Category Archives: Women

Sophia Jane (McIntosh) Blake, 1892

Posted on by
Reply

Cabinet Card, 1892. Photographer:  McIntosh & Allen. Gardiner, Maine.

Price:  $20.00               Size:  About 4 and 1/4 x 6 and 1/2″

An adorable expression…..

If the date on the back is accurate, Sophia would have been about fifty in this photo.

She has accessorized here with a brooch fixed to a white lace collar, matching earrings (though only one is visible) and that’s perhaps a lace or net-type fabric head covering with fabric rosettes making her hair look a bit shaggy. (It only adds to the charm.) I’m picturing her with a good sense of humor.

Details….

Sophia Jane McIntosh was born September 3, 1842 in Hallowell, Kennebec, Maine, daughter of George W. and Hannah (Bayer) McIntosh. She was twice married. First to George William Webber, March 25, 1858, whom she divorced in October 1867. They had two daughters, Sarah, born 1858 and Alice, born 1861. She married Jeremiah Curtis Blake July 31,1870. He was born in Maine, about November 1846, and from the 1900 Federal Census for Winthrop, Massachusetts, his occupation was policeman.

Find A Grave lists Sophia’s maiden name as MacIntosh, though other records, including her birth record and her parents’ marriage record show McIntosh. You’ll have noticed the photographer’s surname is the same – it appears he and Sophia were brother and sister. (Rather a nice find!) Sophia died August 22, 1926 in Winthrop, Massachusetts.

The photographers….

No reference was found for McIntosh & Allen, and nothing for Allen in Gardiner, or its county, Kennebec. (Turn your head sideways slightly to see catch the “&” sign!)

McIntosh was George F. McIntosh, born April 26, 1849, Hallowell, Maine; and as indicated above, son of George W. McIntosh and Hannah (Bayer) McIntosh, and sister of Sophia. He married Elizabeth Blanchard in 1872 and they had five children. Sometime between the 1870 and 1880 Federal Census’ he went into the photography business. It’s unclear whether he may have had more than one studio at a time; records show him in various cities and towns:  Hallowell, Gardiner, Augusta and Richmond Township, Maine; Laconia and Dover, New Hampshire and Lynn, Massachusetts. The 1920 census in Laconia lists him as retired, however, a Hallowell city directory in 1923 has him still working. He died June 2, 1931 in Hallowell.

One last note….

This cabinet card was found at the Cannery Row Antique Mall in Monterey, California. It’s unknown who may have given the 1892 card date and without knowing, one wonders if it’s exact or more of a guess, though the 1892 city directory does confirm Gardiner, Maine for George F. McIntosh, photographer. As for the address penciled on the back of the card:  15 Ingleside Avenue was in Winthrop, Mass on the 1910 census but was 5 Ingleside on the 1900. (Maybe an error on the earlier census or a renumbering situation on the later.)

Sources:  Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/124584840/sophia-jane-blake: accessed 28 November 2023), memorial page for Sophia Jane MacIntosh Blake (Sep 1842–22 Aug 1926), Find a Grave Memorial ID 124584840, citing Winthrop Cemetery, Winthrop, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA; Maintained by Bob McLellan (contributor 47824019).

Ancestry.com. Maine, U.S., Compiled Marriages for Belfast, Hallowell and Pittsdon, 1748-1875. 

Ancestry.com. Maine, U.S., Divorce Records, 1798-1891. 

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100617756/george-f-mcintosh: accessed 30 November 2023), memorial page for George F. McIntosh (1849–1931), Find a Grave Memorial ID 100617756, citing Hallowell Village Cemetery, Hallowell, Kennebec County, Maine, USA; Maintained by Maine 101 (contributor 47130320).

