Bundled Up For The Cold

Posted on January 16, 2017 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, circa 1910s. CYKO stamp box.

Price: $4.00

This particular style of CYKO stamp box enjoyed a pretty broad range, from about 1904 to the 1920s per Playle.com. Presuming with the divided back it would start at 1907 at the earliest, but I think the most likely time-frame for the photo might be the 1910s. The children look to be between about two and four years old, posing outside on the top porch step with wooden door behind them. The little guy wears a button-down wool sweater with dark contrasting band at the neck, cuffs and below the waist (the latter giving the sweater that tunic effect) short pants, high leather boots, mittens and a striped knit cap. The little girl wears some type of raised pile or plush coat that falls halfway below the knee, slightly puffed at the shoulder seam, leggings and hat of the same material and mittens. We’re guessing the ribbon bow was part of the bonnet, after seeing similar styles on Pinterest for a 1915 Sears & Roebuck ad.

Joseph Chartrand Trade Card

Posted on December 17, 2016 by Annieoakley

Trade card for Joseph Chartrand, Montréal, Canada. Circa 1885 – 1886.

Price: $15.00 Size: 2 and 1/2 x 3 and 7/8″

Not in good shape but rare…

There may be other Jos. Chartrand cards that survived (note artist’s initials at bottom left) but at the time of this post, none are showing online. The front shows a beautiful, evidently popular girl, receiving a letter and flowers from yet another devotee, who delivers his heartfelt admiration in person. (Or is he just the messenger?) It’s a summery scene, certainly not in line with our current month of December, but the back of the card (Oh, to be able to go back in time and shop at this store) advertises, among other things, a couple of items needed for travel in snow. It reads:

“Jos. Chartrand, (Late with F. X. Brazeau & Co.) Dealer in Indian Curiosities, Snow – Shoes, Toboggans, Lacrosse, Mocassins, Bark Canoes, Bead Work, also Childrens Toys. 1687 Notre Dame Street, Montreal.”

F. X. Brazeau & Co.

F. X. (François-Xavier) Brazeau & Co. was found mentioned under the heading of “Indian Manufactures” in the Sixth Parliamentary Sessional Papers for the Dominion of Canada, year 1887.

Joseph Chartrand

We next found mention of Joseph Chartrand, “dealer in fancy goods, etc.” in a January 1886 publication of The American Stationer. Whether this was the same Notre Dame Street business as on our trade card is unknown, and it may not have been. That Chartrand “made an assignment” (a frequently occurring term in 19th century newspapers) seems to indicate he was having financial problems as in General Assignment or Assignment to the Benefit of Creditors (ABC) an alternative to bankruptcy. Not fun….but, nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? (We hope he fared well in subsequent endeavors and in general had a wonderful life.)

Sources: Sessional Papers, Volume 10. First Session of the Sixth Parliament of the Dominion of Canada. Session 1887, Volume 20. Report of Sir Charles Tupper, G. C. M. G., C. B., Executive Commissioner, of the Canadian Section of the Colonial and Indian Exhibition at South Kensington, 1886. Ottawa: Printed by MacLean, Roger & Co., Parliamentary Printers. Wellington Street. 1887. pp. 56 and 57. (Google Books).

“Trade Gossip.” The American Stationer, Vol. 19, no. 3. January 21, 1886. p. 69. (Google Books).

General assignment. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_assignment. (accessed December 1, 2016).

Funny Guy In Top Hat

Posted on December 4, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1907 – 1918.

Price: $15.00

Another great comic one, this time of the chuckle and guffaw variety. And at first I thought that this might be the same man as in the last post, but no.

So, the set up for this photo reminds one of the “head-in-the-hole” type, sometimes called “end-of-the pier” painted board photos, but it’s not the same thing. For this one, it looks like there was the board or sheet with the painting on it, and our subject with top hat and cigar put his chin over the neck area, and then another sheet, or board or what have you, was placed behind him, the photo was taken and then any needed touch-up work was done by the photographer. You can see that the area under the cigar and just above his collar on our right, looks like it’s been painted in. The cigar and smoke seem to have been enhanced a little, too.

Ezra, about 1907 – 1918

Posted on December 3, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing. Circa 1907 – 1918 AZO stamp box.

Price: $3.00

In honor of another Ezra I know (EZ-E, Double E !) Ezra – a great name for a great boy. This one shows a cropped oval image of an adorable little boy, maybe about age four, in coat and billed cap, standing outside in a rural setting. That looks like a barn or some type of outbuilding behind him, and a taller building behind that, maybe a house. His last name is unknown, but at least we have the first. And as for popularity of the name, from the 1910 U.S. Federal Census there were over 1400 boys with this name, that were born between about 1903 to 1907. Contrast that with the common given name John, and we get over 250,000 within the same general parameters.

Jenevieve, Bank Inspector

Posted on October 9, 2016 by Annieoakley

Mini-photo, circa 1900 – 1920s

Price: $10.00 Size: About 1 and 3/16 x 1 and 5/8″

A mini-photo of a beautiful dark-haired girl in winter-ish coat and spring hat. The writing on the back, in pencil, had been almost completely covered with black photo album paper (you know the type) but we discovered that applying water softens the paper so that it can be peeled and scraped off. Oh, and then Googled the “how to” question and saw that yep, it works on the old photos with writing underneath (in pencil, the source wasn’t sure about ink) because, after all, the photo would have been dipped in water before being hung to dry. (It would have eased my mind to have read this first, but still!) Anyway, she’s very photogenic, with that arresting look. And, oh what a hat! Straw and fabric or just fabric maybe, but the shape, along with the subtle pleats on the underside, reminds one of a flower. As to the writing: What we can make out says, “Jenevieve….” with something underneath that we can’t make out, and next, our best guess “Bank Inspector.” (Well, inspector misspelled. Plenty of entries were found under this given name cross-referenced with occupation.) And at the bottom right corner, maybe ” H. C. MO.” Hmmm, one of the counties in Missouri that begins with “H” or maybe an abbreviated company name? And if she was not a bank inspector, well, we hope she’s laughing somewhere at this, but it does sound very dramatic, doesn’t it? Jenevieve, Bank Inspector!

