African Americans have made extraordinary contributions to the history and culture of the United States as part of the nation and apart from it. This month, Auction Finds presents “28 days (Plus 1)” of this collaborative history. The additional day is intended to break Black history out of the stricture of a month into its rightful place as an equal partner in the history of America. Each day, I will offer artifacts culled from the auction tables and my research, along with the stories they hold.
Feb. 23, 2022
Black people defined themselves through cabinet cards
Cabinet cards were photographs mounted on thin cardboard. They were very popular starting around the 1870s and into the early 1900s, peaking in the 1880s. Folks would primarily dress up in their best clothes, make their way to a photographer’s studio and pose for photos, either individually or as a family. Then they handed out the cards – measuring 4 ¼” by 6 ½” – to family and friends.
Black people were among those who sat for photographs at studios near where they lived. These photographs showed that they, too, could wear their best garments, and stand poised and proud in front of the camera as distinguished-looking people not as tattered stereotypes. Read the full story.
