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

A Family Outing

Posted on February 4th, 2015 by

A Family Outing pc1A Family Outing pc2

Divided back, British, unused, Real Photo Postcard with glossy finish. Circa 1902 – 1918.

Price:  $12.00

I guess this is like an outing within an outing. 😉 But it’s a Real Photo Postcard with glossy finish, presumably taken in England, of a group of seven people. I think there is a family resemblance for the group, and they are posed in a fake car in front of a photographer’s backdrop. Everyone is very stylish, but the hats on the three ladies really stand out. The young girl on the left is holding a box camera. I love the “driver’s” expression, how he is the only one facing the “road” and the expression’s on the faces in general. This family was getting a kick out of posing for this photo, though the gentleman standing perhaps was “suffering through.”….Curiously, on the far left there is some wording. We can make out  “SAIL…”  so was the next scene over one of a sailboat with a seaport backdrop?

There is no writing or date on this card. Playles.com shows this stamp box, but with dates unknown. There’s a hyphen in halfpenny on this one, showing  “Affix Half-penny Stamp.”  (There was another stamp box design that was used with the same words but minus the hyphen.) Various references were found for the half-penny stamp for British postcards running from 1894 – 1918, but the divided back in Great Britian started in 1902. As far as the box camera, there were a number of different models; we don’t see any wording on this one, and similar styles were found online indicating 1900 – 1920, so this angle was not helpful in dating the card. We’d estimate it then to have been taken around 1902 – 1918.

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

Two Birthday Cards For Mrs. Barbara A. Hester

Posted on February 3rd, 2015 by

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“Each year holds special gifts in store

You would not want to miss one

My wish is  ‘Many Birthdays more.

And happiness on this one.’ “

This cute little card of Birthday Wishes used to have a gold ribbon (of which there was just a small piece left) hence the discoloration where the ribbon was….The card came with an insert on which the daughter wrote:   “Dear Mother:  This little card come to you on your birthday. We got home OK this eve and we all feel good. Paul & his girl are at the house.”
And on the inside of the card was written,  “Jean will come home next Wed. for a few days. Love from us all. Margaret.”

We find a Margaret H. Copeland (this makes sense after looking at the second card) on the 1930 Federal Census for Logansport, Indiana; married to Percy H. Copeland, both born about 1877; their son, Paul H. Copeland, born about 1907, is single; and daughter Ada, is born about 1916; all are born in Indiana. With the family are lodgers Ethel Richardson and Alice Shorter. This is a good possibility for the correct family. Shoring up the odds we see that the 1920 census for Jackson Township, Indiana, shows all the same family members with the addition of daughter, Jean, born in Indiana, about 1909.

An index of Paul H. Copeland’s marriage record was then found. He married Alice M. Tucker on August 8, 1931 in Cass County, Indiana. This record shows his parents Percy H. Copeland and Margaret Hester. So, it looks like Margaret used the initial of her maiden name as her middle initial, after she married, which was a very common thing to do at this time. (We see Ancestry trees with Margaret’s middle name as Pearl.) We could estimate then that these two birthday cards were from about 1926 – 1931. From here we found Margaret’s parents Barbara Ann Loop and James William Hester. Ancestry family trees have Barbara’s date of birth as January 29, 1855. If this date is correct, this means that these cards were sent in 1926, since Margaret put  “Thursday…Tomorrow is your birthday….”  on the second card (below) and the 1926 calendar shows that January 29th fell on a Friday.

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Above is the second card, found along with the first. It has a name written in pencil on the front which is,  “Aunt Maggie Copeland.”  And this must be the sender who’s initials on this one are M.H.C. So, maybe Maggie’s niece wrote on the front later. In any case, the sender wrote:

“Thursday….Dear Mother:  Tomorrow is your birthday and I wish we might be together. This weather is terribly cold and I hope you are comfortable. We got more cole and can be nice and warm. If I send you some material & that wool do you feel like making a comfort for our little bed? I’ll send Pa a card soon as I find a good one. Love, M.H.C.”

