Category Archives: People

Old Photo of S.S. Northwestern

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Old photo, circa 1920s.

Price:  $25.00             Size:  About 5 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/4″

The S.S. Northwestern – a cargo and passenger ship running the Alaskan Coast

This one was found in a bin of loose photographs at a paper fair or antique store. No writing on the back and, at the time of looking through said bin, no potential relations stood out; none that would noticeably link themselves to this item, though they well could have been there. Knowing this, when singling out one photo to take home, there’s always that feeling of – possibly separating the poor individual from its home group. An integral portion of some family’s story is now being orphaned (sob!). Well no, not orphaned really, but adopted out. And then there’s always the flip side with its mysterious forces at play:  “One is better than none and if I don’t get this one, who will?”  In these situations, you can almost feel your purchase automatically opening a door (somewhere in the universe) with someone in the future finding the item (in delighted discovery), and relaying info to us such as, “My great-grandfather worked on that ship,” or “I have relatives that traveled up to [such-and-such] on this ship.” …..Back to the blank reverse, probably most of us have that tendency – to not take the time to put anything on the back. No judgement – it can definitely be tedious, and with all good intentions, often gets put off till “later.” And dealers (thousands of pieces passing through their hands) cannot realistically be expected to document where their acquisitions have come from. (Though once in great while you get lucky.) Fortunately, with this photo, we at least have the ship’s name which clearly shows. Here’s a crop, and I believe that’s a woman standing there – appearing for us just below the name and above the cargo in the netting. (Click to enlarge.) We’ll estimate the time-frame to be the 1920s, just due to the look of the clothing styles.

Source:  SS Northwestern. n.d.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Northwestern#/media/ File:S.S._Northwestern_moored_in_Seward,_Alaska.jpg (accessed July 16, 2024).

More of Mayme E. Myers or Unknown

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Three photos. Photographer(s):  Unknown. Sizes as noted include the cardboard matting.

Prices:  $15.00 each or $40.00 for three or $50.00 for all four (includes prior post photo).

About the possible name:  This is the same girl from our prior post. That photo has writing on the back that shows, “Mayme E. Myers.”  However, there are two women in that one but only the one name, so we can’t say for certain that this is Mayme. All four were found in an antique shop in Monterey, California. 

Size:  About 4 and 3/8 x 6 and 1/4″    Circa 1890s.

The subject of our photo above, at around thirteen years old. This one has a sticker on the reverse from the antique shop where it was found, (not naming names) which shows “1852.” Really, this was not from that time-period. For one, (no need to look for additional proof) there’s no doubt that she’s the same person in both the prior posting and the three on this page – this after comparing facial features and ear shape. (Just mentioning this sticker with “date” for a potential buyer and as a caution to anyone buying old photos that have a date affixed by the seller.) I’d estimate the date as circa 1890s – fashion-wise, with all the ruffles, the large sleeves, the grand bow in back, and that excellent hat with its high ostrich plumes. (Enlarging the photo, you’ll notice the two-heart pin at the neckline – rather adorable.)

Size:  About 4 and 1/4 x 6 and 3/8″      Circa 1900s.

Above, the second in this set. I think she’s a bit younger here than in the next one, and it’s another stunning shot. (She’s a beautiful girl and very photogenic.) If you enlarge the image, note that the curl that’s been allowed to drape on the shoulder seems to have fabric covering its upper portion. Unless this was altered in the photo process? Definitely possible, as it turns out there were modifications to this photo, read on to the end.

Size:  About 4 and 3/8 x 6 and 5/8″       Circa 1900s – 1910s.

Above, the third, our “Updo Girl.” I’m calling her this now in my head, after recently discovering a great movie on You Tube, called Detroit Unleaded. Check it out if you have the time. It has absolutely nothing to do with these photos and is just a phrase from the film – but fitting for her hairstyle. Enlarge to see the details on the beautiful lace blouse she’s wearing. As for the difference in skin-tone in this one compared to the others (especially the earliest) something was different in the photographic process – note the above’s slightly reddish hue. If these were modern-era photos we’d be talking about “white balance.”

