Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - 1880's (Victorian Era) Vermont Woman in Feathers & Fur

This fabulous photograph was taken sometime in the 1880's of young woman in Bellows Falls,VT.  I am always curious when I see these old photos of subjects wearing their winter coats.  I wonder why they chose to be photographed this way instead of in a lovely dress or suit. In this particular case, she is wearing what appears to be a two-toned fur coat with matching fur hand muff.  The fur scarf has dangling balls which I have never seen before.  Her hat has several things going on as well with the bill jutting out at a jaunty angle, white, wispy feathers and a satin bow at the top.  I also see some thin white things - not sure what they are - sticking out of the top of the hat.  

I think she is quite proud of her ensemble, but alas, she is not identified on the back of the cabinet card.

The photographer is Blake, Frederick Joseph Blake of Bellows Falls, VT.  He practiced his profession in that area between 1880 to the early 1920's.  He was born 3 Dec 1853 to Seth and Martha Jane Blake.  He died in Bellows Falls on 1 Feb 1923. 

Fashionable Friday - Civil War Era Vergennes, VT Woman

Unidentified 1860's Vergennes, VT woman

Today's Fashionable Friday is a little bit of a head-scratcher for me.  At first glance I was sure this CDV was taken in the early to mid 1860's.  Her dress and hair both pointed to this conclusion.  The style is very reminiscent of what was popular around 1863 as is evidenced in photograph number 2 below. Both have the low shoulder seam that was so common in that era.  It is difficult to tell from this scan that the card has slightly rounded corners that suggest a later date, perhaps 1869 or 1870.  I can only surmise one of two things; either this woman was still wearing the earlier 1860's style at the end of the decade perhaps due to the economic hardships of the aftereffects of the Civil War, or the photographer remounted an earlier photo on a newer card for the customer.  

The photographer as evidenced on the back was J. H. Stearns of Vergennes, VT.  After a little research I determined this was Joseph H. Stearns born ca 1819 in Vermont.  He is found in both the 1860 and 1880 Addison County, VT censuses married to wife Amanda.  In 1860 he listed his occupation as "artist" and in 1880 as "photographer."  Waltons Vermont Register & Farmers Almanac, 1877 listed him as one of two of the city of Vergennes' photographers.  According to this very interesting article at www.oldmaps.com he participated in mapping Vermont between 1854-1859 in "extraordinary detail" with other mapmakers.  "The results of this work were eleven large wall maps which pictured the state of Vermont in remarkable detail."  He is credited on the surface of the Addison County map as "Daguerrean Artist" J. H. Stearns and thirteen views of his photographs of local homes and businesses with names of property owners adorn the map.  I found a mention of his wife's death in 1882 in the Vermont Chronicle but nothing more of Mr. Stearns after that.

Unidentifed early 1860's woman

October 1862 Peterson's Magazine

Fashionable Friday - 1860's Montpelier, Vermont Woman

1860's Montpelier, VT Woman

This Carte de Visite shows a  lovely Montpelier, Vermont woman sitting in a chair which is a very common pose for the times.  She is wearing the typical hooped dress, belted and although difficult to see I suspect her hair his held with a snood. It's also very hard to see, but I believe she is wearing a ring on her left index finger; that seems to me to be unusual.

This CDV was taken by S. O. Hersey, Photographer, State Street of Montpelier.  Because of the revenue stamp on the back we know this photo was taken between 1864 and 1866.  I very little information on this photographer but I did find him on an IRS Tax Assesment List on ancestry.com in Montpelier District 1 in 1866.