Sepia Saturday # 180 - World War I Era Nurses

My posts have been rather sporadic lately mainly due to the health of my husband who has needed all my extra attention because of severe back pain.  He has been unable to work for over six weeks and has been advised he needs back surgery.  Unfortunately for him, nursing is not one of my better qualities, but I have tried to do my best to attend to him. To top it off this past week my company instituted corporate cuts and I find myself unemployed and could use a little TLC.  When I saw the prompt for this week's Sepia Saturday the nurse in the photograph reminded me of a photograph that I have that fits the bill so I drug it out of my collection today for your review.  

This photo shows what I believe to be six World War I era nurses.  They are identified on the back as: (1) Mrs. Hugh Gilbert, (2) Mrs. I. Haines Dickinson, (3) Mrs. Geo. W. Heusel Jr. (4) unknown, (5) Miss Helen Heusel and (6) Mrs. A. S. Harkness.  The last woman I believe is possibly related to a woman I mentioned in an earlier post, Mary Fairlamb Harkness of Pennsylvania.  The location is unknown, but my guess that these nurses served stateside.

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Wedding Wednesday - 1920's (Art Deco Era) Bride from Pottstown, PA

Look at this lovely 1920's bride who was photographed on her wedding day by Santangelo of Pottstown, PA.  I don't know anything about her, but she made a beautiful bride in her long white gown and beautiful  headdress with with the long, lacy train.  This photo is framed in an elegant 6 1/2 x 9' cardboard folder.    I have cut it down to make it easier to see the lovely bride.

The photographer was Antone (Tony) Santangelo (1879 - ?) who  lived and worked for many years in Pottstown. He married Edith Maud Ormee on 5 Jan 1909.  He and his wife both worked as   photographers in his photography studio according to the 1920 Pottstown Ward 3, Montgomery Co, PA census. 

Those Places Thursday - Fairlamb Home, Fairmount, PA Late 1880's

Fairlamb Home - Fairmount, PA ca late1880's L-R Retta Fairlamb, Oscar Fairlamb,
Stella Fairlamb, Mary Fairlamb, Bob Walker, Mary Diller, Annie Fairlamb

Last week for my regular Women with Hats post, I ran the picture below of Retta Fairlamb in the large hat.  I recently bought a large lot of photos, over 175 in all, and am finally getting around to going through all of them.  Retta in the flowered hat was one of the first ones I pulled out of the box. I was quite pleasantly surprised to find several more with the name Fairlamb identified on them including two more with Retta so I decided to post them here today.  I realized after I looked at these that the information I posted originally about Retta was incorrect, she was not Margaretta Fairlamb, she was Maretta Vernon Fairlamb (25 Mar 1869 - ?) and if you take a look at the original post you can see the corrections.  Interesting enough both Rettas were music teachers.  

I originally wanted to date the photo above in the early to mid 1880's, but have changed my estimation to the late 1880's due to the type of card this photo is mounted on.  I have cropped it above, but the last photo below shows the entire photograph.  These type of over-sized pictures on natural finished cards were not seen until the very late 1880's and most usually in the 1890's.  Using the Fairlamb girls' ages I am sticking to a late 1880's date as the absolute latest date possible.

Retta Fairlamb Apr 14, 1889 Age 20

Retta Fairlamb Oct 1, 1898 Age 29

Here are two photographs of Retta's older sister Mary Fairlamb 6 Sep (1862 - 5 Dec 1926) who married ? Harkness.  She is in the very middle of the large photograph above in the black dress leaning against the tree.

Mary Fairlamb Nov 1887

Mary Fairlamb Harkness Late 1880's

I also have another photographer identified on the back as Annie Fairlamb (1865 - ?) with a question mark and the date of 1888, but I question it validity as the dress dates it well into the 1890's.  She has a definite resemblance to the other women.

Annie Fairlamb ? 1888

 


There are a number of people with family trees listing the Fairlamb girls, I will contact some of them to see if there is interest in these photographs.

Fairlamb Home Fairmount, PA late 1880's

Mystery Monday - Unknown Civil War Era Philadelphia Woman

This attractive young woman posed for this CDV between 1864 and 1866 as evidenced by the revenue stamp seen below on the back of the photograph. Her hairstyle, parted in the middle and drawn at the nape in most likely a bun, was quite typical of the times and reminds me of Melanie Wilkes in "Gone With the Wind." Her dark hoop dress is quite lovely and appears to be made of satin.  She has a small white collar and white cuffs.

The photographer was H. C. Phillips located at the N.W. cor. of Ninth and Chestnut Sts., Philadelphia.  Phillips was Henry Chapman Phillips born in Chester, Pennsylvania 8 Sep 1833 to John J. and Mary Phillips. Philllips is found in Philadelphia City Directories almost every year between 1864 - 1903 at several address on and around Chestnut Street in his profession as photographer.  Married wife Catherine J. Magill 19 Apr 1860 they were the parent of four children, Carolyn H. (born 1861) Geo. C. (born 1862), Ryland. (born 1866) W. and Howard M. (born 1868).

