Category Archives: Women

M. A. Sullivan, Sartoria, Nebraska

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Old photo, circa late 1890s.

Price:  $12.00        Size of photo:  1 and 3/4 x 2 and 5/8″

Sartoria, Buffalo County, Nebraska, on the map below:

Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. One pictures an easy pull-up of census records of maybe a Mary or a Margaret (tracing a middle name to Ann) Sullivan in Buffalo County, near or in Sartoria…..indicating beyond a reasonable doubt, a match for the beautiful young woman, that appears (in striped seersucker) in our photo above, and is of presumably Irish descent. But nope, what was found instead were a few possibilities and a fourth that we had to rule out:

Mary Sullivan, single, born Ireland 1874, sister of T. D. Sullivan, clergyman, born Ireland about 1877. Elm Creek, Buffalo County, Nebraska, 1910 Federal Census.

Or…..Mary Sullivan, born about 1878 IL, residence Gibbon township NE from the 1885 State Census, age 7. Daughter of Timothy, born Ireland, and Christie, born Sweden.

Or….Maggie Sullivan, born Michigan 1864, daughter of John C. and Mary Sullivan. Residence Kearney, Buffalo Co., NE on the 1880 Federal Census.

Not our M. A. Sullivan but interesting nonetheless…..

Mary Sullivan, born about Oct 1870 IL, single, schoolteacher, parents Daniel and Julia Sullivan, born Ireland. Beaver NE 1900 Federal Census. This one led us down a long path with detours for Shakespearean research, masques (not masks) and the University of Nebraska. It was this Mary Sullivan, Ph.D. (as far was we can tell not the one in our photo) that wrote Court Masques of James I:  Their Influence on Shakespeare and the Public Theatres, was mentioned in newspaper articles (alas no photo) and finally traced to Schenley High School, 1921, Pittsburgh, PA (with a photo that appears to rule out a match.)

A nice ring to it

Sartoria was settled by Swedish immigrant John Swenson. See Alice S. Howell’s “Sartoria, A Lovely Ghost Town.” The name of the little village is said to have been coined because it was easy to pronounce. (In Italian the word means “tailoring” but this is just FYI.)

Sources:  Sartoria, Nebraska. Google Maps. (Google.com).

Year: 1910; Census Place: Elm Creek, Buffalo, Nebraska; Roll: T624_839; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0035; FHL microfilm: 1374852. (Ancestry.com).

National Archives and Records Administration; Nebraska State Census; Year: 1885; Series/Record Group: M352; County: Buffalo; Township: Gibbon; Page: 5. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Beaver, Buffalo, Nebraska; Page: 7; Enumeration District: 0022. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1880; Census Place: Kearney, Buffalo, Nebraska; Roll: 743; Page: 263D; Enumeration District: 154. (Ancestry.com).

Masque. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masque (accessed March 24, 2018).

The Schenley Journal Class Book (1921) p. 6. Pittsburgh:  Schenley High School. (classmates.com)

Howell, Alice Shaneyfelt. “Sartoria, A Lovely Ghost Town.” Buffalo County Historical Society, Vol. 4, number 6. June 1981.

Bertha Jensen And Wendall Wheat, 1928

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Photo dated 1928, probable location:  Superior, Wisconsin.

Price:  $8.00             Size:  About 2 and 1/4 x 3 and 1/8″

An adorable photo of Wendell Wheat, about one year old, bundled up warmly for the cold weather in the likely location of Superior, Wisconsin and with him is his aunt, Mrs. Bertha (Clancy) Jensen. Bertha was born in Minnesota in August 1897 so would have been thirty when this photo was taken.

Sources:  Year: 1930; Census Place: Superior, Douglas, Wisconsin; Roll: 2570; Page: 10A; Enumeration District: 0029; FHL microfilm: 2342304. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1900; Census Place: Deer Creek, Otter Tail, Minnesota; Roll: 779; Page: 3B; Enumeration District: 0155; FHL microfilm: 1240779. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1930; Census Place: Caledonia, Racine, Wisconsin; Roll: 2606; Page: 7B; Enumeration District: 0006; FHL microfilm: 2342340. (Ancestry.com).

Mystery Language

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Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1904 – 1918. Printed in Canada.

Availability Status:  SOLD

The snow is piled up in front of two stylish ladies (check out all the trim on the young woman’s coat) who have posed for this photo. Their dog is beside them, and prominent in the background is what looks to be a church, just from the shape of the windows, and next to the church, a house. The branches of the bare trees are beautiful in this scene, too. Possibly the postcard photo originated in the same area as the sender’s address, so the card may be of historical interest for Saskatoon history buffs, as well as any Abrams descendants.

