Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
This photo came from a collector of banjos and musical ephemera in Boston, Massachusetts. The names of the men in the photo are written on the back, along with the following inscription: Andenken an den Touristenverein Waldfreunde (Feuerbach) im Jahr 1922 This translates roughly to "Souvenir of the Waldfreunde touring group in the year 1922." ... Continue Reading →
This cabinet card was listed for sale in England without any information, and only after receiving it did I see "F DOWNER WATFORD" in the lower right corner of the image. Frederick Downer (1840-1919) was the first commercial photographer in Watford, which is 15 miles (24 km) northwest of central London. Mandolin ensembles and orchestras arose... Continue Reading →
Informal early photos of musicians are surprisingly rare. On the other hand, musical instruments have often appeared in formal portraits. The postcard below was made some years after the photo above.
Tokens of Companionship 
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