Maine State Archives; Cultural Building, 84 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333-0084; Pre 1892 Delayed Returns; Roll Number: 73. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1870; Census Place: Hallowell, Kennebec, Maine; Roll: M593_546; Page: 325A. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1880; Census Place: Hallowell, Kennebec, Maine; Roll: 481; Family History Film: 1254481; Page: 277B; Enumeration District: 096. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Winthrop, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: 690; Page: 22; Enumeration District: 1577. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Winthrop, Suffolk, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_626; Page: 1a; Enumeration District: 1691; FHL microfilm: 1374639. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1920; Census Place: Hallowell, Kennebec, Maine; Roll: T625_643; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 61. (Ancestry.com).

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

Julia Ann Johnson Peck – Bindon

Posted on by
Reply

Family Photo mounted on cardboard. Circa 1880’s.

Price:  $20.00               Size including matting:  About 7 and 7/8 x 5 and 3/4″

Note:  There is some “foxing” (the dark marks most noticeable on the right-hand side matting – an indication of mold/mildew from prior storage). This photo can always be used digitally or be reproduced by a photography studio. If purchasing, please store appropriately.

A lovely family…….but a mystery for identity

From the description on the back one assumes Johnson is Julia Ann’s maiden name, she married a Peck, and they lived in Bindon. However, the only Bindon for location shows up in Somerset, England, and no records were found there. So, other than Bindon being a street name or some type of remote possibility like the family called the home the Bindon house, or something like that, the next logical scenario is that Bindon was Julia’s second marriage.

So, we found a Julia Ann Johnson, born May 2, 1837 in Michigan, who married John T. Peck. He died in May 1872, and she married John N. Bindon, September 5, 1877. Julia Ann died September December 29, 1893. But, looking at the ages and genders and number of children on the 1870 and 1880 census records – they don’t seem to fit the photo, though of course, we’ve not been told which one of the group is Julia. Well then, it’s always possible that this is a different family, flying under the radar on records.

As for the date of the photo, fashion experts can, no doubt, narrow down the year this was taken, but we’ll settle for circa 1880’s – just to avoid the hours of searching to try to pinpoint then when-in-vogue dates for details like the striped and plaid accents, braid, and pleats on the dresses, the fit of the sack suits for the gentlemen, the older man’s beard without mustache.

Sources:  Year: 1880; Census Place: Groveland, Oakland, Michigan; Roll: 598; Page: 108C; Enumeration District: 253. (Ancestry.com).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100739570/julia-ann-peck: accessed 26 November 2023), memorial page for Julia Ann Johnson Peck (2 May 1837–29 Dec 1893), Find a Grave Memorial ID 100739570, citing Hadley Cemetery, Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Destiny (contributor 47071650).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/100739516/john-t-peck: accessed 27 November 2023), memorial page for John T Peck (unknown–11 May 1872), Find a Grave Memorial ID 100739516, citing Hadley Cemetery, Groveland Township, Oakland County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Destiny (contributor 47071650).

Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 15; Film Description: 1877 Mason-1878 Gratiot.

“Sac suit.” historyinthemaking.org. (Accessed November 27, 2023).

“Vintage Style Sack Coats.” historicalemporium.com. (Accessed November 27, 2023).

Kristofa and Baby

Posted on by
Reply

Real Photo Postcard, unused. Circa 1910’s.

Price:  $12.00

The sender wrote:

“Mrs. Hanna[?] & Hubby. Dear friends, hope you feel better today. [?] yourself for going home & see your mother before [?]. I vish I had a change, I vould like to come over next veek sometimes if the veather permits, hope you Hubby is working now. I send you a card vith the House & the old vomen on. Vhat do you think of it. I can not see[?] a day but hope to see you soon. Vith best regards to yourself , Hubby & Baby from us all. Kristofa.”

This house is really interesting with its entrance on the second floor – after some online searching I’ll admit I’m still lost on the style. My field guide to houses got water-damaged and I had to toss it (the answer probably was in there, rolling eyes) and I’m sure I’ll order another, but meanwhile I posted a query at an architectural site – hopefully they get back to me.

