Acting Out: Cabinet Cards and the Making of Modern Photography, 1870–1900

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Acting Out: Cabinet Cards and the Making of Modern Photography, 1870–1900

When cabinet cards were introduced in the United States in 1866, they solved a problem. Photography had become commonplace in visual culture, but photographers were struggling to generate business: most people thought of the medium merely as a tool for documenting appearance, and had only one or two portraits made over the course of their lifetimes. The challenge was to build a new fad to encourage people to visit portrait studios more often. Cabinet cards were the answer: Americans could have these inexpensive portraits made to mark major milestones, such as births, marriages, and deaths, and also to document more ordinary moments, from professional achievements to leisure activities.

Cabinet cards may seem small by today’s standards, but at about the size of mobile phone screens, they were three times larger than the prevailing format, the carte de visite. Suddenly, sitters’ facial expressions, clothing, and surroundings were far more visible. Though most people still simply positioned themselves before the camera, some took advantage of the additional space the cards afforded to show off, express their personalities, and create playful narratives. Some even experimented with photographic believability, appearing in “trick” compositions that replicated a sitter two or more times in a single image.

As people became comfortable with photography, they were more willing to spend a few dollars on portrayals of themselves in various guises and attitudes. Family albums were sources of entertainment, and by the turn of the century Americans were primed for the arrival of the snapshot.

Unless otherwise noted, all photos are courtesy of the Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas.

This exhibition was organized by the Amon Carter Museum of American Art.

All exhibitions at LACMA are underwritten by the LACMA Exhibition Fund. Major annual support is provided by Meredith and David Kaplan, with generous annual funding from Terry and Lionel Bell, Kevin J. Chen, Louise and Brad Edgerton, Edgerton Foundation, Emily and Teddy Greenspan, Marilyn B. and Calvin B. Gross, Mary and Daniel James, David Lloyd and Kimberly Steward, Kelsey Lee Offield, Mr. and Mrs. Anthony and Lee Shaw, Lenore and Richard Wayne, Marietta Wu and Thomas Yamamoto, and The Kenneth T. and Eileen L. Norris Foundation.

Caught in the Act

By 1860, twenty years after photography was introduced in America, most towns had at least one professional photography studio. New York City had more than one hundred. Still, for many people, getting a portrait made was a chore. Poses had to be held for at least five seconds. The blue sensitivity of the light-registering emulsions meant that clothing and skin tones appeared mottled. Projecting a relaxed smile was out of the question.

Enter Napoleon Sarony (1821–1896). An energetic self-promoter, he operated a hugely successful business as a photographer to the stars between 1866 and the mid-1890s, using the cabinet card as his medium. By paying careful attention to lighting and props, and by taking advantage of the camera’s ability to fake immediacy, he depicted actors as if they were caught in the moment or in mid-performance. His new way of thinking about photography influenced practitioners across the nation, helping transform the act of sitting for one’s portrait into an informal, playful experience.

Two girls, 1864

Unknown photographer
Two girls, 1864
Albumen silver print (carte de visite)
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

In the early 1860s, Americans collected and shared cartes de visite, or “calling cards,” widely. They left them in home entryways to announce their visits, sent them through the mail, and saved them in specially slotted albums Although the cards’ small size limited their ability to convey details or emotions, their visual immediacy delivered a deeply felt sense of connection. Unfortunately, within a short time of their introduction, an oversupply of cartes de visite sent the photography market into a financial tailspin.

Self-portrait, c. 1885

Napoleon Sarony, New York, New York
Self-portrait, c. 1885
Albumen silver print
Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

Photographer Napoleon Sarony wholeheartedly embraced the role of debonair eccentric. He adorned the outside of his studio with his name in letters that were several feet high, and he often strolled down Broadway wearing his signature fez and an elaborate uniform of his own making. His outsized personality and ability to convey an atmosphere of immediacy in his images made him New York City’s most heralded and sought-after portrait photographer throughout the second half of the nineteenth century.

Clara Morris, c. 1876

Napoleon Sarony, New York, New York
Clara Morris, c. 1876
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

A dancer turned actor, Clara Morris was widely heralded in the early 1870s for her ability to convey the emotional and psychological depth of her stage characters. She visited Napoleon Sarony’s portrait studio as part of a strategy to broaden her fan base and thereby gain more control over her career.

