Tag Archives: ephemera

I have no idea who this kid is, but I love her.

A coworker found this in a drawer she was cleaning out. She thought I’d like to look at it, so she brought it to work. I got permission from her to scan, transcribe, and upload the entire album, so that other people could look at it. It might be of use for genealogical research.

The album belonged to Mr. James Thomas Ricketts, a teacher at the Yorktown School, in Yorktown, Tippecanoe County, Indiana. Most of the entries are from 1886, with a few later ones in 1890. Yorktown no longer exists. It was de-platted in 1969. All that remains is a cemetery.

I’m finished transcribing all the entries, but I’ve only had time to do a few cursory look ups in the Census records. The entire album can be seen here.

Carte de visite, 4 x 2 1/2 inches, H. Eilmann, Flensburg.

At first glance, I thought this woman looked dead. She certainly looks odd. I think part of it is the paleness of her irises. The curling of her hands also seemed strange, but after looking at other portraits from that time, it’s clear that this was a common pose for women. Even so, the position of her left arm, behind the girl, seems stiff and awkward. It’s not a conventionally “pretty” portrait, but I think it’s an interesting one.