“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 →

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 →

A comforting presence

This cabinet card photograph came to me from Herefordshire, England, but could have originated elsewhere.  It has nothing written or printed on it. Update (March 21): Readers quickly informed me that the man in the photo was a postman.  His hat has the letters GPO on it, for General Post Office.  (Thank you to Val,... Continue Reading →

Longshaw Post Office, Wigan, England

At the top of this cabinet card photograph is a painted sign: John Rigby, Boot & Clog Maker.  Under that is another sign: Longshaw Post Office. Wikipedia describes Longshaw as "a small residential and agricultural area within Billinge Higher End at the western boundary of the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan, in Greater Manchester, England."  Historically,... Continue Reading →

“Hop picking, Leeds area”

This carte-de-visite came to me from Massachusetts, but it didn't originate there.  The title of the post is taken from a handwritten note on the back. Update: Readers all agree that the location referred to was most likely the village of Leeds in Kent:   The British Hop Association has the following information on its website: The... Continue Reading →

Ann Birkin, chevener to Queen Victoria

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 →

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