Cabinet Cards and CDVs

Although this photo was in poor shape when I bought it and required significant touch-up to make the image somewhat more visible for posting, I thought that the appeal for assistance printed on the back of the card made it worthwhile. I did some searching for further information about the triplets, but didn't uncover a definitive account of their story. The Find A Grave Web site contains some information regarding the girls' parents, Jarred Washington Tracey (1857-1906) and Emma Barton Tracey (1858-1949) (I'm not sure why the parents' middle names don't match their middle intials on the card). Emma Tracey's entry includes a different photo of the mother with her three daughters. Find A Grave also contains entries for the children, Mabel V. Tracey McKelvey (1886-1967) , Edith Grace Tracey Thompson (1886-1967) , and Bessie Barton Tracey Willard (1886-1966) . -------- Printed on the back of the card: The Triplet Children of J. M. and Emma C. Tracey, Fountaindale, Pa. Mable Viola, Born April 4, 1886, noon, weighed 6 lbs. Edith Grace, Born April 5, 1886, noon, weighed 6 lbs. Bessie Barton, Born April 6, 1886, 4 p.m., weighed 7 lbs. Mrs. Tracey, the mother of these babes, was born with but one arm. Photographs taken Aug. 26, 1886. Cabinet photographs of these children will be mailed to any address for 25 cents. Address J. M. Tracey, Fountain Dale, Adams co., Pa. The profit from the sale of photographs will be devoted to rearing and educating the triplets. -------- Printed on the front of the card below the photo (too faint to be visible here): "Tipton Photo, Gettysburg, Pa."

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

Detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball. For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

For this cabinet card, see the front , a cropped version , a detail showing a close-up of the lyre and Miniature Masquerade Ball , and the back (thumbnail images for each of these are below). Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate any additional information about Frank Meger and his Miniature Masquerade Ball beyond the advertisement that appears on the back of this cabinet card photograph (see text below). -------- Photographer: B. F. Reimer, 13, 615, and 617 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia, Pa. -------- Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball Frank Meger's Miniature Masquerade Ball is herewith introduced to the public. This is something altogether new and novel, creating a great deal of amusement whenever shown (especially to children), and is intended for private entertainments, such as birthday parties, etc. This entertainment is all the more interesting since the lyre used is 200 years old, and was exhibited at the Centennial Exhibition in 1876. Whenever this Miniature Masquerade Ball is engaged, I give flute solos and dance music. For the above entertainment the terms are: to any part of the city, $3.00 from 8 to 12 p.m.; after 12 o'clock, $2.00 extra. Should piano or violin be desired, I can furnish the same at about the same price as the above. For special terms, address Frank Meger, 1309 Race Street, Philadelphia, Pa. (Comrade of Fred. Taylor Post, No. 19, G.A.R.). These photographs can be had for 25 cents each.

See also a detail showing a close-up of the furniture on the right side of the photo.

Detail of Woman with Dog cabinet card showing the furniture on the right side of the photo. Don't miss--like I did--the bird among the foliage on the tall vase thingee (with wicker leaves or petals at bottom).

For this photo, see the full cabinet card (above), a cropped version , and a close-up of the inset photo . Photographer: Beals, 23 Douglas Ave., Elgin, Ills.

For this photo, see the full cabinet card , a cropped version (above), and a close-up of the inset photo . Photographer: Beals, 23 Douglas Ave., Elgin, Ills.

For this photo, see the full cabinet card , a cropped version , and a close-up of the inset photo (above). Photographer: Beals, 23 Douglas Ave., Elgin, Ills.

"From the Cornell University Art Gallery of E. D. Evans, 74 and 76 East State St., Ithaca, N.Y."

