Man and boy in Denver

Click here to view it larger.

Shall we assume we’re looking at a father and son? It’s an affectionate pose. To my inexpert eye, the man’s outfit seems fairly conventional for the day, but then there’s the boy. Not only is it sweet to see him perched on a pedestal (with what appears to be a posing stand behind him), but he’s wearing an adorable high-waisted jacket with big white cuffs and a white back collar, a big bow, short pants with boots and leggings, and what looks for all the world like a curtain sash around his waist. While elements of this are things I’ve seen in other pictures, the overall look is unusual to me. This is a cabinet card with no information besides “Beebe” and “Denver” printed on the front. As for Beebe, it seems that’s John E. Beebe, who began his photography career in Chicago before relocating to Denver, where he stayed about ten years before moving elsewhere and becoming a physician and later going into advertising. Various references indicate he was in Denver in the late 1880s and early 1890s, a date range that would appear to correspond with this image.

2 comments on “Man and boy in Denver”

  1. wow, that sash and bow! And yet, his stockings are a little rumpled, and his shoes look very worn–are the soles even coming apart a little? I guess that shows he’s not too fancy to run around like any boy!


Leave a comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.