Miniature Photo, oval on rectangle matting. 1902. Photographer:  F. J. Walsh, Trenton, New Jersey.

Price:  $10.00         Size:  1 ½ x 2 ¼”

A beautiful young woman – she is said to be Christine Ness, and described as, “Peter Clancy’s favorite teacher.” On the reverse, is also written, “Rock Creek, 1901.”  Okay, so whoever wrote that didn’t notice the 1902 date on the front. Rock Creek is not showing up on a New Jersey map, and since this mini photo is from a small collection we found for the Clancy Family of Minnesota (more later on them) they’re likely referring to Rock Creek, Minnesota. There is a photo of a Christina Ness (teacher) in MN, on an Ancestry family tree, though I’m not completely convinced that photo and ours are the same person. It’s possible that whoever wrote on the back of ours was incorrect. (I’ll reach out to that tree owner.)

The photographer, F. J. Walsh, was Francis “Frank” J. Walsh, born in Ireland. (More on him shortly). His studio address shows:  “No. 120 Perry Street, Trenton, N. J.”  

Why would a Minnesota teacher have a photo taken in New Jersey? If it is her, then she may have been just visiting or had taken training or started her early career there.