Laurel Cottage Genealogy
Genealogy Services, Old Photos, Postcards, Trade Cards, Etc.

Monthly Archives: April 2015

Esther Jacobson

Posted on April 13th, 2015 by

Esther Jacobson pc1Esther Jacobson pc2

This Real Photo Postcard, along with several others, was found at an antique fair in Watsonville, California. They were previously written on by probably another dealer. But wonderfully, the name of this beautiful girl appears on the back, along with her (we presume) married name. So she was Esther (Jacobson) Bolin, and looks to be about sixteen to eighteen here; posed in profile, in white skirt and blouse, with her dark brown hair pulled up and full on the sides and with a bow showing at the back. She’s looking at a newspaper and if you enlarge the image you can see that the back of the paper shows the business section and want ads. (Was this paper the Chicago Daily Tribune? You can almost read a title in Old English Style lettering.) And notice the bench she is seated on is draped with a gorgeous white Battenburg lace cover.

To identify the girl in the photo, various sources were checked, but only one seemed to match. So, it appears that this Esther Jacobson, was born in Chicago in 1893; the daughter of Adolph Ludvig Jacobson and Matilda Karolina Engstrom; and that she married Emil Bolin in Chicago in 1923.

Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1909 – 1911.

Price:  $15.00

Sources:  “Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878-1938,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVPC-ZJW8 : accessed 13 April 2015), Esther Jacobson in entry for June Marian Bolin, ; citing Chicago, Cook, Illinois, United States, reference , Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm .

Year: 1910; Census Place: Chicago Ward 15, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T624_257; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 0716; FHL microfilm: 1374270. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com public member trees (various). Web accessed April 13, 2015.

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Categories: Photos With Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Real Photo Postcards

Fred Demmel In About 1912

Posted on April 12th, 2015 by

Fred Demmel About 1912 pc1Fred Demmel About 1912 pc2

Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. CYKO stamp box. Circa 1912.

Availability Status:  SOLD

This postcard was addressed to,  “Mr. Albert Beardsley, 100 Empire St., Freeport, Ill.”  and the sender wrote:

“Hello Albert. How are you. we are all well. Hope you the same. I promised you a picture long ago. I did not have any taken until now. I go to school. I like it out here. write to me. My address is now, with love Fred Demmel. Humphrey Nebr. R.R. No. 1.”

An Albert Beardsley was found at the address given on the 1912 city directory, and listed as,  “Beardsley Albert, paint I C, rms 100 Empire st.”  I. C. stands for the Illinois Central Railroad. Now, whether this is Fred’s friend Albert or Albert’s father perhaps, is unknown.

Fred was then found on the 1900 Federal Census for Ridott Township, which is about ten miles east of Freeport, Illinois. He appears there at about age three, with his parents Phillip and Maggie Demmel; boarder Archie Hockman; and Maggie’s father, Alexander Pierce. The WWI Draft Registration card shows Frederick Edward Demmel, born February 20, 1897, Ridott, Illinois. So, if this postcard was written in 1912, Fred would have been about 15 in this photo.

Sources:  Freeport Journal Printing Co., The Annual Directory of the City of Freeport, 1912. p. 44.

Year: 1900; Census Place: Ridott, Stephenson, Illinois; Roll: 346; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0104; FHL microfilm: 1240346. (Ancestry.com)

Registration State: Iowa; Registration County: Pottawattamie; Roll: 1642992. (Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918)

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Categories: Photos With Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Real Photo Postcards

Man And Dog, Pendleton, Oregon

Posted on April 12th, 2015 by

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What a nice photo – a man and his dog interacting on a street in front of their home in Pendleton, Oregon. The dog, who appears to be a Fox Terrier (Smooth) is standing on his hind legs waiting to be rewarded with the treat the man is holding. The back of this photo shows the stamp:

“Economy Drug & Music Co., Pendleton, Oregon. Kodak Finishing, Copying and Enlarging.”   Thomas Young is listed as the proprietor of this store, according to a music trade journal entry dated July 23, 1923. Just the snippet version of the article appears, but it announces the store’s opening. Thomas Young appears with his wife and children, as a music store owner on the 1930 Federal Census for Pendleton. The census states he was born about 1888 in Wyoming, so he would have been about 35 when he opened the store in 1923. A 1928 city directory shows the store address at 604 Main St. By 1940 Thomas and family are living in Medford, Oregon; he is listed as being born in Oregon on this census, and proprietor of a drug store. So, checking the city directories for Medford, we find as early as 1937, Thomas and his wife, and the new store name of Young’s Cut-Rate Drug Store; with additional info given that Thomas Young is president and manager of Young’s Drug Co., Inc. So, this puts the Economy Drug & Music Co. store from 1923 to no later than 1937.