According to www.ancientfaces.com Phillips started his career with daguerreotypes in 1856.  He worked with a number of other photographers over the years including his own brother R. R. Phillips, Curtis Taylor and S. Broadbent.

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - Early 1900's Motoring Couple?

I just love this photograph of an unidentified early 1900's  couple from Johnstown, PA!  The woman's attire makes me think that they just drove their sporty new motorcar to the photography studio.  I can just picture them both driving along wearing those goggles you always see in old pictures and movies.  She and her husband look quite proud in this photo.

With the advent of motorcars women's fashion had to change and in the early days of motoring, for practical purposes, women began to wear huge linen dust coats over their dresses, tied down their hats with scarves and hid their faces behind goggles.  Of course, owning a motorcar was the latest thing and the fashionable woman was constantly looking for a way to project this by making her motoring outfit a calling costume of great fashion.  The woman in this photograph appears to be quite concerned with her appearance, note that she has made her hat quite lovely with the white flowers and frothy veil material.   One interesting detail I notice is that her husband's pant legs are rolled up the bottom in a rather haphazard fashion.

The photographer was Leander George Hornick born in Pennsylvania (6 March 1877 - 8 Sep 1952) a son of John and Margaret Hornick.  He was a veteran of the Spanish-American War serving in 1898.  In the 1900 census at age 23 he listed his occupation as photographer.  According to Johnstown city directory records he had a studio on Main Street from 1903 to at least 1920.

Sources:
 History of Costume
Victoriana Magazine

Sepia Saturday #153 - A Sisterhood of Good Friends in the 1880's & 1890's

The photo prompt for this week's Sepia Saturday which comes from the Samuel Bell Maxey Collection at the Texas State Archives, pictures two young girls with very soulful eyes. Those two may have not been sisters, but one can surmise from the photo that they were the best of friends.  This led me to think about the friends women have in their childhood whether it is a true sister, a schoolmate, neighbor, cousin, etc.    I have a couple of photos I want to share that I think exemplify "a sisterhood of friends."

Unknown Young Women 1888- 1890

The first cabinet card features a group of six young women, probably early teens, all sitting close together posed with books (could have used this photo last week).  It's possible that some of them could be related, but to me it is more likely they are friends, classmates, or a church or social group.  The photograph is so clear you can see the beautiful detail of their dresses.  The photographer was  F. M. Spencer of Troy, PA who sold his studio in Mansfield, PA in 1886 and moved to Troy in 1887 buying the studio of O. E. Dewey.  I believe this photo to be dated between 1888 - 1890.

Unknown Young Women ca 1890

This second photo shows four young girls, probably anywhere from ten to eighteen years old.  This cabinet card is most likely dated around 1890.  I think it is possible that this group is related, sisters perhaps.  The one on the right front is the oldest, but looks too young to be the mother.  The photograph is not as crisp as the first and the details are not as easy to see.  I had no luck finding any information on the photographers, Wilcox & Wilcox, Managers of C. & N.W. Photo Co.  There is no city listed and there is nothing on the back of the card to help identify either the subjects or the photographers.  I wonder if they were not another of those traveling railroad photographers?

Please visit Sepia Saturday to see more fabulous photos!

Sources:
http://www.joycetice.com/photog/spencert.htm

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - One and a Half Women from Danville, PA

This week's Women with Hats features a cabinet card with two for the price of one, or rather one and half women.  This photograph taken by McMahan & Irland shows presumably a mother and very young daughter, about age three or four, both wearing hats.  I believe this cabinet card photo to have been taken in the very late 1880's, probably 1888 or 1889.    The mother is wearing a typical 1880's bustled dress and an amazing hat.  The little girl is wearing an white dress and her sweet face is framed by the straw hat with the white flower at the top. 

The photographers are Thomas M. McMahan (1829 - ) son of James and Margaret McMahan and of Scots-Irish origin.  He began to learn the art of photography in 1853 and in 1865 settled in Danville.   In 1871 he went into business with  Mr. Ireland under the name of McMahan & Ireland.  In 1854 he married Carolyn Reed. 

Ireland is James M. Ireland, who was born in Northumberland County, PA in 1847, a son of John M. and Amanda (McMahan) Ireland, also of Scotch- Irish descent    In 1864 he enlisted in Company E, Ninth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry and served until the close of war and was captured at Woodbury, Tenn, and was paroled three weeks later.   After his return to to Danville he married Lucy F. Maxwell.

Source:  Montour County, Pennsylvania, Biographical Sketches

Presented by Pennsylvania Genealogy Trails & History

Workday Wednesday - Tea Time Anyone? Housemaid/Servant to the Uppercrust?

