Sullivan cabinet card - help needed?

[big80s]

I picked this up recently and didn't have any release info on it. Adam - I know you're a wonderful wealth of knowledge - do you know anything about it?



Thank you in advance!

[Exhibitman]

Well, going from your scans:

1. I believe the image is from a Wendt shoot and is 2nd generation.

2. It appears to be printed rather than photographic. Perhaps a halftone print or photogravure.

3. Looks too thin to be a true cabinet.

4. It looks very much like the 1920s "cabinets" that are shown on page 66 of the current edition of my book.

My best guess is it is from the teens or twenties. Obviously I'd know more from handling the item directly.

[big80s]

Thank you, sir! I have the 2011 edition of your book and couldn't find any images that seemed to match it.

I appreciate your insight.

[big80s]

Adam - any chance this card could be from the La Salle Hats set? Do you happen to know the size of the La Salle cards? This Sullivan card is 4.5" x 7"

[Exhibitman]

Definitely not a LaSalle Hats. The LSH cards were an eight-card set issued in a paper envelope that couldn't have fit a card of the stated dimensions and showed only lightweights.



See page 66 of the current AGBC for similar items. I picked up a couple of printed pieces from the period at the Natty:




As far as I can figure it, there was a transition from the classical albumen cabinet photos to printed items during the first 10-15 years of the 20th century. I suspect that it was purely economic--postcards and other printed items are a lot cheaper to produce than cabinet cards and gained popularity.

[big80s]

Thank you, as always, for your input Adam.