The Chamberlain triplets were born on November 25, 1863, in Chippawa, Ontario, Canada, a village located just 6 miles from Niagara Falls, New York. Elizabeth, Sarah, and Susan were the youngest of nine children born to John and Anna (Munn) Chamberlain. The girls immigrated to the US with their parents about 1881 and the family … More Trick or Triplet
Without a location, it was impossible to identify the sitter in this tintype, who according to the writing above her head was Alma Sargent. Based on her tight-fitting bodice lined with buttons, Alma sat for this portrait in the mid to late 1880s. Sources: 19th Century Card Photos Kwik Guide by Gary W. Clark
I was brimming with excitement when I picked up this early portrait of Emily Theresa Boone of Bryantown, Maryland at a local antique mall. I believe it’s considered a chalk or pastel piece. The artist likely completed it based on an earlier daguerreotype or ambrotype photograph. Emily appears to be around thirteen years old which … More A Simple Act of Common Humanity
This is the third and final post based on a cabinet card identified as Inez Swartz “Adrian Home girl” which was a term used to reference residents living at the Adrian Industrial School for Girls. If you’d like to read my earlier posts, they are Adrian Home Girl and As If Their Little Hearts Would … More Tales of Terrible Cruelty
This is the second post based on a cabinet card I found in a shop in Allen, Michigan. The photo was identified as Inez Swartz “Adrian Home girl,” which was a term used for residents of the Adrian Industrial School for Girls. If you’d like to see the complete cabinet card image and read my … More As If Their Little Hearts Would Break
The young woman who sat for this photograph is identified on the reverse as Inez Swartz. The photographers Genevieve Dey & Grace Hayden, worked together in Hillsdale, Michigan, from 1899 to no later than 1904, which helps to date this image. The words “Adrian Home girl” penned below the name was in reference to the … More Adrian Home Girl
I found this 1890s cabinet photo in the WeepingWidow Etsy shop. The image of the three young women is lovely however I bought it because of the location, Angola, Indiana, one of my hometowns. I was hoping I would find lots of newspaper articles featuring the women’s social activities however that was not the case. … More Magical Mystery Tour
I found another example of what is often referred to as a memorial cabinet card and I am confident that this one was not created as a mourning photo or funeral handout. The sitter, Franklin Arthur Lee, was about twenty-four years old when he stood for this portrait. I suspect he chose this scroll frame … More Hell in the Headlights
I happened upon these three tintypes, listed individually, in the Glassing Etsy shop. As soon as I noticed that the handwriting on all three was the same I had to purchase them. Without a location, I knew that the only hope of them being identified was to keep them together. So, what was the sitters’ … More Three’s Company
As a knitter, I quickly snatched up this cabinet photo for my collection. You can see the sitter was holding a knitting project. I believe she was making a sock or a sleeve based on the fact that she was using a set of double pointed knitting needles that allowed her to knit in the … More Crafting in Action
the rescued photo 