Couple On Porch

Old photo, white border, circa early 1920’s.

Price:  $4.00           Size:  2 and 3/8 x 4 and 1/4″

We’re continuing a short couple theme, no names on the back of this one. I’m guessing the ’20s due to the cloche-style hat the woman is wearing, though it could have been earlier. Estimating dates from clothing, footwear and hairstyles can be really time-consuming, unless something specifically jumps out to pinpoint, or you’re already an expert or close-enough to one. Alas, I’m not. What was the moment? Obviously, he likes her, but she has that skeptical, “nobody’s fool” look. Nice porch columns displayed here – quite detailed and with that bit of gingerbread trim at the top.

Frank and Girlfriend, 1919

Old photo, 1919.

Availability Status:  SOLD                Size:  2 and 3/8 x 4 and 1/4″

Probably when I found this one (it was floating loose in a bin), I thought I’d be able to read the surname for Frank. Hmmm, no, not getting it. (My own scribble is just as bad.) But they’re a cute couple. (We’re on a short “couple theme” – a continuance of Valentine’s Day). At least, I think they’re a couple – no certainty there, either. But it’s a nice, “We were here….standing on this street….in the summer of 1919” photo. It would have been the summer after the end of the “Great War.” It’s a tree-lined residential road; you can see the utility pole and barely make out an old street lamp. There are train tracks, for a trolley one would guess, but we don’t notice any overhead cables, so maybe the tracks are a remnant from our horse-drawn car days, or maybe they’re old tracks, no longer used. That’s probably an old Model T in the distance (if you were betting you’d play those odds). Through the open wooden gate, we see a woman carrying something, potatoes maybe, on her way back from the garden or cellar storage.

The young woman in the photo – she’s beautiful, hair pulled up, appearing here in a long-sleeved white blouse with black cuffs (great style, yes, but think how practical that is) and in a striped, high-waisted skirt with big front pockets. Nothing fancy but it never needs to be. And Frank – he’s got that, “knows what he wants out of life” look. That direct gaze, a hint of sadness in the smile (did he lose an older brother in the war?), the confident, kind of brash stance, the backwards cap, that proprietary arm around his girl. We’re off with them, in spirit, just for a moment, to each of the many and wherever, those many possibilities led.

Sophia Jane (McIntosh) Blake, 1892

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

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).

Ruins in Old Panama City

Old photo, white border. Circa 1931 – mid-1930’s.

Price:  $10.00        Size:  2 and 5/8 x 4 and 3/8″

This photo’s reverse shows,  “Castle in Old Panama City destroyed by Morgan the pirate.” It was year 1671 when the city was sacked by Morgan’s forces, as part of the Anglo-Spanish War, and perhaps “castle” is not quite the correct term – the Wikipedia entry has “cathedral.”  Morgan was Welsh-born privateer Henry Morgan who later became Lieutenant-Governor of Jamaica.

Panama Viejo or Old Panama was the first permanent European settlement on the Pacific Ocean, and dates back to 1519. Today, located in the eastern suburbs of Panama City, it’s a major tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

I was guessing 1920’s or early ’30’s for this photo but a couple of forum readers at the Antique Automobile Club of America narrowed it down for us. The car is a 1931 Chevy, so the photo’s ’31 through probably the mid-’30’s.

Sources:  Panamá Viejo. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panam%C3%A1_Viejo (accessed September 8, 2023).

“Old Car from the 1920’s or ’30’s. Help to i.d.” September 5, 2023. Antique Automobile Club of America. (https://forums.aaca.org/topic/403154-old-car-from-the-1920s-or-30s-help-to-id/#comment-2578340).

Henry Morgan. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Morgan (accessed September 8, 2023).

Miraflores Locks, Panama Canal

Old photo, white border. Circa 1913 – 1920s.

Price:  $10.00            Size:  2 and 5/8 x 3 and 3/4″

At first glance I thought there had been a film developing problem that created that “streaky” look – like one of those photo tricks where points of lights become lines (called optical flares). But, not at all, and happily, someone has given us the description on the reverse. So, this is a shot of the Miraflores Locks in Panama. Out of curiosity, I Googled the query of “how many locks are at the Panama Canal” and found the varied responses of three, six and twelve. Confused? Me, too. From Wikipedia:  

“There are twelve locks in total. A two-step flight at Miraflores and a single flight at Pedro Miguel lift ships from the Pacific up to Gatun Lake; then a triple flight at Gatun lowers them to the Atlantic side.” 

From Design of the Locks:  

“All lock chambers have the same 110 by 1,000 feet dimensions, and they are built in pairs. That is, two lanes of chambers run side by side to accommodate two lanes of traffic, either in opposite directions at the same time or in the same direction, depending on transit needs.”

So, multiply the six by two due to the two-lane accommodation. The Miraflores Locks were completed in May 1913 and part of the original three constructed; the others being Gatun and Pedro Miguel. Since then there has been a Canal Expansion Project that included a new set of locks and was completed in 2017. The expanded canal is also called the Third Set of Locks but this apparently derives from the expansion creating a third lane. (But shouldn’t the number of locks answer be updated? Admittedly, I seem to have gotten stuck in a weird number-of-locks-vortex ;-). I’ll leave all that with you guys, if you’re so inclined.) See below for some interesting reading.

Sources:  Design of the Locks. https://pancanal.com/en/design-of-the-locks/ (accessed August 15, 2023).

Miraflores (Panama). n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miraflores_(Panama) (accessed August 15, 2023).