Ha, it looks like Margaret is saying “we got more coke”  but I think she meant coal…..I especially love the design of this card. (For me those flowers have a “sixties look” to them. I’m thinking of an album cover with similar flowers but forget who the group was.) This second card has the artist’s initial’s  “E. N.”  with copyright.

Set of two birthday cards, circa 1929. Artist on the second card shows initials “E. N.”

Price:  $15.00      Size:  About 4 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/2.”

Sources:  Year: 1930; Census Place: Logansport, Cass, Indiana; Roll: 579; Page: 5A; Enumeration District: 0017; Image: 805.0; FHL microfilm: 2340314. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Jackson, Cass, Indiana; Roll: T625_426; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 50; Image: 113. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. Indiana, Select Marriages, 1780-1992

“United States Census, 1880,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MH94-G8Q : accessed 3 February 2015), William Hester, Howard, Howard, Indiana, United States; citing enumeration district 48, sheet 339B, NARA microfilm publication T9 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.), roll 0285; FHL microfilm 1,254,285.

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Categories: Birds, Birthday, Miscellaneous Cards and Other

Hand-Painted Rose

Posted on February 2nd, 2015 by

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Divided back, hand-painted, used postcard. Postmarked April 21, 1911 from San Jose, California. Printed in Germany.

Price:  $1.00

“May loves rarest dearest treasures

Fill life with o’erflowing pleasures,

And this greeting true and tender

Oft remind thee of the sender.”

– W.H.S.

“April 21 – 1911. Dear Ethel. I received your letter. Will write a letter someday when I have time. I hope you are all well. and that Bill is all right again. Larry[?] didn’t go home to day. Will go to morrow. You can come down when ever you want to. Will be glad to see you. May and Alice are well. She walks all over now. Mrs. McGrath – love to all.”

Addressed to:   “Miss Ethel Main, 253 14th st., San Francisco, Calif.”

This Birthday Wishes postcard is much the worse for wear, but it must have really been nice when brand new. The pink is very bright. From scrutinizing the card, that appears to be dirt rather than mold; there is no mustiness, but it’s still kept separate from all the others, just in case. This is part of The Ethel Main Collection, which we haven’t researched yet, but will later. The verse is lovely, but wasn’t found online. So, the identity of the poet W.H.S. is a mystery.

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Categories: Birthday, Flowers, Postcards, Postcards Used, The Ethel Main Collection

A. C. Skinner, Lowell, Mass.

Posted on February 2nd, 2015 by

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Business and advertising card. Circa 1872 – 1891

Price:  $12.00           Size:  3 and 7/8″ x 2 and 1/8″

This is either a trade card or calling card or maybe a combination of both. A. C. Skinner ran a “fancy goods” store at the address given on this card:  Numbers 58 & 60 Merrimack St. in Lowell, Massachusetts. And the card shows a beautiful little design of a petite lady or elf, holding a few branches with various flowers and leaves; because of the copper and light blue-gray colors of the card they almost appear to be a dried flower arrangement. It’s sort of an awkward pose for the little elf, holding onto a horseshoe (which hangs from a nail) with one arm, and with the other outstretched above her head to display the flowers, and it’s snowing. A somewhat unexpected illustration and ever so charming.

Exactly who A. C. Skinner was was not found in online records, but a huge amount of time was not spent searching. There is a Methodist pastor under this name in Lowell, at Saint Paul’s church in 1916, but one wouldn’t want to assume that they are one in the same. In any case, numerous city directory entries were found for A. C. Skinner showing from at least 1866 through 1870 that his store was located at 63 Merrimack St. and was advertised as “Laces, Embroideries & Dress Trimmings.”  1872 through as late as 1891 he was located at 58 & 60 Merrimack St., and was advertised as  “Fancy Goods.”

The long-time Lowell department store Bon Marché which operated from 1878 – 1976, had an early connection with A. C. Skinner. Bon Marché’s founder, Frederick Mitchell, once worked for A. C. Skinner.

