This is both a beautiful image, and an excellent example of the first practical color printing method, the photochrom. First popular in the 1890s, the photochrom used a photographic negative to create several identical lithograph stones, each of which were manipulated to enhance or obscure various areas, depending on the amount of the color associated with that lithograph that was wanted in the final print. Then four or more carefully registered lithographic prints were made on the same stiff paper or card stock, each using a different colored ink. The results could be, as you see here, very realistic. The process was invented in Switzerland, and hence the correct spelling is photochrom, but when adopted in the U.S.A. it was often changed to photochrome, with an e on the end to help people pronounce it correctly. The Detroit Publishing Company was the primary producer of photochroms in America, and used the process to make postcards.

The picture is captioned ‘53499. UN MULO DE LA HABANA’ and ‘Copyright 1900 by Detroit Photographic Co.’ Kind of fractured Spanish to Mexican ears, perhaps that is correct in Cuba — in English it would be ‘A Mule From Havana’ — but, at least in Mexican Spanish, mule is always referred to by the feminine mula. The Detroit Photographic Company was established in the 1890s by William A. Livingstone Jr., and Edwin H. Husher, and was joined in 1897 by the famous Western photographer William Henry Jackson (1843-1942). The name of the company was changed in 1905 to Detroit Publishing Company. This image is attributed to William Henry Jackson, and bears his wonderful sense of composition. Much has been written about Jackson’s talent, and there is no sense our repeating it all here, this image serves as direct evidence.

I am assuming ‘Haarem de Mauret’ would translate as Mauret’s Harem, though I’m not sure if Mauret is a placename or personal name. A google search on the full phrase does not return any results, nor could Yahoo do any better. The name Mauret is found as a placename in France, but the bedouin costume of the gent in the picture would look rather out-of-place in France. Also, since the photographer was known to operate in the Ottoman Empire (Turkey and surrounding area), it seems more likely the image is from that area. The caption is French, as the photographer was of French ancestry, so he probably transcribed the name as he thought it should be spelled — which means it could be very different in Arabic. Wherever it is, this is a fantastic building, with intricately worked walls, griffins, lions, twining plants and rosettes.

This is another photograph attributed to Tancréde R Dumas, but unlike our previous example (Snake Charmer), this one probably was actually taken by Dumas. He has signed it over a rock in the foreground, and the subject matter suggests it may have been from the Ottoman Empire where he was working. The image dates from 1876.

In this image we see downtown New York City, probably along Wall Street where the photographer had his studio. Flags and ticker-tape, it is a wild celebration. The photographer has written the tile on the negative: Germany Surrenders. On glance at the cars parked along the street tells us we are not talking about 1945 and Hitler’s defeat. This is the at the end of the First World War (the War to End Wars), November 11th, 1918.

The photographer was W L Drummond, who had a studio at 72 Wall street. Now, by far the vast majority of Drummond’s whose first name starts with W are named William, with Walter a distant runner-up. So I checked the 1910 and 1920 New York City censuses for William L Drummond, William Drummond, and Walter Drummond — in that order. Found carpenters and clerks, and various other occupations, but no photographers. The problem, of course, is that workers in New York could live fairly far away even in those days, and commute. A wider search on Google found a couple other references to the photographer, but gave no further clues other than an indication he was in business ‘before WWI’ or ca 1913-16 (depending whether the writer was referring to the real start of WWI or just the U.S. involvement).

In this portrait, a large family is posed in front of their modest cabin, one woman with a baby in the doorway, and elderly woman and gentleman seated in front of the door on wooden chairs (from the kitchen table no doubt) and three more children are standing about. In front of them is the erstwhile photographer with his camera on a tripod. But of course he is not taking this photograph, since he is in it. All of the family are transfixed by the other photographer and his camera, while this image captures their slightly profiled perspective.

Although similar in style to photos from the 1870s and 1880s, this image dates from about 1906. It was taken by Nancy Ford Cones, and the ‘other’ photographer is no doubt her husband, James Cones. Since James and Nancy are listed in the 1910 census for Hamilton Ohio as farmers, we have to assume this was taken early in their photographic careers, for by 1930 they have their own photographic studio in Hamilton. Nancy seems to have been the more artistic of the pair, and her images continue to be exhibited occasionally. Many of her works are images of their daughter Margaret.

Here we see what an early 20th century kitchen looked like, before there were all those electric gadgets and modern conveniences. And this is no ordinary kitchen, but the White House kitchen, where meals were (and are) prepared for large dinner parties for heads of state. On the right a gentleman sits and works at a desk, this is a government kitchen so of course there is plenty of paperwork to be done! On a cupboard behind him is a wall-clock, probably a Seth Thomas. The cupboard if full of pitchers and assorted other ceramics, but not the fine dinnerware. A large table with square legs occupies the center of the space, with a large breadboard on its marble surface, and a drawer in front slightly ajar. Behind that is a lower table with five round legs — a dinner table in most households, here it holds a large coffee grinder. To the left we see an enameled sink, and along the roof there are various water pipes exposed, and a large metal pot-hanger with many pots on it. There is an electric light fixture hanging from the ceiling too, the only electric device in sight.

The image was taken by photographer Barnett McFee Clinedinst (ca 1865-1953). His father, Barnett M Clinedinst had also been a photographer, born in Virginia about 1837, photographed in Virginia from before 1860 to after 1870, and in Baltimore MD from before 1880 to after 1890; he died before 1910. Barnett Clinedinst Jr, who took this photo, was born in Virginia about 1865 or 1866 according to the census records, thought the National Archives listing for him shows 1862. He was a photographer in Washington DC from before 1910, and later in Brooklyn New York until after 1920. In 1930, his son, Barnett M Clinedinst III (though he is listed as ‘Jr’) is listed as a photographer in Brooklyn New York.