Cabinet cards, initially showing landscapes, were used by portrait photographers starting in the 1870's. This slightly larger version of the French carte de visite was an alternative to photo albums because the cards could be displayed in parlor cabinets due to the thick backing used. Cabinet cards measured approximately 4 ¼ X 6 ½ and included a logo for the studio that produced the photograph.
The fictional cabinet cards I create combine both aspects of the earlier cards: landscape and portraiture. I use my own quirky, digitally informed photographic imagery to illustrate my observations of the irony and humor present in human behavior. The fictional photographer, G. Randal Logsdon, is based on my family history, which includes a Grandmother who was a portrait photographer. The imagery and logo are printed on smooth fine-art paper using pigment based inks. After mounting, the cards are aged using various techniques before a mixture of varnish and bees wax is applied. The work is signed on the back to keep the false history intact when viewing the card.
