Wedding Wednesday - One More by Photographer G. G. Oyloe, Ossian, IA

One more by G. G. Oyloe who I have mentioned in four previous wedding posts. This week's photograph is yet another style cabinet card for Oyloe - notice the back imprint on the card. It is rather unusual with a scalloped border, several birds, flowers, butterflies, and a spider web complete with spider!

The unidentified bride and groom on the front are both wearing dark clothing, the groom in this case is wearing a longer coat, but still has only the top button buttoned.  The bride's dress has an unusual detail with darker triangular patches along the bottom of the skirt.  Instead of a headdress she is wearing a white flower band on her head and has a long white scarf tied around her neck.  I've seen this style before and want to believe this was some kind of ethnic adornment.  I'm dating this late 1880's about 1889 +- one year.

Wedding Wednesday - 1890 Newly Married Iowa Couple

This week I bring you yet another young couple photographed by G. G. Oyloe of Ossian, IA.  In fact, this is the fourth cabinet card by this photographer I have posted.  This week's unidentified couple are posed in two different types of chairs, which frankly from my point of view, is a little odd.  Both are leaning their elbows on the bride's fringed, velvet posing chair.  The bride, all in white, appears to be leaning slightly forward and the groom is sitting back with legs crossed; both are expressionless.  Looking closely I see that the bride is wearing her wedding ring on the middle finger of her right hand.  The groom is wearing his on the pinkie finger of his right hand which I have seen on a prior groom from Ossian, perhaps this was the style or local tradition.

In dating this photograph at about 1890, I knew that the photographer had a studio in Ossian between 1880- 1910.  I narrowed it down further by using  the beveled edges of the card (1885 - 1895), the groom's suit with only the top button buttoned (1885 - 1890), the trailing flower vine on the bride's headdress (1890-1900) and finally the foil stamped imprint which was introduced around 1890.  I find it interesting that out of the four cabinet cards I have posted by Oyloe, which are all in a five year period, all were printed on different style cards.  I have yet another photo of his that I will share next week that is printed on yet another type of card.

Wedding Wednesday - Bored 1880's Couple from Ossian, Iowa

This week I am featuring a third photograph of a married couple from Ossian, IA taken by photographer G. G. Oyloe (Gregory) who I have mentioned twice before. This unidentified couple who appear somewhat bored, although  this is probably just the way the photographer posed them, were seated next to a small table covered by a tapestry and both are leaning their elbows on a book, most likely a bible.  

This cabinet card has seen rough use over the years, is faded and the photo appears to have been over-exposed as evidenced in the whiteness of the rug and background.   I still find it to be of interest and I especially like the bride's dress.  Her dress was very serviceable as were many a bride's dress in the 1800's, but hers has a few embellishments that made it special.  It was most likely brown in color and has lovely white daisy-like trim around the sleeves at the wrists and  near the hem of the skirt.  The trim also is seen around the deep V-shaped insert on the bodice.   The trim at the top of her neck is also very pretty as evidenced by the picture below.  The long headdress was typical of many others I have seen and with the small corsage did not overpower the dress.   

The groom was wearing a matching corsage (boutonniere) and his suit was typical of the period of 1885 - 1890.  The slight puffiness of the shoulders of the bride's dress also look as though they could be dated closer to 1889 - 1890.  Both the bride and groom appear to be wearing rings; the bride on the customary ring finger, the groom on his pinkie finger (see left).  

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.