Three Cheers

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Annieoakley

Divided back, embossed, used postcard. Postmarked February 25, 1910 from Pueblo, Colorado. St. Patrick Series No. 3.

Price: $3.00

“Erin Go Bragh”

Three cheers for Old Erin’s Isle,

Three cheers for the harp and flag of green.

Three cheers for the shamrock boys,

And a kiss for the Irish Colleen.”

Another for St. Pat’s Day….Three-leaf clovers this time, and a pretty, rather heavily corseted colleen, pinning a clover on her man’s lapel. They’re out for a night on the town, she in her finest dress, he in top hat and tails. He’s bringing the shillelagh though, just in case of any trouble. 😉 Addressed to: “Mr. J. M. Ellison, Sawnee, Okla.” which the sender probably wrote in haste, as it should, of course, be Shawnee. She writes:

“2 – 25 -10. Dear Mike: – Your letter received and I want you to do what ever you think best about that place. It sounds alright to me. Hope to see you soon. Love from all, Ma.”

Luck From Mattie Hicks, 1908

Posted on March 17, 2017 by Annieoakley

Undivided back, embossed, unused postcard. Publisher: Raphael Tuck & Sons’ “St. Patricks Day Post Cards.”

Price: $3.00

“St. Patrick’s Day – and I wish you Luck.”

Happy St. Pat’s Day! Here’s a barefoot country lass (love the fringe on the shawl or sweater) with a very large four-leaf clover and a little piggy running from underneath. The card is signed at the bottom in pencil, “Mattie Hicks 1908.”

Montréal Girl

Posted on February 26, 2017 by Annieoakley

Carte de Visite. Photographer: Notman & Sandham. Circa 1877 – 1882.

Price: To be determined. Size: About 2 and 1/2 x 4″

William Notman (1826 – 1891)

Henry Sandham (1842 – 1910)

The Notman collection (about 650,000 photographic works) is, according to Marian Scott’s article in the Montreal Gazette, “…the jewel in the crown of the McCord Museum,” the McCord being located in Montréal, Québec, Canada. Though our carte-de-visite above does not show off the incredible clarity nor have the chance to exhibit any of the innovation that the Notman firm became known for, it’s still a lovely portrait of a beautiful young woman. She wears a Christian cross, possibly jeweled, on a rather large-link short chain; a high, white ruffled collar under a dark blouse or dress; and a bow tying back her dark hair, which is worn parted in the middle with short bangs.

Photo and paint….

We don’t necessarily think of painters (artists in oil, watercolor, etc.) in conjunction with photographic artists. Or, at least, I confess, I did not. Notman is said to have developed and made popular the composite photo, where individual studio portraits were taken, cut out, fastened onto the composite negative of a painted background (this is my understanding from piecing together a couple of online descriptions) and printed. Below, a well-known example entitled, “La culbute” (The bounce) of the Montréal Snowshoe Club. Notman & Son, 1886. Per author Sarah Parsons, William Notman: Life & Work, the Notman firm offered oil paintings of all its photos. No wonder then, that Notman’s photography company had its own art department (which was for some years headed by Henry Sandham.)

Below, a couple of articles referencing Henry Sandham, from the Boston Herald, January 23rd and August 14th, 1881.

Last, but not least, another prominent Canadian, printer George-Édouard Desbarats (1838 – 1893) who was the founder of the lithography firm that did the reverse of our Montréal Girl cdv. The printing on the bottom left of the card shows “Desbarats, lith., Montreal.”

Sources: William Notman. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Notman. (accessed February 26, 2017).

Henry Sandham. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Sandham. (accessed February 26, 2017).

Scott, Marian. “William Notman: portrait of a visionary photographer at McCord Museum.” montrealgazette.com, November 4, 2016. Web accessed February 26, 2017.

Parsons, Sarah. (2014). William Notman: Life & Work. http://www.aci-iac.ca/content/art-books/19/Art-Canada-Institute_William-Notman.pdf. (accessed February 26, 2017)

File: The Bounce, Montreal Snowshoe Club.jpg. n.d. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Bounce,_Montreal_Snowshoe_Club.jpg. (accessed February 26, 2017).

The Sunday Herald. (Boston, MA). Sunday, January 23, 1881, p. 2. (genealogybank.com)

The Sunday Herald. (Boston, MA). Sunday, August 14, 1881, p. 12. (genealogybank.com)

Desbarats, George-Édouard. Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Vol. XII (1891 – 1900). http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/desbarats_george_edouard_12E.html. (accessed February 26, 2017).

Mrs. Thysell Restored

Posted on December 11, 2016 by Annieoakley

Mini-photo, circa 1890 – 1910.

