Preliminary identification
Photo reference
1 uploaded photo
Overview
This is a classic late Victorian cabinet card portrait featuring an elegantly dressed young woman sporting a luxurious fur stole, a matching muff, a striped wrap, and a stylish tilted hat. Photographed by the prominent Chicago portraitist Max Platz, it captures the high-fashion aspirations of the Gilded Age middle class.
Story
In the late 1800s, Chicago was booming, and visiting Max Platz's studio was a major social event. This fashionable woman wore her finest winter furs to project wealth and sophistication to her social circle. It was the original social media profile.
Maker / Origin
Max Platz was a highly regarded German-American portrait photographer active in Chicago during the late 19th century. Operating from his studio on North Clark Street, he built a reputation for capturing the city's elite, theatrical performers, and fashionable middle class with artistic lighting and natural posing.
Condition & Value
The cabinet card is in very good antique condition with light edge wear and minor toning consistent with age. The image remains sharp with good contrast and minimal fading. Excellent preservation of the albumen surface keeps the value toward the higher end of the standard range.
Full Research
Sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance pulled from recent auction results.
Build on this identification
Layer in sold comps, value drivers, and venue guidance.
Comparable demand stays strongest where maker, originality, and venue confidence line up. Broader examples still trade, but the range tightens quickly when provenance, condition, or selling lane fit is missing.
Best Venue
Specialty auction or a focused dealer with buyers already in this lane.
Signed example with light edge wear and original frame.
Comparable format with stronger provenance and cleaner surface.
Smaller related piece with visible craquelure and trimmed margins.
Period match with softer condition and weaker subject matter.
Close market lane comp with similar material and presentation.