Wedding Wednesday - Turn of the Century (Edwardian) Double Wedding in Westfield, WI

Looking at this photo of these two young Westfield, WI women you may think you are seeing double.  They appear to be sisters, possibly twins and are wearing identical dresses, veils and even hairstyles for their double wedding.  They are also wearing white gloves with their gowns and I believe I can see their rings through the gloves.  I find it interesting that only the bride on the right is wearing a locket around her neck.  I wonder if she is possibly the older of the two and this was an heirloom that was passed down to her?  Their grooms even look like and could possibly be related and are wearing identical suits as well.  Due to the style of dress and the type of cabinet card I believe this to have been taken between 1900 - 1910.  There is no identification on the back of the card.  I wish I knew who they were and what their story was.

The photographer was Fenner & Son of Westfield, Wis.  This was John Fenner and his son Jacob who were active in the area between 1895 - 1925.  John Fenner was born in Germany in 1834 to Jacob Fenner and Anna Martha Grebruse and he died on 3 Jul 1923. 

Wedding Wednesday - 1905 - 1910 Couple from Milwaukee, WI

This first photograph features an unidentified  newly wedded couple in Milwaukee dated probably between 1905 - 1910.  In this photo the bride is standing next to the groom who is seated in a chair.  She is quite lovely in her white satin gown.  There are so many interesting details to this dress, the high neck, the sleeves which are poufy on the upper arms and fitted at the lower, and the trimmed tiers on the skirt.  Her headdress and white rose bouquet are quite simple and beautiful as well.  Her groom is very dashing in his dark suit and he sports a matching boutonniere.  I can see a ring on his right hand, but not on his left.  She has a small brooch at her neck.

What was interesting to me when I purchased this photograph was that it came with a second photo - one of the bride and her maid-of-honor which could possibly be her sister judging by their facial features.  In this photo the bride is seated and the other woman is standing.  The bride's pose gives us a better glimpse of her dress especially the lovely ruching detail of her sleeves and bodice.  In this photo you can see that she too is wearing a ring on her right hand. The second woman's dress is also white with many ruffles.  Her neckline is lower and she is wearing a pearl necklace.  She also appears to be wearing white gloves and is holding a large bouquet of white roses which may be the bride's.   I find the facial expressions on all the subjects quite interesting.  I know it was quite common for photographers to shoot their subjects sans smiles or with little expression, but these people almost seem bored.  I find the pictures striking however, especially with the starkness of the white dresses against the dark backgrounds.

The photographers were Gumerman & Gardner located at 412 National Ave. in Milwaukee. Gumerman was Johan Georg Gumerman born 10 Sep 1882 in Oberwarmensteinach, Bayern, Germany.  He changed his name to George at some point after emigrating to the U.S. and on 16 May 1905 in Milwaukee he married Amanda Mary Jubeck (1885 - 1979).  He operated a photography studio with George Gardner as early as 1905, but they moved to the 412 National Ave. address probably about 1906.  Gumerman died in Milwaukee, WI on 15 Oct 1962.  I no luck finding any  information on George Gardner as there are too many listings in that name on Ancestry.com for Milwaukee.

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

Wedding Wednesday - Stoughton, Wisconsin Couple

This cabinet card of an attractive, unidentified couple was taken by photographer W. A.Fermann of Stoughton, Wisconsin. I'm assuming this is a wedding photo due to the white corsage/boutonniere the couple are each wearing.  The bride's dark colored dress was not unusual as it was practical and could be reused.

The photographer's full name was William A. Fermann, born in Norway in August of 1839. He emmigrated to the United States in 1867, was married in 1870 to Elise (Unknown). In the 1900 Stoughton, Ward 2, Dane County census, he and his wife were living with a son, William Ebert aged 14.  The elder William listed his occupation as photographer. I believe Fermann must have had a lengthy and prosperous photography career in Stoughton as I got many hits when I Googled him.

I believe this particular photograph to be dated about 1889 - 1891 due to several factors including the centered monogram at the bottom of the card, the woman's hairstyle and the style of her dress.  Check out The Cabinet Card Gallery to see a photograph also taken by Fermann in which the cabinet card is identical to this one.  It is also a wedding photograph and the clothing and photo backdrop are quick simiilar.

Fashionable Friday - Trio of Lovely Wisconsin Lasses

This cabinet card shows three young, unidentified women from Rice Lake, Wisconsin who I believe are sisters from their very similar facial features.  The uneven scallops on the card edges date the card anywhere from the late 1880's to the mid 1890's, but other things about this card make me believe it to be dated around 1890 - 1893. The women are all similarly dressed in dark clothing very typical of the early 1890's. Their hairstyles seem to be more of the late 1880's fashion, but I still have to believe with the style of the dresses, particularly the puffing up of the sleeves that my estimate is close.

The photographer was T. H. Webster of Rice Lake, Wis., but I had no luck finding anything out about him.

Fashionable Friday - Milwaukee, WI Fashion Mavens

These two beautiful young women posed for the Grand Central Studio in Milwaukee, WI in the 1880's.  I could find no information on the studio or the proprietor.  The women, who I believe to be sisters as their lovely features are quite similar, are dressed in almost identical fashion; both are wearing typical 1880's bustled style dresses with the form fitting bodice.  Each dress has double rows of small buttons running down the center of the bodice.  The seated woman  is wearing the standard pin/brooch at the neck and holding what appears to be a sprig of daisies, the other has a frilly ascot-type adornment at her neck and is holding a feathery fan.  I am not sure what they are called, but if you look closely you can see that they both have long ties/pulls down the front of their skirts with tassels at the bottom.  Both women are also wearing typical late 1880's hairstyles. I believe this cabinet card was taken between 1886 - 1889.

Workday Wednesday - Five Butchers Cleaving?

Out of all my old photographs, this is one of my favorites, definitely in the top five.  Pictured here are what appears to be five young butchers from the Ashland, WI area.  There is nothing on the back of the photograph to identify any of the men.  The picture is a little faded but the man in the middle appears to be holding a pig on the table.  The man on the front left is reading a newspaper which when enlarged looks to be either "Pouce" or "Douce" Gazette.

The photographer is Bailey - in doing a Google search I didn't find much, but did find a couple of other pictures posted by Bailey or Bailey Studios which were obviously by the same person.  I tried searching on Ancestry.com and found an Art Bailey in the 1905 Wisconsin State Census age age 30, occupation photographer.  He was born in Michigan to parents born in England.  He was married to Lilosa age 24 and with son Samuel? age 1.  I had no luck finding him in earlier or later censuses.  I am guessing this photo to have been taken around 1900 give or take five years either way.