This cabinet card which is a bit scratched up depicts a house maid or servant holding a tray with dishes as if ready to serve her employer.  She is wearing what would seem to be a typical house servant/maid uniform with apron.  There is nothing to identify the young woman and I am not entirely certain of the date.  The photographer is E. L. Sayers of New Bethlehem, Rimersburg and Dayton, PA.  I found a number of his photographs on Google, but no information on the man himself, nor was I able to find anything about him on my old standby, Ancestry.com.  

In trying to date this photograph, I narrowed it down to the 1890's, most likely from the latter half of the decade.  This was using several factors in dating cabinet cards including that in the mid-1890's some cards were embossed around the edges in gold with a thin line. It is a little harder to date the card using the woman's clothing as the servant's clothing would not necessarily reflect the fashions of the time, they would be more utilitarian.  I could be wrong, however about this timeline and welcome any input.

Those Places Thursday - Deadwood Dakota Territory Couple

Although torn at the bottom and with a small stain this cabinet card of an 1880's couple taken in Deadwood, Dakota Territory was a great find and it opened up a real research adventure for me. The photo shows an attractive well dressed man and woman, husband and wife, he is sitting and she is standing behind him.  She is wearing the typical 1880's style bustled dress.  She also has a beautiful,  but common for the times, locket around her neck and her hair is styled with curly fringes about the forehead.    The photographer was Pollock, Main and Gold Sts. Deadwood Dakota.  On the reverside side the man is identified as "one of the Duggan sons of Henry Duggan, Sr. (Wm. Von Pier?)."

I am convinced that this is William V. Duggan who I found quite easily on Ancestry.com born  in Barclay, PA most likely in December of 1855.  His parents were Henry and Ann (unknown) Duggan both from Wales.  Henry Duggan of Barclay, PA had seven sons, the oldest William being born in 1855.  The next son was Henry Pierre born in 1868.  In the 1880 Barclay, Bradford County, PA census 25 year old William is living with his parents and numerous brothers and sisters and occupation listed as student.  Sometime around 1883 he married Mary (unknown) also from Pennsylvania, and before 1884 they moved to the South Dakota Territory where they are found in the 1885 South Dakota Territorial Census. Their son William Jennings Duggan was born 13 May 1884 (1900 Pipestone, Minnesota census).  William age 30 listed his occupation as "lawyer, wife Mary age 23, with one son William age 1/12 (one month) and one servant, Lizzie Janes aged 14.  His brother, Henry Pierre who was thirteen years younger did not marry until 1896 so they style of dress worn by the woman in this photo does not fit, therefore I am certain this is William V. and Mary Duggan.

Wiliiam and Mary would go on to have two more children, Ruth born in 1889 and Mary J. born in 1891.  Mary must have died before 1893, perhaps in childbirth with Mary because on 11 Apr 1893 in Pipestone, Minnesota (just across the state line from South Dakota) William was married again to Georgia Hatch (1871-).  William and Georgia lived in Minnesota until 1910 where they are listed in the 1910 Elkton, Brookings, South Dakota census.  His occupation changed a little with each census, 1900 - insurance, 1905 - life insurance agent, 1910 - hotel ?, 1920 - life insurance.  I wonder what led him to leave his law practice?  William died 27 May 1932 in Brookings, South Dakota .

To further help date this photograph I found this helpful information on the photographer:   In December 1884 Albert Pollock Studio was advertising their "elegantly tinted cabinet photo and walnut frame."  Albert Pollock was partners with E. L. Boyden who bought him out in 1886 and Pollock retired to ranching.  This information comes from the site, http://identifythisdeadwoodimage.blogspot.com which has many wonderful old images from Deadwood.  Since I know that William and Mary were married sometime around 1883 this photograph can be dated between 1883 - 1886. 

Deadwood, the county seat of Lawrence County has such a rich history.  According to Wikipedia it was named for the dead trees found in its gulch.  The settlement of Deadwood was founded in the 1870's and has been described as illegal, since it lay within the territory granted to Native Americans in the 1868 Treaty of Laramie.  In 1874 Col. George Armstrong Custer led an expedition into the Black Hills belonging to the Lakota and announced the discovery of gold on French Creek triggering a gold rush.  This gave rise to the lawless town of Deadwood  which quickly reached a population of about 5,000.  Many prosperous businesses sprang up including saloons and brothels.  The town attained notoriety for the murder of Wild Bill Hickok and he is buried there at Mount Moriah Cemetery as is Calamity Jane.

A fire on September 26, 1879 devastated the town, destroying over 300 buildings and consuming most everything belonging to the townspeople.  Many left to try their luck elsewhere. The Deadwood Central Railroad was founded in 1888 to serve the mining purposes of J.K.P. Miller and associates.  Although electrified in 1902 for operation as an interuban passenger system, the railroad was abandoned in 1930.