Me In My Olds

Posted on July 3, 2016 by Annieoakley

Old photo, man in Oldsmobile, circa 1917.

Price: $5.00 Size: 5 x 3″

Youngish gentleman in suit, tie and Newsboy-type cap, posing for the camera in a circa 1917 Oldsmobile. (We presume it’s his. He looks proud.) That would likely be the toolbox that is resting on the running board. The shape of the rear window seems uncommon: like a long, narrow rectangle with the edges rounded off, we’re not seeing an exact match online.

Greetings To Father

Posted on June 20, 2016 by Annieoakley

Price: $8.00

A bevy of beautiful women for Dad, for Father’s Day, which was yesterday. We’re not finding any others like this at the moment, online. This is one from the Alice Ellison Collection. The sender writes:

“Just got a letter from Babe this morning, was so glad to hear from her. Dossie.” Addressed to:

“Mr. J. M. Ellison. Pueblo, Colo. 26 St. & Cheyenne Ave.”

Another TJ Tourist RPPC

Posted on April 23, 2016 by Annieoakley

Another TJ Tourist RPPC pc2

Divided back, unused with writing, Real Photo Postcard. Circa late 1940s or 1950s.

Price: $7.00

“See my Straw Mule. Wellie look like he was drunk but he wasn’t. J.T. is about ready to take off. ha ha.”

A group of four tourists in sombreros and serapes, the one gentleman is astride a donkey (no stripes this time) wearing a sombrero. I don’t get the reference to the straw mule. Maybe somebody out there does and can comment. The younger woman holds a woven straw doll, though. Click on the image to enlarge. And how do you like the use of “wellie” for “well he” or is Wellie a nickname for either of the guys in the photo?

Tourists In Tijuana, 1955

Posted on April 22, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1955. Kodak Paper stamp box.

Price: $7.00

An African-American couple (presuming couple and presuming they’re from the U.S.) posing for a photo wearing tourist sombreros, seated on a platform behind a “Tijuana Zebra.” That’s a depiction of the Legend of Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl as the photographer’s backdrop, and at the top of the backdrop we can see “1955” and what looks like the suggestion of “Mexico” to the right of the year. The photo does seem unmistakably 1950’s with those pedal pushers the beautiful young woman is wearing. Just behind the donkey we can see the start of the word “Tijuana” that’s painted on the platform.

Sources: Tijuana Zebra. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tijuana_Zebra. (accessed April 22, 2016).

Popocatépetl and Iztaccíhuatl. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Popocat%C3%A9petl_and_Iztacc%C3%ADhuatl. (accessed April 22, 2016).

The Lehmann Family With Ikey And Buster

Posted on April 16, 2016 by Annieoakley

At first, we were just willing to place a heavy bet on the identity of the people in this Real Photo Postcard, but then after a little more research….

John M. Lehman or Lehmann, born Illinois about 1868; his wife Malvina V. (Allen) born Kansas about 1875 and most likely their oldest daughter, Florence, born Kansas about 1905; rather than younger daughter, Neva, born Kansas about 1909; and of course, the donkeys, Ikey and Buster.

The sender signs the letter “Mal” and she mentions John, and as for the child’s name mentioned, it looks more like Jennie or Jessie that a possible Flossie or Florrie but maybe whatever is indicated there was Florence’s pet name. By 1920, the family is living in Burrton, Kansas, which is about eleven miles northwest of Halstead.

Eva Gressinger, mentioned below, was the first key to solving the postcard’s mysteries: Eva’s name turns up in Halstead, Harvey County, Kansas on the 1910 Federal Census, which confirmed the cancellation place for the postcard. The sender writes:

“This is ‘Ikey’ and ‘Buster’ with the family. Dont know who that is peeping thro the trees. Muriel, what is the new doctor doing for you? Hazel, how did you get home from the depot? John is sick again to-day. Guess his trip was too much for him. [ ? ] all in today too. Too much Fair last week. ‘Every body’ asks ‘how the sick cousin is.’ Eva Gressinger was asking about you yesterday. Saw her at [ ? ]. Write! write! Mal.”

Addressed to: “Misses Muriel & Hazel Church, Pueblo, Colo. 1217 Spruce.”

Eureka: Postcard i.d. confirmed!

As for the cousins, Muriel and Hazel, they are two of the children of Russel Jobe Church and Viola Castillo Stout. The “cousin” relationship is confirmed with Viola – she shows up on Ancestry trees as a relative of Malvina. So, for sure, in the photo, this is John and Malvina Lehman and likely Florence (and of course Ikey and Buster). 🙂

Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked September (year unreadable). Circa 1908, from Halstead, Kansas. AZO stamp box visible underneath the stamp.

Price: $20.00

Sources: Year: 1910; Census Place: Halstead, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T624_441; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374454. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1910; Census Place: Halstead, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T624_441; Page: 8B; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374454. (Ancestry.)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Burrton, Harvey, Kansas; Roll: T625_534; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 44; Image: 123. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Pueblo, Pueblo, Colorado; Roll: 128; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0094; FHL microfilm: 1240128. (Ancestry.com)

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