Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - 1910 Woman with Big Hat & Husband

1912-1913 Couple

This young attractive couple appear to be somewhat well-off by the appearance of the their clothing.  I'm not sure if this is a wedding photo, most likely as they are both prominently showing their wedding rings. The woman appears to be wearing what I believe was called a walking or traveling suit so perhaps they were about to leave for their honeymoon. Her hat is quite impressive with the round base and large feather plumes.  Her suit is lovely, with wide trim and large buttons and she has on a colorful blouse with frothy lace at the neck.  Her groom is quite spiffy in his suit and holding a bowler hat.

This photo measures approximately 5 x 7 inches and is inside a brown cardboard folder, but I have cropped it to make it easier to see. Unfortunately, neither the couple, the photographer or the location are identified.  I estimate this was taken about 1912 - 1913.

Sepia Saturday #157 - Christmases Past (My First)

There is nothing forgotten about the faces or place in this photograph, but  I felt it was a good picture to share for this week's Sepia Saturday.  It is a picture taken of me and my grandfather Diamond Milton Smith on Christmas 1955 in Mt. Vernon, IL when I was two months old.  I have always loved and cherished this photo as I  have always been told  how proud and excited he was of his first grandchild.   

Grandpa would have been in his 40's in this photo and it's hard to believe that he was younger than I am today.  I was fortunate to have him for so many years and he died in August of 1997.  He was not a man to share his feelings, but I always knew he loved me.  (And yes, now you can figure out exactly how old I am!)  Happy Holidays!  

For more wonderful Christmas tales please join us over at Sepia Saturday!

Wedding Wednesday - Another Young Ossian, IA Newlywed Couple Late 1880's

There is much going on in my life these days and I have not been posting much lately, but I did want to share another cabinet card photograph taken by the same photographer as last week's Wedding Wednesday photo, G. G. Oyloe.  This young couple are not smiling either, but somehow they do not look unhappy to me just intently posing for their wedding photo.  The brides's dark colored dress has a lovely bodice, but still manages to be quite serviceable for later use.    The long white headdress ensures that we know this is indeed a wedding photo.  Also, notice how she is firmly holding her new husband's arm.  I'm dating this photograph around 1888 -1889.

Wedding Wednesday - Unhappy Bride from Ossian, IA - Late 1800's

This week's Wedding Wednesday features a young couple from Ossian, IA.  The groom, although a bit stiff, seems to be accepting of his bride as he has a firm grip on her tiny waist as if he has no intention of letting her get away.  She on the other hand does not look at all pleased with the outcome of her wedding day.  I hope this was not the only wedding photograph they had taken - can you imagine having to look at this reminder for fifty years? Her dress is quite unusual with what appears to be fur trim down the front of the bodice, the cuffs of the sleeves and around the bottom of the skirt.  

The photographer was G. G. Oyloe (1851 - 1927) of Ossian, IA.  Oyloe whose full name was Gilbert G. was born in Norway about 1851 and immigrated to the United States before 1880 when he married Johanne Hannah Simonsen who was born in Iowa in 1856.  They lived their entire lives in Ossian and Military Iowa, both located in Winneshiek County.  They were the parents of three children, the last born in 1898, the same year Oyloe's wife died.  Oyloe is reported to have to have worked as a photographer in the area from around 1880 to about 1910. Oyloe died in 1927 and is buried at Hillside Cemetery in Ossian. I want to date this photograph in the 1880's but I am a little unsure as the trailing vines on her headdress would point to a later date, so perhaps early 1890's.

Fashionable Friday -"Easy on the Eyes" 1890's Richmond, IN Gent

My Fashionable Friday posts tend to feature women in lovely, voluminous dresses with intricate designs and eye-catching accessories. Today I decided to change it up a little bit by throwing in this extremely good-looking young gentleman from Richmond, IN.  I purchased this cabinet card with the same group of photos I discussed in a recent post so perhaps he is related, but unfortunately he is unidentified.  He appears to be somewhat prosperous and is wearing from what we can see a fashionable suit with overcoat. Although a bit faded and having a few spots, this picture is still amazing as you can even see the white-on-white design on his tie.  I estimate this photograph to have been taken between 1890 - 1894.

