Those Places Thursday - 1860's Actress Ada Webb

For a very long time I've wanted to post this CDV photograph of a very beautiful and contemplative young woman.  This photo was taken by C. D. Fredericks of 587 Broadway, New York, 108 Calle de la Habana, Habana, and 31 Passage du Havre, Paris. My belief is that this was taken in New York City, due to information published by Benson John Lossing¹. By looking at several things including the thin green border lines I can determine this the date of the photograph as between 1863 – 1864.

The subject is unidentified, but what is quite interesting is that while perusing Pinterest just the other night I came across this photograph of two sisters and the one on the left is most obviously my subject.  I tried to no avail to trace back to the original poster in the hopes of finding more information about that particular photograph – very frustrating indeed. 

UPDATE August 2018:  This is actress Ada Webb who often acted on the stage in the 1860's with her sister Emma Webb.

In researching the photographer, I identified him as Charles Deforest Fredericks born in 1823, died 1894.  He was born wealthy, taken to Cuba as a boy and when his father’s fortunes plummeted in the crash of 1837 he was unable to attend college.  He abandoned a finance career and sought his fortune in Venezuela.  Seeking something to fall back on he took up photography, taking lessons from Jeremiah Gurney.  After a serious misadventure in in Brazil he traveled to the United States before returning to South America.  He mastered his craft then crossed the Atlantic and using the glass negative conquered Paris.  Using the image enlarger developed by Snelling he created life size portraits and make a small fortune.

He returned to New York as a celebrity and established the successful Fredericks Studio on Broadway opposite the Metropolitan Hotel which was the largest and most stylish gallery in the city.  The studio was destroyed by fire in 1875 and relocated to 770 Broadway.  Fredericks died in 1894.

¹History of New York City, (New York, Perine, 1884), 411-13.  Charles DeForest Fredericks, The Photographic Journal of America 31 (1894), 310.

Sentimental Sunday - Women With Hats - Five 1870's Parisian Women

For this week's Women with Hats you get five for the price of one!  This wonderful, but somewhat faded CDV of five young, fashionable Parisian women was taken probably in the late 1870's.  I can't even begin to start describing their ensembles, they are just too delightful!  The skirts alone of their dresses with the ruffles, trim and diagonal designs have my eyes darting back and forth over  the photo.  The woman in the rear right has on the most lovely and stylish coat.  And of course, let's not forget the hats! Each of them is wearing an entirely different hat and each is totally stylish in its own right.  

The photographer was Hermet, perhaps Joseph Hermet, who reportedly appeared on the Paris photography scene sometime around 1872. About 1875 he bought the studio of Eugène Maunoury, a well-known artist and photographer.  I unfortunately do not know French, but using Google I believe the back of the photograph says that he sells portraits in oil, watercolor and miniatures, a collection of celebrities contemporaries.