Another great aspect of this card is that it invites us, in a way, to share part of Kristofa’s Scandinavian-American life – just in hearing the accent that so nicely prevails in her note. But there she is, posing herself and her young son, he standing atop the wooden railing, safe and secure in her arms (note the tight grip on the trousers!). Note also the beautiful lace curtains in all the windows. If we were invited in, there would undoubtedly be coffee (Scandinavians love their coffee) and most likely an accompanying cake…..

Mary Kottmyer in Chicago

Posted on by
Reply

Divided Back, Real Photo Postcard, used. Circa early 1910’s.

Price:  $15.00

The smartly-dressed Mary in suit and ostrich-plume hat. We’re guessing she’s in her early twenties…..

As you’ve noticed, this card was postmarked but the date and location stamp portion didn’t make it, though odds are it went through Chicago. The sign under Mary’s left hand, when darkened in Photoshop, shows “Chicago Express.”  That being said, this is a photographer’s set up (albeit a nice one) as the scene behind her looks a little too clean and contrived. Indeed, the iron railing has the same look, and note the lack of space someone would have had to exit that door. (Rather amusing and obvious once you notice it!) Mary’s surname we’re basing on some online searches for similar possibilities and looking at the rest of the writing (the “e” in particular). But the correct spelling could just as easily be Kottmeyer, with the person who penned it just being unaware. One gets the impression that the handwriting on our left is much later, as if Emaline was going through a group of old cards and photos and adding names and locations.

Addressed to:   “Emaline Keebler, 1304 Prichard St. Pittsburg Pa.”

Emaline M. Keebler was easily found in census records at this address. Per the 1940 Federal Census in Pittsburgh, she was born about 1897 in PA, single, occupation teacher at a public school. Further info was found on Find A Grave:  born November 15, 1896, daughter of Emil Andrew Keebler and Clara Olga (Kirbach) Keebler.

Sources:  Year: 1940; Census Place: Pittsburgh, Allegheny, Pennsylvania; Roll: m-t0627-03670; Page: 63A; Enumeration District: 69-589.

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109707824/emaline-m-keebler: accessed 26 September 2023), memorial page for Emaline M. Keebler (15 Nov 1896–21 Jul 1984), Find a Grave Memorial ID 109707824, citing Mount Lebanon Cemetery, Mount Lebanon, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA; Maintained by texjenn (contributor 48885098).

Mae at the Iowa River Dam, Iowa City, 1908

Posted on by
Reply

Divided Back, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked January 15, 1908, Iowa City, Iowa.

Price:  $15.00                Size:  About 5 x 3 and 1/2″. Card is slightly cropped. 

For old times sake…….

Addressed to:   “Mr. L. G. Johnson. Denver Colo. Box 4. 40th St.Station.”

The sender wrote:   “For old times sake I send you this. Mae.”

The Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi and measures about 323 miles long. We found some similar images in old postcards currently on eBay and then the ad below from Duluth Lumber in 1909 confirming that Mae’s location was indeed the Iowa City Dam, today called the Burlington Street Dam. The building in the background should be the power station. And enlarge the postcard twice to get a much better view of Mae’s hat. (It’s quite nice!)

Sources:  Iowa River. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa_River (accessed September 17, 2023).

Burlington Street Dam. https://www.iowawhitewater.org/lhd/LHDburlingtonst.html (accessed September 19, 2023).

Duluth Lumber Co. Ad. Iowa City Press-Citizen. March 12, 1909. Friday, p. 3. (Newspapers.com).

Comic Donkey and Couple Circa 1940’s

Posted on by
Reply

Old photo, circa 1940’s.

Price:  $6.00              Size:  About 2 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/2″

These type seem to be generally referred to as “face-in-the-hole-board.” Other names include photo cutouts, Aunt Sallys, peep boards, character boards, fat-lady-on-the-beach boards. This handsome and fun, young couple (out for a drive in the surrey – yep, surrey with the fringe on top 😉 ) look to be from the 1940’s era. 

Sources:  Photo Cutouts. https://photocutouts.co.uk/blog/peep-boards-face-in-the-hole-boards-cutout-boards-what-should-they-be-called/ (Accessed June 10, 2023.)