Photo modification……

And having scrutinized the second photo, I’m compelled to show how it appears to have been retouched. The “dots” don’t appear to be dirt marks on the photo. The bodice of pleats with its soft polka dots looks very natural. But above that, more dots. Those look “off” or, at least, some do. Really, the full neckline trim is inconsistent – soft and flowery on our left and tighter, sort of knotted on our right. And then, we can see more telltale signs of retouching – the “scratch marks” as noted by the arrows. The changes were likely done while the image was still a negative, though “later on” they could be applied directly to the photo. We’ll get into some details on this extensive subject in an upcoming post, as time permits. But, see the last two sources below for more info.

Sources:  Hull, Rob. November 30, 2017. “White Balance:  100 Years of History.” https://thephotographeronline.com/inspiration/white-balance-100-years-of-history/. Accessed July 1, 2024.

Sears, Jocelyn. July 28, 2016. “How Photo Retouching Worked Before Photoshop.” https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/83262/how-photo-retouching-worked-photoshop. Accessed July 4, 2024.

Complete Self-Instructing Library of Practical Photography. Vol X. American School of Art and Photography. Scranton, Pennsylvania. (1909).  (Google.com book search).

Mayme E. Myers and Unknown

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Oval family photo on cardboard. Circa 1900 – 1910s. Photographer:  Mowrey.

Price:  $15.00               Size including cardboard mounting:  About 3 and 1/2 x 5″

Two lovely young women have posed for this family photo, wearing striped blouses trimmed with high necklines, and with the upswept hairdo popular in the Edwardian Era…..

Wow, it’s too bad that both names were not written on the back. We don’t know which one is Mayme, and we also don’t know, for sure, if Myers was her maiden name. I’m wondering if these two might be sisters. See the next post for three more studio-type photos of the woman on our left. And, it looks like there are too many possibilities to be able to locate Mayme in records, especially since Mayme or Mamie was sometimes a nickname for Mary.

As for the photographer, searching under the surname Mowrey, nationwide, from 1900 – 1920, three possibilities were found. Hopefully someone will be able to identify Mayme which will point us to a photographer location. In any case, the following may be of help: 

Harvey Allen Mowrey in Ashland, Ohio. Ran his own studio as of 1901.

William H. Mowrey, longtime photographer in Newport, Rhode Island.

Walter Emmert Mowrey.  Kansas native, active in Kearney and Custer County, Nebraska. Several newspaper articles show up for him. He also worked out of Salt Lake City, Utah 1909 – 1911. Died in Santa Cruz, California.

Lastly, it’s always possible he was none of the above. Since we’re not sure, we won’t go to any great lengths in sourcing the above; various records found were viewed from the list below:

Sources:  Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

Various census records and a family tree via Ancestry.com.

Newspapers.com. 

Findagrave.com.

Couple in Traditional Costumes, Maybe Greek

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Publisher info darkened in Photoshop……

Miscellaneous Card, deckled edge. Copyright 1948. Unknown publisher.

Price:  $5.00

It seems I’ve picked up a lot of cards in the past that likely have little or no resale value, and I’ve been going through some of these (some years later, now – how easily time gets away from us!) but still, it’s always a bit of a thrill, just to see what path you get led down, and the thoughts that ensue.

So for this one:  It’s postcard size but not a postcard, something made for tourists, and with publisher or photographer info on the back – in English, mostly too light to read, except for “Copyright 1948 by”. The next line looks like initial “N” for the given name, and the surname appears to begin “Z-O-G-R-A….” Zographos is a possibility, though the name looks like it ends in N-O-S. The third line is really difficult to read – I keep seeing Hermes, but ha, no, that was one of the Greek gods.

