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I reunite identified family photos that I find in antique shops and second hand stores with genealogists and family historians. If you see one of your ancestors here and would like to obtain the original, feel free to contact me at familyphotoreunion [ at ] yahoo [ dot ] com. I also accept donations of pre-1927 images to be reunited. I hope you enjoy your visit!
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Monday, February 13, 2012

From the Bretzman Studio, Indianapolis: Unknown Boy, circa 1901-1904



I just love this image and wish I knew the name of this young man.  Provenance may help identify him someday.  The portrait was found with photographs and documents belonging to the Ealey family of Clay County, Indiana.  Some of the collateral lines of this particular Ealey family were Muncie, Kolcheck, and Presnell.  Perhaps there is some connection with one of these families.

The photographer was Charles F. Bretzman (1866-1934), working out of his studio at 142 S. Illinois Street, Indianapolis.  Bretzman came to Indianapolis at the turn of the century and opened his first studio at this location in 1902.  He moved to a new studio in 1905 at 22 1/2 N. Pennsylvania Street, which tells us this photograph was taken sometime between the years 1902 and 1904.  There are a number of photographs by Bretzman on the Indiana Historical Societies' Photographer collection, donated by Charles' son, Noble Bretzman, who was also a well-known and respected portrait photographer.  I searched through the collection online but did not find this photograph there.

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