Portrait of Frances Abigail Wheeler, Age 9 Months

Photograph

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The Recorded Image Project

Name/Title

Portrait of Frances Abigail Wheeler, Age 9 Months

Entry/Object ID

RE-PH-2026-0076

Description

Formal infant portrait of Frances Abigail Wheeler, aged nine months, reclining on pillow and blanket in studio setting. Photograph taken in Lincoln, Nebraska, circa March 1896.

Photograph Details

Type of Photograph

Cabinet Card

Category

Victorian, baby

Made/Created

Studio

Kellogg & Pugsley

Date made

1895

Time Period

Victorian

Place

State/Province

Nebraska

Continent

North America

Notes

Lincoln, Nebraska, United States Studio address (printed on mount): 1043 O Street, Lincoln, Nebraska Notes about Photographer and Region: Kellogg & Pugsley operated a professional photographic studio in Lincoln, Nebraska, during the late 19th century, likely active between approximately 1890–1900. Lincoln, founded in 1856 and designated Nebraska’s capital in 1867, was by the 1890s a growing administrative, commercial, and educational center. Its population included: Government officials University faculty and students Merchants and professionals Established agricultural families Professional photography studios such as Kellogg & Pugsley served families seeking to document lineage, especially important milestones such as infancy and early childhood. The studio’s prominent location on O Street indicates a central commercial position, suggesting an established and reputable business.

Ethnography

Notes

This photograph represents late Victorian American infant portraiture during a period when photography had become an essential tool of family documentation. Infant photography significance Infant portraits held special importance during the 19th century due to: High infant mortality rates Desire to preserve early childhood memory Increasing cultural emphasis on childhood as a distinct life stage Parents frequently documented infants between 3 months and 1 year of age. Western American urban identity Lincoln, Nebraska, was part of the rapidly developing American Midwest. Photography studios played an important role in: Establishing family identity Demonstrating settlement permanence Creating visual genealogical records

Inscription/Signature/Marks

Reverse handwritten inscription: "Frances Abigail Wheeler Age, 9 mks, Weight, 11 1/2 lbs. Born June 10, 1895."

Condition

Overall Condition

Fair

Date Examined

Feb 15, 2026

Notes

Moderate fading typical of albumen prints Minor mount corner wear and compression Light surface abrasions Minor discoloration and foxing Embossed studio mark remains clear Handwritten inscription fully legible Image remains well-preserved and highly interpretable.

General Notes

Note Type

Description

Note

This cabinet card portrait, produced by Kellogg & Pugsley of Lincoln, Nebraska, circa March 1896, depicts Frances Abigail Wheeler at nine months of age. The infant reclines upon a patterned pillow and draped textile surface in a carefully composed studio setting designed to emphasize softness and vulnerability. The photograph reflects the late Victorian cultural emphasis on documenting early childhood, particularly during infancy when mortality rates remained significant. The detailed handwritten inscription on the reverse, recording the subject’s full name, age, weight, and birth date, transforms the image into a highly valuable genealogical artifact. Taken in Lincoln during a period of rapid urban and civic development, the photograph represents the participation of Western American families in the broader cultural practice of photographic self-documentation. Cabinet card portraits such as this served as enduring records of family lineage, identity, and childhood during the late nineteenth century.

Create Date

February 15, 2026