Looking at the shepherd’s clothing for more clues for country of origin, the man’s very wide sleeves and trouser style are similar to some images showing in my Google search result for Greek shepherds, below:

And, currently I’m reading (again) Mary Stewart’s, My Brother Michael, (set in Greece, if you’re not familiar). Her description of an old man, “……beneath it he wore what looked like white cotton jodhpurs bound at the knee with black bands” caught my attention. (Just a small serendipity moment.) I didn’t find a match for our shepherd’s footwear, nor for the woman’s outfit; she, so pretty in long print dress with heavy pleats, large sleeves also, with embroidered border. She’s serving the man a small glass of something, maybe ouzo or mastika. Of course, it’s all totally staged, and too, there’s something about the photo, you kind of get the impression that some of the background was blanked out (they did that sometimes, took out something that didn’t fit). But that’s all just part of the moment – the photographer’s process and the man and woman getting paid to represent a “regional type”.

Sources:  “Images of Greek shepherds in folk costume” Google.com search. Accessed 06/05/24.

Stewart, Mary. (2010). My Brother Michael. Chicago Review Press, Inc. (1959).

Going A’ Milking in Corning, California

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Divided back postcard. Postmarked August 17, 1909 from Corning, California. United Art Publishing Co., New York, New York. Printed in Germany.

Price:  $12.00

A happy couple, the man carrying his wife on his shoulder, crossing a stream to get to their cows.

The sender wrote:   “Dear B. J:-   Geo. has gone back to Mexico[?] and my good times are [?] for a while. Jim expects to come up this month some time but don’t know whether there will be any thing to go to or not. Aunt L – is in the City which I presume you know – Aunt M. is not feeling well but think we can manage until Aunt L – returns. Love to all – Joe.”

Ah, 1909, where did you go? This was back in the day when we used the dash after the colon for punctuation (  :-  ) instead of just either/or. (It was the norm; I’m not sure when it changed.) And maybe it’s just me, but I feel like it’s also back in the day when the physique on the husband (in this postcard design) didn’t have to be perfect – just whatever, normal. (Is it just me?) Anyway, a pretty typical postcard for the sender’s remarks – reports of the comings and goings, the social scene expectations, and who is not feeling tip top. George, we imagine, has gone back to do some more mining in Mexico. (Totally my imagination, of course, but I’ve seen this before.) Joe probably works a farm, Auntie L and M are doing the housework. A good life (we hope) in Corning, California.

Addressed to:   “Miss Ethel Chittenden, Box 127 R. F. D. #1, Los Angeles, Cal.”

Ethel M. Chittenden, was born in California in 1887, daughter of Albert Hawley Chittenden and Mary Lucelia (Atwell) Chittenden. A mention in The Corning Daily Observer, dated September 9, 1909, coincides with the postcard’s address:

She married Normal H. Schammell in September of 1910.

Sources:  Corning, California. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corning,_California (accessed May 16, 2024).

Find a Grave. Find a Grave®. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

The Corning Daily Observer, (Corning, California). September 9, 1909, Thursday, p. 8. (Newspapers.com).

The Corning Daily Observer, (Corning, California). September 29, 1910, Thursday, p. 1. (Newspapers.com).

Norwich CT Roller Skating Rink Trade Card

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Trade Card, Norwich, Connecticut, 1877.

Price:  $50.00           Size:  About 2 and 5/8 x 4″

On the front, by an unknown artist, an illustration based on the popular fictional story of Paul and Virginia (Paul et Virginie), by author Bernardin de Saint-Pierre, published in 1838, which takes place on the tropical island of Mauritius.

On the reverse:   “Norwich Roller Skating Rink, Burdick’s Hall. Grand Skating Exhibition, Friday Evening, March 2nd, by Miss Minnie Claflin, of Worcester, Mass. Music by Tubbs’ Brass Band. Admission, 20 Cts. Skates, 10 Cts. Exhibition at 9 o’clock. C. A. Dunn, Manager.”

