Photo Number 392

The photo today is a young family with two little girls, they are close together in age..they might even be twins.  I think this photo was probably taken in the late 1890’s because of the poufy sleeves on the dresses.  This is a cabinet card, and the dark green color card was popular in the 1890’s.

The photographer is A. Joyce Jr. of Housatonic, Mass.  This is another of Pam’s photos.

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Photo Number 391

This is another of Pam’s photos from a small Antique shop in Massachusetts.  I call these types of photo..babies in chairs and in this one I can almost imagine a Mother crouched down behind that chair hanging on to this baby who is not only on a chair but a covered stool of some sort on the chair.  Can you see her arm on the left?

If we are to follow the small children hair rules..boys hair is always parted on the side..then this is a boy.
The Photographers name is very difficult to make out.. Allece or Alliee or Allice ( edited: Albee) of Torrington, Connecticut. Given the heavy card that this photo is mounted on..I believe it is from around 1900 to 1910.

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Update: The correct name of Albee from Salome.
Update: From Iggy
Albee Studio was located at 45 Water Street, Torrington, Connecticut.

Photo Number 390

Today I have some foreign CdV’s or Cartes  d’ visite or visiting cards that belong to Pam. 

 

I think this one is from Sweden..Venersborg?  The “thick” tie was popular from 1890 to 1895 in America, but I am not sure if that was the case overseas or not.  CdV’s from this time are typically head and shoulders and the back can be very elaborate with colored backs and gold print was common.

I think this one is from Denmark.  I will guess that this one is from around 1890.  The lace on the ladies gown is stunning.

Perhaps one of our readers can tell us more about these foreign CdV’s.

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Photo Number 389

This is a tintype, it measures 2 inches by 3 1/4 inch. I will guess that this is from the early 1870’s.  The dresses have slightly dropped shoulders and have lots of trim in the form of bows and tassels or fringe.  Their hair styles are also less severe and their ears are showing.

I wonder..Mother and daughter or sisters?

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Update from Norkio: 
I agree that these are 1870s dresses. The early bustle period (1869-1876) featured softly bustled dresses created with flounces, padding and pillows, not the exaggerated and structured cage bustles of the later bustle period. I also agree that these are sisters and relatively young - maybe late teens. The girl on the right has her hair down which is definitely a hairstyle of youth and an advertisement to young men of her charms and beauty. The girl seated has a faux curl dangling on her shoulder. That would have been an "add on" made from natural hair, possibly her own, that she could clip into her hair. It was designed to convey a soft and gentle femininity, and was they height of fashion to have between one and three on one side of the head.

The dresses are luxurious with lots of trims. First, the seated girl has a simple and clean look but she is not lacking in trim. Her dress has some sort of apron that comes to midthigh or even midcalf. You can just see that it goes around to the back of her dress - there's a fold of fabric in the chair. I think the apron probably goes to her knees in front, is gathered up on the sides, then back down across her bottom in back. Very clean lines. The other girl has a very feminine and flounced dress. Her skirt in back may be bustled sort of like we bustle wedding dresses today - the skirts are folded up underneath themselves, not he best description - and that creates the poufs that were desirable. I can just see the edge of something from behind her, but I can't tell what it is, some part of her dress.

Photo Number 388

This is another photo that Pam shared with me.

It is very hard to read..even enlarged.  It was taken on the 15 August 1895.  Perhaps these are all grandchildren in the same family..they sure are cute with all those hats!  What kind of a cart are they on? Would a dog pull this kind of cart?

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Photo Number 387

Today and for the next few days I will feature some interesting photographs that Pam bought in an Antique Shop in Lee, Massachusetts this is a region known as the Berkshires.  Pam has a blog called Artwork and Reflective Writing.  She wrote to me : Wouldn’t it be nice if someone recognized an ancestor?
   This photo is marked Hilda Gloria and Albert.  It was taken by M. Camarri Photo at 692 Filbert Street S.F. Cal.
This is written in a foreign language. Agli yir(?) con Alfetto(?)   Hilda Gloria Albert.
Albert is the star of this photo..perhaps some kind of grade school graduation? The children seem to be dressed up ..but the older girl/woman is dressed very casually..she has shoes and socks on instead of nylons.  Is this a photo from the 1940’s?

Pam also has a question that maybe you can help answer.  She has a lengthy beautifully hand quill penned letter that possibly was written by the wife of the man who developed the Otis Elevator.  She wrote her cousin in Massachusetts while accompanying her husband in Germany. The letter was written in 1884.  Does anyone know how she would go about getting in touch with someone at the Smithsonian?

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Update from Ainsworthiana: That inscription might possibly be "Agli Gii con Affetto" -- "To the Gio family (the Gios) with affection."


Update From Star and anonymous : Or possibly To the Aunts and Uncles with love/affection.

Maybelline:  The Church has been at that address since 1925.


Update: From Abra: 
Oh, boy, I think I have a hit on who these children are, but rather than spoil the fun, I am going to make you all wait for names! I believe Hilda and Albert have passed away, while Gloria may or may not be still alive, as I have had difficulty tracking her. If my information is correct, Hilda was born 4 Oct 1921, Albert was born March 1925, and Gloria was born April 1, 1928.

