Figure 1.-- Here we have a cabinet-card portrait mother with her six stair-step children. They look to be about 2-13 years of age, five boys and a girl. The cabinet card is not dated, but we can tell it was taken in the 1900s, probably about 1905. There are several clues. The portrait is on a new-style mount which became common at the turn-of the-20th century. In this case the bottom studio format is in a different style and the card is slightly larger (5 x 7 in) than was the case in the 19th century. The color of the mount was also one of the new colored moints, in this case a light browm. The clothes also help date the portrait, most notably wide-collar blouses. Also notable is that the children are barefoot. Children commonly went barefoot throughout the 19th century, but for some reason they almost always dressed up in shoes and stockings for a studio portrait. For some reason in the 1900s, we suddenly see children posing barefoot for portraits, especially in the South. We have no explanation for this sudden and short lasting phenomenon. Also we see two younger boys wearing dresses, a long-esablished convention that was declining. The studio was R.M. Storey in Rusk, Texas.

Here we have a cabinet-card portrait mother with her six stair-step chilfren. They look o be about 2-13 yers of age, five boys and a girl. The cabinet card is not dates, but we can tell it was taken in the 1900s, probably about 1905. There are several clues. The portrait is on a new-style mount which became common at the turn-of the-20th century. In this case the bottom studio format is in a different style and the card is slightly larger (5 x 7 in) than was the case in the 19th century. The color of the mount was also one of the new colored moints, in this case a light browm. The clothes also help date the portrait, most notably wide-collar blouses. Also notable is that the children are barefoot. Children commonly went barefoot throughout the 19th century, but for some reason they almost always dressed up in shoes and stockings for a studio portrait. For some reason in the 1900s, we suddenly see children posing barefoot for portraits, especially in the South. We have no explanation for this sudden and short lasting phenomenon. Notice that the portrait here sems to be from a low-end studio, based on the very basic set. Also we see two younger boys wearing dresses, a long-esablished convention that was rapidly declining.

Created: 6:34 PM 12/30/2014
Last edited: 6:34 PM 12/30/2014