Dog Pendleton Oregon p1

Just the dog, posing sitting up on his haunches, with what might be a view of the dog and man’s home or a neighbor’s home, in the background. As to the architectural style of the house, it appears to be a Craftsman.

Two vintage photos, Pendleton, Oregon, circa 1923 – 1937. Size of man and dog photo:  About 2 and 1/4 x 4.”   Size of dog photo:  About 3 x 4 and 3/4.”

Price for the pair:  $8.00

Sources:  Music Trades, Vol. 66, 1923. p. 29. (Google eBook) Web accessed April 12, 2015.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Pendleton, Umatilla, Oregon; Roll: 1956; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0054; Image: 306.0; FHL microfilm: 2341690. (Ancestry.com)

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Buyers’ Guide of Pendleton City and Umatilla County, 1928 – 1929. p. 37. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

Year: 1940; Census Place: Medford, Jackson, Oregon; Roll: T627_3362; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 15-43. (Ancestry.com)

Polk’s Medford City and Jackson County (Oregon) Directory, Vol. II, 1937. p. 236. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

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Categories: Animals, Dogs, Houses, Old Photos, Photos Without Names

Bill, Freda And Anna

Posted on April 11th, 2015 by

Bill Freda And Anna pc1Bill Freda And Anna pc2

Hmmm, well do most people identify people going from left to right? Is it possible that the original image was reversed? (Yes.) But the long and short of it is we don’t know which lady is Freda and which is Anna. How wonderful though, that we do have the first and last names for this snazzy trio. They are identified on the back as:  Bill Hartwick, Freda Smith, and Anna Frank. The young lady in the front, Freda or Anna, dressed in a long skirt and matching jacket with wide plunging v-neck collar, wears a small animal fur (poor guy) fastened around her shoulders. Her hat is very elegant with a large brim that’s turned up on one side and with a feather (poor bird) jaunting out from the other. The lady behind her (Anna or Freda) looks to be a little older, and is also very chic, wearing a double-breasted coat with large buttons, and a high collar, possibly of fur. And her brimless hat (not a cloche) is the perfect compliment. Bill appears in a suit with double-breasted jacket, tie and derby hat, and carrying a small box-like object. (Whatever this is, it seems a might too narrow, too plain, and maybe too small to be any type of box camera.)

It would be doable – to narrow down and maybe identify where this photo was taken, and who exactly these people are. But, it would be extremely time-consuming to compare census records in various cities with the names, and estimated birth dates, so we won’t (alas) go there…but maybe someone working on their family tree will be able to recognize any or all of these three people.

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa late 1910s – early 1920s.

Price:  $15.00

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Categories: Hats, Photos With Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Real Photo Postcards

To Lena From Mamie

Posted on April 11th, 2015 by

To Lena From Mamie pc1To Lena From Mamie pc2

From The Lena Davis Collection, here’s a postcard showing an embossed “framed” scene of two figures in a rowboat on a lake, with the sun rising or setting behind purple mountains. This is probably from about 1910, as we know from another postcard that Lena was in Pomona at that time. This one is from Lena’s cousin Mamie. Mamie wrote:

“Dear Cousin Lena:  I recieved you post card and was glad to hear. Glad you like it here. I hope you don’t go any farther away, I wish you could come to the pie social. We are going to Vincent Sunday. Hope John is feeling better. Write soon. You’ll all owe me cards now. Coz Mamie.”

Ahhhh, a pie social. Imagine the pies they had, and likely all homemade!

Divided back, unused with writing, embossed postcard. Publisher unknown. Circa 1910.

Price:  $2.00

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Categories: Boats and Ships, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, The Lena Davis Postcard Collection

Young Man In Derby Hat

Posted on April 10th, 2015 by

Young Man In Derby Hat pc1Young Man In Derby Hat pc2

A great RPPC of a young man, probably in his twenties, seated in a wooden chair, posing for this photo. He wears a suit with bow tie and a derby, a.k.a. bowler.

Divided back, unused Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1907 – 1918.

Price:  $5.00

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Categories: Hats, Photos Without Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Real Photo Postcards

For Ethel Baer Of Marceline, Missouri

Posted on April 8th, 2015 by

For Ethel Baer Of Marceline MO pc1For Ethel Baer Of Marceline MO pc2

Too bad there are no names on this Real Photo Postcard to identify these two young ladies, who are most likely sisters. The card was not postmarked, but was addressed to:   “Miss Ethel Baer, Marceline MO.”  And it’s a lovely photo, despite the bottom part not coming out (a camera problem or in the developing process?) The girls are dressed very much alike in white skirts and and beautiful white blouses that have band type collars, and elbow-length blouse-y sleeves. (Enlarge the image to see the pattern details.) The older girl is seated on a twig chair (of the rustic type that may have been made from willow branches or some other type of wood) while her younger sister is seated next to her on the chair edge, and with her arm draped over the back.

