Thursday, February 1, 2024

Kansas Cabinet Cards - Cities: S

Included on this special set of pages are Cabinet Card examples from just one state, Kansas. A sort of index. They are presented here in alphabetical order according to location.

Why Kansas?

In 1865, when the Cabinet Card size for photo mounts began its popularity, Kansas had only been a state for 4 years. Even today there are less than 400 towns with a population over 200. Back then, even fewer. Where a Cabinet Card carries the name of the photographer and the town where he was working, the dates of city incorporation will be one clue to the date of the cabinet card.

Cabinet Cards were so popular and well known that in some photographer’s newspaper ads of the era, they were referred to merely as “Cabs”.

Most say they eventually surpassed the popularity of the Carte de Viste format. See a brief history of the Carte de Viste.

Photographers often lived and based in a larger town and “worked” the neighboring smaller towns monthly or weekly. The passenger trains were very handy back then.

Where further information on a photographer is known, a link will be provided.

The central purpose in these pages is to help place a date on cabinet cards done by various photographers in various places. Here’s hoping you spot a card design or imprint that will help you date and identify that card in your collection.

These pages are for educational and informational purposes only. Any helpful suggestions are welcomed.

Kansas Cities, Towns, Burgs and Whistlestops in the late 19th century.

Promoting the care, understanding and collection of this unique format of 19th century photography. They are more than 100 years old. Handle with care.

Some examples on this page have been enhanced or restored for clarity and presentation here.

This page is free for educational and research purposes only but, as always, if the original owner of any of these examples objects to the use on this page, just let me know and they will be immediately removed.

Sabetha, KS
Sabetha was incorporated as a city in 1874.
photographer: E M Maynard
Sabetha, KS
example from auction site
photographer: E M Maynard
Sabetha, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Vermillion
Sabetha, KS
example from auction site
(really marginal scan)

Only one person named Vermillion has been found that lived in the right place and the right time.

Emery David Vermillion was born 1872, in Nemaha County, Kansas. Sabetha is in Nemaha and Brown County.

Saint John, KS
Saint John was founded in 1874 and incorporated into a city in 1885



Example pending
St John (KS) Weekly News - 02 Aug 1895

photographer: Mrs W W O'neal
St John, KS

Photographer: Miss O. M. Shira
Saint John, Kans
example from Lost Gallery
photographer: Victor Pautot
Saint Marys, KS
example from Kansas Memory
The Victor Pautot studio thrived in St Marys, KS from 1885 until about 1920.
photographer: Victor Pautot
Saint Marys, KS
example from Kansas Memory

photographer: H W Atherton
Salina, KS
example from auction site
photographer: H W Atherton
Salina, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Atherton
North Topeka, Eureka, Osage City, Salina
photographer: Atherton and Hopkins
Salina, KS
example from McBride Rare Books
photographer: Atherton and Hopkins
Salina, KS
example from auction site
(Atherton and Hopkins were partnered for a short time between 1892 and 1898.)
photographer: Holcomb
116 n Santa Fe
Salina, Kansas
Example from LOST GALLERY
photographer: Hopkins
Salina, KS
example from Kansas Memory
photographer: T E Hopkins
Salina. KS
exapample from auction site
photographer: F A Loomis
Salina, KS
example from ForgottenFacesForgottenPlaces
photographer: F A Loomis
Salina, KS
example from auction site
(probably finished during 1890)
Scandia, KS
The name was changed from New Scandia to Scandia in 1876, according to post office records. Scandia was incorporated as a city in 1879

