Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

A Clugston Relation

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

August 11, 2011

 

Based on where this cabinet card was made, Ft Wayne, Indiana, I suspect this is a Clugston family member. The photo is not identified in the Mearns Family Album, but our fabulous Intense Guy discovered that the Clugstons moved out to Indiana some time between the 1850 and 1860 census. The head of the family, Asher Clugston, died in Indiana in 1865 at the age of 64. He was a farmer, who along with his wife Catherine Rittenhouse Clugston had seven children. While in Indiana, it appears that his oldest son, Asher R. Clugston, was quite successful with a general mercantile business in Columbia City, IN. I don’t know how they are related to Minnie Clugston who we looked at back on July 14th. It is often difficult to sort out the intertwined families of old.

The photographer for this photograph was Barrows. The back of the card is blank, which suggests earlier in the cabinet card era, but her hair style and dress suggest later in the era. I had some difficulty find the photographer due to the name. See, there is a great Indiana Historical Society website, but it’s editor is a Barrow, so every single document he edited comes up as a match for the search! Anyway, I did find something that suggest Mr. Barrow was in business in the 1890s, so that is the date we will go with here.

Cemetery Visits by Intense Guy

Mrs Marvel

5 comments

August 3, 2011

Site visitor Intense Guy lives near where our latest family lived and died, and recently visited two cemeteries seeking their final resting places. His story is a testament to genealogy and how powerful these old photographs can be for later generations. Read on, courtesy of Iggy:

I drove to the old Zion Presbyterian Church were William L. Mearns is buried and … it was quite an experience.  The cemetery is quite small – only about 20 graves wide by about 10 rows – In the first row to the right of the entrance gate is William L. Mearn’s beautiful grave stone.  I’ve been researching him long enough that somehow I felt like I “knew” him.  The arrangement of the graves is interesting. From left to right:

Emma Fulton Mearns – Samuel J. Mearns – William L Mearns – Amy T. Rittenhouse Mearns … with Amy on the end of the row

  

In the second row to the right – Sarah Rittenhouse, wife of Jeremiah Rittenhouse (Amy’s father), Jeremiah Rittenhouse, Benjamin Rittenhouse, David Rittenhouse, some space, and then Gertrude Rittenhouse Roberson and her Dr. husband.


In the row behind right behind Gertrude is Sylvester Bowlsby and his wife.  In this row are all the Lair’s (they were related to William via the Rittenhouses I think)

  

I took a bunch of pictures.


I then drove to a cemetery about 1/2 mile away in “Brick Meeting House” and pulled in. When I opened the car door, the gravestone immediately outside was Mr. and Mrs. Rutledge T. Gifford.  About three graves away was Annie Chandlee and her husband.  Emma Chandlee and her unmarried sister were a couple graves further down the row.  I found a bunch of Scarboroughs too.

Thanks for putting up with me and my “obsession”.  I felt like these people were trying to talk to me – but I can’t understand what they are saying.


Between the photos and the graves, these people somehow become more real, don’t you think? Click on the photos for a larger image. Iggy, as always, thank you for your deep interest in this family and your fantastic research skills. Hopefully we will find someone who loves these pillars of the late Victorian middle class as much as we do!

Is this Amy Mearns?

Mrs Marvel

8 comments

August 1, 2011

This photograph of an older woman is placed directly over a duplicate of our earlier photo of William T. Mearns. The two subjects appear to be around the same age so I do wonder if this is Mrs. William Mearns, possibly Amy Mearns? The previous photos of Amy Lair and Mary Lair are on the opposite page from this. A family grouping? This lady’s dress is distinctly mid-century. She has the full skirt, dropped shoulder seams, boned bodice and round collar of the 1860s. However, we know the cabinet card was not around until the 1870s, so this is at least an 1870s vintage photograph. If she lived longer than that, she certainly held onto her favorite dress for a long time, but my guess is this is from the 70s based on the type of props and backdrop. The chair, table and curtain were typical props of the 1860s that lingered into the 70s.

The photographer’s mark is a bit difficult to read. It’s possibly Edw or Edm Draper, located at No. 1500 Columbia Ave at the SW corner of 15th Street in Philadelphia. The location is no longer existing in Philly, as the building numbers on Columbia end in the 1400s and Frankford Ave cuts off the end of Columbia. The old photographer’s shop might have been located where today exists Palmer Park or a Jewelry shop.

Mary Lair

Mrs Marvel

6 comments

July 31, 2011

Here we have a photo identified as Mary Lair (or possibly Lain or Sain), who was the granddaughter of Amy Lair / Lain / Sain. This photo was made using the collodion process, which dates it after 1894. Additionally, the cardstock used is the white and embossed card that evolved into the type of mounts used in the 20th century. Mary is a pretty girl, seated on a fur of some type and wearing a lovely white dress with lace on the petticoat and black buttoned shoes. The photograph was made by Jeanes, who also photographed her grandmother. It doesn’t make sense that the grandchild would be photographed by a different process than the grandmother, so I surmise these were two different sittings with some time between them.

Amy Lair or Lain or Sain

Mrs Marvel

17 comments

July 30, 2011

This photo was identified as Amy Lair (or possibly Lain or Sain, it’s hard to tell), who was the sister of Amy T. Mearns. So we know this is a relation to the family. Does anyone else find it odd that two sisters were both named Amy? One must have gone by her middle name. She is an older woman, possibly in her late 50s. The photograph was mounted on a maroon card, which were not as popular because they were more expensive than the pearl, white and pink cards. Along with the deckled edges of the card, we can date this to the 1890s. Unfortunately the photo quality is not the best and aging has dappled the image. The photographer was Jeanes of 702 Edgemont Ave, Chester PA.

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