Category Archives: Photos With Names

Andy, Mikey and Johnny Gogola, Circa 1930

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Old photo, white border. Circa 1930.

Price:  $10.00           Size:  2 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/2″

“Andy, Mikey, Johnny Gogola. all farmers.”

From left to right:  Johnny, Andy and Mikey Gogola:

A Gogola family of three brothers (and siblings) shows up on the Menallen, Fayette County, Pennsylvania 1930 Federal Census. If this is correct, the trio are the sons of Polish immigrants Clement and Eva Gogola. From older brothers’ marriage records (Wyandotte, MI) Eva’s maiden name is recorded as Mijol and Nijol.

Andy and older brothers, Stanley and Frank, all make their way to the Detroit, Michigan area. This photo was found in the Dearborn antique shop that I recently visited (and will be back to next year). No other possibilities of a different Gogola family were found.

My Forrer Street connection

Wow! What a surprise for me, finding Andy Gogola’s WWII vet record listing he and his wife and two kids living on Forrer St., Detroit. I rented an upper flat some decades later on Forrer, just a block away.

Sources:  Year: 1930; Census Place: Menallen, Fayette, Pennsylvania; Roll: 2040; Page: 16B; Enumeration District: 0056; Image: 298.0; FHL microfilm: 2341774. (Ancestry.com)

Marriage record for Frances Gogola; marriage record for Stanley Gogola. Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. (Ancestry.com)

Andrew L. Gogola. Pennsylvania (State). World War II Veterans Compensation Applications, circa 1950s. Records of the Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, Record Group 19, Series 19.92 (877 cartons). Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (Ancestry.com)

Yours Truly, Bernice or Dagmar

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Vintage photo, white border, deckled edge. Belle Isle, Detroit, Michigan. Circa 1950s.

Price:  $6.00            Size:  About 2 and 1/2 x 3 and 1/2″

Another found on the recent Detroit trip. Beautiful Bernice, posing at the Scott Fountain on Belle Isle. The cat-eye sunglasses trend was popular in the 1950’s. Her shoes now, hmmmm, two-tone, but not really a saddle shoe – this exact style wasn’t found online. As to the inscription on the back,  “ ‘Your truly’ Bernice or Dagmar”  that’s one of the most interesting aspects of this photo.

A character name from a play?

And at first, I thought it was “Dogmar” and was searching for Dogmar as a possible surname or given name, and not coming up with much…..Then, and this happens to me quite a bit, for which I am truly grateful:  A day or two later I came across the movie I Remember Mama (1948) playing on the classic movie channel, with Irene Dunn as the Norwegian-born mother of four, set in San Francisco at the turn of the 20th century, with the youngest daughter named Dagmar (wait, what?). If you’ve never seen the movie, check it out (so beautiful!) The film is based on the story, Mama’s Bank Account (1943) by Kathryn Forbes, which inspired a play (1944) then the movie, then t.v. series Mama (1949 – 1957) and later two musical versions in the ’70s. The movie’s story is told from the standpoint of the oldest daughter, Katrin, an aspiring writer, played by Barbara Bel Geddes (Dallas fans, you will remember her as Jock’s wife, Miss Ellie.) So, did Bernice in our photo above play Dagmar in a school play production? It’s our best guess, other than the fact that Dagmar could be a middle name for her or vice versa (Dagmar Bernice).

Source:  Kathryn Forbes. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathryn_Forbes (accessed July 9, 2017).

The Little Indian

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Vintage photo, circa 1940s – early 1950s

Price:  $3.00       Size:  About 3 x 4 and 1/2″

Another found in Dearborn, Michigan on my recent trip, from a box of loose photos. I’ll look for anything related to this one when I go back next year. The reverse appears to be written in Czech, and probably by the grandmother of the beaming little boy “playing Indian” on the front lawn. Ewaline would be the name of the boy’s mom. And maybe someone will recognize this particular toy set of Indian headdress and drum. (Those look like hawk feathers and it says “Indian Chief” across the headband.)

“Ten mály Indian jest moj ‘sweetheart’ Ewalinies synek.” 

“The little Indian is my sweetheart, Ewalinie’s son.”

French Waterman, Goulais Lake, Algoma Co., Ontario

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Vintage photos, circa 1940s – 1952, deckled edge border.

