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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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Thursday, December 8, 2011

Not the Gifter, But the Giftee: Jennie Suggitt, 1903



While I don't know the full name of the woman in this cabinet card photograph I do know that the portrait was taken July 19th, 1903 at the Wragg studio on 45 Mesnes Street in Wigan, which is in Greater Manchester, England.

A note written on the reverse provides a few more clues:  "Dear Cousin Jennie [Suggitt] from Aunt Mary A. with fondest love to your loving husband & baby."  Someone has inserted Cousin Jennie's last name in pencil.  I found this card at an antique store in Alberta, Canada.

The  photo was found with a second cabinet card, taken at the J.F. Mitchell Studio in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.  On the reverse: "Aunty Jenny Davis (?) nee Suggitt and husband Fred Davis (?)."  I believe the Jenny in the photo below is the Jennie who received the above photo from Aunt Mary.

The person who wrote the inscription was unclear about the surname of Jenny's husband.   There isn't a name attributed to Jenny & Fred's baby, either.  I love that they've even included the family dog in the picture.  Unfortunately, the picture has faded significantly.  I would date the photo around 1895, based on the style of cabinet card and the leg o' mutton sleeves on Jenny's dress.


Update, December 10/11:  Karen, on the Ancestry Message Board for Winnipeg writes:  "From looking at the Manitoba Vital Stats site and the 1906 census it would appear to me that your photo is of Jane Ann SUGGITT and Frederick David DAVIES who were married in Winnipeg on June 26, 1901. The child may well be their daughter Edith Rose who was born in the R.M. of Springfield on November 23, 1904." 

What do you think?   Do the clues in the photograph match the dates above?  The sleeves on Jenny's dress are throwing me off a bit, but the big mutton sleeves still show up in the ladies fashion catalogues of the day.
Thanks, Karen, for looking into the censuses and making this connection!



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