Photo Feature: Callin Family Reunion 1900

1900 Callin family reunion - at the home of William and Ellen (Channing) Callin, Richmond township

Welcome to the family reunion! I hope you brought a magnifying glass and some reference material! (Clicking on the photo ought to expand it to original size, if that helps.)

The photo above came to me from cousin Megan (Ancestry user meganoneill10), and I think we can identify a few of the people in it. The house (as the caption reports) is the home of William and Ellen (Channing) Callin, from the post "The Girl From England."  

The couple in the center - the man seated in the grey suit and the lady to his right (your left) - is almost certainly John H Callin and Amanda Lydia Walker. They are my 2nd-great grandparents, and I wrote about their family last January in "20th Century Callin Clan."

The man two seats to the right of John (your right, John's left) in the black suit--he appears to be William H Callin, owner of the house. I suspect that since these two men are cousins (John's father and William's father were brothers), the people in this picture are probably all people who have been or will be featured in this blog at some point.

Megan also has these photos, which none of us are sharp-eyed or knowledgeable enough to identify.  Take a look, and if you recognize anyone, you should definitely say something!

Happy hunting!

Photo Feature: The Graduate

No Dustin Hoffman here, today - but we do have a proud wearer of Cap & Gown to wonder about.

Today's photo was taken at the noted Con. F. Squires studio in Lawrence, Kansas, and is inscribed "Squires '13" - so we're probably looking at someone from the Class of 1913!

As always, if you have any clues to offer, the comments are below, or you can email me at callintad at gmail dot com.

Photo Feature: Hello, Nurse!

Welcome to National Nurses Week, 2015!

The holiday runs from 6-12 May, so this week's photo is of an unnamed nurse:

The only clue I have to her identity is the studio inscription on the mounting: "Heath, Phoenix."  I found a website on historic photography that indicates this studio probably operated between 1850 and 1920, so that at least helps narrow down the period.

Whoever she is, I'm sure she helped a lot of people during her career.  As always, if you have any clues to offer, the comments are below, or you can email me at callintad at gmail dot com.

Photo Feature: Facial Recognition

As I continue going through the old photos left behind in my grandparents' possessions, I keep finding things that might be clues - or might not. I don't like to trust my brain's facial recognition software - especially when there is such a diverse group represented in the portraits.

For example, do you remember this lady from few weeks ago?

Unidentified lady and boy

I wasn't sure then whether that boy was or was not the same young man as Loren Weddle, seen in this photo:

Loren Weddle, 1927

I'm still not sure. And now I have these two photos - one of which might be that same lady with her husband:

Possible brother of Albert Huff?

Here is a side-by-side comparison of these two cropped images of her face - maybe you will see something I don't:

I'm pretty certain that's the same lady in both pictures - but if so, what does that tell me? I need to identify someone else, too, and maybe figure out a likely year that these photos were taken.

Same man, but with daughters?
Granddaughters?

The point is, until I know something concrete, there are a LOT of assumptions being made here. I have compared these photos to photos of my Huff relatives (see Albert and Rosa below), and they are superficially alike.

They are marked (if you can see it in the scans) as being from the Oates studio. There are similar patterns on the border matting, and the backdrops used by the photographer are very similar. (I'm less sure that it's the same backdrop in the first photo of the lady with the boy, but it's possible.)

It seems to me there is a family resemblance between Albert and the other man - I assume he could be one of Albert's brothers.

But I don't know.

Albert Huff and Rosa Edith (Murray) Huff, c. 1907

As always, if you have any clues, dive into the comments below or drop me a private note.

Photo Feature: Fostoria, Ohio 1923

This is always a fun game to play at family gatherings - find a group photo and try to figure out who all of the people in it are!

Callin visit to Fostoria, c. 1924

Let's start with what I know - which isn't a lot.

The little boy seated middle-front (not the one in the sailor suit) is almost certainly my Grandpa Bob. He was born in 1920, so this would be him at around 4 years of age.