Baffled….for now

But the note from the sender of this card is a stumper. What language is it written in?  Deciphering can be tricky for old postcards in other languages due to abbreviations and sometimes misspelled words or former spellings of words used, let alone a person’s particular style of cursive, although the name and address are easily read on this one as:   “Mrs. Wm. Abrams, Saskatoon, Sask.” Here’s the puzzle of words, flipped upright:

Without being able to decipher but one or two words on the back (if that) we turned to searching for the receiver of this card to find their native tongue as stated on census records. There is a William Abrams and his wife Maria and their children listed on the 1911 and 1916, residing in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. This would coincide with the postcard date of circa 1904 to 1918, per the AZO stamp box (all four triangles pointing upward, along with divided back starting December 1903 in Canada.) William was born in Russia and Maria in Germany. William’s declaration of intent, in his U. S. naturalization process, appears to show that he was born in Ekaterinoslav, Russia, which is now called Dnipro and lies within Ukraine….No other possible Abrams were found to fit our postcard, so this is all good info, even though it doesn’t help us figure out the writing on the back. Hopefully, we’ll get some help on the translation from somewhere!

Sources:  Year: 1911; Census Place: 30 – Saskatoon Ward 1, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; Page: 26; Family No: 236. (Ancestry.com).

Year: 1916; Census Place: Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, 03B; Roll: T-21944; Page: 22; Family No: 247. (Ancestry.com).

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington, D.C.; Naturalization Records of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1887-1940; Microfilm Roll: 21; Microfilm Serial: M1524.

Dnipro. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dnipro (accessed January 16, 2018).

Filipina In Baro’t Saya, Real Photo Postcard

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Divided back, unused Real Photo Postcard. Juan Dela Cruz Studio. AZO stamp box, circa 1924 – 1949.

Price:  $12.00

A beautiful young woman in the traditional Filipino dress, baro’t saya, is posing for this portrait that was taken at the Juan Dela Cruz Studio. An unrelated online image was found on Flickr listing this studio location as Tondo, Manila, Philippines, and with an estimated date for that image as 1927. Our photo above of the unknown beauty may have been taken around this time, as well. The broader time frame of circa 1924 – 1949 comes from the AZO stamp box style on the reverse of the card.

The sender of this RPPC signed the back of the postcard but unfortunately, her signature is mostly covered by the black photo album paper the card had been glued to. We can only read what looks like the last two letters of her name (e-t). She wrote:

“Dear Aquiong, A Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year. Lovingly….”

Sources:  Ensemble-Philippines-The Met. Metropolitan Museum of Art. https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/158138. (accessed December 30, 2017).

De Leon, Eduardo. “A studio portrait of a Filipina named Loleng. Juan Dela Cruz Studio, Tondo, Manila. 1927.” 25 Nov 2014. Online image. Flickr. 30 Dec 2017. https://www.flickr.com/photos/edlei/15695528537/in/photostream/

“Real Photo Postcard Stamp Boxes ” AZO (squares in all four corners). Playle.com. (accessed December 30, 2017).

Amelia, December 1911, Binghamton NY

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Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, December 1911. CYKO stamp box.

Price:  $15.00

“Dec – 1911. A Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to you, Amelia.”

Addressed to:   “Laura Weed, 23 College st, City.”

Here’s a pretty lady, maybe in her seventies, posing for the photographer and wearing a satin dress over a lace blouse with high-neck ruffled collar, wire-rimmed eyeglasses and an unusual-looking “hat-box” shaped hat. The name for this style of head wear is unknown (maybe someone can help us out with this one) and it’s really not terribly outlandish in comparison to many others from this time period. And though we probably think that the blouse under the dress rather spoils the look, I bet the overall effect of the colors in the hat and of the dress (wish we could see) were gorgeous….and uplifting!

So, with the name and street address on the card we were able to trace Laura’s location to Binghamton, New York. She was Mrs. Laura A. Weed, wife of Manford Weed. Most likely, Amelia lived in the same city as her friend Laura, however there are a number of Amelias that might fit:  Some possible surnames for Amelia are Wilcox, Tierney, Parsons, Gregory, Back, Bailey and Couse.

Sources:  Calkin-Kelly Directory Co.’s Binghamton City Directory, 1914. p. 491. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Calkin-Kelly Directory Co.’s Binghamton City Directory, 1915. p. 491. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Year: 1910; Census Place: Kirkwood, Broome, New York; Roll: T624_926; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0045; FHL microfilm: 1374939. (Ancestry.com).

Braunlage, Germany, January 1928

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Old photo taken in Braunlage, Germany, January 1928.

Price:  $8.00         Size:  About 3 and 5/8 x 2″

The back of this photo is written in German. Thank you to our informed reader (see comment) for figuring out the name of the woman in the photo!

Lotte und ich in Braunlage, Januar 1928….Hans.” [?]  That appears to be the man’s name “Hans” at the bottom right, so translating as:   “Me and Lotte in Braunlage, January 1928.”

And, it’s a beautiful moment captured in time:  a smiling young man whose gaze has met the camera, in beret, plaid scarf and open overcoat and an equally stylish young woman, her smile and gaze caught looking downward, in cloche hat and fur trimmed coat. They’re walking down a snow-lined street in the town of Braunlage.