Roller skater, Minnie E. Claflin, was born October 1864 in E. Greenwich, Connecticut, and was the daughter of George H. Claflin and Hannah (Hill) Claflin. She married Waldo S. Babcock on October 19, 1882. Minnie died at age 35 of tuberculosis. (So sad to hear). But as a skater, she’s mentioned in an article appearing in The Boston Globe, dated August 2, 1882. Here’s a portion of the article:

Minnie’s marriage date, along with the calendars for the years when March 2nd fell on a Friday, date this card back to year 1877. (The next time March 2nd fell on a Friday was 1883, when Minnie was no longer a Miss.) And it seems to be a rare trade card – no others have been found online for this Norwich, CT skating rink.

Burdick’s Hall – According to some pages from an old document, “Norwich Skating Rink Archive Indentures,” viewable online at Antiques Atlas, this building was actually St. Giles Hall, built 1870 – 1873, designed by the architectural firm Burdick & Arnold. In 1876, the structure and premises were sold to a Mr. Warner Wright who then developed the location into an indoor roller skating and outdoor ice skating rink, under the company name, The Norwich Skating Rink Co., Ltd. So, our trade card indicates the hall was, at least for a time, known locally as Burdick’s Hall (after local architect, Evan Burdick). How nice that the building is still in use today as Norwich City Hall and is on the National Register of Historic Places:

Tubbs’ Brass Band – Charles W. Tubbs, obituary below, was a well-known and respected musician and the band leader for Tubbs’ Brass Band for many years. From the Norwich Bulletin, August 30, 1912:

Last, but not least, C. A. Dunn, listed as manager at the bottom of our trade card, was possibly Charles A. Dunn, who shows up in Norwich city directories for 1881 – 1883 as a clerk, working at the Union Square Hotel.

Sources:  Paul and Virginia. Library of Congress. (https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666976/).

New England Historic Genealogical Society; Boston, Massachusetts; Massachusetts Vital Records, 1840???1911. (Ancestry.com).

Ancestry.com. Massachusetts, U.S., Town and Vital Records, 1620-1988.

“Children’s Reception.” The Boston Globe, August 2, 1882. Wednesday, p. 4. (Newspapers.com).

“Norwich Skating Rink Archive Indentures.” Antiques Atlas. (https://www.antiques-atlas.com/antique/norwich_skating_rink_archive_indentures_a370/as167a370). Accessed April 16, 2024.

Norwich City Hall (Connecticut). n.d. Wikipedia. (Accessed April 16, 2024).

“Obituary. Charles W. Tubbs.” Norwich Bulletin, August 30, 1912. Friday, p. 7. (Newspapers.com).

“Evan Burdick”. Year: 1870; Census Place: Norwich, New London, Connecticut; Roll: M593_114; Page: 460A. (Ancestry.com).

Stedman’s Directory, Norwich 1881. Vol. 21, p. 70. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

Stedman’s Directory, Norwich 1881. Vol. 23, p. 74. Ancestry.com. U.S., City Directories, 1822-1995.

Katheryn Earhart, Elizabeth’s Best Friend

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Old photo, circa 1920s – 1930s.

Price:  $15.00             Size:  3 and 3/4 x 5 and 13/16″

Semi-profile portrait of a smiling young woman in hat and dark-colored satin or silk blouse, identified on the back as Katheryn Earhart, Elizabeth’s best friend:

Katheryn has a love of hats, I think. This one is wide-brimmed and was accessorized by wrapping the crown in a scarf with braid applique – a dramatic effect – the dark braid on light-colored fabric.

A match in records for Katheryn was not found online, and we wouldn’t know for sure whether her first name is spelled correctly in the i.d. on the back, so that makes it a bit more difficult. (The hope was to find the name match and check the census records for a neighbor named Elizabeth.)

The big question for me – is this young lady an older version of our Girl in Hat from a prior post? The two photos were found at separate times. (Unfortunately, I’ve never kept a list of where each item was found. Not very far-thinking but, there you have it, though I used to remember them all when I first started this venture.) But I’ve definitely found additional photos for people at separate times in the past, so it wouldn’t be surprising.

