Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

Spanish Dagger

Mrs Marvel

4 comments

June 15, 2011

 

This CdV can be comfortably dated to the mid to late 1860s based on the square corners and border lines. Written on the back is “Spanish Dagger From San Antonio Texas.” The Spanish dagger plant is also known as the yucca gloriosa which is native to the American coastal southeast, growing in sand dunes. San Antonio is about 150 miles from Corpus Christi on the Texas Gulf Coast. According to the USDA, the yucca gloriosa is not known to grow in Texas.  Hrm. I found other images online that are similar to this Spanish Dagger in bloom to confirm what the original owner of the photo wrote.

Vintage Kitty Cat

Mrs Marvel

5 comments

June 14, 2011

I have seen numerous vintage photos of dogs and people with dogs, horses, even a bird once, but this is a rare one for me. It’s a photo of a cat grooming itself in what appears to be a mail slot or other type of narrow opening. The photo is from the post 1900s, maybe between 1910-1930 when camera speed and film speed was improving. I have one other photo of a cat, but I think that one was coincidence.

As I make the time to scan photos for our next photo album journey, I have a few interesting photos and other images to keep you entertained. Tune in tomorrow for a very old botanical photo.

Baby with a curious expression

Mrs Marvel

3 comments

June 12, 2011

The dress this baby is wearing appears to be the same as our previous infant in a chair. Baby has a curious expression on her face. Not so much that she is curious, but an unusual expression, as though she is perplexed by this whole experience. “They’ve sat me on a chair in the yard and now they are pointing a box at me and my Mama is standing just over there…”

I regret to say that this is the last photo in the Green Fan Album. We have had some hints of who the people were, but nothing that really ties all the photos together. It is worth noting that the album can hold more photos that it actually does, leading me to believe that someone pulled out the photos they wanted and discarded the rest. We shall appreciate these photos for the slice of life they have captured for us.

The joy of the Joys?

Mrs Marvel

11 comments

June 10, 2011

We previously looked at photos of Vincent and Ellen Joy and a “sunken eyed” relative of unknown name. This couple looks a lot like Vincent and Ellen to me, although Vincent died in 1886 so it could not be him. Ellen lived until 1935 so this could be her though she is looking pretty good for a woman pushing 80 years old! Could this man be a Wachtel? She had three brothers, after all. He has that prodigious beard that Vincent cultivated.

I believe this photo is from the 1920s. It is a 4.5×7 matte print. Also note the siding on the house behind them…do you think that is the backdrop for our “street urchins” and the baby in a chair? It looks like it would be a lovely old farmhouse in the Craftsman style.

This is a proud Sepia Saturday post, though not to theme – which is New York this weekend. Please click through for great sepia images from around the world.

Could this be a Guisinger-VonKaenel Wedding?

Mrs Marvel

9 comments

June 10, 2011

Our great friend Iggy discovered that Francis Guisinger and her sister Vonnie both married VonKaenels. Could this be the wedding portrait for one of those weddings? The bride is lovely with a beautiful white wedding dress and full veil, elbow gloves and pearls. She cradles her bouquet in such a way as to show off her wedding ring. The groom looks relaxed and happy.

If you love vintage wedding photos, my friend Connie is featuring Victorian and vintage wedding photos for the entire month of June. Check them out at Forgotten Old Photos.

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