Sources:  Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989. Various Lowell, Massachusetts city directories, 1866 – 1891.

“Remembering Downtown Lowell’s Bon Marché through the Years, 1878-1976.” Forgotten New England, March 6, 2012. Web accessed February 1, 2015.

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Categories: Calling Cards and Business Cards, Horseshoes, Trade Cards and Advertising

Cina’s Hat

Posted on January 31st, 2015 by

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Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Photographer:  Clement F. Kaylor of Mishawaka, Indiana. Circa 1910 – 1915.

Availability Status:  SOLD

“How do you like my Merry Widow. I think it is great (big) Cina.”

Addressed to:   “Mrs. M. E. Battees, Gladwin, Mich.” 

Yes, that is quite a hat! and a wonderful photo of a beautiful young woman posing for a studio photo, in dark skirt and tailored jacket with satin trim, dark gloves and white blouse with high-necked ruffle, and of course, that gorgeous hat; a large brimmed straw, we presume, with two or three layers of artificial leaves and flowers on top.

I couldn’t resist to add in the hubby’s comment as he walked by  “Holy smokes! Looks like she’s got the garden on her head.”  Very true by today’s standards.

The lady in the photo turns out to be Mrs. John L. Battees of Mishawaka, Indiana, and she sent this card to her mother-in-law, Mrs. Mary E. (Richards) Battees.

Lucina Belle “Cina” Freeman was born in Ohio, September 1889, the daughter of Charles C. Freeman and Jennie Henry. John Louellen Battees was born in Jackson, Paulding County, Ohio, February 11, 1872, the son of John Casner Battees and Mary Ellen Richards. The application for their marriage license shows that John L. was a widower, and had been twice previously married. He was doing general farming, and Cina was working in a factory in Mishawaka.

See Clement F. Kaylor for the photographer’s information.

Sources:  “Ohio, County Marriages, 1789-1997,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XZ66-Y8G : accessed 31 January 2015), John C. Battees and Mary E. Richards, 08 Jan 1871; citing Union, Ohio, United States, reference P 491; county courthouses, Ohio; FHL microfilm 573,777.

“Ohio, Births and Christenings, 1821-1962,” index, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/XDB3-6NL : accessed 31 January 2015), John Luellen Battees, 11 Feb 1872; citing Jackson, Paulding, Ohio, reference v 1 p 56; FHL microfilm 925,298.

John L. Battees. Year: 1880; Census Place: North Baltimore, Wood, Ohio; Roll: 1078; Family History Film: 1255078; Page: 41A; Enumeration District: 090; Image: 0311. (Ancestry.com)

“Indiana, Marriages, 1811-1959,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZCP-Y3J : accessed 31 January 2015), John L Battees and Lucina Belle Freeman, ; citing county clerk offices, Indiana; FHL microfilm 1,503,526.

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

Clement F. Kaylor, Photographer

Posted on January 31st, 2015 by

Clement F. Kaylor was a photographer from about 1910 – 1930 in Mishawaka, Indiana; possibly starting prior to 1910 but not earlier than 1906. (The 1906 city directory shows he was working for the M. W. Manufacturing Co.) Born February 9, 1868 in Huntington, Indiana, he was the son of Harmon Kaylor and Eliza Forst. His father’s occupation was Blacksmith on the 1880 Federal Census which was taken in Warren, Indiana.

Clement or “Clem” was first married to Cora Bell Dinius, who died in 1890. Findagrave.com lists a son for the couple, Eldon Edward Kaylor, born 1888. On September 7, 1898, in Fort Wayne, Clem married Agnes C. Kelley. The 1910 census shows Clement, Agnes and their nine-year old son Marvin, born Indiana, about 1901. Also on this census is Clem’s sister Clara, working for him at the photography studio.