Availability status: SOLD

Size including matting: 2 and 1/2 x 4″

Well, we appreciate whoever it was that wrote the name of this beautiful young woman on the back, even though it was only the married surname. I feel compelled to say thank you, too, to the unknown pencil-scribbler for at least limiting the scribbling to the background! And for sure, a more professional restoration could be done, but she turned out pretty good, after some time spent in Photoshop. Love the flowers added to her Gibson Girl hairstyle. Reverse below:

As to the origin of the surname Thysell, this name comes up most often in Sweden, and we find several possibilities from Minnesota records for our subject: Was she Emma Roberts, born 1877 in Norway who married Carl John Thysell….or the Caroline E. Nelson born about 1880 in Minnesota who married Nels Albert Thysell….or the Emilia, born 1874 in Sweden who married Albin Gustav Thysell….or the Helen Nelson, born 1880 in Sweden that married Emil Theodore Thysell….or none of the above?

Update! Mystery solved thanks to contact (see comment) from a granddaughter: The woman in the photo is Caroline E. Thysell, maiden name Nelson, wife of Nels Albert Thysell.

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.”

Roberta In Cap And Gown

Posted on June 14, 2016 by Annieoakley

Cropped old photo, circa 1920s – 1930s.

Price: $3.00 Size: About 2 x 3″

Still in school dayz for one more post….This is a cropped portrait of a beautiful African American woman in her graduation cap and gown, holding her diploma. The time-frame is maybe 1920s – 1930s. The reverse shows her writing, too bad it’s so cut off. Guessing from the signature that her name is Roberta, and we do know another thing about her: she had a good sense of humor. She jokes that (likely this photo) is, “something to frighten the mosquitos away. smile.”

Rosa Arce, Ensenada, August 28, 1916

Posted on May 1, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing. Dated August 28, 1916. AZO stamp box.

Availability status: SOLD

This Real Photo Postcard from 1916 shows a graceful young woman, standing on a porch, her hand resting on the back of a wooden chair. The composition is wonderful: the door slightly ajar, the arbor effect of the vines, the roses in the right-hand corner, the glimpse to the street in the background. The woman has a narrow, oval-shaped face, is dressed in a long dark skirt, white blouse with lace collar, and if you look closely you’ll notice she’s wearing long gloves of a very thin material. She writes:

“Dedico este Recuerdo mi querida hermani tu como una prueba de cariño que le tiene su nita, Rosa Arce Encenada Agosto 28 de 1916.”

It seems “hermani” should be hermana (sister) and possibly “nita” should be nieta (granddaughter). “Encenada” is Ensenada, so the photo was probably taken in Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, however there is a small town in New Mexico by this name and also a neighborhood in Guánica, Puerto Rico called Ensenada. I’m not understanding the full context with the reference at the end to su nieta (his/her granddaughter) however I believe the first part translates as:

“This memory is dedicated to you my dear sister as proof of my affection…”

Addressed to: “Señorita Eloisa Moreno.” (The word appearing underneath the name is a mystery at the moment.)

Cuernavaca Market Scene

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, used postcard. Circa 1949. Artist unknown. Publisher: Fischgrund, Mexico (Eugenio Fischgrund). Printed in Mexico. Printer: F. Sanchez H. y Cia, México, D.F. (Mexico City).

Price: $20.00

Color! If you’ve been looking at the last number of black and white posts, this is a heavenly change (adore those black and white ones though!)

A postcard, circa 1949, from an unknown artist’s painting, showing a market scene in the city of Cuernavaca, Mexico. Cuernavaca is the capital of the Mexican state, Morelos, and located south of Mexico City. That looks like a depiction of the Cathedral of the Assumption of Mary (Catedral de la Asunción de María) in the background. And closer in the scene we see part of a building bearing the sign “Así es la Vida” translated as “such is life.” Maybe a restaurant or a bar? (There is a Phoenix AZ restaurant by this name.) The senders wrote:

“Ramon, Estubimos (estuvimos) haber los toros vimos a tu suegra, Elisia y Frank pero no tubimos (tuvimos) chansa de hablar con ellos. Mañana saldremos para otra parte. tus padres Dámaso y Josefa.”

Translation: “We saw the bulls and were with your mother-in-law, Elisia and Frank but we did not have a chance to talk with them. We’re leaving tomorrow, your parents Dámaso and Josefa.”

Addressed to: “Mr. Ramon Diaz, Alvarado, California, U. F. of America.”

I think the senders were saying “United Federation” of America and obviously meant U. S. of A. As for the postmark, that looks like 49 for year 1949.

The town of Alvarado was located in Alvarado County and does not exist in present-day, it was annexed to Union City in 1959.

The 1930 U. S. Federal Census finds the Diaz family living in Washington Township, Alameda County, California: Damaso Diaz, born Spain about 1888, occupation meat salesman; his wife Josephine, born Spain about 1886; son Segundo, born Hawaii about 1914; son Cipriano, born California about 1915; daughter Mary, born California about 1916; and our postcard addressee, Raymond, born California about 1920.

The 1940 Federal Census for the family was found also (spelled Dias), showing that by now Damaso is the owner of a grocery and meat market, daughter Mary is married to Frank Vargas, Segundo is a delivery man for his dad, Cipriano Diaz and Frank Vargas are salt workers, and Raymond is helping his dad at the store.

