Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

This photo has been identified in the Mearns Family Album as Emma Chandler (Updated to Chandlee). She is dressed in simple late 1880s style and has her hair drawn back in a bun that is just barely peeking out. She has a lovely ruff of lace on her collar and what looks like a brooch. …

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According to one of my more favorite blogs Century of the Beard (dedicated to 19th century facial hair photographs and those who love them), this beard is called a “chin curtain.” Sounds good to me! This man from the Mearns Family Album is not identified. He appears to be younger middle age, perhaps late 30s, …

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Fortunately for us, someone wrote in many names in pencil under the photographs, and this gentleman is identified as Wm. L. Mearns. The photo was made by Dana in Brooklyn, NY in 1892. The card is labeled “Ivoryettes” which I was curious about, and in my research discovered many people have these prints and wonder …

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This photograph just reminds me so much of a riverboat gambler because of the slicked down hair, the wide lapels on his coat and the velvet trim, the neatly trimmed mustache and the ever so slight smirk. There is a definite texture to his coat, some sort of waffle weave or something. The CdV was …

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Up for your perusal today is a CdV from England made by Hills & Saunders in Oxford and other locations. The back of the card states “by appointment to Her Majesty” although I don’t know how accurate that is. I previously featured another photographer who had a similar statement and it turned out he had …

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