Władysław Jakubowski, Detroit Photographer

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Władysław Jakubowski, Detroit photographer 1911 – 1920. Studio address:  1525 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, Michigan. Partners with Władimer Lityński 1912 – 1916.

From the photographer’s 1920 passport application, Władysław, wife Wanda, and daughter Sophie.

The photographer for the prior post, Władysław L. Jakubowski, was born July 12th or 22nd (22nd from his WWII Draft Registration), 1883 in Filipów, Suwałki County, northeastern Poland, son of Vitalis Jakubowski and Anna Szpakouska[?] He emigrated to the U.S. in 1903 and became a naturalized citizen in 1911. He married Wanda Gudowski (Kudowska on marriage record) in Detroit on August 25, 1915. By the 1920 Federal Census they had a daughter, Sophie. Jumping ahead to 1940, we find Władysław and Wanda in Queens, New York. He’s working as a printing machine operator. With them are son, Marion, born in Poland, about 1923, and daughter Alina, born New York, about 1931. The WWII Draft Registration shows Władysław working at Grand Prospect Hall, 263 Prospect Ave., Brooklyn. To fill in some of the time frame and view more photo examples, see Michigan Polonia, which includes the publication Portrait Studios of Detroit’s Polonia: The Face of Polish Immigration, (pages 26 – 28).

A little more info….

Władysław Jakubowski is shown in several Detroit city directory listings at his studio address of 1525 Michigan Avenue, but the 1912 entry under his partner, Władimer Lityński, gives us a little more information:

Sources:  National Archives and Records Administration (NARA); Washington D.C.; NARA Series: Passport Applications, January 2, 1906 – March 31, 1925; Roll #: 1139; Volume #: Roll 1139 – Certificates: 8626-8999, 03 Apr 1920-05 Apr 1920. Ancestry.com.

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directory, 1911. p. 3324. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directory, 1912. pp. 1414 and 1654. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

R. L. Polk & Co.’s Detroit City Directory, 1916. p. 3656. Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995.

Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867–1952. Michigan Department of Community Health, Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics. Ancestry.com.

Year: 1920; Census Place: Detroit Ward 16, Wayne, Michigan; Roll: T625_815; Page: 36B; Enumeration District: 502. Ancestry.com.

Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, Queens, New York; Roll: T627_2723; Page: 10B; Enumeration District: 41-1886. Ancestry.com.

The National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Record Group Title: Records of the Selective Service System, 1926-1975; Record Group Number: 147. Ancestry.com.

Grand Prospect Hall. grandprospect.com. Accessed August 1, 2017.

Portrait Studios of Detroit’s Polonia: The Face of Polish Immigration. mipolonia.net. Accessed August 1, 2017.

Young Woman With Rose, Detroit

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Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. Photographer:  Władysław Jakubowski. Circa 1911 – 1916. AZO stamp box.

Price:  $15.00

A Real Photo Postcard, not in good shape, as you can see by the “foxing” marks and the creases, most notably in the top right corner. More by Władysław Jakubowski can be viewed at Michigan Polonia and Polish Mission. His stamp on the back shows:

“W. Jakubowski. 1525 Michigan Ave., Detroit, Mich.”

And it’s a beautiful image of the lovely young woman, whom we might presume to be of Polish descent, posed standing with one hand resting on an open French window, and holding a rose in the other. Her dress (or matching skirt and blouse) is possibly silk (wonder what color) with long sleeves of a see-through material. She wears a white lace fichu (or maybe a long-sleeved white blouse underneath) over which lays a cross on a choker-length chain, and a large-link bracelet on her left wrist.

Our House At 8562

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Divided back, unused, Real Photo Postcard. AZO stamp box. Circa 1910 – 1930.

Price:  $3.00

Somewhere there was a beautiful house with a beautiful family….a mom takes a minute away from the cooking and cleaning to pose with her four kids, on the front porch of their house, numbered 8562….This one was found during the recent Detroit excursion that we’ve been mentioning lately. No way to know what city this was in. If it was Detroit, there were a number of houses, circa 1910 to 1930, numbered 8562, that might fit the bill, but it’s proving to be a needle in a haystack search. We’ll look for more that might be related to this one when we go back next year.

Women In Greek Costume

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Divided back, unused Greek postcard. Publisher:  Delta, Athens, Greece. Circa 1960s.

Price:  $3.00     Size:  4 x 5 and 13/16″

Just something to go with the prior post, for Greece….specifically regarding the traditional dress of Ίωάννινα or Ioannina in English, though the photo was actually taken near Acropolis at Athens. See the comment on this post from Maria.

Publisher Delta Editions was owned by Emmanuel Diakakis & Son. Address:  4 Apelou St., Athens. Greece.  “Έμμ. Διακάκης & Υίός – Άπελλοϋ – 4 – Τηλ – Άδήυαι.”

Source:  Ioannina. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ioannina (accessed April 2, 2017).