The Surrey with the Fringe on Top. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Surrey_with_the_Fringe_on_Top#:~:text=%22The%20

Surrey%20with%20the%20Fringe,jazz%20musicians%20to%20play%20it. (Accessed June 10, 2023.)

Mother and Son

Posted on by
Reply

Old photo, white border, circa 1930s.

Price:  $2.00         Size:  3 and 3/8 x 5″

Another poor quality shot (but the peering into the past effect is cool) and also, like the prior post, no identifying names. I just like the guy’s stance, (and that slightly askew necktie) his gaze upward and outward, in contrast to the older woman, though closer scrutiny shows she’s looking off in the distance as well, not directly at the camera. I thought at first glance this was a “couple photo” but in looking at their “ages,” no. More likely they’re mother and son.

The Old Houseboat

Posted on by
Reply

Real Photo Postcard, unused. Circa 1907 – 1915.

Price:  $4.00

What confirms this structure’s status as a boat is the name at the stern – though very faint and indiscernible. And since the postcard’s image is so washed out, here’s a darker version:

So, unless someone is writing a book on old houseboats, I don’t see much monetary value here for this card. But we’ve had sales on items in the past – cover of a book on one, fashion example used inside another book, etc. – so, value is relative. Ha, it’s definitely true, sometimes I ask myself later, “Why did I buy this one?”  🙂 (No names, rather light…) Harkening back now to my mindset at the time, it was for the romantic notion of houseboats I’ve had since a child. (At least, I think this can be called a houseboat.) Woven in there somewhere is an antidote for a feeling – a lament, a long-running perception (that surfaces pointedly at times) that our present-day “expectation” is one of making everything ascetically acceptable (a nice lawn, nice-looking house, etc.) – an expectation that, in my opinion, often usurps the more important things in life – real friendship among neighbors, for instance….So it’s refreshing to travel back to the early 1900’s, to a time when a hand-built boat like this one would not automatically be viewed as an “eyesore” but rather, just simply for what it was.

The story from this captured moment….of course, we can speculate all day long, but my take….The houseboat belongs to the older gentlemen with the walking stick, having built it and lived on it for a time in his younger days. He’s got great anecdotes (that the rest of the family have heard a number of times – rolling eyes, 😉 ). He’s here to retrieve some items resting in storage, and he and the family have turned the trip into a nice outing and a photo op. (Note the three hats that have been removed and are laying on the ground in a pile.) Check out the expressions – the rather comical upwards glance of the lad toward the old man, the come-hither expression for the young lady (gorgeous lace collar), the straight-on pose for the woman (daughter or wife of the gentleman?), that air of history and ownership emanating from the old man, and never forgetting to mention, the family dog, happy to be out for the day with his “charges.”

Back to the boat – it’s quite long. I thought at first that the roofed portion on our left was from some building behind it, but no, that part is attached. Note the animal skins that lay draped over the top edge of the cabin (for keeping out the rain?). And the wooden or metal box attached to the cabin’s front wall, left of the doorway – the box meeting some type of practical purpose.

A Hidden Doorway

Posted on by
Reply

Divided Back, Real Photo Postcard, unused. Deckled edge. Circa 1910’s. Photographer:  E. Hunter, Schlettstadt. Pt. 773/II. 

Price:  $15.00

An unusual photographic pose if we ever saw one! The whimsical Augustine, wife of Julien Duller, pauses at a “doorway,” her left hand is on the invisible door nob. She’s smiling (with sort of a “knowing” look) back at the camera.

The date is unknown for this card:  The stamp box, one we’ve never come across, is blank except for a small six-pointed star in each of the bottom corners. But we’ll estimate the 1910’s due to the subject’s dress – fitted, column-style in dark wool or maybe linen or heavy cotton; displaying a shawl collar in silk or satin with matching material in a wide band below the bust line; and decorative bands on hip and sleeves. The dress falls below mid-calf to reveal high button-top boots. Her hair is dressed in a short side-part, (dig that one falling curl) up-swept and piled tightly on top for a little height. On her right hand, she wears a pocket watch that was converted into a wristwatch. In the insert below, you can see what’s referred to as “the bow,” which is the part that the chain would have been suspended from – a nice, surprising detail, and possibly an important clue to the postcard’s date, as it was WWI that ushered in the popularity of the wristwatch.

