Mrs J. Bell of Torrington – Cabinet Cards

Here’s something photographic that’s not quite…. photographic?

I’m having a clear out at the studio and I found these that I’d bought a while back as photographic ephemera.

Blank Cabinet cards from the studio of Mrs J. Bell, 4 South Street, Torrington, Devonshire.

I’ve never seen blanks before. I suppose they just got binned when they went out of fashion, whereas those with photographs pasted on have been kept in circulation.

Mrs Bell is mentioned in Kellys Directory. From the Devonshire section of 1902. I haven’t been able to find any reference to her before that yet.

There seem to be a few Women Photographers local to her, which begs the question why don’t we see more evidence of them? I found this blog dedicated to the theme.

So I then had to go and buy an example of her work of course….

I’ve kept two of each blank and have put the rest in my “Ebay” box to sell on in pairs.