CDV Photo - A Girl In White

I relisted this photo as an auction today.  It has been around for awhile, first as an auction, then store inventory, then fixed price (no more store inventory).  It was ending shortly, so I thought I'd try it as an auction again and give it some more life. 

I think it is an interesting expressive photo.  The girl, looks to be early teens, is in profile, looking slightly down.  Her arms are folded, and there is a ring on the 3rd finger of her left hand. 

There is no writing on the photo - no identification, no photographer information, nothing to tell you who this person was or where she came from.   Based on the way the physical cdv looks though, we think it is from the 1880s-90s era. 

It's one of those photos I look at and wonder about.

Click on the title to go to the listing in our eBay store.

Philip Eden, University of Wisconsin, Class of 1872

There is a bit of information about this person written in flowing penmanship on the back of this CDV; his name, Philip Eden, and the fact that he was a graduate of the "Class of '72 (that would be 1872).  The photographer's information is also there, one N.P. Jones of Madison, Wisconsin.

So I googled Philip Eden, Class of 1872, and I found some interesting information.

There is a Philip Eden listed on Page 110 of the University of Wisconsin Madison 1872 class album, with a short handwritten biography.  Some of the information they recorded are things no one today would think to put in a college year book, and some of it I found odd.  And it was all written in that wordy, cumbersome & formal 19th century style.

Here are some interesting facts about Mr. Philip Eden, represented in the picture above.  He was 27 years old when he graduated from college:

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  Born March 5, 1845, Mineral Point, WI
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  He was 5 feet 6 inches tall, weighed 136 lbs
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  He was well porportioned
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  He had a Grecian nose
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  He had a gentlemanly manner, with eloquent speech
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  He possessed some fortitude
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  He had no particular field of study
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  His favorite Poets: Milton, Whittier & Burns
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  His favorite Novelist: Dickens
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  His favorite Historian: Macaulay (Yikes!! I actually read Macaulay when I was in college to try to get a feel for 19th century views of European History)
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  He was a Republican
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  He favored tarrifs for collecting revenue
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  He was a Methodist, and did not use tobacco or spirits
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  He had a "medium" mind
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  His personal expenses were about $250 a year
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  At 17 (that would have been 1862) he learned the capentry/cabinet making trade
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  He also taught school
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  He entered the University of Wisconsin in the Fall semester of 1869
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  He was also a member of a fraternity, but I could not read the writing

In 1862, when Mr. Eden was 17 and learning capentry, there was a widespread and bloody civil war being fought in the USA, and he would have been of prime military age - but there is no mention of any military service.   I'm fairly certain that had he served in the Union Army it would have been noted, he would have considered it a high honor (after he was out, of course, probably anything but, while he was in, I speak from some experience) - I'm wondering how he managed to avoid it.

Its not every day you find this much information about someone in a random 19th century photograph.  I find it facinating.

Circa 1880s CDV of a man from Sing Sing, NY

This is a CDV portrait (about 2 1/2 X 4 inch albumen print mounted on cardboard) of a rather stern looking fellow from the late 19th century.  Based on the thickness of the cardboard, the semi-elaborate graphics on the back and the round corners, we feel this is at least from the 1880s, possibly 1890s.  If I were expert on clothing styles, I might be able to be more exact.

Printing on back indicates photographer was a C. Smith of Sing Sing, N.Y.  It's possible (even probable) that the gentleman in this picture was a local citizen.

Click on the title if you're interested.

CDV Two Women of Goteborg Sweden - with phone number

This is a CDV of two women from Goteborg Sweden.  The photo was taken by Alfred Back, who was a "Fotographi Atelier".  His address is listed as Goteborg, Sodra Hamngatan 59,  Platen Forvaras, with a telephone number of 5274.

We believe that a Radisson Hotel is now located at or near that address.  

Telephone service began in Sweden in 1877 - so this photo was taken after that.  This is the only CDV we have with a telephone number on it. 

The back has very ornate graphics - and that usually indicates a CDV from the 1880s-1890s. 

Click on the title to go to the listing, if you're interested.

CDV Apenrade Germany (Apenraa Denmark)

This is a CDV of a woman with books. The photographer was J. H. Door, and the location was Apenrade, Beim Nordermarkt.

Apenraa is located in Denmark. It was occupied by Germany from 1864 to 1920, and renamed Apenrade. This picture was obviously taken during that period, most likely in the 1880s-90s.

A little bit of history. Interesting.

Click on the title to go to the listing.

UPDATE: Sold!

CDV - A little 19th Century Men's Fashion

This is a carte de viste (cdv) photograph of a man with HUGE mutton chops. There is no writing on the card to give a hint of the photographer or location. We estimate the date to be 1880's at the earliest, because the backing is thick and the corners are rounded.

Men liked their facial hair in the 19th century, and this person might win a prize at the local fair's mutton chop contest.

Click on the title to go to the listing, if you're interested.

Charlotte Bronte CDV Circa 1870 (we think)

The image to the right is a Carte de Viste (CDV), which were very popular in the mid to late 19th century. These were usually photographs, and people would give them to each other - sort of like calling cards I guess. What is a little different about this one is that this is an illustration, not a photograph. I'm not sure of the process used to actually put this illustration on paper and affix it to the cardboard backing, it could be photography was involved, but I doubt it.

Anyway, we've figured out that this is Charlotte Bronte, and this is from a famous portrait of her. She died when photography was in it's infancy, and I'm not sure if she ever had her photo taken.

CDVs usually measure about 2 1/2 X 4 inches, and this is pretty close to that. You can date them by the thickness of the backing, square corners vs round corners, and the ornateness (or lack of ornateness) of any photographer information on it. Sometimes you get lucky and someone has written a date on it. This one has no such info tho. We believe this one is from the 1870s or so, but it's just an educated guess.

Click on the title to go to the listing if you're interested.