Figure 1.--This 1885 cabinet card features two brothers in a portrait with a seaside motif. One child, seated on a burlap 'rock' wears a white dress and appears to be holding a stick or fishing rod. His older brother holds a hoop. Note the seashell on the ground and the sailboat on the ocean backdrop behind. The boys look to be about 3-6 years old. A reader thinks he is a little older. Both boys have wide-brimmed hats. Notice that the younger boy has the hat with the widest brim. The yonger boy seems to bewearing a dress, but a very plain one. Also notice his ringlets. His older bother wears a kilt suit. Notice the small size of their bows. If the portrait had been taken a year or two later we would expect much larger bows. Notice the older boy's low-cut shoes. They were not very common. The studio G.H. Nickerson in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Note that Provincetown is misspelled, but the sudio did not send them back to the printer. Click on the image for a fuller discussion. |
