Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
This carte-de-visite may have been made at High Brooms Brick and Tile Company, founded in 1885 in Southborough, Kent, England. It's hard to tell what the father is sitting on, but we can see he's wearing gaiters of some sort below the knees, probably to keep his legs dry or clean. The photographer is identified on... Continue Reading →
It was relatively rare for women in Britain and North America to set up their own commercial studios in the nineteenth century. In Scandinavia, in contrast, women seem to have embraced the business of photography from the earliest days and to have enjoyed commercial success on a par with their male counterparts. This topic has... 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.
These two young men may have been students at a military academy or members of a cadet corps, which was another type of officer-training program. They're both wearing a military-style tunic with no insignia. It's also possible the tunic was part of a uniform at an educational institution not connected to the military. I'll update... Continue Reading →
I had never heard of Jean Ingelow before I saw this carte-de-visite, but her pose and expression charmed me. It was made by the studio of Elliott & Fry in London, where she lived. The daughter of an English banker father and a Scottish mother, she was the oldest of ten children. Jean Ingelow (1820-1897)... Continue Reading →
This carte-de-visite was made by the studio of Albert Baron & César Mitkewicz in Brussels (Bruxelles), Belgium. The mother's gaze engages the viewer while the father's seems unfocused. The two sisters pose affectionately as the younger one reads from a book.
I bought this carte-de-visite from a dealer in Kettering, England. My guess would be that it belonged originally to a family associated with a British diplomatic mission in the Middle East or North Africa. India is also a possibility.
This charming little CDV came from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, but has no information on it to confirm its origin. The girls are elegantly dressed and must have come from relatively well-to-do families. After scanning the photo I noticed that one of the girls is of African or mixed-race heritage. I love the fact that the school's... Continue Reading →
This CDV was made by George C. Hunter of Chebanse, a small town just south of Chicago. A note on the back says, "Lovingly, Kittie. Nov 9th, 1882." According to U.S. Census data found on the Wikipedia page of Chebanse, in 1880 the village had a population of 723. In 1890 the population had dropped... Continue Reading →
This ethereal CDV portrait was made by A. Brossut of Digoin, Bourgogne (Burgundy). The young woman isn't identified. I found a few references online to "A. Brossut, éditeur," but no other information about the photographer.
Since the U.S. Open tennis championship is ending this weekend, here's a CDV from the relatively early days of the sport. The family isn't identified, but the photo was taken by Samuel Whitbread of Havant, Hampshire.
An inscription in pencil on the back of this carte-de-visite says simply: "Dr. Sanford 1883." She was easy to identify, and her individual story is fascinating and inspiring. I also learned that Dr. Sanford's life and career were closely connected to those of other pioneering women in medicine and in other fields who supported and... Continue Reading →
Tokens of Companionship 
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