Those Places Thursday - 1860's Actress Ada Webb

For a very long time I've wanted to post this CDV photograph of a very beautiful and contemplative young woman.  This photo was taken by C. D. Fredericks of 587 Broadway, New York, 108 Calle de la Habana, Habana, and 31 Passage du Havre, Paris. My belief is that this was taken in New York City, due to information published by Benson John Lossing¹. By looking at several things including the thin green border lines I can determine this the date of the photograph as between 1863 – 1864.

The subject is unidentified, but what is quite interesting is that while perusing Pinterest just the other night I came across this photograph of two sisters and the one on the left is most obviously my subject.  I tried to no avail to trace back to the original poster in the hopes of finding more information about that particular photograph – very frustrating indeed. 

UPDATE August 2018:  This is actress Ada Webb who often acted on the stage in the 1860's with her sister Emma Webb.

In researching the photographer, I identified him as Charles Deforest Fredericks born in 1823, died 1894.  He was born wealthy, taken to Cuba as a boy and when his father’s fortunes plummeted in the crash of 1837 he was unable to attend college.  He abandoned a finance career and sought his fortune in Venezuela.  Seeking something to fall back on he took up photography, taking lessons from Jeremiah Gurney.  After a serious misadventure in in Brazil he traveled to the United States before returning to South America.  He mastered his craft then crossed the Atlantic and using the glass negative conquered Paris.  Using the image enlarger developed by Snelling he created life size portraits and make a small fortune.

He returned to New York as a celebrity and established the successful Fredericks Studio on Broadway opposite the Metropolitan Hotel which was the largest and most stylish gallery in the city.  The studio was destroyed by fire in 1875 and relocated to 770 Broadway.  Fredericks died in 1894.

¹History of New York City, (New York, Perine, 1884), 411-13.  Charles DeForest Fredericks, The Photographic Journal of America 31 (1894), 310.

Those Places Thursday - William Barlow Briggs' Family & Friends - 1880 Linn Co. Iowa?

This 10 x 8 photograph shows eight people posing outside a home.  It is a quite interesting piece and has puzzled me for some time.  This photograph was surely taken in Iowa although I had my doubts for some time.  If you look closely at the first photo you will see what appears to be mountains or at least large hills in the distance in the far left. I did not think that Iowa had mountains, but initial research shows that this area has what are called "pahas" or sand dunes which could explain this appearance in the photo as well as the woman with the broom. 

1880's Linn Co Iowa Group?

On the back the subjects are identified as:

William Briggs

Olive Jordan Briggs

Lillian Emma Briggs Taylor

Lou Henry Hoover

H. Maria Dobbins

Lillian Nudgett Horn

Jean Henry

Mrs. Henry

I have identified the male as William Barlow Briggs born 27 Sep 1837 in the state of Maine to Ezra and Phebe (Goddard) Briggs.  In 1866 he married Olive Jordan and their daughter Lillian was born in April of 1874.    The 1880 Maine, Linn County, Iowa shows Briggs living with his wife Olive and five year old daughter Lily. By 1900 the Briggs were living in Whittier City, Los Angeles, CA according to the US Census.  

William Barlow Briggs, Olive Jordan Briggs, Lillian Emma Briggs ca 1880-81

In this photo their daughter Lillian or Lily appears to be about five or six years old which would date this photograph about 1880 or 1881.  Additionally the women's clothing suggests an 1880's date.  Briggs appears to be handing his wife a document of some sort, perhaps a deed?  This type of photo was typically not seen until the later 1880's so hence my puzzlement.  I had no luck find any of the other women in the Linn County census so I am not sure of their connection to the Briggs'.  I have also been unable to identify the photographer as parts of the name have been torn off on both side of the picture.

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

Those Places Thursday - Crossdoney Cottage, Whitby, Ontario 1909

I came across this photograph of a house and on the back is written, "Crossdoney Cottage, Whitby, Ontario, Taken Sept. 15th, 09."   Whitby is located in Southern Ontario on the north shore of Lake Ontario and named after the seaport town of Whitby, Yorkshire, England.  Whitby's chief asset was it's fine harbour on Lake Ontario. 

Crossdoney is a village in County Cavan in Ireland - it is also the name of a railway station in County Cavan. I do not know where Crossdoney Cottage is located in Whitby, Ontario but I assume it was named after Crossdoney, Ireland. From the picture it seems a typical home with red brick, lace curtains in the windows, nice front porch and there even appears to be a grandmother sitting there waiting to welcome you!  I wish I knew the story behind this picture.

Source:  Wikipedia

Those Places Thursday - Rochester, NY, Civil War Era Photographer Myron Hawley Monroe

This CDV (Cartes de Visite) of an unknown Rochester, NY woman was taken approximately 1863 by photographer Myron Hawley Monroe. Monroe was born 3 Jul 1824 in Monroe County, NY to Joseph and Sophia (Dunham) Monroe. On 14 Jun 1848 he married Mary Elizabeth Hibbard.  

Monroe was a photographer in Rochester from at least 1858 and maybe earlier to 1883 and possibly later.    The 1861 and 1863 Rochester City Directories listed him first as having "daguerrean rooms" then as a photographer at 83 Main and 8 Pearl.

The following is a July 1863 New York State draft registration record for the Civil War, but I could find no record of him actually serving in the war.

Monroe and his wife had six children, George born ca 1851, Frank 1854, Charlotte 1859, Charles 1861, Sarah 1863 and Carrie 1866.  According to family history records on Ancestry.com, it appears that Monroe died 18 Jan 1912 in Allegany, Cattaraugus, NY, but I did not find any records to substantiate this fact.

The subject's dress and hairstyle are quite common for the era.  Her dress is particularly striking with the trim tiers around the bottom of the skirt and the fitted belt.  Her hair is parted in the middle and drawn back to the back of the neck and may possibly be in a snood.  This photograph is a favorite of mine, quite indicative of the fashions of the era.

Those Places Thursday - Unknown Chicago, Ill Church 1864-66

This CDV of an Chicago church was taken by photographer, Brands Art Gallery between 1864 and 1866.  We know this by the revenue stamp on the back on the photograph.  During the Civil War a tax was levied on photographs beginning in August 1864 and continued through August 1866.  The photographer was required to cancel the stamp by initialing and dating the stamp which only actually occurred on about 25% of the stamps.  This particular stamp does have the photographer's initials and a date, unforgettably I cannot read either!  A quick search did not turn up anything on Brands Art Gallery.

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.

Those Places Thursday - London, Tower Bridge Past and Present

Tower Bridge Late 1800's early 1900's

Postcard of the Tower Bridge London, most likely depicting the late 1800's to early 1900's (note the horse and buggies on the approach.

Tower Bridge September 2009

Photo taken by me on my first (and hopefully not last) trip to London in September 2009.

Those Places Thursday - Indiana -Civil War Era Mother & Child

This CDV photograph of a mother and child taken in Bristol, Indiana does not identify the subjects, but from the stamp on the back we know it was taken between 1864 and 1866.  The photographer was L. H. Maffit.  Mom looks a little stunned.

Those Places Thursday - Hamilton Beach 1899

Here is a photo with a woman reading a magazine or newspaper, note the straw boater hat on the ground to her right.  On the back it says, " Hamilton Beach, Sunday, June 1899."  The woman is not identified, the picture is somewhat blurred, and I have no idea where Hamilton Beach is.