The boy seated to the right of Bobby looks like his brother, Norman.  John Norman Callin was born in 1912, so he would be about 12 here.

From here on out, I'm wildly guessing.

I think the lady seated behind Norman might be the boys' grandmother, Alice Cramer (1865-1942), and the gentleman in the bow tie next to her could be her husband, George Cramer (1861-1937). I don't really have other pictures of them that I can compare.

But, if that's the side of the family they are visiting, that opens up some possibilities.

The older boy squatting next to the dog, behind the boy in the sailor suit, might be Bob and Norman's cousin, Harry Donald Hale (b. 1904). I think it's unlikely, as he doesn't look like he's 20 in this picture, but it's hard to say for sure when he's not standing.

From there, I'm stabbing in the dark.

What about you? Any Hales or Callin cousins out there with some suggestions?  As always, if you have any clues, dive into the comments below or drop me a private note.

Photo Feature: Places in the Heartland

A change of scenery this week as we take a look at places instead of people. "Where the Heck Are They?" still gets a #WTHAT hashtag, right?

First up, we have two of three photo postcards.

Huff residence, c. 1908 (from lt.: Merle, Rosa, Albert)

Huff residence, c. 1908 (from lt.: Rosa, Merle, Albert)

Both appear to be different views of the same house - the trees are similar in both, you can see the windmill over the roof in both (though the second one is severely over-exposed), and the three people in each picture seem to be the same three people. They're wearing the same clothes, at least.

All three of the postcards are in a sleeve that looks like the one to the right. They have no studio name, no date, no postmarks or stamps (they appear not to have been mailed) and no other identifying marks or dates - with a couple of exceptions.

1. The one which shows the two women seated on the porch has my grandmother's handwriting on the back, identifying the man as my great-great grandfather Albert Huff and the women as Rosa Huff and Merle Huff - my great-great grandmother and their daughter, my great-grandmother, respectively. (See "My Sixteen" for more on them.)

2. The third photo, below, has some lettering in the bottom left corner - "D-81-8" - which could have some meaning.

Mystery house - possibly in Savonburg, KS, c. 1908

I'm guessing at the year on all three; it's likely that the Huffs were having portraits taken of their old homestead before moving to Arizona. They could have also intended to give these to the Huff kids who were moving away from home so they could take "home" with them.

As always, if you have any clues, dive into the comments below or drop me a private note.

Photo Feature: Class of 1927

This week's mystery comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona, 1927.  We know this because the portraits are all from the Russell studio in Phoenix, and two of them (Loren Weddle's from last week's post, and Margaret Sobey's below) include the date. 

Albert Long Miller

This one stands out for me, because "Miller" is the only surname that I actually have in my files. My great-aunt Irene was a Miller - but I don't recall hearing about a sister or cousin named "Albert". (Irene was born in 1922, so a cousin would definitely be more likely.)

Margaret Sobey - 27

Gladys Jacobs Sendlewski

This is the kind of puzzle I find both fascinating and frustrating - because it seems like I'm missing just one crucial piece of information needed to figure it all out. Someone cared enough about these pictures to save them, and pass them on to my grandparents.

But, that's why I'm putting all of these "Who the Heck Are They" pictures online, where Google's Image search or a service like Tin Eye Reverse Image search can find them.  Who knows who might be looking for these people for their own family history?

As always, if you have any clues, dive into the comments below or drop me a private note.

Photo Feature: Loren Weddle - Classmate or Cousin?

This, the evidence would indicate, is Loren Weddle in Phoenix, Arizona, 1927.

Loren Weddle, 1927

The question is, who is Loren Weddle? The studio inscription says "Russell, Phoenix" which tells me this me this could be someone that the Huff or Witter folks knew.

I have a few portraits in the box from the same studio, which could mean that these are classmates of some relative who would have been in school in 1927. We'll take a look at all of them next week, but I wanted to single Loren out because he looks suspiciously like the younger man in this portrait:

For some reason, I have two copies of this portrait which are identical to each other - right down to the lack of any identification other than the "Oates" studio inscription in the lower right corner. If it is the same young man, he might be more than just a classmate - but either way, he's a mystery!