The 1910 city directory gives Clem’s studio address of 116 E. 2nd. In 1916 the address given was 116 Lincoln Way E. (This may have been the same location but renamed.) About 1920 he had moved his studio to 112 N. Main St. The 1923 directory gave some additional information showing Clem F. Kaylor, “Photographer, Framing, Kodak Finishing.” Clem died in Mishawaka, January 14, 1931.

See our Cina’s Hat post for an example of the photographer’s work.

Sources:   Year: 1880; Census Place: Warren, Huntington, Indiana; Roll: 285; Family History Film: 1254285; Page: 515C; Enumeration District: 193; Image: 0372. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Penn, Saint Joseph, Indiana; Roll: T624_377; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0155; FHL microfilm: 1374390. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1930; Census Place: Mishawaka, St Joseph, Indiana; Roll: 627; Page: 17A; Enumeration District: 0075; Image: 1010.0; FHL microfilm: 2340362. (Ancestry.com)

South Bend Directory Co.’s Directory of South Bend, Mishawaka and Rural Route Lists of St. Joseph County, Indiana. 1906. p. 826. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

Hibberd’s City Directory of South Bend and Mishawaka, Indiana. 1912 – 1916. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

R.L. Polk & Co.’s City Directories for Mishawaka and South Bend, Indiana. 1919 – 1930. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1821-1989)

Clement F. “Clem” Kaylor. Findagrave.com. Memorial #115943847. (Accessed January 31, 2015.)

Harmon Kaylor. Findagrave.com. Memorial #19551530. (Accessed January 31, 2015.)

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Categories: Photographers

Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition

Posted on January 31st, 2015 by

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“Hello Bill! Meet Me on the Pay Streak at the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition. June 1st – Oct 16th. Seattle USA. 1909.”

Here’s a beauty in fairly good condition. Love all those colors and the jam-packed visual info:  The oval inserts tell us to come by ship or train to celebrate the Yukon and the Pacific Northwest. There’s a depiction of an Alaskan totem pole, musher and his sled dog team, a north woodsman felling trees, and a broad-range expo scene with the sun setting behind Mount Ranier.

The sender dated the card and it was postmarked the same day, July 10, 1909. If you look closely the signature appears to be “Paul.”  The card was addressed to:   “Mr. Joseph Norsen, Wheaton, Minn.”

Joseph Norsen would have been about thirteen years old when this card was sent to him. He appears with his family on the 1910 Federal Census for Lake Valley, Traverse County, Minnesota, which is about four miles northeast of Wheaton. The record shows:  Head of household John A. Norsen, age 53; his wife Johanna, age 55, both born in Sweden, emigration year about 1882; and eight of their ten children, Ruth, age 27; Hanna, age 26, Jemimah, age 23; Ester, age 22; Philip, age 18; Marie, age 16; Joseph, age 14; and Martha, age 12. John Norsen is employed as a farmer, and all eight children on this census were born in Minnesota.

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked July 10, 1909 from Seattle, Washington. Publisher:  Edward H. Mitchell, San Francisco. Made in America. Number or series 1853.

Price:  $12.00

Source:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Lake Valley, Traverse, Minnesota; Roll: T624_715; Page: 4B; Enumeration District: 0175; FHL microfilm: 1374728. (Ancestry.com)

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Categories: World and State Fairs and Expositions

Seven Women In Alaska

Posted on January 31st, 2015 by

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A blurry but interesting Real Photo Postcard that was marked  “Alaska”  on the little sticker on the plastic sleeve, showing a group of seven smiling ladies posing in front of what might be a wooden train depot or station of some type. That looks like a set of tracks on our right. All the ladies wear hats (nothing unusual) but three of the hats have an upright feather in the hatband. It looks like it’s summer or spring; they are dressed for mild weather, and there’s a couple of umbrellas in the group. Their skirt hemlines vary slightly above or below the ankle, except for that one daring lady in the back with the hemline just below the knee! The AZO stamp box with all four triangles pointing upward, and the fact that it’s a divided back, places the date at about 1907 – 1918.