photographer: Jennings
Scandia, KS
Example found on genealogy site:
Photograph provided courtesy of familyphotoreunion.blogspot.com.
photographer: Jennings
Scandia, KS
example from auctioin site
photographer: Jennings
Scandia, KS
example from auctioin site
photographer: Jennings
Scandia, KS
example from auctioin site
photographer: Jennings
Scandia, KS
example from auctioin site
photographer: Woods
Scandia, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Woods and Lewis
Scandia, KS
exam[le from pinterest
Scott City, KS
photographer: Mrs Sarah Cummings
Scott City, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Petefish and Potter
Scott City and Dighton, KS
example from auction site
Sedan, KS
photographer: J C Avery
Sedan, KS
example from auction site
Seneca, KS
Seneca was founded in 1857. It was named after Seneca County, Ohio. The first post office in Seneca was established in November 1858. Seneca grew up along the wagon route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Oregon and California. Seneca was incorporated as a city in 1870.
photographer: D H Cottrel
Seneca, KS
example from auction stie
reverse of card at left
photogapher: T H Lee
Seneca, KS
example from picclick
photogapher: T H Lee
Seneca, KS
example from pinterest
photogapher: T H Lee
Cor Main and State, 2nd floor, Seneca, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Shaff
Seneca, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Shaff
Seneca, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Shaff
Seneca, KS
example from auction site
photographer: J S Schaff
Seneca, KS
example from Critical Eye Finds
photographer: Stevens and Johnson
Seneca, KS
example from auction site
reverse of card at left
Severy, KS
Severy is a city in Greenwood County, Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 205.
Severy was originally called Gould, founded in 1879. When the Santa Fe Railway was built through the neighborhood, the name Severy was adopted in honor of Luther Severy, a railroad employee. -(Wikipedia)
photographer: Abernathy
Severy, KS
photographer: E E Van Epps
Sharon Springs, KS
example from pinterest
Smith Center, KS
Smith Center was founded in 1871. The first post office in Smith Center was established in January 1873.
photographer: Hutchings
Kansas Avenue, Smith Center, KS
example from auction site
The three Hutchings brothers established several studios in northern Kansas. Some of them only for a short time. And they also operated a railroad car studio that toured Kansas from about 1886 to 1898.
photographer: Hutchings
Kansas Avenue, Smith Center, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Hutchings
Kansas Avenue, Smith Center, KS
example from auction site
photographer: Hutchings
Smith Center, KS
example from auction site
(Note that all of the Hutchings examples shown here, have different card imprints)
Solomon City, KS
The first post office at Solomon was established in October, 1860. Solomon was founded in 1866. Solomon was incorporated as a city in 1871.
photographer: Baldwin
Probably Frederick Baldwin or his son Nereus, both having studios in Wichita, KS, later. Solomon City, KS
example from auction site
photographer: F H Feather
Solomon, KS
example from auction site
(This examile is NOT a cabinet card but close in size.)
Spring Hill, KS
photographer: C H Talbott
Spring Hill, KS
(See also Girard and Paola, KS)
example from picclick
Stafford, KS
Stafford was founded in 1878. Like Stafford County, the city was named for Lewis Stafford, a casualty in the Civil War.
Stafford was destroyed by a tornado in 1882, and rebuilt within a year. Stafford was incorporated as a city in 1885.
photographer: B F Powell
Stafford, KS
example from auction site
Photographer: B F Powell
Stafford, KS
example from auction site

According to newspaper items, Benjamin Franklin Powell was photographer in Sterling and Stafford Kansas from May 1889 to Jun of 1889 and then from August 1889 to March of 1893.

He then moves to Colorado Springs, CO, because of his wife’s health. He works for a studio there for a while and then takes up farming until his death in 1942.

Sterling, KS
photographer: I N Hobbs
Sterling, KS
(also of Beatrice, NE)
example from pinterest
Stockton, KS
photographer: G A Locke
Rooms over PO, Stockton, KS
example from RescuedPhoto
Strong, KS
photographer: N A Rice
Strong City, KS
example from the Flickr collection of mj aux
(N A Rice was featured in newspaper items Aug 1887 through Nov 1887.
He partners with D H Bays for a short time, then both leave Strong, City in Sep 1889.)

Not the one you were looking for? Here's the photographer's INDEX by name. All the Cabinet Card photographers of the 19th century found in LOST GALLERY are listed there.

This is a work always in progress.

Aditional information and New examples are always welcome. Any additional information will help narrow the time that these precious antiques were made.

All submissions should be free of glare and shadows.
Do not crop.
Leave a border around each card. The edges are sometimes an important clue to the age of the card.

Email to the address found in the profile at the bottom of this page.

Some examples on this page have been enhanced or restored for clarity and presentation here.

This page is free for educational and research purposes only but, as always, if the original owner of any of these examples objects to the use on this page, just let me know and they will be immediately removed.

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