Panama Canal locks. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panama_Canal_locks (accessed August 15, 2023).

The Expanded Panama Canal. March 31, 2019. https://pa.usembassy.gov/the-expanded-panama-canal/ (accessed September 3, 2023).

Steamer White Horse on the Yukon River

Old photo, white border. Circa 1901 – 1910’s.

Price:  $15.00            Size:  About 3 and 1/2 x 2 and 1/2″   

The sternwheeler White Horse pushing a load of lumber on the Yukon River….

Our photo above, as usual, was resized for the web and though you can enlarge the image (twice) the boat’s name (on the pilothouse) still won’t be readable. Below, a crop of the larger image size – here you may be able to make out what looks like “Horse” or “Morse.” Checking online, there were some possibilities under Morse but not being really convinced, I tried Horse and then thought of what might precede that word. This is the type where you can look at something fifteen times, give up, glance one last time and suddenly it seems to come into focus. (Maybe it’s intuition, I don’t know, but whatever it is, it’s always most welcome!)

White Horse, later Whitehorse, was a sternwheel paddle steamer built in 1901 by the British Yukon Navigation Co. Her last trip on the river was made in 1955. See an excellent article on the Explore North website for details, including a timeline of some of her adventures and fate after retirement.

Below, an article from The Vancouver Sun, June 1916. In this neck of the woods it’s all about the ice:

Sources:  Lundberg, Murray. The Sternwheeler White Horse (later Whitehorse). https://explorenorth.com/library/ships/white_horse.html. (accessed August 13, 2023).

“Yukon River is Open Through to Dawson; Navigation Starts.”  The Vancouver Sun, June 5, 1916. Monday, p. 1. (Newspapers.com).

Belgrade Boy, Circa 1910’s

Old photo, white border. Circa 1910’s. Belgrade,Yugoslavia.

Price:  $5.00          Size:  About 2 and 1/2 x 3 and 3/8″

Blonde tousled hair, a boy of about ten years old, has a nice smile for the camera on a sunny day…..The alternate name for this post is “Belgrade Boy With Balloon, Minus the Balloon.” 🙂

On the reverse is written,  “Mediterranean Belgarde.”  Not finding anything under Belgarde, we have to presume it’s a misspelling of Belgrade, now in Serbia, though at that time it would have been Yugoslavia. What was meant by “Mediterranean” is utterly unknown, as this city is nowhere near that body of water. Was it a section of Belgrade or a street name? We can’t find any reference.

As always, it’s nice to pick out details:  the pocket handkerchief in the boy’s sweater; we see that he carried a watch – there’s the chain (wonder what he carried in his other hand); the building across the street, probably a store, with only the last two letters (or so) of the company name showing – so, not really enough to get that tantalized feeling when you can almost read something; the automobile, we’ll skip the potential i.d. on this one – the image is a little blurry. And, of course, not a “detail” but that massive hunk of metal that was fashioned into a beautiful streetcar – imagine the weight of that thing….and our proximity to it – five or six steps and you can feel yourself grabbing the handrail and climbing aboard….

Mazie

Old photo, white border. Circa 1899 – 1905

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

Mazie, a gorgeous girl wearing a large, dark-hued bow which is blending with her hair. Love that smile!

Only Mazie’s given name appears on the reverse, and no location. But by chance, something with the printing, “Indian Head Mills” had been laid face down on top of the photo and this wording transferred onto the image (appearing sideways on the wall to our right). Here’s a crop right side up, along with its mirror image via Photoshop. The much lighter printing is the same lettering reversed, so some family member at some point flipped the item over, the print being dark enough to still make a faint impression.

The Nashua Manufacturing Company of Nashua, New Hampshire had two Indian Head Mill locations, the original in Nashua and a second added in Cordova, Alabama, in 1898. (See link in sources.) Of course, the Mazie in this photograph doesn’t have to have been connected with either area, but we did find a Mazie Louise Jones, born 1889, who married Monroe Wesley Akins. He was born in Cordova, and his WWI Draft Registration in 1918 shows he and Mazie were there, farming.

Below, a couple of articles from Alabama newspapers in January 1898:

Sources:  “A Walk Through Time – Indian Head Mill, Cordova.” 78mag.com. (Accessed July 4, 2023.)

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/34014225/mazie-louise-akins: accessed 02 July 2023), memorial page for Mazie Louise Jones Akins (21 Sep 1889–Oct 1956), Find a Grave Memorial ID 34014225, citing Union Chapel Cemetery, Union Chapel, Walker County, Alabama, USA; Maintained by Ed Stallings (contributor 46921758).

Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918. Registration State: Alabama; Registration County: Walker County.

“Indian Head Mills.” The Vernon Courier, January 27, 1898. Thursday, p. 1. (Newspapers.com).

“Making Cloth For China – The Cloth’s Name.” The Birmingham News, January 25, 1898. Tuesday, p. 5. (Newspapers.com).

Little Campers, Rio Grande Canyon, 1930

Old photo, white border, 1930.

Price:  $10.00            Size:  2 and 11/16 x 2 and 11/16″

“Billy Welsh and Lora Lou Mead at 6 a.m. by Campfire in Rio Grande Canyon near Taos N. Mex in 1930.”

Ha, Billy’s got that, “I need to adjust this campfire” look. Smoke’s probably getting to him a little. Lora Lou with that bonnet definitely has the old-time pioneer look. Pretty cute picture, for sure.

We’re not coming up with an exact match for Lora Lou in online records. (She was the hopeful.) And predictably, there are too many possibilities for Billy.