If my information is correct, I would date the photo circa 1935. I am taking a stab in the dark, but I would then think the occasion was Albert's Confirmation/1st Communion (I believe they often received both sacraments together back then). Hilda has probably hit her growth spurt, and Albert not yet, thus the difference in size.


All the contact information has been sent to Pam..because this photo belongs to her! :) 


Update: This photo went Full Circle 19 on January 27, 2011. 


Here is the background on the search that Abra did to find this family! 


Ooh, I am so happy this photo has been reconnected with family. Although I have been given the credit, and while it may appear I solved this on my own, this is really not the case. A great deal of the credit goes to those responses about the Italian wording that led me to search where I did. Had I not had that information, I wouldn't have had some of the 'terms' I tried in the search engines to find these three children. So, it is important when you have a clue or inkling about a photo, no matter how small it may appear, you put it in the comments, because it really helps piece the puzzle together!! It takes all of us!

Now that the suspense has been lifted, here are the rest of the details. I extracted much of the identifying information of the living, without removing the pieces about the photo subjects.

When I found the match to this photo, every part of the puzzle appeared to fit. I first found the family in the 1930 census (as I was about to call it quits—they were on the very last page I was going through--I felt as though I hit the jackpot). I built on the information with other records once I had a last name. Here goes:

The 1930 census lists Joseph Pepi, an Italian immigrant(arriving 1913), living in a rented home ($20 month), age 38, unable to read, write, or speak English. He works as a fur dresser at a tannery. He was married at age 27 to Annie, another Italian immigrant who arrived in 1920; in 1930 she is 32 (married at 22), so I assume she married almost immediately after arrival--perhaps it was an arranged marriage. She can't read or write, but does speak English. Hilda(age 8) and Albert(age5) are both in school and can read and write. Gloria is 23 months old.

Using a combination of California birth, marriage, and death records, as well as military records, I have determined that Joseph was born Jan or June 2 1892. His full name was Guiseppe, his mother's maiden name was Barsi. He died August 21, 1963. His wife's full name was Nella S. Ramoni (not sure why it is Annie in the census, unless perhaps it is Annella). Her mother's maiden name was Magnani, she was born April 11, 1898, and died March 21st, 1963. It is quite plausible Guiseppe/Joseph had at least one more brother in California, as Fortunato Pepi was born in 1884 and his mother's maiden name was also Barsi.

Joseph Pepi registered for the WWI draft while still single. He was tall and medium build. brown eyes, black hair. He was employed by (?) Schroeder, as a fur dresser. He was born in Pia Gai Luuca Italy.

Hilda Francesca was born 10/4/1921 and died 8/9/1984 in San Francisco. She was married to Russell William Spadoni (born 8/21/1920, died 3/23/1969). They had at least one daughter who had 2 children(although I believe the response to the photo indicates there was more than one child).

Albert L. Pepi was born March 17 (?) 1925. He enlisted in the army during WWII (June 12, 1943). He married Lorraine Lepiane, born in 1926. They had at least two children, & several grandchildren. Albert L. Pepi died in 1993 in Gardenville, Nevada. It is possible his wife is still alive.

I didn’t search on Gloria, because at that time, I had enough information for contacts. Perhaps Hilda's family can fill us in on Gloria a little more! As always, this is just a small snapshot of this family and I am sure there are many more descendants then I have found.

~Abra

Photo Number 386

Today's photos are a group of very interesting photographs.  A fellow by the name of John who also has a blog called Things ‘aint what they used to be  contacted me by email.
He had two photos he wanted me to look at.

               

Harold is in the second photograph…but which young man is he? The one on the left or the one on the right? Please venture a guess.  Harold is Johns Great Uncle. The first photo was taken in 1906 –1908 sometime..the second photos date is unknown..I will guess that it is from around 1910 to 1915. 

This is Johns Grandmother Nellie..she is Harold's sister.

This is the information that John shared with me:
Harold was born in Surat, India in 1888 - his sister was my Grandmother Nellie Grace Franklin (wife of my father's father) who was also born in Surat, in 1884. Harold's sister came to England when she was 11 and Harold followed later - he was in the Hussars (a boy soldier) and went to military schools in India (Surat is near to Bombay?).
He appears in the 1901 and 1911 UK Census - in the latter he lived with an Ernest Hobbs in London and Harold was shown as an actor employed by the Garrick Theatre!
I have a poignant and tragic letter, written in pencil to his sister, from a trench somewhere in France during the 1st World War (1916) - he writes that a lot of his colleagues have been killed around him as well as his senior officer, leaving him in charge.
He survived the war, although injured, and then (as far as I can see) followed a life as a traveling actor, mainly in South Africa - I used to have his wooden portmanteau (case) with loads of Theatre and Railway labels stuck on the inside lid - unfortunately it was infested with woodworm and, before I had since realized the importance of relics from the past, it was destroyed!
I have attached two photos of postcards sent by Harold from Durban ....Harold disappeared after that - I am unable to find any record of his death and, therefore, am intrigued.

  Harold looks as if he was having a grand time in South Africa!
John also writes: The last date I knew him to be alive would be about (1929?)  - He certainly was an adventurous sort! 
Today’s entry is a little backwards..we usually search for relatives to place the photo with..this time we search for a person..if anyone knows what happened to Harold Franklin..you can contact me through the email on my profile or leave John a message at his blog. All the photos will enlarge if you click on them!
Thanks John for sharing your very interesting old photos!
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