Colorado in the 1890's
Locals and visitors to our Colorado gallery will appreciate this collage of six vintage cabinet card photographs of Colorado Springs and its surrounding areas, dating to the 1890s. The six photographs capture views of glorious natural vistas for which Colorado Springs is so well known- the Three Graces at the Garden of the Gods, Ute Pass in Manitou Springs, the Narrows at Williams Canyon, Pillars of Hercules, Seven Falls, and Cheyenne Canon.
A style of photograph first introduced in 1863 by Windsor & Bridge in London, the cabinet card is a photographic print mounted on stiff card stock. The Cabinet card got its name from its suitability of display in parlors, especially in cabinets. It was a popular medium for family portraits and landscapes and many cabinet cards were mailed to friends and family living afar or abroad. Cabinet cards reached their peak of popularity in the 1870s through the 1890s. They continued to be made into the 1900s, albeit less frequently, once traditional postcards became popular.
The cabinet cards in this collage were published by W.E. Hook View, Stationery and Book Company. Between 1877 and 1881, photographer William Edward Hook (1833-1908) traveled and captured scenic vistas throughout Montana and Wyoming, from his home base in Missoula. He then moved to the Pikes Peak area of Colorado Springs and set up his photography studio. Early cabinet cards of his are stamped on the verso with his address "W. E. View Stationary and Book Company, 27 South Tejon St., Colorado Springs, Colorado" and advertise both photography supplies and development, give a list of popular photographs, and boast over "2000 Photographic Views of Colorado scenery, Artistically Colored to Choose From."
Looking for more Colorado antiques? We also have a fantastic collection of vintage Colorado maps, like our large 1904 “Nells Topographical Map of the State of Colorado” and the smaller 1925 “Colorado” map by L.L. Poates, as well as a 38-star American flag celebrating Colorado statehood, and a fun United Airlines Colorado travel poster depicting the Garden of the Gods.