The photographer, E. Hunter, was not found online in any references, but his stamp tells us he was in Schlettstadt, (Sélestat in French and Schlettstàdt in Alsatian) a town in the Grand Est region of France, on the border of Germany.

As for those few words from Augustine, in her beautiful script:  I’m not sure what the first word is but the next would be andenken, and the third looks like genidmet:  translation from German appearing as “souvenir” and “dedicated.” So it’s probably something in the nature of “fond remembrances” but maybe a native German (or Alsation?) can help us out.

Sources:  Pocket watch. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_watch#:~:text=In%20men’s%20fashions  %2C%20pocket%20watches,one%20kept%20in%20a%20pocket. (accessed April 30, 2023).

Sélestat. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S%C3%A9lestat (accessed April 30, 2023).

Miss Lila Sears, Portland, Oregon

Posted on by
Reply

.

Divided Back, Real Photo Postcard, unused. AZO stamp box. Photographer:  Bicknell. Circa 1916 – 1918.

Price:  $15.00      

Embossed on the front lower right is the photographer info:   “Bicknell. 326 1/2 Washington St. Portland Ore.”

Miss Lila, very smartly attired and posing rather somberly for the camera, was born in California, October 1894, the daughter of Benjamin F. Sears and Jennifer Wotton. She married Harry W. Kelley, May 7, 1921, in Portland. The date for this postcard has been narrowed down with the help of Playles.com (AZO stamp boxes all four triangles pointing upward are as late as 1918) and the photographer’s address.

The Bicknell Studio

The photography studio of Bicknell would have been Wilfred Bicknell and his wife, Pearl. They’re both listed as photographers on the 1910 Federal Census for Portland. He born in England about 1875, and she born in Oregon about 1881. The Portland city directories start online from 1906 for Wilfred; address 203 1/2 1st Street. By 1909 we’re seeing an additional address for the studio of 214 Merchants Trust Building, switching to 210 Merchants Trust by 1911. (No city directories were found for 1910.)

In 1919, Wilfred married Mayme H. Thuener, August 11, 1919 in Marin County, California. No records were found for a divorce or death for Pearl.

Curiously, no references were found for the 326 1/2 Washington Street, Portland address that’s embossed on the postcard.

When the WWI Draft Registration Card was recorded, Wilfred was in San Francisco, CA. This record shows his date of birth as December 28, 1874. He’s working as a photographer for employer, Charles Bossum at 25 Kearney St. Then 1920 census for Stockton, CA, shows Wilfred is as owner of a photography gallery.

By 1930, Wilfred has run into some tough times. At the time of this census, taken in Stockton, CA, he is a patient at the state mental hospital. (It makes one wonder how much exposure he may have had to chemicals and/or heavy metals from his occupation.)

Sources:  “Real Photo Postcard Stamp Boxes, A – B.” https://www.playle.com/realphoto/photoa.php. (access April 23, 2023).

Oregon Center For Health Statistics; Portland, Oregon, USA; Oregon State Marriages, 1911-1945 (Ancestry.com).

Oregon State Archives; Salem, Oregon; Oregon, Death Records, 1864-1967. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Portland Ward 5, Multnomah, Oregon; Roll: T624_1286; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0159; FHL microfilm: 1375299. (Ancestry.com).

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Portland, Oregon city directories, 1906 – 1916. (Ancestry.com).

Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Records from Select Counties, 1850-1941.

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Stockton Ward 4, San Joaquin, California; Roll: T625_144; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 177. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1930; Census Place: Stockton, San Joaquin, California; Page: 1B; Enumeration District: 0050; FHL microfilm: 2339947. (Ancestry.com).