Medicine Lodge, Blackfoot Indians

Blackfoot-pc1Blackfoot-pc2

Divided back, unused. Publisher: A. Y. & Co., copyright 1907. Printed in Germany. No. 158-4.

Price:  $5.00

Medicine Lodge, Blackfoot Indians. The Blackfoot were located in the Northern Great Plains, most sources indicate Montana, U.S.A. and Alberta and Saskatchewan, Canada.

Chester, Cheshire, England

Chester, The CrossChester,-The-Cross-pc2

The Chester Cross is a junction of streets – Watergate, Eastgate, Bridge and Northgate streets in the center of the town of Chester, in the county of Cheshire, United Kingdom. This is a great example of half-timbered Tudor style architecture. A Wiki entry was found under the heading of Black-and-white Revival architecture, where the wooden framing is painted black with the material between painted white. Current photos show the black and white style, but older images of these buildings seem to indicate the timbering was brown. There have been so many (understandably) photos taken of this junction through the years, but in looking at this one, we note the dress style, and the horse and cart use. So, this photo may be from the late 1890s to just after the turn of the century. But since this postcard was produced in Great Britain, and is a divided back card, the postcard date would be from about 1902. According to the website Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City, the publisher, Photochrom Co., Ltd. started business about 1896, originally producing Christmas cards, before expanding to include postcards, guide books and tourist albums. They operated out of London and Turnbridge Wells.

Divided back, unused postcard. Publisher:  Photochrom Co., Ltd., London. Circa 1902 – 1910.

Price:  $10.00

Sources:  Black-and-white Revival architecture. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-and-white_Revival_architecture (accessed October 13, 2014).

Photochrom Co. Ltd (Publishers pg. 1) Metropolitan Postcard Club of New York City. Web accessed October 13, 2014. [http://www.metropostcard.com/publishersp1.html]

B. J. Stone Trade Card, New Haven, CT

B. J. Stone Trade Card

Trade card, circa 1882 – 1883.  Printed by Donaldson Bros., Five Points, New York.

Price:  $10.00       Size:  About 4 and 1/2 x 3″

“Celluloid Waterproof Collars, Cuffs and Shirt Bosoms for sale by B. J. Stone, 352 Chapel cor. of Church St., New Haven, Conn.” B. J. Stone appears in New Haven city directories, under the heading of “Gents’ Furnishings Goods” and “Shirt Manufacturers.” The 1882 city directory, in particular, has an ad showing “B. J. Stone (successor to Smith & Stone) Men’s Fine Furnishings, 352 Chapel St., cor. Church, New Haven, Ct., Shirts made to Order a Specialty”  This card is probably from around 1882 or ’83 as some of the other city directories (1884 – ’86) show 870 Chapel as the address. Notice how the canopy of the umbrella and soles of the girl’s shoes are a shirt collar and cuffs – waterproof!

The 1880 U.S. Federal Census for New Haven shows that B. J. is Benjamin J. Stone, born about 1839 in Connecticut, and shows him on this census living with his parents, Benjamin W. Stone, and Elizabeth J. Also in the household is brother George, his wife Mary, and their son George.

Sources:  New Haven, Connecticut city directories, for years 1882 – 1886 (1821 – 1989 U.S. City Directories, Ancestry.com)

1880 United States Federal Census for New Haven, Connecticut (Ancestry.com)

Le Palais de Justice et le Nouvel Hôtel de Ville, Tours France

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This is one of those postcards that come in a set. You can see the perforated edge. On the back is scrawled, “Got at Tours Nov 9th 1918” which of course is during WWI, so it could have been brought home by someone who served in the military. And according to a Wikipedia entry, “The city was greatly affected by the First World War. A force of 25,000 American soldiers arrived in 1917, setting up textile factories for the manufacture of uniforms, repair shops for military equipment, munitions dumps, an army post office and an American military hospital at Augustins.” The description on the front of the card is “46. Tours (I-et-L) – Le Palais de Justice et le Nouvel Hôtel de Ville – A. P.

I et L stands for Indre et Loire, a department in central France, of which Tours is the capital city. The department was named after the Indre and Loire rivers.

Divided back, unused with writing postcard. Circa 1918. “Imp. – Phot.  A. Thiriat & Cie, Toulouse”  (Imp from the word imprimer? to print. Cie is the abbreviation for compagnie – company)

Price:  $6.00

Academy of Music Chicago Trade Card

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A charming drawing of a rosy-cheeked girl wearing what seems to be a handkerchief for a head-covering. Published by the Sunshine Publishing Company of Philadelphia. The flip side shows that this is sort of a playbill type of trade card for the play “Garry Owen” starring the “Famous Irish-American comedian and vocalist Barry Conlan as Shaun O’Reilly.” According to The New York Clipper Annual, this play, also called “Labor, Land and Liberty,” first appeared at the Academy of Music, Chicago in May 1883. The Academy of Music was leased by Daniel Shelby in about 1881, according to The History of Chicago, Volume 3, but Shelby is listed on the card as sole proprietor, so possibly meaning it was just the building that was leased, and he was sole proprietor of the production company. Daniel Shelby (Daniel is written as “Dan’l” on this trade card and also in the History of Chicago book) had a long and varied career in the entertainment business as singer, actor, circus clown and tumbler, manager and proprietor. Born Daniel Macher January 11, 1838 in Gettysburg, PA, Daniel moved with his family, before his first birthday, to Dayton, OH. At age fourteen, he was already popular with the locals as a balladist. When a traveling minstrel show (Sam Wells’ minstrels) came to town he got his shot on a professional stage and promptly joined up with that company.