For this cabinet card back, see the full backmark illustration (above) and a detail showing the street scene in front of the photographer's gallery . -------- Although the photographer's name and address appears as "Schlickeisen, 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J.," on the front of this cabinet card, the name on the sign in the illustration on the back is spelled as "Schlickeysen" (ending in -keysen instead of -keisen). In addition, the arrangement of the street number--"343"--in the palette shapes on either side of the Art Gallery sign is curious, ending with a smaller superscript "3" that seemingly was added after the fact. Interestingly, Langdon's List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers provides some relevant information regarding Gustav Schlickeysen/Schlickeisen. According to Langdon, "Schlickeysen" was the spelling listed in city directories for 1888 and 1889, but during those years the photographer's address was 34 Hancock Avenue, Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J. Directories for 1891, 1892, and 1893, however, indicate that "Schlickeisen" had already moved to the Central Avenue address in Hoboken. It's not clear why the spelling of Schlickeysen changed to Schlickeisen when the photographer moved from Hoboken to Jersey City. Although the new spelling appeared on the front of this cabinet card, the sign in the artwork on the back retained the old spelling. The street number, however, was updated by squeezing an extra "3" into the palette shapes to indicate the change from "34" (Hancock Avenue, Hoboken) to "343" (Central Avenue, Jersey City). If the illustration depicts the original gallery in Hoboken, however, I wonder if customers at Schlickeisen's new gallery in Jersey City were still confused by the drawing despite the updated street number. Finally, it's worth noting that a "Portrait" display case to attract potential customers is situated on the sidewalk in front of the gallery. And notice the horse-drawn tram passing by on the tracks in front of the gallery--an indication of how easy it would be to travel to the gallery.

For this cabinet card back, see the full backmark illustration and a detail showing the street scene in front of the photographer's gallery (above). -------- Although the photographer's name and address appears as "Schlickeisen, 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J.," on the front of this cabinet card, the name on the sign in the illustration on the back is spelled as "Schlickeysen" (ending in -keysen instead of -keisen). In addition, the arrangement of the street number--"343"--in the palette shapes on either side of the Art Gallery sign is curious, ending with a smaller superscript "3" that seemingly was added after the fact. Interestingly, Langdon's List of 19th & Early 20th Century Photographers provides some relevant information regarding Gustav Schlickeysen/Schlickeisen. According to Langdon, "Schlickeysen" was the spelling listed in city directories for 1888 and 1889, but during those years the photographer's address was 34 Hancock Avenue, Hoboken, New Jersey, rather than 343 Central Avenue, Jersey City, N.J. Directories for 1891, 1892, and 1893, however, indicate that "Schlickeisen" had already moved to the Central Avenue address in Hoboken. It's not clear why the spelling of Schlickeysen changed to Schlickeisen when the photographer moved from Hoboken to Jersey City. Although the new spelling appeared on the front of this cabinet card, the sign in the artwork on the back retained the old spelling. The street number, however, was updated by squeezing an extra "3" into the palette shapes to indicate the change from "34" (Hancock Avenue, Hoboken) to "343" (Central Avenue, Jersey City). If the illustration depicts the original gallery in Hoboken, however, I wonder if customers at Schlickeisen's new gallery in Jersey City were still confused by the drawing despite the updated street number. Finally, it's worth noting that a "Portrait" display case to attract potential customers is situated on the sidewalk in front of the gallery. And notice the horse-drawn tram passing by on the tracks in front of the gallery--an indication of how easy it would be to travel to the gallery.

"J. A. Pfeifer & Co., photographic artists, 262, 264, & 266 S. High Street, Columbus, Ohio. Pfeifer, Smith, Mulligan Bros."

"Rehn & Sons' new & commodious ground floor galleries, 510 Arch Street, Philadelphia. Portraits, card, ivorytypes, ambrotypes, photographs, in crayon, pastel, water, and oil." The U.S. Internal Revenue stamp on this CDV backmark dates it to between August 1, 1864, and August 1, 1866. Another Rehn and Sons backmark , which is part of Richard D. Sheaff's amazing collection , has an added border and a handwritten date of March 1866.

"W. H. Tipton, artistic photographer, No. 3 Main Street, Gettysburg, Pa. Photographs and souvenirs of Gettysburg Battlefield and its monuments. Catalogue on application. Negatives preserved."

Babies in wash basins seemed to be a trend in photographs and advertisements at one time. See Richard Sheaff's discussion of Baby in a Basin on his amazing Sheaff : ephemera site. I haven't located any information regarding Galen Piper, a local photographer in Bainbridge, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. In this photo, a scene with a house, fence, and tree is visible on what appears to be a hand-drawn backdrop.