Category Archives: Hats

Bertha Edna (Vogt) Clevenger

Posted on by
Reply

Bertha Edna (Vogt) Clevenger pc1Bertha Edna (Vogt) Clevenger pc2

Real photo postcard with AZO stamp box (with all four triangles pointing upward) of a young woman who is identified on the back as,  “my half sister Bertha Edna (Vogt) Clevenger”, posing in a garden setting in front of a latticed arch, and what looks to be a well-established climbing rose. She wears a summery white or very pale colored dress, or perhaps a skirt and blouse, it is hard to tell, but with a high collar and a charming bonnet.

The Find A Grave website shows a Bertha Edna Clevenger, born October 30, 1901 and died June 1, 1977, and her husband is identified there as John Frank Clevenger, though his WWI and WWII draft registration cards show his full middle name as Franklin. Surprisingly, not much was found, as of the date of this post, for Bertha before she married John, and also nothing to identify her half-sibling. Records show that both Bertha and John were born in Tennessee. The 1930 Federal Census taken in Westmoreland Township, Imperial County, California, shows that Bertha was age 15, and John age 24, when they married, and show’s John’s occupation on the 1930 as Foreman for a vegetable ranch.

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing. AZO stamp box. Circa 1914 -1918.

Price:  $15.00

Sources:  Find A Grave Memorial# 112317084 (www.findagrave.com)

“United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KZ6W-TFM : accessed 23 Apr 2014), John Franklin Clevenger, 1917-1918; citing Chattanooga City no 2, Tennessee, United States, NARA microfilm publication M1509, (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d); FHL microfilm 1852926.

“United States World War II Draft Registration Cards, 1942,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/V485-XCT : accessed 23 Apr 2014), John Franklin Clevenger, 1942; citing ARC identifier 603155, National Archives and Records Administration, Washington D.C.; FHL microfilm 2416310.

“United States Census, 1900,” index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/MSCY-LN1 : accessed 23 Apr 2014), John F Clevenger in household of Allen C Clevenger, Civil District 12 Rockwood town (pt.), Roane, Tennessee, United States; citing sheet 11B, family 219, NARA microfilm publication T623, FHL microfilm 1241593.

Year: 1930; Census Place: Westmoreland, Imperial, California; Roll: 119; Page: 30B; Enumeration District: 0051; Image: 973.0; FHL microfilm: 2339854. Year: 1940; Census Place: Westmorland, Imperial, California; Roll: T627_210; Page: 2A; Enumeration District: 13-46. (Ancestry.com)

Easter Blessings

Posted on by
Reply

Easter Blessings pc1Easter Blessings pc2

Divided back, artist-signed, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked from Marysville, California on March 27, 1929. Artist:  Margaret Evans Price. Publisher:  Stecher Lithographic Company, Rochester, New York. Copyrighted design. Series 502 A.

Availability status:  SOLD  

Another beautiful Easter postcard, this one in a church-type setting with a leaded-glass window and white background behind a charmingly dressed young woman with a sweet expression. She wears a dotted old-fashioned hoop skirt (or one with many petticoats?) and a velvet-looking blue jacket with black collar. Note the wide sleeves at the wrist that show off the ruffled blouse cuffs, and the corsage pinned to the jacket. Her black bonnet is trimmed with a band of flowers, she is reading Bible verse we presume, and is surrounded by various potted flowers.  “Easter Blessings”  is the caption below, the card is embossed and has a border of light purple. Easy to miss are the artist’s initials M.E.P. that are next to one of the plants on the left.

M.E.P. was Margaret Evans Price (1888-1973) American artist, author, illustrator, muralist, toy designer, known primarily for the many children’s books she wrote, illustrated or collaborated on. For more information on the artist see the excellent website in the source below.

This is another of many in The Alice Ellison (Mrs. J. M. Ellison) Collection. The name was misspelled or written in haste here as “Ellersun” and appears to be signed,  “E. B___?, Virginia and Mack.”

Source:  Margaret Evans Price. http://www.meibohmfinearts.com/artists.aspx. (accessed February 14, 2024).

