Divided back, Real Photo Postcard, unused with writing. December 19, 1915. AZO stamp box.

Price:  $15.00

Continuing on with our cold weather theme, a mother and son in Brooklyn, NY posing in winter coats and hats….

A proud mom, Mrs. Lulu Kalunas, writes about her four and a half year old son, who we found in records as Ivan Paul Kalunas, born June 2, 1911 in New York. We take into account that photos were not a dime a dozen in those days, hence the detailed explanation as to young Paul’s expression:

“Brooklyn, N. Y. Dec. 19, 1915. To Ratchel, From Lu Lu. Paulie is 4 years & 6 months old, and has golden hair & dark brown eyes. Note the peculiar expression of his mouth. Paulie has a pretty mouth, but he closed it too tight. He was afraid of the photographer, maybe ???”

Lulu is Clara Louise Dawson (or Louise Clara) born New Jersey, January 1887. On the 1900 Federal Census for Brooklyn, she is living with her mother Clara, stepfather Frederick Koster, and younger sister Helen. It must have been a family member that had written Lulu’s name in pen on the card, and now we can see that what looks like “Kodu” is actually Koster.

The 1920 Federal Census for Brooklyn showing the surname misspelled as “Kluanas” lists Paul’s father as born in Riga, Russia (now Latvia) and Lulu working as a pianist at a theater. Their address is 11a Woodbine St.

The 1925 New York State Census shows Lulu and Paul listed twice:  Clara and Paul Kalunas living with Fred and May Koster (stepfather and May must be Lulu’s mother) and again as Lulu and Ivan P. Kalunas, with Lulu as head of household. Looking at the census one imagines a conglomeration of apartments, and maybe 11 Woodbine St., apt. A, had a separate entrance and the census taker was unaware that he’d been to the same household twice. Just a thought!

Sources:  Year: 1900; Census Place: Brooklyn Ward 28, Kings, New York; Roll: 1066; Page: 9B; Enumeration District: 0511; FHL microfilm: 1241066. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1920; Census Place: Brooklyn Assembly District 20, Kings, New York; Roll: T625_1177; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 1305; Image: 482. (Ancestry.com)

History of Riga. n.d. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Riga (accessed January 26, 2017).

New York State Archives; Albany, New York; State Population Census Schedules, 1925; Election District: 27; Assembly District: 20; City: Brooklyn; County: Kings; Page: 33. (Ancestry.com)

Year: 1945; Arrival: New York, New York; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Microfilm Roll: Roll 6905; Line: 29; Page Number: 130. (Ancestry.com)