Sentimental Sunday - Women With Hats - Five 1870's Parisian Women

For this week's Women with Hats you get five for the price of one!  This wonderful, but somewhat faded CDV of five young, fashionable Parisian women was taken probably in the late 1870's.  I can't even begin to start describing their ensembles, they are just too delightful!  The skirts alone of their dresses with the ruffles, trim and diagonal designs have my eyes darting back and forth over  the photo.  The woman in the rear right has on the most lovely and stylish coat.  And of course, let's not forget the hats! Each of them is wearing an entirely different hat and each is totally stylish in its own right.  

The photographer was Hermet, perhaps Joseph Hermet, who reportedly appeared on the Paris photography scene sometime around 1872. About 1875 he bought the studio of Eugène Maunoury, a well-known artist and photographer.  I unfortunately do not know French, but using Google I believe the back of the photograph says that he sells portraits in oil, watercolor and miniatures, a collection of celebrities contemporaries. 

Wedding Wednesday - 1890's Higginsville, MO Couple

This attractive young couple from Higginsville, Missouri posed for their wedding photograph for photographer R. Alex Wells in the 1890's.  The unidentified couple seem happy and relaxed, and are both wearing wedding rings.  I'm not sure why the photographer posed them the way he did, separated by a small table with a plant,  but it certainly showcased the bride's lovely figure and beautiful white wedding gown and headdress.  She is truly made a serene, lovely bride.

I had no luck finding any information on the photographer, R. Alex Wells, although there are a few of his photographs to be found on Google.

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.

Wedding Wednesday - Early 1900's Hoboken, NJ Couple

This unidentified, young married couple had their photograph taken sometime between the turn of the century and 1910 by photographer W. Manewal of 520 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ.  The bride is wearing a simple dress, perhaps gray in color, fitted at the waist and it has a high neckline.  There are small, tiered layers on the hem and midway up the skirt and the bodice has an unusual ruffle in the middle. The sleeves are more fitted on the upper arms and billow down to the cuffs which match the neckline.  Her beautiful headdress is floor-length and she carries a lovely bouquet of white roses.  If you look closely it appears she moved slightly as the bouquet is a little out of focus.  The groom is quite dapper and simply dressed and sports a small boutonniere.

The photographer is a true American success story.  He was William Manewal who was born 6 Sep 1872 in Wörrstadt, Germany and immigrated to the United States in 1890 at age 18 on the ship Rhynland which sailed from Antwerp, Belgium   I found numerous hits for him on Ancestry.com including a listing in the Jersey City, New Jersey City Directory 1893 in which he listed his residence as 807 Hudson and his occupation as photographer.  Ten years later in 1903 according to the same city directory he was practicing his occupation at 520 Washington St. in Hoboken, NJ where this photograph was taken.  On 18 May 1903 he applied for a US Passport and listed this additional information:  wife Albertina (Wassner) Manewal, two children William 9 years and Adelfed 9 months, he became a naturalized citizen of the United States on 9 Mar 1900.  Manewal was 5'8" tall, had brown hair, blue eyes and had a light complexion.  By 1930, Manewal and his wife were living in Teaneck, Bergen County, NJ where he still earned his living as a photographer.

I also found a number of his photographs on Google as well as a short biography written by William Nelson (see source below), which described him as "a leader in his particular field of art" and "he is regarded as an expert in his art.....his patronage comes to him from far and wide." According to the author, Manewal studied in Paris, France and Venice, Italy before immigrating to the United States where he opened a photographic studio in Hoboken upon his arrival.  He became extremely successful and was a member of a number of organizations including the New Jersey State Photographic Art Association, Hoboken Lodge, Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks and the Hoboken Academy.

Source:  Nelson's Biographical  Cyclopedia of New Jersey, Volume 2 by William Nelson, 1913, publisher Eastern Historical Publishing Society, New York.

Fashionable Friday - Young Civil War Era Woman from Milwaukee, WI

This week's Fashionable Friday photograph features a CDV (Carte de Visite) from 1864 -1866 taken in Milwaukee, WI by photographer A. Marquis, Jr.  

The subject is identified as "Louisa" and unfortunately there is no last name given.  She appears to be in her teens and is seated in a chair leaning on a table.  She is wearing a dress with long sleeves, fitted at the waist with a belt and it has an unusual soutache like trim complete with a tie at the neck.  Miss Louisa is quite sweet and fashionable indeed!

I had very little luck finding information on the photographer.  I did find the below in the Milwaukee 1861 City Directory and again in the 1878 Directory, but found no mention of him (or her) in the cencus.  I had no luck Googling him as well.  The revenue stamp on the reverse gives us the date of 1864 - 1866.

Milawaukee City Directory 1861

Sepia Saturday #136 - Professional Baseball Player & Scout John Ralph "Jack" Warner

I posted a brief blurb earlier about my great-grandaunt Wave Bruce's husband John Ralph "Jack" Warner who was for a time a professional baseball player in the 1920's and 1930's.  This week's Sepia Saturday illustration comes from the AG Spaulding Baseball Collection and although I have two reproduction cards of Uncle Jack's there are numerous others of his out there that I cannot afford to purchase.  When I Google him I can find a number of great old photos.  The photo left is from the 1933 Goudey Baseball Card collection when Jack played for the Philadelphia Phillies at second base.

Jack was born 29 Aug 1903 in Evansville, IN to Norman and Emma Warner, the fourth of five children. On September 24 1925 he debuted in the major leagues at age 22 for the Detroit Tigers and was their third baseman for the 1926 and 1927 seasons. He played alongside the legendary Ty Cobb and in 1926 won a $25 bet from Cobb by beating him in a footrace. Click here to see a great team photograph where Jack is sitting next to the great Ty Cobb? It the 1926 team profession photograph, about 1/3 the way down the screen and Jack and Ty are the two in the very middle of the photo.

His best year was 1927 when he played 138 games at third base and finished among the American League leaders in at bats (559), outs (431), and hit by pitch (6).  In 1929 he was traded to the Brooklyn Robins (1929 - 1931) and finished his career with the Phillies in 1933 playing his final game on September 30 1933. After his playing career he was a scout for the Chicago Cubs. He spent 12 seasons as a coach for the Los Angeles Angels farm club and was a West Coast scout until he retired.

I found Uncle Jack and Aunt Wave in the 1940 Los Angeles Census where he listed his occupation as professional ball player. They lived for many years in California before returning to Illinois upon retirement. He died in Mt. Vernon, IL at age 82 on 13 Mar, 1986 and is buried at Memorial Gardens.

For more great American baseball stories swing on over to Sepia Saturday!

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - 1900 Philadelphia Woman

This photograph of an unidentified, mature, well-dressed woman was taken in Philadelphia probably around 1900. Her pose is very austere and from her clothing she appears to be well off. This card is an example of the changes cabinet cards went through at the end of the 19th century and into the beginning of the 20th. The size began changing as did the material the card was made out of. This particular card measures 3 5/8" x 5 1/2" instead of the standard for cabinet cards of 4" x 6". It is gray in color and made out of materials that became popular at that time, densely pressed cardboard between two pieces of covering that is pure color¹. It is embossed with the photographer's name as well as engraved with scrolls around the inner frame.

The photographer was E. J. Davis, located at 2021 Frankford Ave, and 1608 Susquehanna Ave, Philadelphia. He sounds like he must have been fairly prosperous at his profession, but I have been unable to find out anything about him. I did find this one small ad in the January 1908 edition of Snapshots from Google² books:

Sources:

1. Phototree.com
2. Google books