Price for the set of two:  $15.00

“French and guide at launch place”  or possibly “at lunch place.” That is probably French Waterman on our left and either his unidentified fishing guide, center (or, if some humor was employed in the description, French’s dad, Warren…just a possibility, no assumptions.) On the canoe bow, we see what may be the manufacturer logo of a circle and one wing. Maybe someone familiar with vintage canoes will recognize it. (Click on the image to enlarge.)

 

French is John French Waterman, born about 1904 in Tennessee, younger son of Warren Gookin Waterman, Sr., born in Southport, Connecticut 1872 and died in Frankfort, Michigan 1952 and Anna (Hannah Meuller) Waterman. Warren, Sr. may have taken the shots (we hope, or was in the top one, even better, but either way, these photos seem to be a remembrance from a nice father-son trip!) and written on the back, along with stamping his address at that time:

“W. G. Waterman, Riverbend Farm, Frankfort, Michigan”

French Waterman at Goulais Lake Camps, Algoma County, Ontario. There’s French, we believe, on our far right, blending in a little with the background. In the center, nestled in the pines, one of the sixteen guest cabins. Here is Goulais Lake from a Google map search.

Sources:  Year: 1920; Census Place: Evanston Ward 7, Cook, Illinois; Roll: T625_358; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 87; Image: 533. (Ancestry.com)

Original data: Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1940; Census Place: Crystal Lake, Benzie, Michigan; Roll: T627_1730; Page: 2B; Enumeration District: 10-9. (Ancestry.com)

Goulais Lake, Algoma, Unorganized, North Part, ON, Canada. Google.com map search. Accessed July 2, 2017.

Find A Grave memorial# 36874914. Findagrave.com. Accessed July 2, 2017.

Hugh Ester Bayles

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Divided back, unused with writing and/or photographer stamp. Three Real Photo Postcards of Hugh Ester Bayles, taken in San Jose, CA, by photographer Enrico Bambocci. Circa 1913 and 1918. Solio stamp box.

Availability Status:  SOLD

So, we’re a little late with this military-related post, for the prior Memorial Day, but nevertheless….three wonderful RPPCs of Hugh Ester Bayles. Hugh was the son of Levi Bayles and Lydia Mitchell, and was born August 21, 1892 in Paxico, Kansas (still a small town today). The 1910 Federal Census shows Hugh, his parents, and his siblings, Charles, Ruth and Homer, living in Mokelumne, Calaveras Co., CA. At the time of the first World War draft registration, he was living at 918 Harliss Ave., San Jose, CA, and working as a truck driver for the Raisch Co.[?] located on Auzerais Ave. He enlisted April 30, 1918. He was married to Bessie Irene Way, prior to 1939. He died November 30, 1982 at age 90.

At age 21, about 1913, San Jose, California. The photographer props at this time include an animal skin (uggh) of….is that a badger? (poor guy) and a vase holding geraniums.

Hugh, age 21. Different day, as he is wearing a different (pin-striped) suit and a wider tie.

In uniform, at about age 26, circa 1918.

Sources:  Registration State: California; Registration County: Los Angeles; Roll: 1544322. Ancestry.com. U.S., World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918.

The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; World War II Draft Cards (4th Registration) for the State of California; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147. (Ancestry.com)

Paxico, Kansas. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paxico,_Kansas (accessed May 30, 2017).

Ancestry.com. U.S., Department of Veterans Affairs BIRLS Death File, 1850-2010.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Mokelumne, Calaveras, California; Roll: T624_73; Page: 13B; Enumeration District: 0011; FHL microfilm: 1374086. (Ancestry.com)

State of California. California Death Index, 1940-1997. Sacramento, CA, USA: State of California Department of Health Services, Center for Health Statistics. (Ancestry.com)

Find A Grave Memorial# 140189413 for Bessie I. (Way) Bayles

Picking Flower, Near Mississippi Headwaters, Minnesota

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Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1950s.

Price:  $15.00

This Real Photo Postcard is one of (at least) four that we see that had been taken, circa 1950s, of an Indian woman named Picking Flower. The other three vintage cards are currently on ebay:  One shows a very similar view to the photo taken for this card, and the other two show Picking Flower standing at the Headwaters of the Mississippi River, Minnesota, with captions. My guess is that she’s Chippewa, a.k.a. Ojibwe or Ojibwa, and it’s possible she might have been a member of the Mississippi River Band Chippewas, but of course, that is mere speculation. The artwork of flowers and leaves that she’s working on (or more likely it was some finished work that was used for the photo shoot) and that which adorns her dress, is very distinctive to Chippewa beadwork design (not to mention stunningly beautiful). Here’s a quick screen shot of a Google search for examples (note the similarity in the top right design to that in the postcard.)

