Genealogy+Ephemera
This baby photo of is absolutely adorable!!! It was take by C.H. Townsend of Willimantic, Connecticut. Scrolled elegantly across the back of the cabinet card is “Grace W. Sweet. Age 6 mo 17 days, Weight 21 1/4 lbs.”
A quick bit of research shows that this may very well be Grace Wales Sweet, daughter of Orson Hubert Sweet & Susan Mabelle Barstow. If you know anything about Grace, we’d love for you to share with our other readers in the comments below!
These two portraits of Mr. Clark were taken years apart, but show quite a handsome gentleman! Both were taken by Paris, Kentucky photographer L. Grinnan.
The back of each cabinet card lists not only John’s name, but also his siblings! “Brother of Bessie and Sallie Clark”. This made locating him in a quick records search very easy!
On the 1880 US Census, he’s found living in Paris, KY ate the ripe age of 11 years old (born 1869), along with sisters Bessie T. Clark, and Sallie M. Clark. All three are listed as boarders living with Katie Kenny.
Curls, upon curls. Flowers in her hair, and a book in her hand. Louise Reichspfarr is a victorian vision in this full length portrait! The photography studio listed on the cabinet card is “P. Günter, successor to D. Stuber” in Louisville, KY at 434 E. Market St. According to the Kentucky Death Records on Ancestry.com, there was indeed a Louis Reichspfarr in Louisville,Ky. Born;31 Oct 1878. Died;30 Jul 1962.
Not only that, the record lists her father as Charles Stuedle, which matches the maiden name found on the back of this portrait!
Assuming that this is the very same Louise (and with such an uncommon name, and the matching of maiden surname, it very likely is) then her mother would be Mary Roaderer, as listed also on the death record. A bit more digging leads to several sources listing her parents as a German immigrants.
Unfortunately, it seems that Louise has no living descendants, but she’s a part of someone’s family tree, and I hope they find her here.
These chubby cheeks are just too much!! This cutiepie, named Elenor Hutchinson, is dressed to the nines in this baby portrait. The photography studio listed on this cabinet card is “Charlton H. Elrod & Bro.”, and the studio location was 313 West Jefferson Louisville,KY.
When her cancer reared it’s ugly head again last year, I quit blogging. Actually, I quit doing most everything. Now I sit at my keyboard… 2 months of grieving, 6 months as a hospice caregiver, 3 years of holding her hand through chemo treatments, and a lifetime of sisterhood…. all of behind me, and nothing but memories are left. There were 3 of us. Now there are only 2; my baby sister and me. 2 left to learn to heal. 2 left to learn to move on. 2 left to start over
Coming back to this blog has been incredibly difficult. Staring at the cabinet cards I’ll be uploading today, I thought back to the day I bought them.
She, sitting on her walker seat, flipping through a shoebox full of old photos at the flea market we decided to visit after her hospice checkup was over. Flipping each one over, announcing “Found one!” whenever she found a name written on the back. We lost her a few weeks later. For 3 years, we stopped at antique shops and flea markets after her doctor’s appointments because she wanted to help me rescue genealogy artifacts. And, even more, she just wanted to spend as much time as she could with the people she loved, doing what they loved with them.
It’s bitter-sweet to think back to these things. Inevitable, also. There are literally boxes full of artifacts that she helped me find, that I know need to be uploaded so that researchers have access to them. So, today, I am starting over. Instead of waiting till I can type without crying…I’ve decided to type despite the tears. I’ve cleaned my scanner, dusted my desk, and pulled out the last items I rescued with her.
I have no idea where this blog will lead me, but knowing that she was and forever had a hand in it, it’s bound to be an adventure.
This fantastic framed collage of senior photos was found hanging at the TraderBaker Flea Market in LaGrange, Kentucky. It’s dated 1932, and the corner mark indicates that this collage was photographed by a studio in Fulton, KY. Beelerton High School, itself, was located in Hickman County, though there is nominal information about it online.
Included is this very cool collage are 6 photos of Beelerton High students, and their principle! Robert Palsgrove, Sara Emma Best, Randle B McAlister, Agnes Pharis, Warren Bard, Rebecca Robey, and Mr. A.N. Greer (principle).
Spotted this handsome gentleman at Traderbaker Flea Market in LaGrange, Kentucky.
The name on the back is John Hoffmands. If you look carefully,though, at the close-up of the inscription you can see that this name was written over another; John Hoffman! The portrait was taken at a Louisville, KY portrait studio named Stuber & Bro.
This handsome violinist was spotted by me in a north Georgia antique mall. I snapped a few quick pics of him as I rushed to keep up with my sister, who had gotten tired and needed to get to the car. The chemo she’s on is so hard on her body…
I wish I had gotten a better snapshot, but this is what I’m stuck with sharing.
His name is Antoni Niedzwiecki and the photo is dated 1923. The photographer’s studio mark is “Cosgrove Studio” of Scranton, PA.
What’s super exciting is that I popped this name into Ancestry.com and got an immediate find! There was, in fact a Antoni Niedzwiecki in Scranton, PA on the 1920 US Census. His birth year is listed 1903, which puts this musically inclined young man at about 20 years old in this photo!
This simple funeral card caught my attention at a north Georgia antique mall. It was tucked away in a glass cabinet but the shop owner was sweet and opened it so I could take a few pics.
This is young face particularity grabbed my heart. Though it’s not uncommon to see photos of youth who died, it’s still sad to me.
Only 17 years old at her death, there is no location information for Maude M. McCrary. Just that she was born August 31, 1888 and passed May 3, 1906.
