This tintype of an unidentified Union soldier was in a box of photos at my mom’s house. I believe it came from my ex-step-father’s family.
Tag: ephemera
Woman and Child
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.
WWII Letters
I’ve been working on putting together a mini-website for the letters I got from my aunt. I’m conflicted about them. On the one hand, they’re an amazing little time capsule from World War II, but on the other, there’s a lot of racist language in them that I’m not comfortable with perpetuating. I think, though, that the letters’ historical value outweighs the racism (and other -isms I’m sure I’ll encounter as I work on transcribing them).
I also have trouble with the glorification of killing and the military industrial complex, so it’s difficult for me to warm up to “characters” who inhabit that world. I believe deeply in the importance of pacifism; war is never the answer. And so, the whole project is problematic for me for a whole lot of reasons. That doesn’t mean I don’t think it’s worthwhile, though.
At this point, my plan is to just transcribe the letters. I don’t think I’ll scan them and put the images online, though I do want to include any items contained in the envelopes (photos, newspaper clippings, etc.).
Old Letters
My aunt gave me a big box of letters. They were written by a Marine during WWII to his girlfriend (later wife). I spent this evening putting them in order, so that I can start reading, scanning, and transcribing them. These are from the earliest group, written in 1942.
Pretty Ladies
Young Women, cartes de visite, 4 x 2 1/2 inches, c. 1880-1890
Photographer: Heinrich Kriegsmann, Nordermarkt No. 49, Flensburg, Germany
I think these two photos are just lovely.
In not so lovely news, I have a feeling my hard disk is about to commit suicide, and I’m not looking forward to it. What a pain in my ass! Other pains in my ass include maintenance cutting down the cedar tree outside my bedroom window, being waked up at 2am by my upstairs neighbors’ very noisy bed, a still-broken-after-being-“fixed” trash disposal, having to work on Friday and Saturday, and getting my first ever parking ticket (to the tune of $50!!!). I know this week could suck more, but enough already!
Cartes de visite
Fred H. Smith
born 15 March 1874 in Brooklyn, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
died 1956
Lena Mellisa Smith
born 1873 in Brooklyn, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
Georgia Belle Smith
born 5 October 1878 in Osseo, Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States
died 22 October 1973 in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, United States
The last two were sisters, and I’m guessing Fred is part of the family, too, but I can’t find him listed in the census. Lena and Georgia Belle were the daughters of Andrew J. Smith and Georgianna Isadore Russell.
ETA: Lena and Fred were cousins! Fred was the son of George Haskell Smith and Frances Isabell Thomas. George Haskell Smith and Andrew J. Smith were brothers, the sons of Horace Harding Smith and Caroline Louisa Shepard.
1923 Gradebook
These are some pages from Esther’s 1923 gradebook.
Grade 8 Algebra I
Grade 8 History II
Grade 8 History
Grade 8 History
Grade 8 French II
Grade 8 American History
Scrapbook
Catherine’s Scrapbook 1915-1925
Catherine’s Scrapbook
Scrapbook 1915-1925
I’ve had this scrapbook for some time now. It belonged to Catherine, a family friend who died a few years ago. The scrapbook was done in the late teens through the 1920s, and it’s chock full of magazine illustrations from the period.
Catherine was determined to teach me a thing or two about fiber arts. She took me to a couple of quilting workshops, gave me an old workhorse of a sewing machine (one of those indestructible, all-metal ones that weighs 500lbs), took me to visit a local weaver’s studio, and even taught me how to weave. I didn’t appreciate it at the time, at least, not as much as I should have. I’m glad I had a chance to do those things and wish I’d taken better advantage of the learning opportunity.
(This is not the best image, but it was the 5000th from my little Kodak camera, so I thought I ought to mark the milestone.)
Found
This is some of the junk I picked up while cleaning and hiking out in Owen County last weekend. The ceramic and tile pieces came from the driveway. The former owners were artists, and they used the driveway to break up china for mosaic work. There are little pieces of the leftovers mixed in with the gravel. Every time it rains, more pieces come to the surface, so whenever I’m there, I look around for them.
The little girl’s photo came from inside the house. It was in a pile of stuff I swept up off the floor. So were the nuts and washer and the metal thingumy in the top right corner. I haven’t a clue what it is, but it’s a neat shape and has a nice patina, so I kept it. The stone at the top is a fossil of some sort.
The turkey feather was sitting in the crook of a tree. It looked like a snake, at first glance, because of its pattern and size. Yes, wild turkeys do roost in trees!
red paper boat 