And, if you enlarge the postcard image, you’ll notice the little pair of moccasins that’s attached to the dress (on her left) and the shells interspersed in the shoulder areas. Always the case, we get to wondering about the circumstances surrounding a photo session, about the person themselves, how they felt at the time, what the rest of their life was like. I think Picking Flower is maybe in her 50s, from the graying hair we note, and she looks like she was squinting a little from the sun, when the photo was taken.

Sources:  Mississippi River Band of Chippewa Indians. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mississippi_River_Band_of_Chippewa_Indians (accessed May 21, 2017).

“Images of Chippewa beadwork”  Google.com search. (accessed May 21, 2017).

Theresa and Albert Bayard, Oakland CA, 1910

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Set of two:  Divided Back, Real Photo Postcards, unused with writing, circa 1910. Velox stamp box.

Price for the pair:  $20.00

Postcards, year 1910, from Kristofa Bayard, 4212 Suter St., Oakland, Cal…showing her children, adorable Albert (her Big Boy) and her beautiful daughter, Theresa…

Albert Bayard

“This is my big Boy.   4214 Sutter. I found out last night that the Party in the litle House has paid their rent in full & that mens [means] there time vill bee up October 16nt. & the big House Otto says he like to go & see vhat needs fixing, so I exspict him to go to Valljo [Vallejo] sunday. Vell vi got home O.K. but tired none of the folks home exspectet us home, if you can come & see me Monday Vi vould then be able to tell you all about how things are. respectfully, Kristofa.  Best regards from Theresa & Papa.”

Albert and Theresa Bayard

“4212 Sutter St.  Dear friend. I got your letter. vill go to Vallejo Monday or Tuesday. vill bring the pieses for the stove. Vi are verry sorry to hear you baby tok so sick, vi only hope she is all over it by this time. hope this vil find you boot vell, Kristofa.  Best regards from All.”

The 1910 Federal Census for Brooklyn Township, Oakland, Alameda County, California shows the Bayard family:  William O. Bayard (Otto William Bayard in other records), born Sweden about 1863, his wife Kristofa (here spelled Christofa) born Norway about 1877 (emigrating about 1895 – 1900 per census’) Theresa, born California about 1904, and Albert, born California (aged 1 and 10/12) born June 1908. Otto is working for the railroad as a painter, at this time. The Suter house is owned by the family, and unless the house number changed, it looks like that particular structure is no longer there (a newer house, said to have been built in 1921, stands in its place). The 1920 Federal Census shows the Bayards as owners at 3916 Suter (a different house, unless there was re-numbering) and that home still exists today. Also, by this time we see the couple’s third child, Mervin Bayard, born California about 1914.

California marriage records show that Theresa married New Jersey native, Thomas Harper Ridge, in November 1921; bride and groom’s address at time of marriage was the 3916 Suter home. Kristofa’s maiden name is listed as Nelson (Nilson per Ancestry family trees). Plenty of other records can be found for the Bayards but we’ll stop here…Just to want to let year 1910 soak in…the priceless images of the children, the beautiful lace for the background (Was it hand or factory-made? Normally in use as a tablecloth? Lace-making in the early 20th Century – serious “tangent” material, no pun intended, no time to pursue, regrettably) the mentions of the big house and the little house (good for them, that they owned more than one place) and Kristofa….beautiful wife, mom and friend. Of course, the stand-out in her writing is the replacement of the “w” for the “v” sound (and other evidence of English as second language)….but so nice to read, giving us a real feel for the Bayard’s Norwegian-Swedish-American household at this time.

Sources:   Year: 1910; Census Place: Oakland Ward 7, Alameda, California; Roll: T624_71; Page: 14A; Enumeration District: 0026; FHL microfilm: 1374084. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Oakland, Alameda, California; Roll: T625_91; Page: 3A; Enumeration District: 132; Image: 158. (Ancestry.com)

Marriage records, select counties and years. California State Archives, Sacramento, California. (Ancestry.com)

Anna E. Lincoln, Hubbardton, VT, 1907

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Undivided back, Real Photo postcard. Postmarked May 18, 1907 from East Hubbardton, Vermont.

Price:  $12.00

“Anna E. Lincoln. Born Oct. 17, 1906.   All usually well, Ella.”  Addressed to:

“Mrs. D. I. Paine, Saratoga, N. Y., 26 East Van Dam Street.”