As always, if you have any clues, dive into the comments below or drop me a private note.

Photo Feature: Baby New Year!

Ring in New Year 2015 with these old baby photos!

While I don't have any clues to help identify the first four, I do know who the happy little guy below is - Edward Lee Fitzsimmons, at age 6 months.

Edward Lee Fitzsimmons, 6 months

Someone thoughtfully penciled that information on the back of his portrait, taken at "C.D. Bancroft Studio Grand; 402 B-Way, Co. Bluffs, IA" - and I have several census records putting his birthday in February 1912, so that would make this photo (quick calculation) more than a century old!

Edward's grandmother was the older sister of my great-great grandmother, Rosa Murray. That makes him my 2nd cousin, twice removed.

Emma Jane Murray was born in Indiana in 1854, and moved to Neosho county, Kansas with her parents, Aaron and Hannah (Bender) Murray, after the Civil War. She married Alonzo Parker in 1872, and their 2nd daughter, Jennie May, was born in 1875. She married Edward E. Fitzsimmons in 1899, and they moved to Council Bluffs, Iowa around 1901, and then 100 miles north to Grant City by 1910.  Their third child, born there 2 years later, was baby Edward Lee!

Photo Feature: Del Trible

In the spirit of "No-Shave November," this week's photo features a fine, extravagant moustache, and a mysterious piece of my family's past.

According to the inked inscription on the back, this is Del Trible of Glendale, Ariz:

However, I have no record of this or any Trible in my family tree. He could be an old friend of the family, a distant cousin, a teacher, or a pastor. I hope someone out there can tell me which!

As always, feel free to comment below or drop a private note to callintad at gmail dot com.

Photo Feature: Mystery Girls

These two mysterious young siblings present a real challenge for this week's "Who The Heck Are They?"

With no inscription except the studio name - "Oates" - I can only hope that someone out there might recognize them. I would guess from the similarities in their noses and chins that they are sisters; perhaps someone will recognize the watch worn by the girl on the left?

As always, if you have any clues to offer, the comments are below, or you can email me at callintad at gmail dot com.

Photo Feature: Vernon Tuckey

This week, I have a picture of a baby from the "Who The Heck Are They?" collection.

The inscription, in ink, says "Vernon Tuckey", and the studio name printed in the lower right corner is "L. Wilson." But as helpful as that may be to someone else, I have no idea where this person might fit on my family tree. I have no "Tuckey" folk, and don't recall hearing any mention of the name.

"Vernon Tuckey"

If you recognize little Vernon, please let me know - either comment below, or drop me a note!

Photo Feature: Mystery Couple II

In the spirit of "No-Shave November," I bring you this second mystery couple - maybe I'm projecting here, but from the twinkle in his eye I get the impression that he just said or did something that she intends to punish him for as soon as the photographer finishes his business. 

Mystery Couple II

Unfortunately, I have no more idea who these delightful people might be than I had for Mystery Couple I - other than the fact that these portraits were among those I inherited from Grandpa Bob after he passed in 2007. They are most likely related to Grandma's side of the family, making them Huff/Witter/Murray folk.

Anyone with any leads or suggestions, I'm always happy to hear from you! Hit the comments below or email me privately, if you prefer.  (callintad at gmail dot com)

Photo Feature: Mystery Couple I

In the spirit of "No-Shave November," I give you this mystery couple - she with a look that might be horror at whatever the photographer has off to her right, and he sporting a fantastic growth of chin whiskers under a dark delta of moustache.

Mystery Couple I

Unfortunately, I have no clues whatsoever as to who these delightful people might be, other than the fact that these portraits were among those I inherited from Grandpa Bob after he passed in 2007. They are most likely related to Grandma's side of the family, making them Huff/Witter/Murray folk. He looks like a Huff to me, but I am not an authoritative source!

