Cabinet card photograph of Captain Bates, his wife Anna Swan, and another man for scale. Bates' wife stands on the far left, dressed in a Victorian era dress with fringe on three layers. She holds her husband's arm, and looks directly at the camera. Bates stands besides her, wearing a suit, his gaze also towards the camera. The man there for scale stands with his arms crossed, looking at the two. Photographs like this one were sold as a part of exhibitions, and in the case of performers whose claim to fame was related to their physical appearance or a developmental disability, the staging in photographs helped to emphasize their differences. This was accomplished by consciously manipulating clothing, props, the backdrop, and all other elements of the photograph in order to draw attention to their particular traits. The question of who was responsible for the staging, be it photographer, manager, or performer, varied greatly. Martin Van Buren Bates (November 9, 1837-January 19, 1919), known as Captain Bates and the Kentucky Giant was a man best known for his height. Exaggerations gave him various measurements, but the Guinness Book of World Records give it at 7 feet and 7.5 inches tall, He worked as a school teacher before fighting for the south in the Civil War. He later joined the circus, when he met Anna Swan. They married in 1871, and settled in Ohio. They had one child together. Bates died in 1919 from nephritis. Anna Swan, later Anna Bates (August 6, 1846 - August 5, 1888) was from Nova Scotia, Canada, and was known for her unusual height of 7 feet 11 inches. Her interests included literature, music, and acting, all of which helped in her employment at P.T. Barnum's American Museum, and subsequently at various circuses. She later married Martin Van Buren Bates, another tall person who worked at the American Museum,, and the couple had one child. A day short of her 42nd birthday, Bates died in her sleep on August 5, 1888. Cabinet cards are photographs mounted on card that measured about 4.25 by 6.5 inches, popular from the 1870s-1900s. They were used primarily for portraits and, like the cartes de visite before them, were considered collectables. Measures 4.5 by 6.5 inches. Photograph by Charles Eisenmann, 229 Bowery, New York. Dates to about 1868 to 1888