De Nombreuses Joies Pour Les Fêtes De Paques

Posted on by
Reply

Paques pc1Paques pc2

Divided back, used postcard, postmarked December 4, 1922 from Tours, Indre et Loire, France. Publisher:  Inter-Art Co., Florence House, Barnes, London, S. W. “COMIQUE” Series. No. 3837. Made in Great Britain. Circa 1922.

Price:  $6.00

“De nombreuses joies pour les fêtes de PAQUES”

Cute illustration of rosy-cheeked little girl in red bonnet, carrying Easter lilies and a striped hat box, and bringing you “Many joys for Easter.”

The sender wrote,  “Easter Greetings. Still having a wonderful time! Visited Amboise yesterday and are going to Chenonceau to-day. Hope you are well. Will write soon, Lovingly, Ann.”

Addressed to:  “Mr. & Mrs. P. H. John, 701 – Grand St., Alameda, California – Etats-Unis d’Amerique”

A closer look at the sender’s handwriting was in order, after being a little puzzled at first, by the signature. This person has lovely handwriting in general, but an unusual style of writing her As – and we can compare the A in Ann to the A in Amboise and Alameda.

No census or city directory etc. records were found for the Mr. and Mrs. P. H. John of Alameda, although there is an H. P. John showing up in Alameda County that could be the same person, since we often see the first and middle names or initials switched around. Of course, more research could be done to likely locate them – a page by page census search, after narrowing down the census district, but this usually is quite time-consuming, unless one happens to get lucky. Anyway, this is a lovely card, and it’s always nice to find them in other languages.

Salinas Rodeo Girls

Posted on by
Reply

SRG pc1SRG pc2

“Showing their Levi’s, California Rodeo, Salinas, July 13 – 16, 1939”

Great vintage postcard showing photo of seven beautiful cowgirls lined up and posing in their dungarees, boots, hats, and western shirts. Photo taken at the Salinas, California Rodeo grounds for the July 1939 four-day event. If you look closely you will see two horses with their riders in the background.

Divided back, unused postcard. Publisher unknown, S-34 (series 34 or number S34)  Circa 1939.

Availability status:  SOLD. (This postcard is the second of two of the same photo – both were sold.)

Serious Lady In Upturned Straw Hat

Posted on by
Reply

Serious Lady In Upturned Straw Hat pc1Serious Lady In Upturned Straw Hat pc2

I love this one and every time I look at this woman’s photo I imagine that she is from Montréal or Québec. I don’t know why. Maybe she has French Canadian heritage. The Solio stamp box dates the card in the broad time period of about 1903 – 1920s, but I would place it at around 1913 or so, after searching for examples of high-waisted skirts, and ladies blouses. The hat appears to be made of straw, and has a little decoration that is appearing above the brim. It is probably best labeled as a Breton, sometimes called Bretonne. From the excellent Shappos website, this style is described as a  “women’s hat with ample round crown and brim turned-up all around.”  What looks to be an ivy plant on the left in the photo, is looking rather wilted, to the point of wanting to reach in and water it.

Solio is a type of what’s called “printing-out” paper that was used by photographers and produced by the Eastman Kodak Co.

Real Photo Postcard, circa 1913. Solio stamp box.

Price:  $5.00

Sources:  Pacific Coast Photographer. Vol. II, February, 1893, No. 1, pg. xxiv (books.google.com)

Hat Terminology, Shappos. Web accessed October 13, 2013. [http://www.shappos.com/blogs/how-to/9021445-hat-terminology]

Dutch Girl and Boy Valentine

Posted on by
Reply

Dutch Girl and Boy Valentine

Die-cut, embossed valentine, circa 1910. Publisher unknown. Size:  about 3 x 3″

Price:  $1.00

Heart-shaped valentine of Dutch girl and boy in traditional regional costume. The young couple is shown sitting behind a blue and white wall, that shows the printing “Valentine Greetings.”  Behind them is a background of red with heart shapes cut out of the card. Embossed white border on red. A beautiful little valentine.

Sweetest Girls in New Mexico

Posted on by
Reply

Sweetest Girls in New Mexico pc1Sweetest Girls in New Mexico pc2

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing. Circa 1910-1920.