Fanny Davenport, c. 1870

Napoleon Sarony, New York, New York
Fanny Davenport, c. 1870
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Born in London to a theatrical family, Fanny Davenport had established her stage reputation as the character Lady Gay Spanker in the farce London Assurance shortly before this photograph was taken. Here, Napoleon Sarony shows her in character, posed before a carefully painted-in hearth fire.

Jeffreys Lewis and Emily Rigl in Exiles, 1880s

José María Mora, New York, New York
Jeffreys Lewis and Emily Rigl in Exiles, 1880s
Albumen silver print
Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas at Austin

José María Mora was born into one of the wealthiest families in Cuba and trained to be a painter. The Cuban uprising of 1868 forced him to flee to New York, where he became a retoucher for Napoleon Sarony and eventually opened his own studio. To set himself apart from the rest of the trade, Mora claimed he could offer his sitters a greater number and variety of backdrops than any other working photographer. He retouched this portrait to suggest snow falling, but was careful not to obscure the faces of his two clients.

William H. Crane, late 19th century

Benjamin J. Falk, New York, New York
William H. Crane, late 19th century
Albumen silver print
Museum of the City of New York, Collection on Broadway Productions

Benjamin J. Falk took note of Napoleon Sarony’s financial and popular success and began photographing actors in 1877. Influenced by his predecessor’s ability to convey instantaneity but resistant to paying the patent fees needed to access Sarony’s mechanical supports, he became an early adopter of the new technology of electric lighting.

Geneviève Ward, c. 1875

Napoleon Sarony, New York, New York
Geneviève Ward, c. 1875
Albumen silver print
Museum of the City of New York, gift of Miss Mary F. Hackley, 1934

Acting was Geneviève Ward’s back-up profession; her career as an opera singer was cut short when diphtheria destroyed her singing voice. She was so talented that by the time Napoleon Sarony made this portrait of her, she was appearing in plays written expressly for her.

Lotta Crabtree, c. 1870

Napoleon Sarony, New York, New York
Lotta Crabtree, c. 1870
Albumen silver print
Museum of the City of New York, gift of Mrs. F. S. Haslett, 1953

Lotta Crabtree was a well-established star touring with her own company when she asked Napoleon Sarony to create this promotional portrait. Mirroring her theatrical persona, she poses in her popular guise as an innocent but—paradoxically—knowing ingenue.

Fondo del estudio del fotógrafo, c. 1913

Ross L. Fitch, Chicago, Illinois
Fondo del estudio del fotógrafo, c. 1913
Pigmento con aglutinante sobre lienzo
Archivos del Amon Carter Museum of American Art

El formato más grande y la proporción más amplia de las tarjetas de gabinete dieron lugar a una moda de fondos elaborados, y los pintores los producían por miles a bajo precio. Aunque este lienzo fue pintado poco después del apogeo de las tarjetas de gabinete, refleja los pintorescos escenarios campestres que eran populares durante toda la época de las tarjetas de gabinete. Con este telón de fondo, los modelos tenían la opción de posar dentro de un salón o en un patio. El pintor añadió líneas horizontales en la vista exterior para indicar una ligera humedad en el aire.

Photographer’s studio head clamp, before 1900

Photographer’s studio head clamp, before 1900
Iron
Amon Carter Museum of American Art Archives

Until the 1890s, when electric light became more widely used, studio exposures were generally five to ten seconds. To keep sitters still, photographers often propped them from behind with carefully hidden head clamps. Napoleon Sarony, widely considered the father of artistic photography in America, took the extra step of using adjustable iron supports to hold the outstretched arms and legs of his subjects.

The Trade

The great challenge for photographers in the latter half of the nineteenth century was not to attract customers, but to get them to return. Inexpensive and sold by the dozen, cabinet cards solved that problem, solidifying photography’s central place in middle-class life.

Most photographers, especially those in small towns, built their clienteles by offering an array of backdrops and the opportunity to select from a wide range of overlays. They emblazoned the bases of their card fronts with their names and studio locations and filled the card backs with self-promotion. Though some customers complained about this advertising, it effectively built and sustained businesses.

