Development of this site continues to proceed very slowly, as I continue to work on my ‘other project’ — I had intended to wait until the site was up to describe that project, but you’ve wheedled it out of me. It is a site for antiques and collectibles. Membership is free and members will be able to post comments, images and videos about their favorite items, or even offer items for sale. There will also be a directory of shops and dealers. The tricky part is, I have divided the field up into about 300 categories, like Blue Willow china or Automatons or Antique Furniture. I’m programming the site so that members will be able to select whatever sub-set of those 300 categories are of interest to them, and see only material relevant to those categories of interest. Of course I’ll let you all know the location when it is online.
So, since antique and collectible photographs will be one of the categories, I’m sure everyone reading this site will be interested in that one. Here on this blog I have been adding more photograph posts lately, hope you like them.
Here are Novembers stats:
2011 Nov 30
85358 Photographer records [820 increase]
2364 Digital Images archives [29 increase]
1324 Pending Images collection [181 increase]
835 Dated Photograph Imprints from 681 photographers [no increase]
26 Pages Dating Old Photographs (132k) [no increase]
Stuart Osborne in Liverpool
This charming portrait of a smiling young boy reminds me of a young Jerry Mathers (Leave it to Beaver). This boy is identified on the back as Stuart Osborne, aged 3 yrs 5 months. There is another name scrawled lightly in front of this ink inscription, possibly Louri or Lowri. Stuart is wearing a sailor suit, with an anchor on the collar. The image was probably taken in the 1890s.
The photographer imprint shows Mowll and Morrison, 45 Hardman Street and 5 Myrtle Street, Liverpool. From the map it looks like those addresses could be adjacent, since Hardman street turns into Myrtle, so that address is probably a single studio – it would not make much sense to own two studios within a block of one another. That assumes the street numbering was different than it is now, as current maps show those two locations about a block apart.
Wherever they were located, Mowll and Morrison had one of the nicest imprints on the back of their cabinet cards — as the above illustration shows. Three women, I assume representing The Three Muses, though they do not match the classical muses. The central figure is mounted on a chariot and holds a staff with flame at the top, a clear sun reference, as the horses carry her across the sky. On the right another woman, one breast bared, holds a painting or drawing, and so refers to art. The woman on the left has something in her hand, I guess it could be a scroll, and so represents the literary arts. Or she might be the only one who represents one of the classical muses, Clio, the muse of History.
The Philadelphia Peace Jubilee, October 28, 1898
Here again we have one frame from a stereo pair. The photograph is by B L Langley, and the stereograph was published by Keystone View Company. The card title shows:
9430 – The Civic Parade and Court of Honor, Peace Jubilee, Phila., Pa., Oct. 28, ‘98.
The Peace Jubilee was organized to celebrate the end of the Spanish American War, and the return of the soldiers. The event took place over several days, from October 25th through the 28th. This was on the last day, when local citizenry could parade in their fraternal, religious and business groups and bands. The preceding day there was a military parade, originally scheduled for the 26th, but delayed a day by intense rainfall.
At least some of the soldiers felt less than honored to be there. One wrote these lyrics, to be sung to the tune of When Johnny Comes Marching Home:
“We went to the Philadelphia Peace Jubilee,
Hurrah, Hurrah!
But divil a thing did we get to see,
Hurrah, Hurrah!
We got nothing to eat and marched all the day;
When the parade was over they shipped us away;
We’ll all be marched to death –
When Company D comes home.”