While researching her, I found some information on FindAGrave.com which appears to be for the very same Maude; same birth and death dates. The cemetery that is listed on this site is the Carson City Cemetery, in Michigan. A note is written on the site which reads, “Daughter of James & Effie Jason McCrary”.
This great photo was spotted sitting on an antique dresser for sale at the Midwest Custom Furniture shop in English, Indiana.
His name is Clyda B. Miller, and by his name is written Ohio City, Ohio. The portrait itself was taken at a studio at Griffen Studio in Toledo, Ohio.
Dating the photo based on his collar would place it between 1895-1905 when the style, called a high imperial collar, was popular.
No location info could be found on this antique portrait, just the name “Philipo Faso 1925”. An online search turned up no one with this name.
There is a possibly that the spelling is unusual, and that it could also be Filipo Faso, Philippo Fazo, etc…. Hopefully I’ll get some time to do more research later and see if I can find some hints to who this young man was.
Regardless, I couldn’t afford to rescue him from the antique store I saw him in. He’s hanging upstairs in the Midwest Custom Furniture store of English, Indiana if anyone goes looking for him.
Found at an antique store in English, Indiana that is listed on Google Maps as “Midwest Custom Furniture”.
This is simply an old sheet of paper, and it looks as if it was the backing for a wall hanging or frame . Unfortunately, it has been removed at some point from the frame, and the image/portrait portion is missing.
I snapped a few pics because, though there was no image, it did hold some great genealogy information! Hopefully, someone will find it useful, those a quick search for Adelaide revealed nothing loop significant.
The larger of the two labels reads: “Adalaid Butler Wachler born at Montreal, Canada. Oct 2? 1849 Beloved aunt of Esther M Bauer”
The smaller label reads: “Adalaid Butler. born Montreal, Canada. October ?? 1849” This leads me to believe that ‘Butler’ may have been her maiden name, but I can’t seem to locate any online records of anyone by this name who is from Canada.
Oh. My. Goodness. So many gorgeous portraits! I promise you, I wanted to take each and every one down just to check for names!
My little sister had asked me to take her to check out this antique store, but had also just been connected to her chemo pump. The side effects hit since than usual and we rushed to get her home, and I said goodbye to all these dear faces without the time to check them.
If you are in the area though, this is a FANTASTIC shop with absolutely beautiful peices from all eras of history!
Cleveland Ohio Police Department Criminal by SherwoodsTreasures.
The owner of the Etsy shop that has this listed for sale has really hit my heart. I love unusual genephemera like this! Of course, if this was my great grandpa I might feel differently… LOL!
This 1954 mugshot card is full of wonderful information, including his age, height, and more! Most importantly, it lists his birth year and place; 1 August 1915 in Dublin, Georgia, which exactly where I found him on the 1920 US Census. His father, Lucius Killebrew (Sr.) was a drayman, and his mother, Susie, was a laundress.
His arrest in Cleveland, Ohio puts him a long way from the southern home he was raised in. A death record for Lucius Killebrew popped up in my search, and lists a married man of that name dying in Cleveland in 1981. It’s likely to be the same Lucius and there seems to have only been one man of that name during the time.
Tintype Photograph Of Southern Man Named by IllusionPhotography.
The seller of this photograph posted in their description that J.M Bogan may have ties to the Civil War. Or course, as with any man who was of age during the same time period of tintypes, this is often assumed. The seller pointing it out, though, did pique my interest; Do they know something I don’t yet? So I set off to do a little research of my own.
I didn’t dedicate much time but did find a few city directory listings for a man of the same name/initials who was a bookkeeper in Memphis. Hopefully his family finds him and tells us more about him!
Cabinet Photo of CR Barnes July 1887 Name and by VivaVintage4U.
With side swept hair and a bowtie adorned neck, Mr. C.R. Barnes stares past us in this photo I found for sale on Etsy. Written across the bottom of his portrait is his name and the date July 1887. The photogragher, Phillips, location is LaFayette, Indiana, a very helpful clue!
Ancestry lists several Purdue yearbook pages for a C.R. Barnes in the same time frame and area. It would be worth investigating if you are researching!
All the Single ladies named Viola Shafer Vintage by LaFeria.
Photographed by Shively in Decatur, Illinois Ms. Viola Shafer was a beauty. It would be difficult to narrow down which exact Viola Shafer this is, as there were many in this area of Illinois at the time. Maybe one of you readers will have a clue and share it with us!
The postcards had been in Norma McGovern’s family for almost 100 years before their mystery was unlocked. The writer, George Finlayson, sent them during WWI and they became family treasures from a man that was forgotten. Check out the story at The Evening Telegraph and find out how Norma discovered her family’s relationship to this young soldier!
Vintage First Communion Photo of a Teen Boy Named by plaidpearls.
It’s sad to know that this photograph was taken of John when he and his family still saw a full life ahead of him. John, though, apparently had his life cut short at the young age of 16 according to the back of the photo mount. The photographer was Wolk, listed with a Chicago address, probably Illinios as this is where the current sales listing originates.
According to Ancestry, there was indeed a Paul John Welt who died in Chicago, Cook County, Illinois at the age of 16 on 19 Feb 1913. His death record lists him as a butcher. His father, John Welt, and mother, Rosina, both from Germany must have felt an incredible loss at the death of this young man. So must have his 3 older sisters.
Old Antique Cabinet Photo Picture Cleveland Ohio NURSE Woman NAMED Bertha Meeker
This beauty is for sale on Ebay. Written across the back is her name Bertha Meeker. The photographer, Webb, is addressed on Elucid Ave, Cleveland.