Cabinet card portrait, c. 1867

Unknown photographer
Cabinet card portrait, c. 1867
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Three times larger than cartes de visite, cabinet cards offered photographers the ability to convey facial details and embed sitters in more elaborate settings, yet most photographers were slow to understand these new opportunities. Initially, photographers treated cabinet cards as if they were simply oversized cartes de visite, and continued to surround their sitters with lots of space and a couple of props.

Couple, c. 1888

A. A. Besaw, Bellefontaine, Ohio
Couple, c. 1888
Albumen silver prints with hand-applied color
Robert E. Jackson Collection

Color photography did not became practical until the mid-twentieth century. Before then, photographs were hand colored for added realism.

Caroline Hughes Hannum, 1889–94

Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 9, 1889 Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 10, 1890

J. W. Taylor, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 9, 1889
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 10, 1890

Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 11, 1891 Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 12, 1892

W. Francis Grubb, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 11, 1891
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 12, 1892

Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 13, 1893

W. C. Bell, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 13, 1893

Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 14, 1894

W. Francis Grubb, West Chester, Pennsylvania
Caroline Hughes Hannum, age 14, 1894
Gelatin silver prints
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Cabinet cards helped bring about a rethinking of photography. Before the introduction of this format, people generally had portraits made to record appearance and stature; now, they began to think of photographs as reflections of moments in time. In this rare extended series, the photographers changed, but the style did not. The way Caroline Hughes Hannum is framed across these cards effectively draws attention to her face and physical development.

Two groups of the same two women, 1893

William B. Pearson, Mercer, Pennsylvania
Two groups of the same two women, 1893
Collodion silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Easy and inexpensive to produce, cabinet cards allowed both photographers and sitters to experiment—and they sometimes played with photographic veracity. Here, the photographer shapes his image to show two distinct moments at the same time.

Woman with and without snow, late 1880s

George and Thomas Dalgleish, Georgetown, Colorado, and Buffalo and Sheridan, Wyoming
Woman with and without snow, late 1880s
Albumen silver prints
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Flaws that would have been invisible in smaller photographic prints were suddenly obvious in cabinet cards, making it necessary for photographers to retouch negatives. Retouching could also be used to enhance images: here, the photographers give their client the option of appearing in a dry or snowy setting. Although the snow filters down across this woman’s dress, it does not obscure her face.

Banner girl, 1880s

Rasmus Rothi and Peter H. Sanstrom, Imperial Studio, Seattle, Washington
Banner girl, 1880s
Albumen silver print
Robert E. Jackson Collection

Much like the costumed promoters who wave signs in front of businesses today, banner girls were seen outside a variety of shops in the late nineteenth century. The Golden Rule Bazaar likely commissioned this card as an additional way to publicize its operation.

Man with stump, 1880s

H. J. Corell, Eldred, Pennsylvania
Man with stump, 1880s
Albumen silver print
James S. Jensen Collection

Cabinet-card backdrops varied widely. Some showed interiors featuring grand columns, staircases, and windows, while others portrayed picturesque outdoor views. No matter the setting, believability was less important than entertainment and mood. At a time when the culture and economy of American cities were beginning to influence rural life, these backdrops invoked memories—or mythologies—of a supposedly simpler, happier past.

Cabinet card blanks, late 1880s

Cabinet card blanks, late 1880s
Cardboard
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Photographers ordered the blanks for cabinet cards in lots of one hundred or more. By the 1880s, they could choose from a variety of colors and edge styles. After purchasing the cards, they would often send them to printers to emblazon the fronts with their names and addresses, and the backs with promotional messages.

Ornamental photographic accessories, c. 1867

Edward L. Wilson and John G. Hood, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Ornamental photographic accessories, c. 1867
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Three times larger and a bit wider than cartes de visite— the leading portrait format they replaced—cabinet cards left plenty of room for props. Immediately after the cards’ introduction, leading suppliers started producing a myriad of such accessories, from ornamental vases to a wide assortment of fences, furniture, rocks, and even stone walls, all made of papier-mâché. This card was created as advertising copy by Edward L. Wilson, who, in addition to running a photographic supply house, was a photographer and the publisher of the Philadelphia Photographer.

