Who Were They?

Lost and forgotten photos from the past

Handsome lad

Mrs Marvel

2 comments

June 9, 2011

There are only a few photos left in the Green Fan Album and even Iggy’s fantastic researching skills have as yet to crack this mystery. Of course, the dearth of names to help us has been the greatest obstacle. So far we know the owner was somehow acquainted with the Wachtels, Joys, Guisingers, VonKaenels and Talbots.

This unidentified young lad (I think) is quite handsome. Note the bowl haircut and round face. Also of note are his shoes, which are a popular children’s style from the Victorian era through the 1930s or so for children. They are a “prewalker” style that are sometimes called Chinese Slippers. The strap goes around the ankle rather than across the top of the foot as a Mary Jane shoe does. I have a pattern to make these shoes, and did, when my daughter was learning to walk.

Ruined photo

Mrs Marvel

2 comments

June 8, 2011

This small photo has been almost ruined by a fold right across the center of it. The photo itself appears to be a piece of plastic and the film coating that is broken and wrinkled pulls off the image as it flakes away. You can just barely see the photo is of a man and at least one woman, possibly a second woman to his right or a child. It’s a shame it has been ruined.

Another infant in a chair

Mrs Marvel

4 comments

June 7, 2011

This photo is of another infant in a chair, this particular chair draped with a black cloth and the siding of the house used for the backdrop. Does this look similar to our recent photo that looked like a couple of street urchins? The photo itself is 3.5×4.5 and the card is 4×7. You can see the embossing on the black card in what might have been an oval shape, with the rectangle baby photo pasted over that. I don’t know if that is something this particular photographer did. Perhaps he had a lot of these cards left over? It isn’t a cabinet card but it’s also not a CdV. What exactly would this be called?

Little Miss Muffet

Mrs Marvel

4 comments

June 5, 2011

This sweet face could melt the polar ice caps she is so cute! The girl is around 1 1/2 to 2 years old by my guess and is wearing an adorable muffin cap, dress, saggy stockings and Mary Jane style shoes. The photo is a real photo postcard with the AZO triangles pointing up, so this can be dated as late as 1918. Her surroundings are interesting. Do you think that is a rocking chair by the hearth? On the porch?

Frances Guisinger VonKaenel

Mrs Marvel

14 comments

June 4, 2011

Here we have the graduation photo of one Frances Guisinger VonKaenel, valedictorian for the class of 1915, although it is unknown what school she graduated from. This photo is in a sleeve that has been folded back on itself and then taped in place. The photographer was not fully named but the name began with a P.

Blog at WordPress.com.