The 1910 Federal Census for Marceline, Missouri shows Ethel, about sixteen, with her parents and siblings. The household is:  Abraham L. Baer, occupation farmer, born about 1864; his wife Kisia, born about 1874; Ethel, born about 1894; James, born about 1896; Minnie, born about 1898, and Bud L., born about 1904. Abraham is a native of Pennsylvania, while Kisia and the children are natives of Missouri. There were no other records found for the Baer family with a Marceline address (without searching in great detail) and it appears that the family may have moved later on to San Bernardino, California. So, this postcard is most likely from about 1910.

Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1910.

Price:  $5.00

Source:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Marceline, Linn, Missouri; Roll: T624_795; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0084; FHL microfilm: 1374808. (Ancestry.com)

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Categories: Photos Without Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, Real Photo Postcards

The Dog Vase

Posted on April 7th, 2015 by

The Dog Vase pc1The Dog Vase pc2

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1910s.

Price:  $4.00

This Real Photo Postcard shows a boy and girl, who must be brother and sister. The boy looks to be around nine or ten, and the girl around twelve or thirteen. They are posed standing on each side of a small pedestal type wooden table with tablecloth, which holds a vase of flowers and something else – a little too dark to discern, maybe a box or a cloth-covered book. But it’s the vase that we might feel drawn to, because it looks like it was made to resemble the face of a dog. (I thought bunny at first till I looked closer.) And it’s the unexpected ideas that come up that can be funny or charming…whichever figurative path you’re led down when you look at something. So, besides noticing right off, the expressions and resemblance to each other of the kids and their beautiful clothing (so elaborate by today’s standards) what strikes me the most is the strong feeling of seeing three “characters” posing for this photo.  😉

As for the date of the postcard:  In general, the AZO stamp box with two triangles up and two down, falls under the broad range of about 1910 – 1930, but I would estimate it to be probably from the 1910s. (And can’t help but put this one in the “Dogs” category!)

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Categories: Children, Dogs, Photos Without Names, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Real Photo Postcards

Three Chicks For Easter

Posted on April 6th, 2015 by

Three Chicks For Easter pc1Three Chicks For Easter pc2

Divided back, embossed, unused with writing. Publisher unknown. Printed in Germany.

Price:  $4.00

One last Easter card for the season…showing three adorable chicks – two yellow and one black, on a bed of grass and flowers, beneath a blue sky. This is yet another from the Alice Ellison Collection. Addressed to:   “Mrs. Dossie Deck, Pueblo, Colo. 26 st. & Cheyenne Ave.”  The sender was Alpha Lunsford, and she dated the postcard April 19, 1908.

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Categories: Birds, Chickens and Roosters, Easter, Holidays, Postcards, Postcards Unused With Writing, The Alice Ellison Collection

Easter Day

Posted on April 5th, 2015 by

Easter Day pc1Easter Day pc2

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked April 6, 1914 from Mount Jewett, Pennsylvania.

Price:  $10.00

“The world itself keeps Easter day,

And Easter larks are singing;

And Easter flow’rs are blooming gay

And Easter bells are ringing.”

That’s a lovely poem for Easter, but what I love most about this postcard is the illustration:  There’s a big basket of eggs (quite large eggs) two bunnies and a little boy. I love the expression on the boy’s face as he holds the one bunny in his arms (and the bun’s expression, too) while the one on the ground gazes at the basket of eggs. Flowers on each side of the card frame the scene somewhat, and have a little bit of a flow-y Art Nouveau look to them.

The sender wrote:   “Best wishes for a Happy Easter. Your friend Annie.”   The card is addressed to:

“Miss Edith Johnson, Clermont, PA. Box 85.”

The village of Clermont is a “blink and you’ll miss it” location, according to Neil Anderson’s blog, Neil’s Neck of the Woods. “It sits a few miles south from Pennsylvania’s scenic Route 6 as it intersects county Route 146.”   (I was happy to find this description as Clermont was not showing up on my Google map search.) And here’s another great website regarding Clermont at Smethport History.

UPDATE:  Thank you to Judy, one of our informed readers, who states,  “Edith Johnson was the post mistress in Clermont, PA.”

Sources:  Anderson, Neil. “The Village of Clermont,” Neil’s Neck of the Woods. Web accessed April 5, 2015.

Historic Clermont, Pennsylvania, Virtual Tour. Smethport History. Web accessed April 5, 2015.

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Categories: Animals, Art Nouveau, Children, Easter, Holidays, Postcards, Postcards Used, Rabbits - Bunnies