Toolemera Press

Cyanotype Print Photograph: C. BITTNER, WOODSVILLE, PRINTER.

Photograph. Cyanotype Print C. BITTNER, WOODSVILLE, PRINTER. Interesting image of a turn of the century printer. As this is an oval cyanotype print, my guess is that it was a trial printing of an image to be used in a magazine or book. Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Bremer, Ilion NY Printers

Photograph Labeled: Bremer, Ilion, N. Y. c1890. A very unusual group photograph of print shop workers. Judging by the clothing and the type of image, my guess is c1890. I asked Toby Hall of the EAIA to take a look at this image in order to identify the people and... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Three Shipwrights.

Photograph: Cabinet Card Three Shipwrights. At least that is my current guess. The photograph came from the New Jersey coast. These three fine looking gentlemen are wearing matching coveralls, spiffy hats and holding the tools of their trade. The gent on the left is holding a mallet and what appears... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Shipwrights, Ship Hull. Location - New England c1880?

Cabinet Card print of Full Plate Tintype Shipwrights, Ship Hull. Location - New England c1880? The small right angle black areas at the bottom two corners of this print indicate that this was originally a full plate TinType. Someone saw fit to make an Albumen print at Cabinet Card size.... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Shoe Factory, Assembly Floor. c1885.

Photograph: Cabinet Card Shoe Factory, Assembly Floor. c1885. When I found this image, it was in even worse shape. Lots of gentle cleaning and the image came up to snuff. This is one of those great 'spur of the moment' images that contains a wealth of information. If you know... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: LEATHER OR HARNESS SHOP INTERIOR.

Photograph: Cabinet Card LEATHER OR HARNESS SHOP INTERIOR. Cabinet Card. Judging from the bales of leather on the floor and the pile of what appear to be either belts or harness straps... this is the shop of leather workers of some sort. How's that for an educated guess? Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: KISTLER, IOWA MILLWORK SHOP.

Photograph: Cabinet Card KISTLER, IOWA MILLWORK SHOP. Cabinet Card. All I know is that this was labeled Kistler, Iowa. "Father". I don't know which one is Father. This looks like a millwork shop to me. There's a heavy commercial surface circular sander, bandsaw, table saw, lathe and one mitre box... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Shingle Makers

Photograph: Cabinet Card SHINGLE MAKERS ?. Cabinet Card. Perhaps the photographer had had too much to drink that afternoon? The workers and the shack all decided to lean over at the same time? My guess is that these fellows are shingle makers, judging by the form of drawknife they are... Read more →

CDV Carte De Visite Photograph: MAN HOLDING LUMBER RULE.

Photograph: Carte de Visite MAN HOLDING LUMBER RULE. CDV. What the well dressed lumber yard employee wears to work. From the photography shop of Napoleon Sarony, 680 Broadway, N. Y., a particularly famous photographer. Read more →

Stereoview Photograph: NORWEGIAN UP & DOWN GANG SAW MILL. c1910.

Photograph: Stereoview NORWEGIAN UP & DOWN GANG SAW MILL. c1910. Stereoview, A particularly interesting view of a turn of the century Norwegian gang up and down, or vertical saw mill.The card itself is actually quite bowed due to the effects of humidity and the expansion of dissimilar materials. Read more →

Tintype Photograph: SAWMILL. Quarter Plate Tintype c1870.

Photograph: Tintype SAWMILL. Quarter plate Tintype. My guess is c1870. Although fairly damaged by corrosion and other suface degrading, this is still a fascinating image. I beleive this is a steam driven sawmill. It's very unusual to find a closeup of a sawmill. Most often, tintypes and cabinet cards of... Read more →

RPPC Real Photo Post Card: 7 WOODWORKERS SITTING IN A HUGE PILE OF WOOD SHAVINGS. c1904-1918.

Real Photo Post Card 7 WOODWORKERS SITTING IN A HUGE PILE OF WOOD SHAVINGS. c1904-1918. One of my favorite Real Photo Post Cards. I examined the image under magnification but could not make out what they made. There is a stack of cut lumber in the outside shed, a man... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Pattern Maker Shop c1890

Photograph: Cabinet Card Pattern Shop. c1890. Cabinet card. There is an incredible wealth of detail in this one card. At some point in time the photograph was remounted on plain card stock, making it a little difficult to pinpoint the date. Judging by the electrical wiring and the bicycle, my... Read more →

CDV Carte De Visite Photograph: 3 MEN HOLDING FOUNDRY PATTERN RAMMERS.

3 MEN HOLDING FOUNDRY PATTERN RAMMERS. CDV . Hand tinted CDV of three men holding long handled rammers. A rammer was the tool used to compress the sand in the mold box. Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: WOODTURNER AND A MOST PECULIAR LATHE. C1860

Photograph, Cabinet Card WOODTURNER AND A MOST PECULIAR LATHE. C1860, Another small albumen print, Cabinet Card. At first I thought that this image included a small dog or cat sitting on the lathe. Close inspection revealed what may be the most imaginative piece of machinery design in history. Note the... Read more →

CDV Carte De Visite Photograph: Woodturner Belt Driven Lathe c1870

Photograph, CDV (Carte de Visite) WOODTURNER AT HIS LATHE. c1870. A little large for a CDV, but still a small albumen print on a CDV style mount. Unusual image of a wood turner at his lathe. In the background you can make out a post mounted drill press. Both the... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Carriage or Wagon Shop c1900

Photograph, Cabinet Card: CARRIAGE SHOP. c1900. Cabinet Cards. Four views of the interior and exterior of a carriage shop. Finished products, men at rest, happy men at the anvil and two proud men with their felloe boring machine. That machine must have cost a pretty penny. Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Willie The Wheelwright c1900

Photograph, Cabinet Card "WILLIE". c1900. Cabinet Card. The only annotation on this set of cabinet cards is the name 'Willie". From the looks of it, Willie was a small town, one man wheelwright shop. No fancy machinery, no patented anything. Simple user made jigs fulfilled the basic needs of a... Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: Wheelwright Shop 1881

Photograph, Cabinet Card WHEELWRIGHT SHOP. May, 1881. Cabinet Card. Yup, that is exactly what the sign on the shop says: "Wheelwright Shop". And it's dated on the back. Nothing left to the imagination or guesswork on this one. Read more →

Cabinet Card Photograph: My Grandfather; Thomas A. Miller; Expert Wagon Maker; In his shop at Jewell, Kansas.

Photograph, Cabinet Card Entitled: "MY GRANDFATHER". Cabinet card size image. This is one of those rare, fully identified photos that combines a great image with detailed information. "My Grandfather; Thomas A. Miller; Expert Wagon Maker; In his shop at Jewell, Kansas. Prior to 1913; 7Th Pennsylvania Cavalry Co. E.; Everett... Read more →