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).

Round Oak Stove Trade Card

Trade Card. Lithograph by Gies & Company, Buffalo, New York. Circa 1888 – 1895.

Price:  $12.00

“The Name Tells”

A lithograph by Gies & Co. of Buffalo, New York:  A pretty brunette in profile, gazes up and off in the distance. She’s wearing a dress of muted gold with blue, almost poinsettia-like flowers and a double strand of pearls.

“Makes ’em Hustle”  probably means the stove is so good and sales are brisk, making the salesmen hustle, or meaning the competition is hustling to try to come up with something just as good. Below, a September 1892 ad in The Huntington Democrat:

P. D. Beckwith was Philo D. Beckwith (1825 – 1889). See Find A Grave’s entry for detailed information, and for a better image of the Round Oak stove.

As for our trade card, it was distributed by Ramsay, Lerdall & Guldermann. The following announcement appeared in the Wisconsin State Journal, May 30, 1888:

Full names per the above, DeWitt Ramsay, Herman T. Lerdall and Jacob Guldermann, The hardware store was located on the corner of Main and Carroll streets, in Madison. By January 14, 1895, Guldermann had left the firm, according to a quick mention of an architect working above the Ramsay & Lerdall store. Ramsay then sold out in March 1899, per the article below:

Sources:  “The Round Oak Stove.”  The Huntington Democrat (Huntington, Indiana). September 29, 1892. Thursday, p. 2. (Newspapers.com).

Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/15327221/philo-d-beckwith: accessed 19 November 2023), memorial page for Philo D Beckwith (6 Mar 1825–10 Jan 1889), Find a Grave Memorial ID 15327221, citing Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan, USA; Maintained by Gerrie (contributor 46794434).

“A New Firm.”  Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wisconsin). May 30, 1888. Wednesday, p. 4. (Newspapers.com).

“Another Architect,”  Baraboo News Republic. (Baraboo, Wisconsin). January 14, 1895. Monday, p. 4.(Newspapers.com).

“Ramsay Store Sold.”  Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, Wisconsin). March 23, 1899. Thursday, p. 1. (Newspapers.com).

Another Unusual House

Divided Back, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1910’s – 1930’s. 

Price:  $12.00

The overexposure in this one makes it easy to miss at first, but there’s a chimney in our top right-hand view. (Click twice to enlarge.) And see how oddly it’s placed, cutting into the second-story roof eave? Probably the second floor and porch were later additions, right? Not that that would be unusual; it’s just the strangeness of how and where the chimney and roof intersect that gets us. (Maybe other examples are out there online but I didn’t see any). Then specifically it’s that very small overexposed bit (where the edge of the porch roof and chimney corner intersect) that tricks the eye so that the top portion of the chimney looks like it can’t meet with the lower portion (a fun-house-Alice-In-Wonderland-Dr. Seuss effect) or as if the chimney starts on the second floor. (Really not!) What’s the home style? Definitely there’s a Craftsman element from those deep eaves and exposed rafters and I’m not sure if this is considered Arts and Crafts but how about the charming wooden railings and those “rays of sun” extending up under the porch roof on the sides? Really, thumbs up on on the whole porch design. (The mind wanders….picturing the homeowners, admirers of Craftsman-style homes happily making requests of the builder……)