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.
Original late 19th-century studio cabinet card photograph depicting a uniformed firefighter, photographed by Lenhart\'s Ground Floor Studio in Allentown, Pennsylvania.
The subject wears a double-breasted fire department jacket with a maltese cross badge pinned to the chest and a service cap bearing an embroidered fire emblem featuring the numeral \"8\". The reverse includes handwritten identifying notations referencing an Allentown address.
Transcriptions:
• Front Studio Mark: \"Lenhart\'s GROUND FLOOR STUDIO 131 N. 7TH ST. ALLENTOWN PA.\"
• Reverse Handwriting: \"C. Schanger\" [or Schantz], \"97 1/2 W. Allen Allentown\"
• Reverse Pencil Marking: \"#963 / $3.00\"
Specifications:
• Format: Cabinet Card Studio Photograph
• Dimensions: Approx. 4.25\" x 6.5\" per scale
• Era: Circa late 1880s–1890s
• Location: Allentown, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania
• Photographer: Lenhart\'s Studio
• Subject: Firefighter / Fire Department Uniform / Maltese Cross Badge / Fire Cap Emblem / Pennsylvania Local History
Condition:
Unposted card mount. Exhibits edge wear, corner rounding, and minor chipping along the upper-right edge. Reverse displays a distinct triangular album mounting stain, light surface scuffing, and handwriting. The photographic print remains sharp with clear visual detail on the badge, cap, buttons, and face.
RESEARCH NOTES:
Lenhart operated at 131 North 7th Street in Allentown, Pennsylvania during the late 19th century. Fire station No. 8 or Hose Company No. 8 served the growing industrial municipality of Allentown during this period.
