All right, this isn’t a gent…at all. However, this image struck me because it reminds me of a prostitute character I’m writing about, and I love it so much I had to share it on here. Notice the photographer info was scratched out.
Original found at Back Then tumblr.
Digitally enhanced picture from cabinet card of private collection.
A gorgeous portrait of an American infantry/cavalry officer. He’s standing proud with his arms crossed, his sword on the side. He’s wearing white gloves and a high collar below his dress coat. He moved ever so slightly, and it seems he has a scar on his nose. I cleaned it up and played with the contrast some, and quite like it this way.
The Indian War officer belt buckle.
The card is blank on both sides, what a pity. No name either.
This one got sold for a pretty penny even though it has writings on the top left corner (I edited out). It is a very beautiful and unique cabinet card of a man posing with his greyhound. I can see why this card would command very high prices: the image it clear and clean and the man is handsome, well dressed and is wearing a white hat you don’t see often. The dog is posing too, which adds to the desirability. A great photograph!
Photographer: Edsall. New York.
Leonard Spiller (1890-1952) Cabinet card. Private Collection.
When I first saw this photograph I thought the boy looked familiar…then I see he’s IDed. Success! What a lovely photograph too, very clean which is always a plus. This cabinet card was taken on June 11,1903 when Leonard Spiller was 13.
And this is the second photograph I have of him, the first a CDV taken in 1910 when he was a student at Cambridge. I learned some more about his family too. Leonard was the son of John Spiller, a consulting analyst chemist and once the President of the Royal Photographic Society (1874-1875) in London.
Leonard came into this world late in the life of his father John (1833-1921) who married Emma (born Davenport), his second wife. Leonard had much older half siblings from his father’s first marriage to Caroline Ada Pritchard: Ethel Mary (1857-?), Arnold John and Claude Pritchard (1870-1938).
I found some photos of his family from the same seller. A photo gallery of Leonard and family members after the cut.
Circa 1892. Cabinet Card. Private Collection.
I was on a frustrating hunt for a caped gentleman and was happy to finally find this fellow (I don’t know why those are hard to find!). There’s this cloudy effect going on and it looks like it is original of the photo, but it could be some discoloration due to time. Intentional or not, I do think it makes this cabinet card look like the man was standing outside on a foggy morning! The gentleman is IDed as Dean Smith on the back.
A close up of Mr. Smith, and a little more on J.H. Kent the photographer after the cut.
Bowlers And High Collars 