Description
An evocative circa-1880s Victorian cabinet card showing a large family of eight – two parents and six children, including an infant – photographed by the Younge studio of Utica, New York.
The portrait is especially appealing for its unusually large family grouping and wealth of period detail. The children range from an infant to older youths, providing an excellent visual record of late-19th-century children’s clothing, while the mother wears an elaborate period hairstyle and the father is pictured in distinctive brimless headwear.
The reverse carries the photographer’s imprint:
Younge
Over Glenn’s, Franklin Square
Utica, N.Y.
Notable features include:
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Original late-19th-century cabinet photograph
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Large eight-person family portrait
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Six children, including a bonneted infant
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Distinctive Victorian clothing and hairstyles
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Elaborate studio interior and architectural backdrop
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Uncommon Younge studio imprint from Franklin Square, Utica, New York
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Strong regional, photographic, fashion, genealogy and social-history interest
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Particularly attractive subject matter compared with the more common individual cabinet-card portrait
The card displays expected age-related toning, spotting and surface wear, along with wear to the mount and corners and period/old marks on the reverse. The photographic image remains quite strong, with the family members and their clothing clearly visible.
A wonderful survivor of Victorian family life and an appealing addition to a collection of antique photography, New York history, Victorian fashion or family-history material.
Please view all the photos for the best understanding of the image, condition and photographer’s imprint.
