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Antique Edwardian Celluloid Photo Button — Columbia Portrait Co. Chicago, Mother & Child Sepia Portrait

$45.00 Only one available

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Edwardian (1901–1910) Photographic image transferred onto non-corrosive tin backing, sealed beneath convex celluloid dome covering, sepia-tone finish, circular maker’s stamp on reverse Very Good
HDRA-VR-0002
This captivating antique celluloid photo medallion is a window into Edwardian-era family life, produced by the Columbia Portrait Company of Chicago sometime between 1900 and 1910. Beneath its gently convex celluloid dome, a sepia-toned portrait captures a tender moment: a young mother in a high-necked white blouse with lace choker collar and delicate pince-nez glasses holds her baby, who is dressed in a flowing white christening gown. Her hair is swept up in the fashionable Gibson Girl style of the period. The Columbia Portrait Company was founded in 1893, the same year as Chicago's legendary World Columbian Exposition, by Thomas J. Ogara, Thomas J. Durkin, and C.M. Stumcke. The company pioneered a mail-order photographic service: customers sent their treasured family photographs to Chicago, where the images were transferred onto non-corrosive tin and sealed beneath a protective convex celluloid covering. Three finishes were offered — Steel-Tone, Sepia, and hand-painted watercolor. By 1919, the company claimed over two million buttons graced homes across the United States and Canada. The firm operated for nearly half a century before closing around 1940. This particular example is rendered in the warm sepia finish and retains its circular maker's stamp on the flat tin reverse. At just under six inches in diameter, it is the standard large-format size these companies produced — substantial enough to serve as a meaningful display piece on a mantel, bookshelf, or curio cabinet. A poignant keepsake from a vanished era, curated with love for The Vintage Rose Boutique.
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Antique Edwardian Celluloid Photo Button — Columbia Portrait Co. Chicago, Mother & Child Sepia Portrait

Circa 1900 – 1910

Edwardian Celluloid Photographic Portrait, American

The Columbia Portrait Company was founded in 1893 in Chicago — the same year as the city's legendary World Columbian Exposition — by Thomas J. Ogara, Thomas J. Durkin, and C.M. Stumcke. The company pioneered a mail-order photographic service: customers sent their family photographs to Chicago, where the images were transferred onto non-corrosive tin and sealed beneath a protective convex celluloid covering. Three finishes were offered — Steel-Tone, Sepia, and hand-painted watercolor.

By 1919, the company claimed over two million buttons graced homes across the United States and Canada. The firm operated for nearly half a century before closing around 1940. These celluloid photo buttons were how ordinary American families preserved and displayed their most important portraits in the decades before affordable framing became widespread.

This example captures a young mother in a high-necked white blouse with lace choker collar and pince-nez glasses, her hair swept up in the Gibson Girl style, holding a baby in a flowing white christening gown. The warm sepia finish and the gentle convexity of the celluloid dome give the portrait a luminous, almost three-dimensional quality that flat photographs can't match. The maker's stamp on the tin reverse remains legible after more than a century.

Materials Photographic image transferred onto non-corrosive tin backing, sealed beneath convex celluloid dome covering, sepia-tone finish, circular maker’s stamp on reverse
Care Celluloid is brittle with age — don't flex the dome. No water, solvents, or chemical cleaners; celluloid reacts with many substances. Keep away from heat and direct sunlight. A plate stand or shadow box works well.
From the Research Archives
vintagerose.us Catalog No. HDRA-VR-0002 • February 2026

Specifications

Dimensions
N/A
Weight
0.5 lbs
SKU
HDRA-VR-0002
This captivating antique celluloid photo medallion is a window into Edwardian-era family life, produced by the Columbia Portrait Company of Chicago sometime between 1900 and 1910. Beneath its gently convex celluloid dome, a sepia-toned portrait captures a tender moment: a young mother in a high-necked white blouse with lace choker collar and delicate pince-nez glasses holds her baby, who is dressed in a flowing white christening gown. Her hair is swept up in the fashionable Gibson Girl style of the period. The Columbia Portrait Company was founded in 1893, the same year as Chicago's legendary World Columbian Exposition, by Thomas J. Ogara, Thomas J. Durkin, and C.M. Stumcke. The company pioneered a mail-order photographic service: customers sent their treasured family photographs to Chicago, where the images were transferred onto non-corrosive tin and sealed beneath a protective convex celluloid covering. Three finishes were offered — Steel-Tone, Sepia, and hand-painted watercolor. By 1919, the company claimed over two million buttons graced homes across the United States and Canada. The firm operated for nearly half a century before closing around 1940. This particular example is rendered in the warm sepia finish and retains its circular maker's stamp on the flat tin reverse. At just under six inches in diameter, it is the standard large-format size these companies produced — substantial enough to serve as a meaningful display piece on a mantel, bookshelf, or curio cabinet. A poignant keepsake from a vanished era, curated with love for The Vintage Rose Boutique.

Details

  • Antique celluloid photo medallion, circa 1900–1910
  • Produced by Columbia Portrait Co., Chicago, Illinois
  • Sepia-tone photographic portrait of mother and child
  • Convex celluloid glazing over non-corrosive tin backing
  • Circular maker's stamp on reverse: "Columbia Portrait Co Chicago"
  • Approximately 5 15/16" diameter
  • No easel or hanging hardware — displays beautifully on a plate stand or shadow box

Condition

Very good antique condition for a piece over 115 years old. Some foxing and age spotting visible on the celluloid surface, primarily in the upper left area and scattered across the lower portion. Fine crazing present in the celluloid consistent with age. The photographic image beneath remains clear and well-defined with warm, rich sepia tones. Flat tin backing is intact with legible maker's stamp. No chips, cracks, or structural damage to the celluloid dome.

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