1895 Regal White Pit Bull on Cabinet Card
The Archives | 1st Edition
A project with a purpose
For nearly twenty years, I have been acquiring authentic historical artifacts dating as far back as the early 1800s. These include - photographs, engravings, newspapers, books, among others, which piece together this complicated past of pit bull dogs into a more complete and fair representation.
One of the objectives is to analyze these vintage items, and uncover evidence that provide clues about who the dogs and people associated with them are. And, by doing so, bring the deceased from yesteryear back to life.
An investigation falls short
In this inaugural entry for ‘The Archives’ blog series is a cabinet card featuring a regal, white pit bull terrier from the 1895 (circa). Unfortunately, there were no indicators present anywhere on the front or back of the card as to who the dog and/or his owner(s) were.
But, luckily, there was a significant lead found at the bottom of the image written in gold lettering of the photographer’s trademark logo. And, the date was narrowed down by a revealing, but subtle, piece of evidence…the address.
A pit bull is photographed by photography royalty
The man responsible for producing this image was none other than Edward Cary Dana, who was somewhat of royalty among photographers of the late 19th century. Born on January 16, 1852 in Watertown, MA, Edward was said to have found an interest in photography as a young boy during the American Civil War (1861-1865).
In 1876, Mr. Dana moved to Brooklyn, NY and opened his first studio at 565 Fulton St., where he quickly made a name for himself and became an accomplished photographer, and inventor of the printing processes called ‘carbonette’ and ‘ivorette’.
Due to his success, he was able to have multiple locations. He appeared to either relocate or open up to 11 times total, per the New York Public Library’s website.
According to a link on the University of South Carolina for Broadway Photographs website, Edward was recognized numerous times for his work, including receiving a gold medal for portraiture at the Photographers’ Association of America (PAA) - now called Professional Photographers of America (PPA), convention of 1891, among several others.
His third gallery opened in 1895 in at 101 Fifth Ave. in Pittsburgh, which is where this photograph was taken and why the date in the title was very specific.
According to several online sources, shortly after learning about his cancer diagnosis, Mr. Dana married a woman he’d been seeing named Ada Belle Sherman on Christmas day in 1896. Two months and a week later - on March 5, 1897, Edward Cary Dana passed away at the age of 44. He is buried at the Woodbrook Cemetery in Woburn, MA.
An Interesting Side Note: His wife, Ada, remarried a decade later to a man named John H. Koster in August of 1906. That marriage was also cut short as Mr. Koster also passed just four months later on December 17, 1906. Weird, huh?
Ada Belle Sherman (Dana) Koster passed away on November 11, 1919 at 49 years old. She is buried at the Maplewood Cemetery in Norwich, CT.
About Cabinet Card Photography
As mentioned earlier in the article, the type of photograph is called a Cabinet Card. It was first developed in the 1860s, and grew in popularity in the 1880s.
Essentially, it’s a photograph mounted on a stiff cardboard, and it got its name because they were often displayed in sitting rooms on the shelves of cabinets.
While still used until the 1920s, the popularity of cabinet cards declined at the turn of the century once personal photography became more accessible. A great summary of how to spot a cabinet card is found in this Science and Media Museum blog post – How to spot a Cabinet Card.
About “The Archives”
The Archives is a special blog series, which explores the complicated past of pit bull terriers through historical photographs, newspapers, and other vintage artifacts.
This project is part of the documentary film – Once In A Lifetime, and each item is preserved in high resolution scans of the original and made available exclusively on the Politics of Pit Bull Dogs Substack.
To view all posts for “The Archives”, go to:
https://riverfirefilms.substack.com/t/the-archives
resources:
“Death of Edward C. Dana a well known NY photographer NYC - born in Watertown Jan. 16, 1852 – in business in NY since 1875 with studios in New York, Brooklyn and Pittsburg” | Historical Society of Watertown MA (page 38)
Edward C. Dana; American, 1852-1897 - Photographers’ Identities Catalog | New York Public Library
“A native of Massachusetts and reared the son of a stockbroker, E.C. Dana’s initial schooling was that of a clerk.” | Broadway Photographs; University of South Carolina
“Edward C. Dana, a young photographer on the rise, opened his Sixth Avenue establishment circa 1885.” | Smithsonian Magazine
“Notice is hereby given to all persons having claims against the firm of DANA BUTLER, formerly carrying on business of photography under the name of DANA at No. 7 Bond Street, Brooklyn. N.Y.” Library of Congress
“Edward Cary Dana was born in 1852 in Boston, Massachusetts.” | Historic Camera
“A doe eyed beauty in lace poses for her portrait at the studio of Edward Carey Dana in Brooklyn, New York.” | Cabinet Card Gallery
Edward Cary “E.C.” Dana | Find A Grave
Edward Cary Dana | FamilySearch.org