The photographer was W. Blanch Ward of the Chicago Art Gallery at 704 Main Street in Richmond.  I could not find any information on the photographer, he or she was listed in the Richmond City Directory in 1886 and 1888 at 704 Main Street.  The back of the photo is bare, but the photographer's mark at the bottom is quite unusual.

Wedding Wednesday - William & Lizzie Lemke - 1880's Couple

1880's Bride and Groom

This cabinet card featuring a newly wedded couple comes with identification of the couple for a change (see the back), but without a photographer's mark or location coming up with a date depended on other clues.  My best guesstimate as to the timeline of this photograph is around 1885 give or take a few years either way.  I found several William Lemke's on Ancestry.com, however there was one that best seemed to fit the scenario - born 1860 in Germany, married Elizabeth (Lizy) Roggen (also born in Germany) in March of 1888 in Nebraska.  He was 27 years of age, she was 33.

The bride is wearing a very serviceable and typical 1880's style bustled dress with a tight fitted bodice and many small buttons from neck to waistline.  It would be hard to tell that this is a wedding photo if not for the headdress and veil and small boutonniere the groom is wearing.  If you look closely you will see that both are wearing a wedding ring.

Back of Photo - Uncle William & Aunt Lizzie Lemke

Mystery Monday - Two Ladies from Indiana - Are They One and The Same?

Some time ago I bought a large group of photos from the same vendor and most were from the same few counties in Indiana.  Initial research seemed to indicate that several of the people who were actually identified were most likely related in some way.  The two cabinet cards I am posting today feature women, one from Tipton County, IN and the other from Wayne County (Richmond), IN.  The features on these two women are so similar that I strongly believe it is possible they are one and the same.  Of course, neither photo has anything to identify either subject.  They both appear to have been taken in the same time frame, late 1880's to mid 1890's.

Unk Tipton, IN Woman & Children ca late 1880s - early 1890's

The first photograph shows a young woman in her late twenties to early thirties posed with two young girls, most likely her daughters.  This photograph was probably taken between 1888 and 1892.  The photograph was taken at Hysman's Studio in Tipton, Ind. Hysman was Henry Hysman born ca 1840 in Indiana, married Mary Thatcher May 1865 in Tipton.  He enlisted in the Civil war as a Private on 15 Aug 1861 and served in the 22nd Regiment, Indiana Infantry.  He was promoted to a full Corporal and mustered out on 24 Jul 1865.  He suffered some type of injury as he applied for an invalid pension on 27 Jul 1872.  He died on 21 Jan 1892 and is buried at Fairview Cemetery in Tipton County.  The inscription on his stone says, "Died for His Country."

Unk Richmond, IN woman ca 1890 - 1894

The second photo shows the subject in a traditional singular pose and was probably taken about 1890 - 1894.  The photographer was West End Studios, Stigleman & Son, Richmond, Ind established in 1867 by George Walter Stigleman.  Stigleman was born in 1836 in Wayne County, Indiana, married his wife (Elizabeth) Caroline Bailey about 1859 and  and their first son Edward followed his father into the family business as evidenced by the 1890 Richmond City Directory, "GW Sr. & Son (Geo W. & Edward Stigleman) proprs of the East End Gallery, photographers, 826 Main." There was a second son George, Jr. and it appears he  moved to Denver, CO and started his own photography business there.  In 1894 the Stigleman's Indiana studio was destroyed by fire as reported by the  "Photographic Times & American Photographer, Volume 25 (Google eBook).  Most equipment and negatives were a total loss.  The mother had died in May of 1892, George Sr. died a year after the fire in May of 1895.  I could not find any record of what became of son Edward but it appears that a third son Rollin rebuilt and took over the studio until 1898 when he sold it to Edwin F. Dalby of Richmond.