Advertising card, late 19th century

D. B. Millard, Scranton, Pennsylvania
Advertising card, late 19th century
Engraving
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Photographic portraiture was a low-margin business, and competition could be fierce. Photographers did not shy away from handing out cards promoting quality, low cost, and guaranteed satisfaction.

Mrs. S. N. Likens, Police Matron from [Denver] Police Department, Christmas 1890, 1890

Mrs. S. N. Likens, Police Matron from [Denver] Police Department, Christmas 1890, 1890
Leather and metal album
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

The employees of the Denver Police Department each had their portrait made for this elaborate leather-bound album, which was a Christmas gift for their police matron. Her job was to help them oversee the women and children who came through the system.

Cabinets, c. 1880s

Cabinets, c. 1880s
Celluloid-covered album
Robert E. Jackson Collection

Immediately after cabinet cards were introduced, photographic supply houses began designing and selling albums and frames with specially sized slots as a convenient way to keep and organize the cards.

Wallpaper hanger, 1880s

E. R. Champion, Columbus, Ohio
Wallpaper hanger, 1880s
Gelatin silver print
Metropolitan Museum of Art, William L. Schaeffer Collection, promised gift of Jennifer and Philip Maritz, in celebration of the museum’s 150th anniversary

Occupational portraits of working-class people had been made since the introduction of photography, but the extra space provided by cabinet cards allowed far more detailed and elaborate presentations of self. Here, a wallpaper hanger poses with a ladder, brush, buckets, and rolls of wallpaper in front of a studio backdrop that—somewhat incongruously—depicts a classical column and balustrade.

Woman as bust, c. 1885

George C. Urlin, Columbus, Ohio
Woman as bust, c. 1885
Albumen silver print
William L. Schaeffer Collection

With their sitters’ agreement, some cabinet-card photographers were more than willing to transform their subjects into works of high art.

Overlays

1	Gilbert G. Oyloe, Ossian, Iowa Woman, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
2	J. LaFayette, Muskegon and Holland, Michigan Two women, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
3	Charles Quartley, Baltimore, Maryland Church woman, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
4	Oliver Howard, Manistique, Michigan Man, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
5	B. C. Kinney, Salem, New York Man, early 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
6	F. L. Blair and Richert, Mankato, Minnesota Emma Robertson, c. 1890 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
7	R. L. Snodgrass, Douglass, Kansas Isola Bell, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
8	Addison Delavan Hardin, Susquehanna, Pennsylvania Man, c. 1890 Gelatin silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
9	Unknown photographer Man, 1880s Gelatin silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
10	J. C. Sunderland, Hartford, Wisconsin Woman, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
11	Samuel Root, Dubuque, Iowa Elizabeth Bradley, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
12	Burton J. Holcombe and Charles E. Alvord, Detroit, Michigan Man, c. 1885 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
13	Charles O. Campbell, Richmond, Virginia Woman, 1890s Collodion silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
14	Unknown photographer Man, c. 1890 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
15	E. J. Christman, Waterville, Minnesota Woman, 1890 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
16	T. H. Webster, South Haven, Michigan Woman, early 1890s Gelatin silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
17	Cooley, Traveling Photographic Artist Couple, 1890s Gelatin silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
18	F. J. Wurmser, Findlay, Ohio Couple, 1890s Gelatin silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
19	Charles Stafford, Chicago, Illinois Woman, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
20	E. M. Phillips, Fairbury, Illinois Mel, Mose, and Frank Meeker, c. 1900 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
21	David R. Horton, Paw Paw, Michigan Woman, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
22	F. Goulty, Nauvoo, Illinois Mother and daughter, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
23	Allison H. Nichols, Findlay, Ohio Woman, c. 1885 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
24	W. C. Mann, Waukesha, Wisconsin Woman, c. 1885 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson

Versos

1	Dr. A. Lane, Pike, New York, New York 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
2	John Pitcher Spooner, Stockton, California 1880s Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
3	C. H. Colby, Meredith, New Hampshire 1880s Relief print over offset lithograph Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
4	Caroline Bergman, Louisville, Kentucky c. 1890 Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
5	Evans’ Studio, Granbury, Texas c. 1890 Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
6	John Buell, Geneseo, Illinois 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
7	Charles Lainer, San Francisco, California 1890 Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
8	J. M. Skelton, Delta, Pennsylvania 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
9	O. P. Press, Tiffin, Ohio 1880s Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
10	Horace M. Ollivier, Brooklyn, New York c. 1900 Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
11	Frank Boggess, Winchester, Illinois late 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
12	C. M. Elton, Palmyra, New York c. 1889 Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
13	J. L. Skrivseth, Hillsboro, North Dakota 1890s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
14	Charles Delevan Mosher, Chicago, Illinois 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
15	R. O. Helsom, Menomonie, Wisconsin 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
16	Howard Baker, Battle Creek, Michigan 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
17	J. F. Standiford, Muscogee (Creek) Nation 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
18	Wilber M. Deming, West Winsted, Connecticut c. 1890 Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
19	Charles A. Saylor, Reading, Pennsylvania 1890s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
20	James F. Ryder, Cleveland, Ohio 1880s Planographic print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
21	Henry Holler, Brooklyn, New York 1880s Relief print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
22	Charles H. Wilcox, Chicago, Illinois c. 1887 Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
23	Babberger, Atchison, Kansas 1880s Relief print Robert E. Jackson Collection
24	Heinemann, Chicago, Illinois 1890s Halftone print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson

Acting Out

By the 1880s, sitters across the United States were visiting photography studios to perform for the camera. They embedded themselves in exotic settings, pretended they were caught dressing to go out, joked around with one another, and even seemed to magically multiply within a single image. These playful challenges to the assumed veracity of photography were widely understood and enjoyed.

Then, in 1900, Eastman Kodak Company introduced its $1 Brownie camera. Immediately, the ability to take photographs was in the hands of almost anyone. The informal attitude toward photography introduced by cabinet cards was only amplified by snapshots, with images becoming far more personal and haphazard.

Inspecting a negative, late 1880s

James H. Reynolds, Burlington, Iowa
Inspecting a negative, late 1880s
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

This photographer could be inspecting his own negative or checking the work of an assistant. His decision to portray himself in a carefully staged setting, engrossed in work, suggests a kind of performance: he is a man of focus and detail.

Josie Dressed for the Carnival, c. 1895

Samuel P. Forney, Abilene, Kansas
Josie Dressed for the Carnival, c. 1895
Gelatin silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

This young woman wears a dress covered with cabinet cards, in an apparent celebration of the medium. She was likely a “banner girl” paid to wear this elaborate ensemble to a carnival as an advertisement for the photographer’s studio.

Skater, 1880s

Alfred U. Palmquist and Peder T. Jurgens, Saint Paul, Minnesota
Skater, 1880s
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

These photographers have scratched circles in the studio floor to make this medal-bedecked man’s feigned skating more vivid. The backdrop, showing one of the ice palaces that provided the centerpiece of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival beginning in the mid-1880s, adds a sense of time and place.

Tossing a ball, 1890s

L. C. Starks, Jesup, Iowa
Tossing a ball, 1890s
Collodion silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

In the 1890s, it remained difficult to capture a single moment in time. These women seem to be playing a game of toss, but none of them is looking at the ball.

Man dressing, 1890s

Edward Thomas, Bevier, Missouri
Man dressing, 1890s
Gelatin silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Photographic portraiture is a performance. How do you present yourself to the camera? This man takes that understanding to its logical conclusion, performing the act of getting ready to face the day.

Portraits of a woman, c. 1895

John R. McGarrity, Waukon, Iowa
Portraits of a woman, c. 1895
Collodion silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson

John R. McGarrity may have read about or even seen early versions of photo booths being introduced in Europe around this time. By presenting eighteen versions of this woman, including one where she is clearly moving, he injects a sense of spontaneity into this inventive extended portrait.

Getting the cleaver, 1880s

M. C. Hosford, West Rutland, Vermont
Getting the cleaver, 1880s
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

Physical comedy seems to have been particularly popular across small towns as a form of amusement, perhaps reflecting the prominence of vaudeville. In the photographic studio, sitters emulated slapstick performances they might have seen on stage. As modernity extended to these places, social mores gave way to individualism and public character was replaced by personality and momentary diversion. Cards like these make it easy to forget that a mere twenty years earlier, most people were nervous about getting their portraits made, and were often upset by the results.