Another fire in 1959 came close to destroying the town; about 4,500 square miles were burned.  In 1961 the entire town was designated a National Historic Landmark.  Today the population of Deadwood is around 1,270.

Sepia Saturday #124 - Miniature Railway - Easton, PA

I just love this postcard depicting a miniature train full of passengers which was postmarked in 1907.  The train, called the "Black Diamond" was photographed in Easton, PA by E. D. Vogel of the same city.  The passengers, young and old, are all decked out in their finest clothes as if they are on a trip to somewhere important and the engineer is wearing what I would expect a real train engineer of old to wear.  It was perfect for this week's Sepia Saturday theme about miniature trains.

If you enjoyed this post, please roll on down the track to Sepia Saturday to see more terrific pictures of trains, planes and automobiles!

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - 1890's Williamsport Woman

This cabinet card of a well-dressed, but unidentified woman from Williamsport, PA is somewhat faded, but is too interesting not to post. She is quite fashionable for a 1890's woman;  I would put the photo somewhere around 1895 due to the high puffy sleeves and neckline.  Oh and let's not forget that hat!  With the very large bow and white flowers it is quite the fashion statement. The white flowers on the dark fabric of her dress really "pops."  She is standing next to a chair with a coverlet of some type.

The photographer was R. Y. Nice, Cor. 3rd Market St. Williamsport, PA.  I didn't find much when I Googled him, but I did locate him on Ancestry.com in both the 1900 and 1910 censuses. The 1900 census lists his name as Robert Y. age 51, born Jan 1949 in Pennsylvania, father from England, mother from Pennsylvania.  He was married in 1873 to wife Margaret H. and they had three grown, unmarried children living with them at the time, Perry H. age 22, Robert Tomb (interesting name) age 21 and Eleanor age 23.  In the 1910 census, all three children are still living with them.

Update:  I have to admit to being set in my ways.  In the first paragraph, I mention how faded the photo is.  One of my readers pointed out that if I used Picasa's "I'm Feeling Lucky" feature it would help the photo.  Would you believe I have had Picasa for several years but never use it because I am comfortable using Windows Photo Gallery?  I know Picasa has better features, I just hate change!  Looking at the difference between the two pictures, I think it's time I started using it.

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - Civil War Era Reading, PA Woman

This CDV of an attractive, well dressed woman was most likely taken in the 1860's.  She is wearing an unusual hat/bonnet with red, hand-colored flowers and tied under the chin.  She is also wearing a fur collar and hand muff along with a long outer coat, not sure what it was called.  Note the huge bow tied around her neck, looks very uncomfortable to me.  She looks very elegant and most likely came from a well-to-do family. There is no identification on this woman.

The photographer was  Samuel Clark, 539 Penn Street, over Neff's Store, Reading, PA.  By Googling his name, I found several other Civil War era photographs taken by him including those some soldiers, but was unable to find any more information on the photographer himself.  

Sentimental Sunday - Women with Hats - Stylish Carbondale, PA Woman

I particularly like this cabinet photo of a woman from Carbondale, PA not just because it's more uncommon to see people in formal photographs wearing outerwear, but because I love the back of the photo.  This woman, who was most likely photographed in the 1880's, is wearing a very fitted coat, most likely wool, with what appears to be velvet trim at the edges of the sleeves, on the pockets and down the front placket.  There is also some sort of decorative clasp at the neck.  She is most probably wearing her hair in a bun under her hat which appears to be made of velvet and feathers.  Very stylish!

The back of the card is quite entertaining with birds and a little frog riding an old-fashioned bicycle across the bottom.  I had no luck finding any information on the photographer, Cramer who was located at 312 Main St. in Carbondale.

Wedding Wednesday - Unknown Philadelphia Couple

Here is a picture of a newly married couple taken in Philadelphia, PA, probably between 1900 and 1910 I'm guessing based on the style of her dress (I'm still working on my photo dating skills).  She is holding a lovely basket of roses and note her eyeglasses.  He is very dapper in his dark suit, wearing white gloves and I particularly like his handlebar mustache.  I could not find any information about the photographer,  "The Sommer Studio, 210 N. Eighth St., Opp. Bijou Theatre, Phila."

Somewhere in Time?

This picture of a beautiful and serene woman reminds me of one of my favorite movies, Somewhere in Time, with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeve.  The movie was based in 1912,  but I believe this picture to be dated about five to ten years earlier than that.   The picture was taken in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania by S. B. Rifer and there is nothing to identify this beautiful and ethereal mystery woman. 

Wordless Wednesday - Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

What more is there to say?  This picture taken of three young ladies in Butler, PA by photographer Criley & Aland leaves me speechless.  Photograph was taken sometime in the 1890's.