Have a Seat, Ladies.

 

"If you please, Miss, you may sit
here at the chaise longue
for your photograph."

"Thank you, I do feel a bit weak at the knees."

"Now if the young lady
will arrange herself at this chair,
I will adjust the camera."

"How's this?"

"Many of our young patrons
find this a very handsome chair
to sit for their portrait."

"Well, it is quite pretty,
but I'd really like my instrument
to get the attention." 

"Our studio offers several choices in chairs, Fräulein.
Which would you prefer?"

"I think this one will do nicely.
There's something about its shape I like."

Skilled photographers know that the key
to a fine portrait is getting their subject
comfortably settled and relaxed
to capture the best of their personality. 
For a musician though,
including their instrument in the picture
requires extra attention
to balance lighting and focus.
When it's done right
the effect can be magical.

Today I present
four elegant cabinet portraits of young women
posed with their musical instrument.

Each one an example of beauty
and camera artistry.

 

My first musician is a clarinetist posed at one end of an fine upholstered chair or settee. She leans over it with her instrument while dreamily gazing upwards to her left. She wears a white formal gown with puffy shoulders and short sleeves. 

Her cabinet photograph was taken by the Putnam Studio of 462 Broadway in Chelsea, Massachusetts, north across the Mystic River from Boston. Putnam was noted for producing many portraits for Boston's society people. On the back is a wonderful dedication from the young woman. 

With best wishes
L Lillian Lutz
Jan 30, 1899
42 Cunard St.
Roxbury  Mass.

Lillian's address on Cunard St in Roxbury is on the south side of Boston, not far from Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and Northeastern University. Her name appears in the 1880 U.S. Census for Charlestown, Massachusetts with her father, Philip Lutz, and mother, Ellen E. Lutz, showing she was born Lena Lillian Lusk on 1 November 1876. That would make her age 22 in this photo. 

Unfortunately, like many Americans born in this era, Lillian's life spans the terrible 20 year gap between the 1880 and 1900 census records caused by a terrible fire in January 1921 at the U.S. Department of Commerce building in Washington, DC. Consequently there are few records from those decades of Lillian's family. The only thing I could find from the 1890s was her mother, Ellen Lutz, listed as "widow of Philip" in the 1899 Charlestown city directory.

Boston, MA Globe
21 January 1899

Her father Philip Lutz worked as a "baker", though not necessarily operating his own bakery. Sadly I found his death notice in the Boston Globe reporting that he died at home on 19 January 1899, just a week before Lillian signed her portrait. This may explain her choice of pose and wistful expression.    

A few years later Lena Lillian Lutz found her way to California, possibly as a member of a Boston Ladies' Orchestra on tour in San Francisco. In January 1904 she married Gerald Groesbeck of New York in Oakland, California with who she had four children. She died in Connecticut in 1973 at age 96.  

* * *

My second musician is another female clarinetist who chose to perch on the arm of an elegant renaissance chair. She wears a formal white dress, too, but in a more demure style without inflated shoulders. She also wear rimless glasses which, while not uncommon in this era, presented the photographer with a lighting challenge to avoid unwanted reflections. 

That photographer was Purdy Studio of 146 Tremont Street in Boston, Massachusetts at "The Richmond" block, which is opposite the historic Boston Commons park. It was a favorite studio for Boston's elite to have a fine portrait taken as well as a production shop that supplied entertainers, politicians, and celebrities with multiple photo prints for promotional and commercial use. On the back this young woman signed and dated her photo.

Oct. 15, 1903
"Feathers"
Clara Akeroyd 

Clara Beatrice Akeroyd was born in Boston in 1880, the daughter of Evans and Mary Akeroyd. In the 1880 census Evans, age 22, was a professional musician and he and his family were living with his older brother Vincent Akeroyd, age 31, who was also a professional musician. Both were immigrants from England who found lots of musical work playing in bands and orchestras in Boston's thriving theater district. 

However finding Clara's name in the 1880 census at age 5/12 uncovered an unexpected genealogy puzzle. Her uncle Vincent Akeroyd and his wife, Mary E., also had a daughter, age 2, named Clarinda Beatrice Akeroyd. So which Clara was my clarinetist? 

Using clues from newspapers reports and family trees on Ancestry.com I found that in December 1905, a Clara B. Akeroyd  married Joseph H. Saltsman, an attorney, and that they settled in Cleveland, Ohio. But that wasn't a full confirmation. Her cousin, Clarinda B. Akeroyd, seems to have never married, worked as a nurse in WW1 and made it a career serving in the British Red Cross. She lived a long life reaching age 81 on her death in January 1961. But for all I know, Clarinda once played a clarinet, too. 