George Moore and Fred Howe, 1890s

Howie, Detroit, Michigan
George Moore and Fred Howe, 1890s
Collodion silver print
Robert E. Jackson Collection

Known as the living skeleton and the fat man, George Moore and Fred Howe performed across the country as a comical circus sideshow. They created their routine in response to doctors’ recommendations that they each increase their exercise—one to gain weight and the other to lose it—but they perfected it as a means to both travel and make money.

Me and myself, late 1880s

Page, Emporia, Kansas
Me and myself, late 1880s
Albumen silver print
Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

In 1869, Boston photographer William H. Mumler was taken to court for depicting what he claimed were the spirits of the dead. But a few years later, Americans were no longer surprised or bewildered by such experiments with photographic truth. One popular deception was to photograph someone multiple times in the same setting.

Sharing Life

1	Charles L. Griffin, Scranton, Pennsylvania Toddler with dog, c. 1892 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas The introduction of faster film emulsions and electric light in the 1890s made it easier to photograph toddlers and pets, leading to a fad for light-filled cards like this one.
2	William A. Fermann, Stoughton, Wisconsin Baby, c. 1888 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
3	W. A. Wilcoxon, Bonaparte, Iowa Baby, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas The mass production of consumer goods in the late nineteenth century led to a broad expansion of the middle class and a related desire to show off the trappings of economic comfort. Here, a baby is photographed sitting on a scale rather than in its mother’s lap.
4	Julius Caesar Strauss, St. Louis, Missouri Man with baby, 1892 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
5	W. A. White, Wilson, Kansas My First Baby Friend Tompie and His Pet, 1896 Collodion silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
6	William Henry Cobb, Albuquerque, New Mexico Toddler, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
7	Morrill [and] Lowell Three-and-a-half-year-old girl, n.d. Albumen silver print William L. Schaeffer Collection
8	Samuel Logan, Fargo, Dakota Territory Willie Poten, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
9	C. H. Wareham, Freeport, Illinois Boy, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
10	Halsted and Kehm, Sioux Falls, South Dakota Sisters sharing photographs, late 1880s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas These two girls humor the photographer as they pretend to look through cabinet cards that presumably show their family and friends.
11	F. J. Nelson, Anoka and Lindstrom, Minnesota Catch of Seth Owens, July 25, 1894 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
12	McLain, El Dorado, Kansas Family meal, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
13	W. O. Towns, Lewistown, Pennsylvania Boy in wheelchair, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
14	H. L. Austin, Berlin, New York Family dog, late 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas It was not unusual for people to commission portraits of their pets, but the dog in this image appears particularly pampered: sprawled across a settee before a country lane backdrop, the pet seems to radiate a life of comfort, economic well-being, and leisure.
15	A. M. Nikodem, Chicago, Illinois Cat, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
16	G. Mandeville, Lowville, New York Man, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
17	Perry Daniel Werts, Iowa City, Iowa Graduate, c. 1900 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas Cabinet cards documented all stages of life, creating a linearity of existence that paved the way for twentieth-century snapshot albums. This woman’s pose reflects the rise of educational opportunities for women.
18	C. H. Wareham, Freeport, Illinois Blind woman, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
19	T. J. Grigsen, Terre Haute, Indiana Family, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas Americans’ embrace of cabinet cards in the late nineteenth century coincided with an increasing idealization of home and childhood. This family has chosen to display their domestic harmony by photographing their children and dog.
20	George W. Parsons, Pawhuska, Oklahoma Territory Ni Wala, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
21	Morris, Oxford, Nebraska Man, c. 1900 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
22	Mills, Middletown, New York Woman, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection Though informality was widely accepted in photographic portraiture by 1890, sitters rarely smiled for the camera. This photographer may have used electric light to cut the exposure to a second or so, then coaxed this woman into presenting a relaxed demeanor.
23	Woodhead & Wood, Farmington, New Hampshire Woman, c. 1885 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
24	Thomas Lenhart, Allentown, Pennsylvania Wedding party, c. 1896 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
25	L. M. Melander & Brothers, Chicago, Illinois Wedding portrait, c. 1890 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
26	J. Katdy, Pomona, California Friends, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
27	D. D. Upson, Hampton, Iowa Two women, 1880s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
