Portraits from the first 100 years of photography
This cabinet card portrait was made at a studio in the port city of New Bedford, Massachusetts. The studio belonged to a man named John O'Neil. Google didn't turn up any information about Mr. O'Neil, so I looked at census records on Ancestry. In the 1880 U.S. Census, I found a John E. O'Neil, age... Continue Reading →
The two cartes-de-visite on this page came from an antiques dealer in Greenfield, Massachusetts, in the northwest part of the state. On the back of the carte above is the name Adolphe with a question mark: The portrait was made at the studio of E.v. Eggert, which probably stood for Emmanuel von Eggert (see... Continue Reading →
The back of this postcard has a note: "Connie Richards, friend of Aurore (Chaillé) Marotte." Aurore is easy to find in Census records, but Connie eluded me. In 1920 Aurore B. Marotte (age 25) was living with her husband, Adelard, and her siblings in the home of her father, Azaire Chaillé, in New Bedford, Massachusetts. ... Continue Reading →
The title of this post is a little presumptuous, but the elegant dress worn by the young woman in this portrait reminds me of snowflakes on a deep winter's night in New England. She's also wearing an engagement ring, but the focus isn't clear enough to see it in detail. Northampton is home to Smith... Continue Reading →
This cabinet card was made by Benjamin F. Popkins (1822-1905), the first photographer to set up a professional studio in Greenfield. The sitters aren't identified. The photo was accompanied by two additional cabinet cards by Popkins, showing one of the women from different angles. All three portraits may have belonged to her, or the three... 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 holding the oar in her hand, suggesting it was a symbolic part of... Continue Reading →
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