When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Offered for sale is a remarkable late 19th-century Victorian padded photo album complete with a collection of antique cabinet cards, cartes-de-visite, and portrait photographs. This historic piece provides a wonderful genealogical snapshot, centering heavily on the Runkle, Johnson, and Spelman families of Urbana and Mingo, Ohio, with additional connections to Omaha, Nebraska.
The album features a charming padded chromolithograph front cover depicting playful cherubs and fairies surrounded by floral garlands, secured by an original working metal latch. Inside, the pages showcase ornate gold-stamped filigree borders holding historical portrait cards. Notable photographic studios represented include Wilhelmi & Chowning and W. M. Bhinger on Miami Street in Urbana, Ohio, J. P. Graham (Fine Art Studio, Monument Square, Urbana), and Rinehart and Heyn in Omaha, Nebraska.
Many of the portrait mounts and cards feature authentic handwritten pencil inscriptions identifying family members such as Ida Runkle, Aunt Meg Runkle, Lewis Runkle (noted as age 74 in July 1898), Mother Johnson with granddaughter Nellie Von Runkle (born July 1892), and Carrie Runkle\'s parents (Mr. and Mrs. Spelman).
This album is a fantastic collector\'s piece for local Ohio history enthusiasts, antique photography collectors, and family genealogists. Please review all provided photos for a detailed look at the condition and specific contents of the album.