  

Cleveland, OH Plain Dealer
24 March 1909

Clara B. Saltsman died in March 1909 and Boston newspapers ran notices that her memorial service would be held at the home of her father, Evans Akeroyd. She was survived by her husband and a son. But it was not enough to confirm which Clara is in my photo. Then I found a very small notice of her death in a Cleveland newspaper.

Wife of Lawyer Dies.

    Mrs. Clara B. Saltsman, wife of J. H. Saltsman, attorney, with offices in the Beckman building, died at her home, 3193 W. 25th st., shortly after 7 o'clock last night, after a brief illness. Mrs. Saltsman was formerly a member of the Boston symphony orchestra. 

Evans Akeroyd was a talented clarinet player whose name appears in many reports of band and orchestra concerts in the Boston area from 1880 to his death in 1920. His brother Vincent played violin, viola (even naming one daughter Viola Akeroyd), and altohorn, and also taught music at his home. But Evans seemed to concentrate only on clarinet, and may have played in the Boston Symphony Orchestra, too, perhaps as a sub or extra.

However, I think this simple addition to Clara's report refers to her work in one of Boston's women's orchestras, of which there were several professional groups that played in the Boston area and toured the country. They were not so large as full symphony orchestra but they did perform regularly as professionals.  


[On a side note, Clara Akeroyd's clarinet is unusually long. The common versions of clarinets are the short E-flat, the standard length B-flat, and the slightly longer A clarinet used in orchestras. Clara's is about 2 inches longer, possibly in the unusual key of G. I checked with my clarinet colleagues in my orchestra who confirmed it is too long and not an instrument design that is familiar to them. It might be a basset clarinet, an instrument for which Mozart composed his Clarinet Quintet in A major, K.581 and Clarinet Concerto in A Major, K.622. In any case, I think it is the kind of rare instrument that only a professional clarinetist like Evans Akeroyd might own. And one he would give to his favorite student to play.]

* * *

My third musician is a cornet player casually seated on the corner of a rattan chair. She too wears a white gown with larger puffy shoulders and short elbow-length sleaves. Her face also has that faraway gaze with a hint of a shy smile.    

She left her name and, curiously, her family relationship on the front. 

Your Daughter    Anna

Her full name was Anna K. Burroughs and she was from Marysville, Kansas where she was born in 1870. I have found Anna in a photo of a Boston ladies' orchestras that toured the Midwest in 1898. The photo included a roster of its members so that is how I learned her surname. Anna had previously played as cornet soloist of a celebrated Kansas ladies' military band in Kansas, starting in 1889 at age 19. 

Her cabinet photo was taken by Burkholder & Owens studio of Ashland, Ohio. Though she did not leave a date I believe it was taken in 1898-99 while on tour with this ensemble. I believe Anna Burroughs has a connection to several other portraits of female musicians in my collection, all with a connection to Boston, too, so I will reserve her full story for when I tell about this Boston women's orchestra. 

* * *

My last musician is a young violinist who sits relaxed in fine decorative rattan chair. Wearing a white shirtwaist with a high collar and a dark skirt she looks directly at us with a calm, confident air. Unfortunately she did not sign this photo so her name in unknown, as is the date of her sitting. My best guess is 1898-1900.

Her cabinet photo was taken at Rudolph's Studio at 957 Milwaukee Ave, in Chicago, Illinois. The owner of the studio was Louis Rudolph, and according to a reference I found online he operated his shop on Milwaukee Avenue from 1892 to 1900. Evidently he was rather proud of it as the back of this cabinet photo has a wonderful illustration of the building.

It looks rather narrow, perhaps situated between other larger buildings on the block. Just above the ornate top cornice is a curved nameplate with RUDOLPH and above the ground floor windows is Louis - Rudolph. Lettering on the upper widows advertiser his price for photos—12 cabinets and a life size crayon $4.75; Cabinets $2.00 per dozen; Children's pictures a specialty. At the entrance is an octagonal kiosk showing examples of his photo work. Sadly the building and address are no long visible in Chicago. But the quality photography that Mr. Rudolph created was preserved and gives us an appreciation for Chicago's musical culture.

This is my contribution to Sepia Saturday

where summer days can last as long as you like.