Lot # 411: c.1880's Helen Dauvray Ward (John Montgomery Ward's Wife) Falk Studio Cabinet

Category: 19th Century

Starting Bid: $100.00

Bids: 0 (Bid History)

Time Left: Auction closed
Lot / Auction Closed




This lot is closed. Bidding is not allowed.

Item was in Auction "Summer, 2024 Premier Auction",
which ran from 9/12/2024 4:00 AM to
9/28/2024 9:00 PM



Beautiful Falk studio cabinet featuring an alluring image of Helen Dauvray.  Dauvray's 1887 wedding to John Montgomery Ward was covered in the New York Times, where it was noted that it was Dauvray and not Ward who was the more famous of the celebrity pair.  Dauvray's love of baseball was similarly documented; as a regular attendee of Giants games, she was the namesake of the Dauvray Cup, the championship trophy awarded each year between 1887 and 1893, effectively the first World Series trophy.  The cut was first won by the 1887 Detroit Wolverines, but after the 1893 season, the Boston Beaneaters, per the rules established when the cup was created, became permanent owners of the Dauvray Cup after winning the championship in three consecutive seasons.  By then, Dauvray had divorced Ward and lost interest in baseball, so the replacement cup was provided by William Chase Temple and became known as the Temple Cup.

Despite the beauty of the photo, the cabinet carries a technical grade of FAIR due to Dauvray's name being written on both the front and back of the mount.  Some corner wear is evident, along with some foxing along the left border.  None of the wear detracts from the beauty of the image in any way, however.