Looking a little further we find Raymond was born in 1919, served in WWII, enlisted as a private and was promoted to sergeant, and (assuming he was married once) he married Beatrice (maiden name unknown) sometime between 1942 – 1949. In ’42 his occupation was welder. In 1959 he and his wife were living in Union City and he was working as a barber. He died in 1995 and is buried in the San Joaquin National Cemetery in Santa Nella. (Funny, I’ve driven by this cemetery a number of times when we lived in the Central Valley.)

I’m struck again by the feeling that these postcards, photos, trade cards etc. are like doorways (chuckling but serious) containing glimpses of so many connected stories: This particular Diaz family has origins in Spain, they were in Hawaii when their oldest son was born, but put they down roots in California. The parents vacationed near Mexico City. The now defunct town of Alvarado was known for sugar beets. The postcard publisher lived in Mexico but was born in what is now the Czech Republic (we’ll have to get a post up on him later) and we could go on and on.

Sources: Alvarado, California. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvarado,_California (accessed April 30, 2016).

Year: 1930; Census Place: Washington, Alameda, California; Roll: 112; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 0343; Image: 189.0; FHL microfilm: 2339847. (Ancestry.com)

“United States Census, 1940,” database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9QW-WDS : accessed 30 April 2016), Raymond Dias in household of Damaso Dias, Washington Judicial Township, Alameda, California, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 1-178, sheet 4B, family 99, NARA digital publication T627 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012), roll 191.

National Archives and Records Administration. U.S. World War II Army Enlistment Records, 1938-1946. (Ancestry.com)

Original data: Find A Grave. Find A Grave. Memorial #580002. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi.

Polk’s San Leandro (Alameda County) City Directory 1959. p. 263. (Ancestry.com. U.S. City Directories, 1822-1995)

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?

Brigit O’Quinn, Banada, County Sligo

Posted on March 17, 2016 by Annieoakley

Divided back, unused postcard. “Carta Puist.” Circa 1911. Printed by Malcolm & Hayes, New York. Publisher: The Gaelic League. Photo by Anna Frances Levins. Number or series 30249.

Availability status: SOLD (High resolution digital image sold and to be included in book soon to be published).

“Brigit O’Quinn, Banada, Co. Sligo. 15th Century Irish Costume.”

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day!

Cardcow has this postcard showing a postmark year 1911. Ha, this is crazy (great) as the sender on the Cardcow card has written, “This is one of the three colleens that have been staying with us…” (For some reason I was thinking that maybe Brigit O’Quinn was a figure in Irish history and the photo represented her, so to speak. Must of been the beautiful traditional outfit or maybe the hairstyle.) And, normally, we’re researching photos of people that were born elsewhere and emigrated to the U.S., so this one is like a flip, sort of, born and lives elsewhere, visiting the States. Nice! Anyway, Cardcow’s card was postmarked from Butte, Montana. And so, we find a newspaper article online that appeared in the Anaconda Standard, (Anaconda, Montana) July 12, 1911: “Miss Brigit O’Quinn, accompanied by Miss Noone, gave an Irish jig in a manner that kept the audience applauding for several minutes at its completion.”

More to follow shortly on this post, as I’m out of time this morning…..

The next day….Here’s the clipping mentioned above and several more, showing that the three colleens, the Misses Bridie MacLoughlin, Eileen Noone and Brigit O’Quinn were on tour, visiting, among other places, Montana, Yellowstone National Park, Oregon and Kansas.

The trio, in the company of the Reverend Michael O’Flanagan and Fionian MacColum (The Gaelic League’s American envoys mentioned in the second clip above) returned home via Liverpool, England, on the passenger ship Adriatic, leaving New York and arriving in Liverpool August 2, 1912. The ladies’ estimated ages per the ship list are: Bridie, age 30; Bridget, age 35 and Eileen, age 27. Below, a crop from the passenger list.

Sources: “Miss Noone, Pianist.” The Anaconda Standard. (Anaconda, Montana) 12 Jul 1911, Wed, p. 5. (Newspapers.com)

“Exhibit of Irish Industries Opens Tomorrow Morning.” The Oregon Daily Journal (Portland, Oregon). 21 Aug 1911, Mon. p. 16. (Newspapers.com)

“Gaelic League’s Exhibit Irish Industries.” (photo of Eileen Noone) The Oregon Daily Journal (Portland, Oregon). 21 Aug 1911, Mon. p. 16. (Newspapers.com)

“The Irish Industries Exhibit.” (photo of Brigit McQuinn). The Wichita Beacon (Wichita, Kansas) 26 Jun 1912, Wed. p. 3. (Newspapers.com)

The National Archives of the UK; Kew, Surrey, England; Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Inwards Passenger Lists.; Class: BT26; Piece: 528; Item: 12. (Ancestry.com)

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