Anyone with any leads or suggestions, I'm always happy to hear from you! Hit the comments below or email me privately, if you prefer.  (callintad at gmail dot com)

Mystery Solved - "Uncle All"

Do you remember the first "WTHAT Photo Feature"? (I hope so - it only went up a week ago!)

If you don't recall, or don't want to follow that link, I asked for help identifying this couple. The only clue I had was the pencil inscription "Uncle All" on the back.

Well, I'm pleased to announce that I have an answer on their identity:

He is my 2nd great grand uncle, Lewis Huff (1846-1933). As near as I can tell, he always went by his initials, "L.W." which might explain why the writer of the inscription might have only known him as "Uncle L" - or "All."

The lady is, of course, his wife of more than 60 years, Mary Sophie Hodges (b. 1849).

Your next question should be, "How do you know?"

I believe I have mentioned that I have a whole box of photos and newspaper clippings, and that I've been slowly digging through it for a few years. As it happens, one of the reasons I started this blog was to motivate me to finish going through The Box and scanning, transcribing, and uploading as many of these pictures as I can. It turns out I have a year or two worth of WTHAT photos to share, as well as a number of random, fragile pieces of newsprint to capture.

After posting the Uncle All photo, I happened across two more portraits that looked surprisingly like this couple.

The one to your left there is clearly much earlier, but even if he weren't sporting the same chin whiskers and moustache, she has the same facial features.

And the one below is my personal favorite - taken sometime between the first two, it seems to be the most flattering picture of the three portraits.

But I still would have had a mystery on my hands if it weren't for this newspaper clipping, which I've transcribed for you in full:

Four Wed in Days of Civil War

 "Relief Corps Has Fete on Sixtieth and Sixty-fifth Anniversaries Dates 

Two Los Angeles couples, both the in the evening of life, the husbands veterans of the Civil War, the wives belles of the days of hoopskirts and lasting wedlock, yesterday celebrated their sixtieth and sixty-fifth wedding anniversaries.
   The two couples were guests at an anniversary luncheon given in their honor by the Bartlett Logan Women's Relief Corps, No. 17, of the Grand Army of the Republic at Patriotic Hall.
  Edward Wearne, 85 years of age, and his wife, 83, were married sixty-five years ago, while the groom was serving in the Union forces in the war with the South. Mr. Wearne was then a member of the Ninety-sixth Illinois Infantry.  The couple came to Los Angeles in 1903, and now live at 1441 East Fifty-third street.
  Sixty years ago L.W. Huff, 81, and his wife, 78, were married in ohio after he had served through the war with the One Hundred and Ninety-second Ohio Infantry.  They came to Los Angeles in 1902, and reside at 1204 North Avenue 57.
  "We've been married a long time, but we're not tired of it yet," all four said yesterday as they met with friends and comrades gathered together in their honor.
  After the luncheon and presentation of gifts a short entertainment program was given."

(I would love to hear from the family of Mr. and Mrs. Wearne, if they ever run across this - my hope is that they'll be able to solve a mystery or two of their own with this clipping. As far as I know, my Huffs and the Wearne family are not connected in any way other than this clipping.)

Lewis W. Huff and Mary Sophie Hodges, c. 1910 in Los Angeles, CA

I had Mr. Huff in my family tree already, along with the fact that he had served in the 192nd Ohio Infantry, so this newspaper gave me the "smoking gun" I needed to declare this mystery solved!

Photo Feature: "Uncle All"

Welcome to the first of many weekly "Photo Features"!

This post fits two categories of photos that I plan to share with you each week. (Explanations below the photo!) "Who The Heck Are They?" and "Great Beards Of History!"

For this photo, I will need help identifying these lovely people. The only clues I have are the photographer's mark ("Fred Hartsook Home Studios, No. Hollywood, Cal.") and a pencil inscription on the back that might read "Uncle All." The handwriting is open to interpretation.

As always, if you have some clues that will help me identify these folks, you can comment on the post or email me at callintad at gmail dot com.

UPDATE: Mystery Solved! Hit that link to learn the mystery couple's identity! - T

"Uncle All"