28	F. J. Nelson, Anoka, Minnesota Domestic Bread, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
29	O’Neil, New Bedford, Massachusetts Postman, late 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
30	J. S. Fonfara, Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts Waitresses, c. 1890 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
31	Frederick W. Jorns and William L. Harrod, Girard, Illinois Family, 1890s Gelatin silver print James S. Jensen Collection
32	Baumann and Parker, Crawford, Nebraska Barber and customer, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas In some images, it is difficult to tell if the sitter visited a studio to get a portrait made or the photographer carried his or her equipment out to the sitter’s home or workplace. This sitting may have been initiated by the barber, his customer, or both.
33	C. F. Voigt, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Carpenter, late 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
34	E. W. Cook, Albany, New York W. A. Forbes family store, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
35	Harlan P. Goodman, Whitewater, Wisconsin Banner lady for W. Grove, blacksmith, late 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
36	J. Starr, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Doctors, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
37	Unknown photographer Butchers, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas One would never know looking at cabinet cards that the 1890s was a decade filled with financial panics, strikes, and dislocations for Americans. Despite such uncertainties, individuals like these butchers took pride in their work and commemorated it in photographs.
38	Reed I. Case, Antigo, Wisconsin Telegraph-line worker, 1890s Collodion silver print Metropolitan Museum of Art, William L. Schaeffer Collection, promised gift of Jennifer and Philip Maritz, in celebration of the museum’s 150th anniversary
39	H. A. Moore, Elma, Iowa Telegrapher, 1890s Albumen silver print William L. Schaeffer Collection
40	Theodore E. Peiser, Seattle, Washington Newspaper editor, 1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection
41	W. F. Barnes, West Randolph, Vermont Man with euphonium, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
42	Unknown photographer Soldier, c. 1898 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
43	P. H. McAtee, Marshall, Missouri Photographer with his chemicals, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
44	L. R. Phillips, Saguache, Colorado George Norris, 1888 Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
45	Houghton & Saxe, Plainview, Minnesota Woman with photography album and journals, c. 1894 Collodion silver print James S. Jensen Collection
46	Unknown photographer Painter, 1890s Albumen silver print William L. Schaeffer Collection
47	Spencer Miller, Rochester, New York Roller skater, mid-1880s Albumen silver print Robert E. Jackson Collection In the mid-1880s, people began showing off their hobbies in cabinet cards, demonstrating how central photography had become to American life. It also indicates the rise of leisure time.
48	F. A. Place, Chicago, Illinois Hats, 1910s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
49	John Albert Hawkins, Mansfield, Ohio Lawnmower, c. 1890 Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
50	Unknown photographer Two boys with deer, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
51	H. W. Calendar, Springfield, Ohio Hunter, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
52	G. A. Werner, Marquette, Michigan Sharing photos, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
53	W. R. Arnold, Watertown, Dakota Territory The Renowned Gallagher Family, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson The sign, valises, and half-smiles in this image make it clear that these sitters are in total control of the photographic game. Their goal, besides making a family record, was to have fun.
54	Josiah Freeman, Nantucket, Massachusetts Friends on an outing, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
55	O. F. Waegan, Burlington, Kansas Sharing watermelon, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas Cabinet cards were often sold by the dozen, encouraging people to commemorate even casual gatherings through the medium. Here, the photographer skillfully frames the messy activity of eating watermelon with a comfortable sense of order, gaiety, and even elegance.
56	Unknown photographer Three men drinking beer, 1890s Albumen silver print Metropolitan Museum of Art, William L. Schaeffer Collection, promised gift of Jennifer and Philip Maritz, in celebration of the museum’s 150th anniversary
57	Will Cundill, Maquoketa, Iowa Sharing the paper, 1895 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
58	R. R. Carter, Basil, Ohio Woman, early 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
59	F. A. Webster, Oakland, California Woman in coffin, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
60	Ingalls, New Vineyard, Maine Memorial portrait, 1880s Albumen silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas, gift of Robert E. Jackson
61	Frank E. Willis, Middletown, Connecticut Deceased man, 1890s Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
62	J. M. Brigham, Plainwell, Michigan Family, July 21, 1895 Collodion silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas
63	Atkinson Family in parlor, 1890s Gelatin silver print Amon Carter Museum of American Art, Fort Worth, Texas

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