As you can see in the link for the younger girl, she wears quite an unusual head covering, and in the photo above – this one’s a bit different, as well – put together by someone fashion-conscious, that seems pretty evident. A love of style, a love of hats. Comparing the features for the girls and allowing for their ages and the light exposure in each, they may well be the same person. (The prior post’s photo has more light exposure which could account for the eye color difference.)

Marie, Lucy and Willa Miller, Bonaparte, Iowa

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Old photo on cardboard frame, circa 1899 – 1900. Photographer:  Fahr’s Art Studio, Bonaparte, Iowa.

Price:  $30.00            Size including frame:  6 and 1/2 x 4 and 1/4″

The back contains writing in pencil and print in pen – showing two different name orders for this beautiful trio of young ladies. But we can see that the oldest child is on our right, and the “baby” is in the middle (picture the photographer’s thought process). And, in looking at the 1900 Federal Census, along with the birth records for two of the girls, we can confirm that left to right, these are:  “Marie, Lucy and Willia.” They are the daughters of Robert Hayes Miller and Bess (Cleave) Miller.

Willia Hayes Miller, or Willa Hayes Miller, as she’s named on a delayed birth certificate, was born December 24, 1892 in Bonaparte, Iowa.

Marie Margaret Miller was born January 5, 1895, in Iowa (likely Bonaparte). She was the second oldest of the girls, per their ages on 1900 Federal Census. (The exact date was found in the SSN Index record.)

The youngest daughter, Lucy Belle Miller was born December 11, 1897, Bonaparte, Iowa.

The girls had two younger brothers, twins, Rex Logan Miller and Roger Cleave Miller, born March 22, 1902.

Sources:  State Historical Society of Iowa; Des Moines, Iowa; Title: Iowa Birth Records, 1888-1904. (Ancestry.com).

Ancestry.com. Iowa, U.S., Births and Christenings Index, 1800-1999 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011.

SSN Death Index, 1935 – 2014. Issue State: District of Columbia; Issue Date: Before 1951.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/63840321/robert_hayes-miller: accessed April 9, 2024), memorial page for Robert Hayes Miller (28 Dec 1866–5 Nov 1919), Find a Grave Memorial ID 63840321, citing Vale Cemetery, Bonaparte, Van Buren County, Iowa, USA; Maintained by Jane Cockayne Weaver (contributor 48493052). (Note that some of the information for this family on Find A Grave is incorrect).

National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For Iowa, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 341. (Ancestry.com).

To Aunt Cornelia

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. Unused, dated July 24, 1913. NOKO stamp box.

Price:  $10.00

A couple in a farming community somewhere in the U. S. pose in front of what may be their home. (Note the lace curtain in the window on our right.) But if this is not their residence it could have been a public meeting house for church services. (The woman is holding a small book, perhaps a prayer book). But the main reason that we might think “church” are the two side-by-side doors on the front of this structure:  It was not uncommon for church services to be segregated, having two separate entrances for men and women. However, old homes also, for many varied reasons, sometimes were built with this two-door design. (See the link below.) Also, notable about the building is that it sits up on blocks.

As for the young couple, (hard-working farmers we imagine, perhaps newly wed) we remark on the fact that the man wears overalls over his shirt and tie. (Are we back to the church theory or is he just dressed up a bit for the photo?) Either way, its pretty charming and adds to the uniqueness of this photo postcard.

Sources:  Kibbel, III, William. “Two Front Doors.” (oldhouseweb.com). Accessed April 2, 2024.

Hand-drawn Caricatures of Ladies in Hats

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Small hand-drawn cards. Circa 1910’s – 1920’s. Artist unknown.

Price for the set:  $15.00           Size:  each about 2 x 3 and 7/16″

For your amusement, a cute and comical set of caricatures of ladies in hats. This set of cards was found in an antique store on the Central Coast of California. And, I think I’ve said it before on this website, but hats were limited only by the imagination, all designs were acceptable!