Who Were They?

Ships crew

Mrs Marvel

24 comments

August 2, 2013

Captain

A. B. Cross Photo, Salem MA

First Mate

Alva Pearsall Photographer, Brooklyn, NY

Bos’n

Turner, Boston MA

Quartermaster

L. W. Cook, Boston, MA

Deck hand

Glines, The Fotografer, Boston MA

Cabin boy

G. A. Underwood, Worcester, MA

These are a selection of unidentified photographs in my collection. They do look like the faces of a ship’s crew to some degree. The two fellows at the top I really struggled with. The older gentleman looks more like a tall ship captain, while the younger man looks like a steamer captain. They could be interchangeable, I suppose.

I have listed the various photographers’ names under each photo. You will see that with the exception of the oldest man here, all were from Massachusetts, mainly Boston.

For more photos of crew, ships, people, harbors, bicycles, and more, click over to Sepia Saturday. You will be happy you did!

Heave ho!

Family records

Mrs Marvel

21 comments

July 24, 2013

My post is early because I’m going to be away for the weekend, and I really didn’t want to miss this week! The Sepia Saturday group is a lively bunch, and we have a Facebook group to help facilitate our many inspirations. Recently, one member had brought up an old family bible she had. I mentioned that my family also has an old bible and that it has all sorts of family records written in the center. One thing led to another, and we have a Sepia Saturday prompt featuring the bibles!

The one in our family, which my sister has, is quite large, about 4″ thick and 12′ high. It is in good condition, but I think that is because my mother had it rebound. We also have a massive dictionary, and the two books were displayed in a bookcase along with photos and nick-knacks for many years. I believe the bible might have been a wedding present to my great grandparents, who have been featured here in the past, because the first entry for a marriage is for their marriage in 1901.

The record keeping in a family bible is valuable to a genealogist because it is a first hand record of long ago dates. You would think the husband and wife will know their own wedding date, right? So a first hand record can help sort out some of the confusing bits of history that tend to be forgotten as people age. Births and deaths, particularly of children who died young, help to paint a better picture of the family tree for those who come long after the events have passed.

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The entries were written for the most part by Edith M (Sheldon) Nunn, who was called Ama.

Edith Nunn about 1901

This was a cabinet style portrait that has been cut to fit into a frame. My parents have a smaller version of this portrait that is framed and sat on the mantle for as long as I could remember. I have featured Ama in other posts, here and here.

Albert E Nunn about 1901

Recently my dad was visiting with a cousin who had many family photos, and he took what he could carry. I then scanned the photos and made a catalog (inspired by Cousin L from the other side of the family!) so future generations wouldn’t have to guess who these people were. My sister then preserved the photos in a photo safe album. Even though my dad is 81, he wants these photographs of his family to be available, safe and ready to hand down to others. Apa has been featured in other posts, here and here.

Wedding portrait, June 12, 1901

Ama and Apa.

Bible in repose

They just don’t make books like this anymore. It really is a work of art on the inside. The center pages are beautifully illuminated, and of course there is the fantastic (and virtually ignored) temperance pledge! Even though the prohibition amendment to the US Constitution wasn’t passed until 1920, the movement was gaining momentum as early as the 1850s, and was in full swing in the first decade of the 1900s. I can’t say if Ama and Apa followed the pledge, but subsequent generations have not. You can see just how many family members signed the pledge, heh.

Family Temperance Pledge

There are so many treasures I could talk about, but perhaps I will save them for a future Sepia Saturday post. I don’t want to ramble on too long about this!

For other images of bibles, books, handwriting, records, history and more, click over to Sepia Saturday. You will be happy you did!

A real page turner!

Join the conversation!

Moon landing

Mrs Marvel

4 comments

July 20, 2013

Man on the Moon

I have meant to post this picture many times, but since today is the 44th anniversary of the first man on the moon, it seems the best day to share it. This is a photo of the TV that my parents took. If you look closely, you can see the antenna above the TV. We had this TV for a long time, until it conked out some time in the 70s. It was a black & white.

Thanks to the courage of the many NASA astronauts who took us into space and who continue to work toward furthering that mission in the future!

