discovering the story it tells
Miss Berenice Wheeler was an actress in the 1890s. It was her lovely, whimsical outfit that first caught my eye. This style of exaggerated sleeve was referred to as leg-o-mutton, or gigot in France, and it was all the rage at the time. However, Berenice's dress brought a much earlier fashion to mind. As you... Continue Reading →
I picked up this cabinet card photograph on Etsy. The fashion and composition drew me in and the identification on the reverse sealed the deal. It reads "Grace Pearce, Grace Darling Pearce, Huntingdon, Huntingdon Co, Pennsa." And yes, she's sporting a spider brooch! Grace, born in 1869 in Pennsylvania, was the youngest of six children. ... Continue Reading →
Jessie Calhoun's cabinet card photo was found in an album that belonged to Jessie Sylvester. I believe the girls were cousins, as there are shared surnames in their respective family trees. However, I was unable to find a direct link. Born in 1867, in Ashtabula county, Ohio, Jessie's father, Porter Calhoun, was a farmer, and... Continue Reading →
I found this strip of photos online at Pieces of Pastimes. I love these antique photobooth-style images and was excited about the challenge of identifying the sitters without a location. And it definitely was a challenge! I planned to say that I was 80% confident in my identification but then I came across what you might... Continue Reading →
Sarah Jane "Jennie" Gregory first said "I do" when she was 64 years old. She wed Theodore A. Collier, 62, in Pontiac, Michigan, on February 27, 1912. It was his first trip to the altar, as well. As strange as this late-in-life marriage may seem, what makes it all the more interesting is that the... Continue Reading →
Jemima was born June 17, 1856, in Clear Creek, Fairfield County, Ohio. She was one of twelve children born to Joseph Henry and Hannah (nee Steward) Christy. Looking at this photo, a carte de visite, I noted the sitter’s black dress, black ribbon at her neck and two large, black bracelets. These things suggested to... Continue Reading →
Abt. 1896 How awesome is this cabinet card? A little boy with long ringlet curls, wearing a beautiful dress, and the icing on the cake is his adorable pug puppy wearing a plaid bow! And look at how he's resting his little hand on the puppy's paw...it's just too sweet! I want to know how... Continue Reading →
Pat Cook's family portrait wound up in a sale basket in Archbold, Ohio. While the cabinet card shows a lot of wear, and the mother and daughter on the left appear ghostly pale, the overall depth and detail of the sitter's images held up well. The balloon-like sleeves of the daughter on the right helped... Continue Reading →
This cabinet card was found in a Goshen, Indiana shop and features Lizzie and Emma Boeckling during happier times; I uncovered a sad tale during my research. Lizzie and Emma were two of six children born to John and Johanna Boeckling of LaPorte, Indiana. They were the middle children, with the eldest being Carrie and... Continue Reading →
This is a carte de visite, also known as a CDV, of a woman in mourning. During the Victorian era, mourning clothes were a display of one's sorrow. Note the black veil she is wearing. On the back of the CDV is the photographer’s information which reveals that the photo was taken by Baird on... Continue Reading →
the rescued photo 