Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
Does anyone have any idea what this family is up to? The photo came to me from Oregon, but their clothing looks European. Also, the brick wall in the background looks very old. As in ancient. My guess would be that this family was in France or Belgium, but that's just a guess. The photo... Continue Reading →
This undated postcard was addressed by a man named René to a friend, also named René, who was probably working at the Café Monico in London. The sender is very likely one of the men in the group above. The postcard was printed by the firm of G. W. Gibson in Coldstream, a town in the... Continue Reading →
This snapshot was for sale in a shop near Bellows Falls, Vermont, called The Big Red Barn. The names of the women in the photo are written on the back, along with the location: Elliot Elm Cafe, Brattleboro, VT. I haven't found any information about the Elliot Elm Cafe, but the Elliot Street Cafe was located... Continue Reading →
Fabyan House was a grand resort hotel in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. Completed in 1873, it was named after Horace Fabyan, who had operated a hotel on the same site called the Mount Washington House, which had burned in 1853. Fabyan House had 250 rooms for up to 500 guests. It had its own... Continue Reading →
This photograph came to me 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.
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.
Tokens of Companionship 
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