John O'Neil's studio in the Hastings' Building. The girls are all wearing the same classical costume, with one resting her hand on the oar, suggesting it was a symbolic part of... Continue Reading →
This postcard is inscribed "1926 Carnaval. LIX" lower right. The reverse is a standard back with no additional information. I'd love to know something about the people in this remarkable portrait!
Tokens of Companionship 
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