This wonderful cabinet card photo of four young women brought to my attention something I had never heard of before - traveling railroad photo cars. According to Robert O. Brown, the Hutchings Railroad Photo Car was designed to be a traveling studio. The train car would consist of studio, dark room and sleeping rooms for the photographer and assistant. It appears Hutchings, who was headquartered in Kansas, traveled in his railroad car up and down the Kansas railroads and into Nebraska. To see what a traveling photo car may have looked like check out this webpage. In Brown's 2002 book, "Collectors Guide to 19th Century U.S. Traveling Photographers" he believes that Hutchings most likely worked from 1884 - 1889. If you do a web search you will find many photos posted with his photographer's mark and most look to be from this time period.
I would date this particular photograph more at the end of that time frame, about 1889. The uneven scalloped card edges were rarely seen before that time on cabinet cards. The girls' clothing fits the time period as do their hairstyles. The lace collars three of them are wearing are so intricate and beautiful. I also love the girl with the eyeglasses! Alas, our subjects are once again unidentified.