Marriage, etc:  Daniel was married twice. His first marriage shows him as Daniel J. Macher, marrying Agnes Blanche Cartland, March 12, 1874 in Buffalo, NY. They had one son, Roy Daniel, born April 2, 1876, who sadly, died young, July 4, 1881 in Chicago, at the age of five. The 1880 Federal census for Buffalo, NY shows the family under the last name of Shelby, so it seems that Dan changed his last name sometime after his marriage to Agnes in 1871 and before the 1880 census. His occupation is listed there as “theatrical manager.” Daniel Shelby married Nellie Hatfield Pennock of Altoona, PA on March 23, 1882. Nellie was an opera singer and prima donna, and went by the stage name of Helen Rainsley. Nellie and Dan had two children, Daniel, born January 9, 1883 in Chicago, and Medinah Temple (named after the lodge that Dan was a long standing member of) born in New York, January 5, 1894. The 1900 federal census for New York City, shows Nellie as widow, head of household. Daniel Shelby died of a heart attack in 1895. Nellie then married Edwin Lee Merwin, and they moved to California, where she went under the first name of Helen.

Son, Daniel died October 1, 1922 in San Francisco. According to the funeral record, he was single, occupation stock manager, at the National Ice Cream Co. (of San Francisco) Daniel had taken his stepfather’s last name of Merwin, so the funeral record shows his name as Daniel S. Merwin. (S. for Shelby). Daniel S. Merwin’s residence at time of death was 2063 Larkin St., San Francisco. Attached to the funeral record is a small obit which must have been taken from a newspaper. It shows Daniel as beloved son of Mrs. E. L. Merwin, and brother of Mrs. F. D. McCrimmon. A San Francisco city directory for 1924 shows Frederick D. McCrimmon, salesman, wife Medinah, residence 2285 Broadway. The McCrimmons had been living at 1815 Broadway at the time of Daniel S. Merwin’s death.

Daughter, Medinah married Frederick D. McCrimmon and had lived in San Francisco, but she had married a second time to a George R. Gallagher, and at the time of her death in Los Angeles, March 8, 1951 was listed as Jean Shelby Gallagher.

Much of the information on this post has come to me from Angie Hoskins, who contacted me after finding this website. (Thanks ever so much, Angie!) Angie has done extensive research, the Dan Shelby family being on her family tree. In addition to the invaluable information, she has also provided wonderful tidbits such as, Daniel Shelby did a Shakespearean clown and a clown that was half-man, half-woman, and was very, very funny. Nellie had a beautiful singing voice. Dan changed his name from Macher to Shelby so it would sound better on posters, having been at that time part-owner of the Shelby, Pullman and Hamilton Circus. When Dan died, Nellie was a prima donna and singer with the Robin Hood Company of Canada, but living in New York. Daniel’s first wife, Agnes Blanche Cartland died in England. It is unknown whether she remarried.

Back to the subject of the trade card and regarding the term “olio” on the back of the card; some definitions for olio are:  A mixture; a medley; a heavily spiced stew; a collection of various musical, theatrical or artistic works. This was good advertising here on this card, I think. One wonders what was the brilliant olio and how exactly was it going to “serenely bob up” ?

Trade card, circa 1881.   Size:  About 4 and 1/4 x 2 and 7/8″

Price:  $20.00

Sources:  The New York Clipper Annual, Containing Theatre and Sporting Chronologies…And Best Performances in All Departments of Sport. Published by Frank Queen at the office of The New York Clipper, 88 and 90 Centre Street, New York. Page 3 for year 1883. (Google eBook showing Stanford University Library collection of various years for this publication)

History of Chicago, Volume 3 by Alfred Theodore Andreas. A.T. Andreas Company, Publishers, Chicago, 1886. Page 664. (Google eBook)

“New York, Marriages, 1686-1980,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/F6SY-KH7 : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Daniel J. Macher and Agnes Blanche Cartland, 12 Mar 1874.

Year: 1880; Census Place: Buffalo, Erie, New York; Roll: 828; Family History Film: 1254828; Page: 137A; Enumeration District: 123; Image: 0629. Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1880 United States Federal Census [database on-line].

“Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1922,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/NQ5P-HV3 : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Daniel Shelby, 09 Jan 1883.

“New York, Births and Christenings, 1640-1962,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/FDRM-82V : accessed 20 Aug 2013), Nellie H. Pennock Shelby in entry for Medinah Temple Shelby, 05 Jan 1894.

Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Manhattan, New York, New York; Roll: 1113; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0722; FHL microfilm: 1241113. Ancestry.com. 1900 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004.

Find A Grave Memorial# 54880585 (www.findagrave.com)

Find A Grave Memorial# 54759640 (www.findagrave.com)

California, San Francisco Area Funeral Home Records, 1895-1985 (Ancestry.com)

U. S. City Directories, 1921-1989, San Francisco 1924 (Ancestry.com)

California, Death Index, 1940-1997 (Ancestry.com)

Lump of Sugar

Lump of Sugar

Old arcade card from about 1922, produced by the Exhibit Supply Company. ESCO was based out of Chicago, Illinois, and made hundreds of arcade games and produced thousands of cards. This one obviously is of the scientific variety, but other themes include sports, western, pin-up girls, jokes, tv and movie stars, fortunes, and fighter jets, just to name a few. Names of old arcade games include wonderful ones like:  The Enchantress, Kiss-O-Meter, Braying Jackass, Personality Register, Radio Love Messages, and (my favorite) License To Do Any Old Thing.

Sources:  www.arcade-museum.com

imageevent.com

Foster’s Molasses Candy Trade Card

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Victorian Era trade card

Price:  $15.00        Size:  2 and 5/8 x 4 and 1/16″

Foster’s Un-X-Ld Old Fashioned Molasses Candy. Made Daily at 244 Essex St., Salem, Mass. Nothing has been found online so far regarding this company. Perhaps a Salem, Mass library has information. The subject matter is a little unusual, I think:  A compact beautiful little lady kissing a doll. Due to the size of the flowers she wears, and the leaves at the bottom of her dress, it’s possible that she is supposed to be a flower fairy. But whatever the artist had in mind, this is a really cool trade card. The term “un-x-ld” stands for unexcelled, as in none better!

Photo of Anna

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A non-studio portrait of a young woman, not smiling, but beautiful, standing in front of a plaid backdrop. Note the curly hair with what may be one large bow, showing on either side of her face. Note the beads, (or possible rosary?) the bracelet and what looks like a ring on her left hand. The book title is unreadable. The oval style of the photo is nice. The back of the postcard appears to have her name, and it looks like Anna Tea but it could be Anna Lea with just a mark across the L. Both last names come up in census records. If it’s Lea that could be a middle name or a last name.

Real Photo Postcard, divided back, unused with writing. AZO stamp box. Circa 1907 – 1918.

Price:  $8.00

Congo Girl

Congo Girl

Real Photo Postcard. Black and White. Circa 1957. Photographer:  Casimir Zagourski.

Price:  $45.00

This is a postcard that was sent from Saratoga, California, postmarked October 29, 1957. To protect the receiver’s privacy, the back of the postcard which shows the address, is not included here. The sender’s writing on the side states,  “One type of hair dress in the Congo.”  It is assumed that this photo was taken in the Congo, because of the sender’s remarks, but there is no description on the back of the postcard. It is possible that the sender had traveled to the Congo and sent the postcard upon his or her return to the United States but we would not know that for sure; there is no indication in the writing on the back, and no way to research the sender as it is signed with  “love from a friend.”  The photographer’s stamp on the back appears to read as:  “C. Zagourski   Photographie. Léopoldville – Congo (Belge) Reproduction Interdit.” (Most of the stamp is readable)

Research shows this photographer is Casimir Zagourski. (1883 – 1944) Casimir, the son of a Polish nobleman, was born Kazimierz Zagórski, August 9, 1883 in Zytomierz, Ukraine. After serving in the military, he headed for the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo.) He established a studio in Léopoldville in 1924, and ran this until his death in 1944, selling photographic albums and postcards and making expeditions to photograph and record on film, other areas of Africa including Kenya, Rwanda,Tanzania (Tanganyika) and Uganda. He recognized that he was capturing a way of life in Africa that was disappearing, as evidenced by the title he gave to a grand body of work: L’Afrique Qui Disparait. His work was viewed in Paris at the Colonial Exhibition in 1937, and he won a gold medal, the grand prize at the 1937 International Exhibition at Brazzaville. These are just a few simplistic facts included here with this post, however the life of this influential photographer has been written about by author Krzysztof Pluskota, and appears in the book entitled In and Out of Focus: Images from Central Africa, 1885-1960 edited by Christraud M. Geary.

For this blog’s author, this postcard is yet another example of how research on one photo, one postcard, one trade card, one whatever, is like opening a door to a whole other world. Check out the incredible collections online in the Yale postcard collection and Gallery Ezakwantu.

Sources:  Geary, Christraud M. (Ed.) (2003) In and Out of Focus: Images from Central Africa, 1885-1960.  London:  Philip Wilson Publishers. (Googlebooks)

Gallery Ezakwantu (www.ezakwantu.com)

Yale University, Casimir Zagourski Postcard Collection (www.library.yale.edu)