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

Price:  $3.00

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Categories: Hats, Postcards, Postcards Unused, Real Photo Postcards, Trains

In Northern Seas

Posted on January 30th, 2015 by

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From one end of the country to the other:  We were on the coast of Maine in the last post, and this one looks like it might be Alaska, but there’s no information under than the caption,  “In Northern Seas”  appearing at the bottom, with the series or postcard number 3416, from the unknown publisher. The artist’s name is not appearing either, but it’s a beauty, showing what must be a summer scene:  rugged mountains with very little snow, a beach, a small fishing village and a boat out on the calm water. I like how the suns rays are depicted and the haziness off in the distance at the mouth of the inlet. This one is from the Lena Davis Collection, and the sender wrote:

“July 20 1910. We are all well hope this findes you the same. We are all done harvesting going to thresh next week. I have him[?] working for Charley for $2 [$12?] a day. I am home now will get done laying by corn in a day and a half. It is pretty dry now corn look wilted. how is the fruit out their. haven’t got any bear [beer?] had a fine time the forth they have had a dance in the grove since then. P.C.[?]   Answer sooner than I did if you have time.” 

Addressed to:   “Miss Lena Davis, Ceres, Calif., R.R. Box 67 [?]”

Divided back, used postcard. Postmarked July 21, 1910 from Arapahoe, Nebraska. Unknown artist and publisher. Series or number 3416.

Price:  $10.00

 

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Categories: Beaches and Seaside, Boats and Ships, Postcards, Postcards Used, The Lena Davis Postcard Collection

Doris Louisa Diefendorf

Posted on January 30th, 2015 by

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Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1915.

Price:  $15.00

“Doris Louisa Diefendorf   I year old   Lubec, Maine”

How nice to have both a name and a location (!) for this Real Photo Postcard.

Everything about this photo takes us back to (what we think of now as) a more romantic time:  of course, there is the beautiful Doris Louisa in her white cotton or linen gown, wearing a little necklace for the photo, but also the wood and wicker chair (possibly a rocker) with beautiful scroll work and design that she’s seated upon; the flowered wallpaper behind her, showing large blooms of the type that’s so back in style today for that vintage look; and the gorgeous lace window curtain to her left.

Lubec, Maine has the distinction of being the easternmost town in the United States, and is located on a peninsula on Passamaquoddy Bay. It was settled in 1785 and incorporated in 1811. The population was recorded as 1,359 for the 2010 Federal Census.

Maine Map

The 1920 census for Portland, Maine shows George A. Diefendorf, born about 1886 in New York; Lillian E. his wife, born about 1889 in New York; and their daughter, Dorris L., about 5 years old, born in Illinois about 1915. George’s occupation is factory superintendent. A combination of two separate index’s for Cook County births, gives us the confirmation for Doris’ parents being George Adelbert Diefendorf and Lillian Elizabeth Froschauer, and give Doris’ date and place of birth as July 15, 1914, Chicago. In 1930 the family is living in Rotterdam, New York. George is a superintendent for a steel construction company at this time. Just in adding all the info together it’s seems likely that Lubec, Maine was a vacation spot for the Diefendorfs in the summer of 1915….and it must have been heavenly.

Sources:  Lubec, Maine. n.d. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lubec,_Maine (Accessed January 29, 2015).

Year: 1920; Census Place: Portland Ward 9, Cumberland, Maine; Roll: T625_640; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 60; Image: 946 (Ancestry.com)

“Illinois, Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922.” Index. FamilySearch, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2009. Illinois. Cook County Birth Certificates, 1878–1922. Illinois Department of Public Health. Division of Vital Records, Springfield. (Ancestry.com)

Ancestry.com. Cook County, Illinois Marriage Index, 1930-1960. Cook County Clerk, comp. Cook County Clerk Genealogy Records. Cook County Clerk’s Office, Chicago, IL: Cook County Clerk, 2008.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Rotterdam, Schenectady, New York; Roll: 1644; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 0014; Image: 389.0; FHL microfilm: 2341378. (Ancestry.com)

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