Charm, elegance, sophistication.
These are words often applied to feminine fashions,
a common feature seen in the portraits
of female musicians in my photograph collection.
Of course, except for the musical instrument, they were
no different than other portraits of women in their time
when people posed for the camera
in their most flattering garments.
These are words often applied to feminine fashions,
a common feature seen in the portraits
of female musicians in my photograph collection.
Of course, except for the musical instrument, they were
no different than other portraits of women in their time
when people posed for the camera
in their most flattering garments.
For female musicians a white dress was standard concert attire,
but capturing the delicate textures of white linen and lacework
was a difficult challenge for early photographers
when lighting the subject and
judging the camera's exposure time
was crucial to a successful photograph.
but capturing the delicate textures of white linen and lacework
was a difficult challenge for early photographers
when lighting the subject and
judging the camera's exposure time
was crucial to a successful photograph.
In the age of sepia tone photos
a musician's instrument also presented problems
for a photographer seeking the right balance of tonal contrast.
The reflection of light on the shiny bell of a brass cornet
was very different than on the dark wood of a violin.
a musician's instrument also presented problems
for a photographer seeking the right balance of tonal contrast.
The reflection of light on the shiny bell of a brass cornet
was very different than on the dark wood of a violin.
Today I present three portraits of young ladies
posed with their instrument,
the cornet.
posed with their instrument,
the cornet.
* * *
The first portrait is a postcard photo of young woman standing outdoors next to a stony hillside embankment with tall trees looming in the background. The woman wears a beautiful dress with transparent layers of gauzy or lacy material. I believe the color is white, but with black and white film it might be lemon yellow or another pastel shade. The forest setting is an unusual place for this kind of portrait, which would usually be taken in a studio with controlled light. Perhaps she has just finished performing at a city park bandstand and the photographer chose the spot for its nice balance of sun and shade.
The woman's name is written on the back.
Miss Paul, a cornet soloist
Her home is in Lehigh Co Pa
Miss Paul, a cornet soloist
Her home is in Lehigh Co Pa
And there is a rubber stamped name, possibly the photographer.
Geo. H. Webb
Columbiana, Ohio
I. P. A. No. 2618
Geo. H. Webb
Columbiana, Ohio
I. P. A. No. 2618
Unfortunately the name, Miss Paul, and her home area is not enough to establish the woman's identity. She may have played with a band, but her fine dress suggests she may have performed with an orchestra or in a recital. Lehigh County is in eastern Pennsylvania and Allentown is the county seat. My collection has enough photos of musical groups and musicians from Allentown that I've decided it was one of the most musical communities in Pennsylvania, if not America. However Columbian, Ohio is over 320 miles to the west, just south of Youngstown, Ohio. Was she part of a traveling musical troupe from Lehigh County? A new resident of Columbiana formerly from Pennsylvania? I don't know because I've been unable to find any reference to a person of that name in either place. The style of the postcard and Miss Paul's elegant dress date the photo to around 1910.
The stamped name on the postcard is easier to identify. For his entire life from 1856 to 1928, a George (Geo.) Harvey Webb lived in Columbiana, Ohio. In the 1900 census he listed his occupation as machinist. However, thanks to a descendant who provided a full family tree on Ancestry.com, I learned that his father, George G. Webb, who was born in 1821, operated a photography studio in Columbiana. After George G.'s death in 1889, his eldest son, John M. Webb continued managing the studio well into the 1920s. It seems very likely that George H. Webb also acquired skill with a camera and worked as a photographer in his spare time. The I. P. A. No. 2618 remains a mystery though. I don't think it stands for a variety of India Pale Ale, or a union local of the International Pilots Association. Maybe it's an independent photographer's association but because of the many possible interpretations for IPA I haven't discovered what it actually stands for.
* * *
My second portrait of a female cornetist is on a cabinet card from Gay's studio at 39 South Main St., Fall River, Massachusetts. This young lady and her cornet are turned in profile, an uncommon pose. Her hair is cut short and she wears a white dress with bare shoulders and arms. It's a close shot so we can't see the dress hemline but I would judge that she is in a full length gown. The photo gives her a more modern look, but I believe the photo dates from the late 1890s or very early 1900s. The photographer was Edwin F. Gay of Fall River, MA, who operated a studio with his wife from the 1870 until perhaps 1900.
There is nothing on the card back so the young cornetist must remain unknown. Nonetheless I hope one day to find her in a photo of a Massachusetts women's orchestra, as there were many that flourished there from 1890 to 1915, especially around Boston.
* * *
My third cornet player is on another cabinet card photograph, but this time from a photographer in Texas, the Wisdom Studio at 318 Elm St. in Dallas. The young woman faces the camera nearly directly with her instrument in the ready position. Her hair is curly and probably pulled back with a bow or comb. Her dress is the opposite of the previous woman, with a high collar and long fluffy sleeves with much lace. The photographer was Charles H. Wisdom, born in 1862 and active in Dallas from around 1895 to the early 1920s. Again the style of photo and the woman's hair and dress suggest this photo was made around 1895.
On the back of the photo someone has written in ink a name: Nannie L. Cumby. At first I misread the surname as Cumly, but with a change of l to b, I found a Miss Nannie Cumby in the 1893 Dallas city directory. However her name is not in the prior or latter directories. In 1911 there is a Mrs. Emma L. Cumby but I have no was of knowing if that is the same person.
The musical fashions of the late 19th and early 20th centuries fixated on romance, sentimentality, patriotism, and bombast. The clothing fashions of the same time period also represent the way people thought about art and music. Gentleman musicians were usually photographed in classic white tie and tailcoats, or in elaborate band uniforms, often decorated with medals awarded for musical merit. The ladies responded with a feminine version of style, sometimes dressed in band uniforms that imitated their male counterparts, or in elegant gowns showing off expensive material or needlework. And hats. There were always hats. Even these three women had a hat resting on a table off camera.
For both genders, no one would ever dress casual for a photograph. Informal or homey clothing was considered coarse and graceless. Even when folk costumes were worn, the effect was intended to showoff the fine embroidery of traditional garments of a native land. Though high couture fashion remains an important part of modern life and certainly of show business too, I think the casual trends in our 21st century have sadly removed some of the high standards that were once accepted as commonplace.
