Category Archives: Types of Photographs

The Look of Love

Cyanotype French romantic postcard. Private Collection.

Cyanotype French romantic postcard. Private Collection.

Another beautiful 20s romance cyanotype postcard, this one innocent and tame for a change.


1870s-80s Hannover Gentleman

Hannover CDV. Private Collection.

Hannover CDV. Private Collection.

A nice sepia three-quarter portrait of a handsome blonde man with the slicked back hair and pouty lips. His bowtie looks particularly elegant. It looks made of silk, and so do his coat and waistcoat.

The round edge card’s back is mint green with simple lettering, dating it to around the 1880s most likely. The wide lapels look 1870-ish to me.

F. Wunder Sohn. Hannover.

F. Wunder Sohn. Hannover.

Photographer: F. Wunder Sohn. Hannover, Schillerstrasse 24. Germany.


Hand tinted portrait of 1930s era boy

Portrait of boy with the tinted cheeks. Private Collection.

4″ x 6″ 1930s portrait of boy with the tinted cheeks. Private Collection.

A beautiful large cabinet photo portrait of a bright looking boy with freckles. This picture came in a large mat protected by flaps. No photographer logo, unfortunately. I was not expecting to see hand tinted cheeks and lips on a portrait from the 30s but apparently it was still a feature photographers offered. His hair cut with the close cropped sides was very popular in his time, along with the pointy collar.


Short-handed at the office

Staying late at the office. 1900s. Postcard. Private Collection.

Staying late at the office. 1900s. Postcard. Private Collection.

Mixing business with pleasure? There’s much implied on this daring postcard. At least there are no wedding rings on display! Sometimes those Edwardians seem to be surprisingly forward with their sense of humor, and the determined smile on the brunette is scary!

Publisher: Davidson Bros.


Four 1880s Brattleboro cadets 

1880s cadet buddies. Caleb L. and John C. Howe. Brattleboro. Cabinet Card. Private Collection.

These four teens from Brattleboro, Vermont were most likely cadets, maybe in a marching band?

Photographer Caleb Howe chose to take this picture horizontally, preferring to catch the boys in close-up. One of them is smiling and the others seem comfortable in front of the camera.

The card has yellowed with the passing of time.

Back of card.

Caleb Howe & Son. Back of card.

Photographer: Caleb Lysander Howe & Son (John C. Howe). Brattleboro. Vermont.

Caleb Lysander Howe (1811-1895) was a highly respected photographer in his home state of Vermont. He began his craft on the road in the late 1840s. During the Civil War he photographed a great number of soldiers who queued at his studio door for a chance to get their portrait taken. He also photographed Union General John W. Phelps on a card with the similar backing.

Howe’s son joined him in the business in the early 1880s. Since his initials appear on that cabinet card as well as the one I have I believe these were made a couple of decades after the war, by the end of the general’s life who passed in 1885.

Caleb Howe was also a singer and musician. There is a page dedicated to his life that is worth a look. There you can see the John W Phelps card.