Anna, the cute baby girl in this RPPC, was found on the 1910 Federal Census for Hubbardton, Rutland County, VT, with mom, Ella M. and dad, Dauley (Dawley) F. Lincoln, and Anna’s older sisters, Jennie M. and Violet I. Lincoln. They are living with Dawley’s parents, William F. and Susan A. Lincoln. Also in the household are Addie L. Lincoln, daughter-in-law to William and Susan, and Addie’s two children, Arthur E. and William H. Lincoln. All are Vermont natives. Though the photo’s a little blurry, there’s some nice detail in wood and fabric to be seen on the chairs. (Are you picturing them being hauled outside?) The one on our right looks like a rocker. And this “two seats, only one taken” scene makes you wonder if there were other photographs taken that day with someone posed in the other chair.

The recipient of this card was Ethel, wife of Delmar I. Paine. The couple appears on the 1900 Federal Census for Saratoga Springs, NY at the Van Dam St. address, with their children, Walter L. and Edwin Paine, ages seven and three.

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Hubbardton, Rutland, Vermont; Roll: T624_1616; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0184; FHL microfilm: 1375629. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1900; Census Place: Saratoga Springs Ward 2, Saratoga, New York; Roll: 1159; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 0129; FHL microfilm: 1241159. (Ancestry.com)

Mary, Martha And Annie Julin And Olga Lund

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard. Circa 1908 – 1910. Kruxo stamp box.

Price:  $15.00

Four beautiful ladies posing for the camera, and identified on the back of the postcard:

Back row, left to right:  Mary Julin; Olga Lund, age eighteen.

Front row, left to right:  Aunt Martha Julin; Annie Julin.

According to the family member who gave us the i.d. on the back of the postcard, the year the photo was taken was 1903, but divided back postcards were not used in the United States until December 1907, and the style of stamp box, per Playle’s, indicates the card would have been made between 1908 and 1910. So, this could have been an older photo that was not turned into a postcard until that time, or an incorrect date guess by the family member.

The four women have not been located in records at this time, though there are some possibilities, but none all showing in the same area. We can only presume they lived in the U.S. and it’s probably a safe bet that Martha had emigrated, as she would be the oldest of the group; the other three may also be American immigrants or second-generation of guessing Swedish, Norwegian or Finnish descent. But note, on the nicely-understated jewelry for Mary and Annie…..Annie wears a small pin that shows some type of flag. If we could only make out the details!

I Say Hello George

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Divided back, used, Real Photo Postcard. Postmarked February 3, 1908 from Chicago, Illinois.

Price:  $12.00

This card has been hanging around:  I’ve been meaning to get it posted forever but by a nice coincidence, the date it’s going up here at LCG is the exact date on the outgoing Chicago postmark, plus 109 years.

Pretty Elsie, who provided her photo to cousin George, was not identified in records. An in-depth search would be needed to trace the cousinship. (Is this a word? Yep!) She writes:

“I say ‘Hello’ George do you know you[r] loving cousin, How are you old chap, I thought perhaps you might want you[r] little cousins picture, what do you think of my boys coat, classy ‘heh!’ Love to all the family, and also you[r] cousin in Dubuque the one I like. I am with love Elsie.”

Funny how Elsie drops the “r” in “yours” each time, and don’t we get a sense of who she was, from her handwriting, the note itself and the photo? I think she was fun to hang out with. As far as history and fashion it’s always nice to have a dated reference but it’s doubly nice to have the wearer’s comment about what they were wearing. And not that it, by any means, took 109 years for the bow to go out of style, but we can appreciate the irony in the coat being the main subject for comment while today it’s the hat with the huge bow that jumps out at us!

Card addressed to:  “Mr. George Letch, Jr., East Dubuque, Ills.”

Our girl Else, wasn’t found in records but George Leroy Letch, Jr., was born September 19, 1887 in East Dubuque, IL, son of George L. Letch and Theresa Erdenberg. The 1910 Federal Census for Dunleith Township of East Dubuque finds George, Jr. with parents, George L., born IL, October 1864 (occupation freight train conductor) and Teresa, born IL, April 1867 and George, Jr.’s sister Roena, born IL, August 1889.

Sources:  Year: 1910; Census Place: Dunleith, Jo Daviess, Illinois; Roll: T624_294; Page: 1A; Enumeration District: 0021; FHL microfilm: 1374307.
(Ancestry.com)

Social Security Applications and Claims, 1936-2007. (Ancestry.com)