Costumed

Mrs Marvel

20 comments

July 19, 2013

I love Sepia Saturday because it keeps me posting at least once a week when life gets hectic. This week’s prompt features Boadecea (Celtic queen of the Iceni tribe which rebelled against Roman rule in Britain, AD 60 or 61). At least, it features an actress dressed as Boadecea, since photography was invented a couple thousand years after Boadecea’s heroic acts in the name of Britain.

Of course I have lots of pictures in costume, just not many from the 19th century. The amazing Cabinet Card Gallery features tons of cabinet cards of actors and actresses in various costumes. Since I have more modern photos, I thought I’d share one that has been in my family for many years.

Pioneer family

This photo was incredibly difficult to photograph because the glass reflected every little glare! You can still see my hands and camera, I apologize. It is framed professionally so not possible to remove the photo for scanning.

The photo itself was taken in the late ’70s. Visitors who know anything about historical fashion will immediately question the dating because Mother there is wearing an Edwardian dress and hat! As well you should, this is MY family in the 1970s, hehe. I have done this to you before, Sepians, but this photo was actually taken by a professional photographer and gave us an idea of what it might have been like to sit for a portrait 100 years prior.

We were in a little town somewhere in the Western US, maybe in Colorado. I don’t really remember. The dresses are over our regular clothing and nothing matched. My sister’s dress was a turkey red and mine was a light pink. My mother’s dress was either lavender or light blue. My dad has a black drape over his legs to make it look like he is wearing slacks. I can remember thinking it a long and arduous process because the photographer would come and rearrange a tiny detail, go back and look through the camera, come back and rearrange a tiny detail, etc etc. The original photographers really did think of themselves as artists and arranged photographs with composition and imagery in mind. Then of course we got the giggles. It was very difficult to not smile, in particular for young girls with lots of energy. But also, we were relatively spoiled at this point by instant photographs. The concept of not smiling and holding still were so foreign to us, it was difficult to hold it for just a few minutes.

Regardless, this photograph hung in my parent’s home for 30-some years. When they moved to a smaller home, I took the photo and now it hangs in my house. Most people don’t think it is anything but an antique photo depicting a loving family. I love that my mother had it framed to look antique, as well. One day it will be in actuality an antique photo, haha, but at this point it is a neat family treasure.

For more photos of people in costumes, click over to Sepia Saturday. You will be happy you did!

Playing around

Puddle jumpers

Mrs Marvel

14 comments

July 12, 2013

This week’s Sepia Saturday prompt features a young woman in the rain, holding an umbrella. Search as I might, I couldn’t find the photo I was looking for – an old family photo of a woman with a parasol. As I looked at the prompt again, I looked for the other details. The street, cobbles, old cars, puddles. Puddles! I have just the thing, I think.

Neat and clean, for now

This cabinet card photo features a precocious looking little boy named Ralph Walker, about 4 years old. Unfortunately with a name like Ralph Walker, it is nearly impossible to determine exactly who he was. The photographer is equally anonymous at this point. The East End Gallery in Decatur, IL was known to have been in business in the 1890s,but little else is known. Don’t you think little Ralph here would prefer to toss that hat in the air and go splash in some puddles?

How

This unnamed little guy looks like he knows how to find puddles in a desert. The clothing looks like something out of Indian Guides, or similar type boys’ organization. The photograph is 20th century, but beyond that, I know nothing about it.

Field of study: mischief

Here from the 1930s or 40s, is Harald Neushane (sp?). The spelling of the first name is Nordic. This one is also tricky because of the spelling of the last name. Is it Neushane? Is it Neushaus? It’s written in cursive and those e’s, u’s, and n’s can all blend together. I love how the cardboard mounting frame looks reminiscent of an art deco mirror or frame. The photographer was Woltz Studio, at 420 Ninth Street, Des Moines, IA. Harald certainly looks like he could shed those fancy stockings and bow tie in order to find some fun, doesn’t he?

For more Sepia Saturday goodness, click on over. You will be happy you did!

Clicking in the rain, just clicking in the rain

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