Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

That is a huge braid crown! This young lady was identified as Olga Strune or Struve. A site reader suggested Struve as an alternate last name for Martha Strune. Struve is also a known name and so I concur that it is a possible match. The stain on the face of this card is unfortunate, …

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Today’s photo was identified as Martha Strune. Probably. The last name could be something else. I did find people on old census records named Martha Strune, so it’s probably correct. Martha has a beautiful dress with much embellishment. The bodice appears to be velvet with a satin inset. There’s embroidered trim added along the neck …

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This type of pose is called a 3/4 bust or portrait, because it shows about 3/4 of the person’s face. I like this particular image because the young woman looks pensive without being too gloomy. Perhaps this was a graduation or pre-wedding portrait. The photo was made by D. C. Burnite in Harrisburg, PA. According …

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This 1870s-80s image features an attractive woman in heavily embellished dress. Note all the tiny pleats that surround the front of the bodice, as well as the netted trim on her neck tie. It has been carefully laid flat to show off the handiwork. Netting is among the lace techniques that I have never learned …

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I suspect this might be another transition dress – a dress from the 1860s that has been remade to suit the changing skirt styles of the 1870s. The volumes of fabric used on 1860s and earlier skirts made these prime candidates for remaking as skirt fashions changed. There was plenty of extra fabric to work …

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