Price:  $10.00

Real Photo Postcard of the “Sweetest Girls in N. M.” This caption may have been written by their father (Or possibly the man’s wife appears in the photo with their three daughters.) The girls appear to be wearing man’s hats and posing for the camera. The girl on our right wears a wedding ring. Were the hats the normal attire of the day? Or maybe they were putting on a skit for entertainment, or just clowning for the camera. The hats don’t necessarily seem to fit them, and the coat the woman in the center wears appears to be a man’s coat, a little too big (look at the sleeves.) On our far right we see a young boy standing, and sitting in front of him a youngish looking woman. (This woman’s pose is so funny because she looks like she’s talking on a cell phone.) In front of her it looks like there may be at least one other person but it’s hard to tell what we’re looking at here (backs of heads or is that a part of a blanket in the right corner?) In any case, this an awesome photo, and it’s nice to have one from New Mexico.

The back of the postcard shows what appears to be “Neva Nimmo,” as the name of the person to whom it was given. With the S and what looks like the beginning of a W on the left side of the card looking like the writer was going to put the caption here again, but didn’t. Neva Nimmo does come up in Ancestry searches. The 1900 Federal Census taken in Rindoso, New Mexico, shows Samuel Nimmo, born about 1860, his wife Sarah, born about 1863, son George born about 1888, daughters Neva, born about 1892, Ruby born about 1896, and Ethel born about 1898. All are natives of Texas. Based on this and other census records and Ancestry family trees linking Neva to the Monterey County area (where this photo was found), I think this photo is from the family that appears on this census.

Source:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Rindoso, Lincoln, New Mexico; Roll: 1001; Page: 14B; Enumeration District: 0064; FHL microfilm: 1241001. (Ancestry.com)

Sixth Ave Hotel Guy

Posted on by
Reply

Sixth Ave Hotel Guy

Sepia-tone photo of a smiling young man in a suit and straw boater hat, standing in front of the window for the Sixth Avenue Hotel office. Besides the boater, it looks like he is wearing a detachable white shirt collar. These were traditionally a type of stiff collar that came in a variety of styles. The style here looks like it might be a Henley, Cambridge or Ascot. (Check out the great source below for more on collars, and the battle over the stiff versus soft collar.) But as to the date of this photo, I would estimate it to be from the mid to late 1910s or early 1920s.

The surprising thing about researching this one was not being able to find many Sixth Avenue Hotel references. Supreme Court justices were also researched per the notice that appears in the window. It looks like the name at the bottom of the notice is “Chas. R. ” something. When you really look at a photo like this, you start to notice things you hadn’t seen the first few times. For instance, what is the shield-like emblem with the stripes, to the left of the guy’s right hand? (You can almost discern the lettering there, and the emblem itself is so familiar-looking.) And are those electrical wires that we are seeing reflected in the window?  Anyway, this was a fun photo to research and we find that we have yet another mystery to ponder from time to time. But, what I love the most about this photo is this happy guy. What a great smile, and doesn’t he look like just an all-round great person?

Description:  Real photo, non-postal, white border. On Real Photo Postcard type stock. Size:  About 5 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/2″

Source:  http://www.vintagedancer.com/1920s/1920s-mens-shirts-and-collars-history/

Happy Girl on Avalon Annex Porch

Posted on by
Reply

Happy Girl on Avalon Annex Porch pc1Happy Girl on Avalon Annex Porch pc2

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

Price:  $7.00

“This is my very first picture. Don’t you think it is good.”

Great (even though blurry) photo of little girl, about 7 or 8 years old, standing on the porch of the Avalon Annex Apartments, smiling for the camera. We wonder if the writing on the back referred to the first picture taken of the girl, or the first picture that was taken by the photographer…The location is unknown. Maybe this was taken on the porch of a hotel annex, that had furnished apartments for rent. We can see that the number on the sign looks like 217, but research with this number for Avalon hotel, apartment, etc. is not coming up with anything concrete. The AZO stamp box with all four triangles pointing up is circa 1904 – 1918, and being that this is a divided back postcard, we can estimate the date then between about 1907 – 1918, but guessing it would be closer to 1918. More research on the style of the girl’s dress, boots and hat may help to narrow down the date.